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Time Capsule Navy CJ3A by Valentine APU

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Red Dog View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Red Dog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 May 2016 at 5:43pm
Really a neat project with a history going for it! Ohio is a long way from Oregon but maybe one day I will make back there for one of the shows.

Question re: pictures
Does anyone know the owner of the red jeep parked just in front of yours at the show with the Wisconsin plates (FNZ 254)? It has what appears to be the same half cab that my '47 has on it and would love to pick the brain of that Jeep owner about it.

Thanks,

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 48cj2a Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 May 2016 at 6:50pm
I only see two WI registrations with CJs in my early spreadsheet - I sent them both an email and will let you know.
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Edited by 48cj2a - 26 May 2016 at 7:38pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nick_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2016 at 3:09am
As a side note, I called the previous owner Jim Coop of the APU. He was very excited to hear I finished the project and glad to hear it's being displayed for all to see. I'm going to send him a copy of the Dispatcher this June.

Originally posted by Bill Norris Bill Norris wrote:

Nick,
 
It was definitely 'the find' at the show this year. Glad you got it going and brought it.
 
I didn't realize Valentine was in Detroit and actually not too far from where I work. I have an inquiry in at the library here to see if they have any info. I'll let you know what I hear back.
 
Bill


Thanks Bill! It was my first Willys show and it couldn't have been better. That library may be our saving grace being so close to the factory, thanks for getting this setup and definitely let me know what you find.

At the show I talked about some manuals Tom found. Here is a Google cloud account I have with all the APU research in one spot. This is the manual section where you can see the:
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jerry45 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 June 2016 at 4:27pm
Nick, I noticed that the later three wheel body style APU's shown in your Manuel linl actually has four wheels. It was probably a little tippy with three wheels! :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bill Norris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 June 2016 at 5:20pm
Nick,
 
I finally heard back from the library and they have nothing on Valentine, unfortunately.
 
"I was able to locate the company in the Detroit City Directories from the 1950s and 1960s.  The city directories listed the address of Valentine Welding & Manufacturing at 7310 Woodward Ave, R410, in Detroit.  The president of the company was C. Elbert Valentine, Jr.  C.E. Valentine served as Vice-Presidents; and L. Schnieder was the Treasurer.  The line of business was indicated as: welding and cutting.  Unfortunately, I was not able to locate anything on the vehicle conversion work this company was performing."
 
Bill


Edited by Bill Norris - 15 June 2016 at 6:12pm
Holy Toledo! Jeep Calendars and the Dispatcher Jeep magazine

http://dispatchermagazine.com
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nick_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 June 2016 at 4:50am
Big news big news!

Today is a historic day. Today... the APU becomes even closer to completion. I present to you: the Jack & Heintz G32 DC aircraft generator!


It's just as heavy as it is massive. A 2-man operation was needed to lift this out of the crate. It weighs in at about 80 lbs!




Yes, this is the actual correct generator for the NA-4 Jeep. What are the chances a single G32 was for sale, with original paint? I bought this from a guy in North Carolina who was going to use it in an electric car. So of course it's completely tested and in verified working condition! A big thanks to Tom and Arno for helping lead me to this.


Some original manuals to top it off. A few of these are for the G32 generator itself, others are about power units of the era in general. It's almost surreal.

Now that the Jeep shows are over, I can take my time with the "little" things. The PTO unit shaft spins pretty well, but the shifter is stuck. So this weekend I'll take that off and get it fixed. Then hopefully we install this massive generator.




As a side note, I finally had a chance to take apart the gas tank to see what's really going on down there. Look at this unusual divider?


The gas tank appears to be made out of aluminum.


The Naval anti-spark fuel pump:



I wish I had this generator in time for all the Jeep shows. Here is a picture from the Willys Rally in Hueston Woods, Ohio. Once again the APU was a big hit with the crowd. It's always nice to see how much interest the old girl receives. This was about the closest to water it's been in 50 years!


I'm still in awe we found the original style generator. Not only is it correct. Not only did it have original paint. But, it was for sale at the time I was searching. I think the stars have aligned.
Originally posted by Bill Norris Bill Norris wrote:

I finally heard back from the library and they have nothing on Valentine, unfortunately.
 
"I was able to locate the company in the Detroit City Directories from the 1950s and 1960s.  The city directories listed the address of Valentine Welding & Manufacturing at 7310 Woodward Ave, R410, in Detroit.  The president of the company was C. Elbert Valentine, Jr.  C.E. Valentine served as Vice-Presidents; and L. Schnieder was the Treasurer.  The line of business was indicated as: welding and cutting.  Unfortunately, I was not able to locate anything on the vehicle conversion work this company was performing."


Hey Bill, thanks for going this far to find some info. My best guess is that Valentine probably wasn't allowed to release information. All the paperwork we've found so far was just declassified in about 2002, which was probably under military order. We'll just have to keep digging in other places.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 48cj2a Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 June 2016 at 11:08am
Congrats on your find!!!
It's not uncommon for Classified Material to have a 50 year Derivative so that sounds about right on your release date. Maybe a request to the National Archives or Navy Heraldry...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jpet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 June 2016 at 11:50am
No Way! Cool score! Now all you need is a plane.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nick_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 June 2016 at 3:13am
Today the Ford GT won at Le Mans at the 50th anniversary of the GT40 win in 1966, and the APU Jeep mated to a generator for the first time in about 50 years. It's a good day to be an American.

