Jeep fans may be some of the most fanatical car guys in the hobby.
Typically, they have a reason to love these old workhorses and most of the time it’s a connection to history.
That’s because Jeeps made history.
Asad Salaria is connected to his 1942 Ford Jeep for many reasons but one the strongest links is the one most car guys would recognize: “I learned to drive on one in India and you can hear a Jeep”.
Asad wanted to reconnect with a Jeep in a big way but he did have some conditions for the sale: “I didn’t want one that was restored or restored wrong because I wanted something to do in the winter”.
He wanted a Jeep that required some sweat equity because that’s how you learn and his search was relatively easy: “My brother in law found it-it was in a barn in Modesto, California and it was there for years”.
Asad’s Jeep had a World War II military history and that makes it a survivor in many ways: “It’s got an original name plate from August 1942 and it saw action in Italy. It was an airborne unit so it was dropped into battle. They replaced the Ford engine two years after this was built and put a new one in”.
This Jeep has a few military cues that are still left after over 70 years: “It had a gun mount and the headlights flip up plus it’s got hand swipe wipers- there are lots of clubs that will help you find information about these Jeeps”.
Asad is a hands-on guy and he’s very willing to learn so he’s acquired some experience under the hood of his Jeep: “Changing oil with these filters is a bit messy and I had to change the rad core. It’s still on 6-volt but I run an 8-volt battery. All the lights work except for the flashers because it’s very hard to find an 8-volt flasher”.
Military Jeeps are a history lesson on four wheels because they served through World War II, Korea and Viet Nam. They built a reputation for reliability and versatility that was unsurpassed in situation where those characteristics were often the difference between life and death.
Asad has a different game plan in mind for his Jeep but the process is similar because he wants to map out journeys and prepare it for those family trips. He’s well aware of the Jeep’s tendencies on the road: “I’ve hit 60 miles per hour believe it or not and it’s actually pretty smooth but I wouldn’t recommend it. It actually surprised me”.
Asad likes to travel with his family because this Jeep gets so many waves and smiles so he’s planning for the future: “I’m going to put some seatbelts in it because I want to take it to shows like Radium”. Family bonding has never looked so cool.
There is always a game plan with every old ride and Assad has this Jeep’s future mapped out well: “My son is 8 years old and he’s already handing me wrenches”.
Assad’s final thoughts are the biggest clue:
“I’m going to get him behind the wheel”.
Jerry Sutherland
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