First I pulled the PTO system off the Jeep once again. I unscrewed the shifter, it popped right out and unseized itself. I made sure the generator would slide into the shaft before installing in the Jeep. Next was putting oil into the PTO.


A few minutes of bolting up the generator and she was ready to run! 





It was loud. It was glorious. This is a whole new Jeep. I can't even explain how I feel.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nick_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug. 2016 at 3:22am
I saw the news today, oh boy!


She's a cover girl!


And a 5 page center spread. Earning such a spot in this magazine is my top achievement in the Jeep world. A big thanks to The Dispatcher team and their endless support.




As for the Jeep itself, it hasn't moved since the last show in Hueston Woods, Ohio. After receiving so much interest in the original gas tank and the anti-spark aircraft fuel pump, I had it professionally cleaned and sealed. We had a buddy's brother perform the job as he's a professional. We hear there was a showdown about leaving the paint and not using the dunk tank for cleaning. My bill was $440...ouch.

I'm about to say something I never thought I would.
The APU Jeep is for sale on eBay.

What? Are you serious? It sounds crazy but I am indeed. I've spent many weeks and talked to quite a few people about this decision. I'm selling this because another opportunity has come my way. At 19 years old, my main priority is to ensure my future is set after college. My goal is to use the money from the APU and invest it in this opportunity, to eventually pay for the down payment for my house right after graduation. I've also realized I enjoy the "chase" of vintage Jeeps. I'm the one who rescued the Jeep from the barn, the one who brought it back to life, found priceless documentation never before surfaced, and helped add to the cult following of APU Jeeps. I brought this to a couple of the biggest Willys reunions in the country and nearly couldn't unload it from the crowds to catch a glimpse. My story was published in the magazine. I live a very busy life with too many hobbies, and the Jeep has been sitting in the warehouse since the last show. This being said, displaying the magazine story on the wall is what I value most about the Jeep. Every day I walk past the Jeep and smile at the great story she is, and now I can do the same with the publication mounted on my wall. I am not an owner but a caretaker. If the Jeep does not hit my reserve, I may forgo the opportunity and keep it forever on private display. I do not want to offend anyone who has graciously helped me along the way, I'm very appreciative to have this experience. I hope you all understand where I'm coming from.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rocnroll Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug. 2016 at 4:33am
Well said.....and congratulations. Good luck in future endeavors.  Clap


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote berettajeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug. 2016 at 5:56am
Yes, Well said. Good luck with the sale.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jpet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug. 2016 at 3:05pm
Congrats Nick!  ... and nothing wrong with selling the jeep.  No doubt it will go to a good home!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RICKG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug. 2016 at 3:53pm
Nick, that you are aged 19, have defined goals and are planning for your future speaks volumes about the caliber of young man you are. May your goals be realized and good luck with the sale.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote athawk11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug. 2016 at 6:16pm
This will be a very nice addition to someone's collection, whether a private collection or museum.  I can't say I'm surprised at your decision to sell it.  All I have to do is look back at myself when I was 20 years old.  With my limited resources, the things I 'invested' in need to be useful in some way.  That said, I'm hopeful that 30 years from now, you don't regret giving this up.

Good luck with the sale!Thumbs Up

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nick_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug. 2016 at 2:50am
Thanks guy for the kind words and wisdom. If I do regret selling the Jeep someday, it would be a very easy vehicle to track down which puts my mind at ease. Age is on my side so there is plenty of time during my life it could be available again. Like I wrote in the original post if the Jeep does not make the reserve, I'll have to make my own private museum and charge the locals. You know I live in a tourist town Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nick_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep. 2016 at 8:11am
The Jeep didn't meet my reserve last month, and I finally got around to relisting it with a buy-it-now: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Willys-Jet-Starter-Jeep-/272380205458

My dad and I were looking at the listing, and noticed something on the hood numbers. We could faintly see something peeking from behind the lettering.



I started filling in 94-X22X9, then my mind started racing. There had to be a meaning. Behold, the data tag on the dash:


There we have it! The "original" hood numbers before the repaint were 94-12219 which has a few meanings. One of our APU contacts send me this USN number info a while back.

"To your questions:

All vehicles of the US Navy had a Navy registration number, for example :

25-0000  Line maintenance jeep

94-00000  Truck , light 1/4 through 1 ton

55-00000  MEPP ( mobile electric power plant )

The Navy changed the registration number from 94-00000 to 55-00000 in 1951/52.

But you could sometimes find both numbers until 1956.

The 55-00000 stands for all MEPP`s, for example NB-1 and NC-7."

Now I'm really excited about this mystery, so I started looking through the historic photos. 
The 3-wheelers used 55-XXXXX as they weren't truly 1/4 ton Jeeps.

Next the Valentine hood reads: "POWER PLANT TYPE NA-4" which may have been for a demonstration, hinting why there are close-up photos of it.

Lastly we see the Valentine with 94-12233. By using my data plate and hidden numbers as a reference, I do believe the Jeep pictured #33 is just 14 Jeeps away from mine. Mine is #19, which means the first NA-4 off the line should have 94-12200 and the last being 94-12275. It's 3am and I may sound crazy, but I have a feeling.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Sep. 2016 at 5:41pm
If anyone wants to see Navy APU's in action on a carrier deck, you can see them in one scene during the movie "The Bridges at Toko-Ri".(1954)
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