buying a used willys jeep, buying a hotchkiss jeep in the uk, buying a hotchkiss jeep in France, values of ww2 jeeps, values of hotchkiss jeeps, buying a jeep at auction, buying a willys jeep privately, common faults on old ww2 jeeps, common faults on hotchkiss jeeps

modifications on post war Hotchkiss jeeps

I run one Hotchkiss and one ww2 jeep , I love them both but the Hotchkiss is definitely a better built jeep in so many ways , It doesn't have the ww2 history going on so looses out that way but it excels in so many other ways.

Here are the main differences, the electrical system is 24 volt , the main components of the french built jeep are 98% identical to the ww2 jeeps bar a few small differences like the floor button start has been superseded by a button on the dash, manual wipers have been changed to electric wipers, the starter has been upgraded to a pre engaged starter , same flywheel and ring gear , same basic engine but with upgrades like a balanced crankshaft, cam gears instead of the stretchy chain ,high capacity oil pump, strengthened cylinder head , slightly thicker engine block , the transfer gearbox looks the same from the outside but has a much larger intermediate shaft, chassis is identical to the willys but slightly thicker steel, body tub is hardly any different to look at bar a few small manufacturing improvements to eliminate fracture cracks, split rim wheels were proven dangerous and hard to balance, they were banned in the US just after the war so the Hotchkiss jeeps adopted modern one piece wheels and radial tyres, seat covers are pvc to repel water, as is the canopy . 2 x 12 volt battery's are used instead of one 6 volt for radio use and to aid starting , more oil capacity in main gearbox , better seals between main and transfer gearbox to stop oil transmitting from rear to the front gearbox, improved handbrake design, electric indicators , most of the mechanical changes are internal so cant be seen from the outside, almost everything will interchange with a ww2 jeep and there are many wartime jeeps driving around the UK and France fitted with Hotchkiss engines, gearboxes and axles as they were rebuilt after the war using the Hotchkiss upgraded parts

Buying a Willys or Hotchkiss jeep

For a private buyer

The first question you need to ask yourself is "Why do I want an old jeep?" perhaps it's mainly for display and investment purposes, then a WW2 Willys or Ford GPW may be what you will be aiming for, especially if wartime provenance is important to you. The downside to buying one of these old war birds is that they will be very tired out, even when fully restored they are mechanically frail due to some design faults, and worn engines on these ww2 examples are quite normal and ww2 era jeeps often need many thousands of pounds and 100s of hours spending on them to refurbish. Very poor quality reproduction parts on a refurb can make a jeep worse mechanically than it was before they started, so watch out for that. Dont get overly impressed by a fantastic wartime history, evidence of bullet holes etc etc, Many jeeps have quite recently had a bullet fired through the seatpan, windshield or rear quarter, (easy to replicate if you have a friend with a rifle) If you are mainly interested in a jeep for using and playing with the post war French-licence built willys Hotchkiss M201 jeeps with all thair mechanical upgrades are cosmetically almost identical to the wartime jeeps but far more reliable and a bit nicer to drive.

If you are intent on some off roading and want a jeep to use often and you don't consider yourself a mechanic and a purist, the later post-war French-built Willys Hotchkiss jeeps are far better, These were built in France after the war under licence with all the old ww2 tooling. They have an almost identical , chassis. It is a willys copy but slightly thicker steel. Several mechanical weaknesses discovered during the war were addressed on the french licence built versions making a far more reliable and driveable jeep. Things like timing gears instead of a slappy chain, pre engaged starters instead of the crash bang type, stronger bearings inside the gearbox, modern oil seals, later type clutches. For investment purposes these french jeeps are also appreciating fast. In apearance they are almost identical to a WW2 jeep, but benefit from the later technology available and manufacturing processes such as modern carbuerrettor, balanced crankshaft, cam gears instead of chain, stronger gearbox bearings, improved starting and many other small mechanical internal modifications. These jeeps spent most of their lives in storage, and when eventually sold from the French military were passed into the hands of enthusiasts rather than farmers. Condition-wise they are far better and a little cheaper to buy due to the lack of ww2 provenance.

A ww2 jeep in similar good mechanical and body condition will cost 25% to30% more but will have the ww2 history and heritage, they always get more attention at classic car events, Investment wise they will increase in value at a slightly higher rate than a french built M201 jeep but you need to be a good mechanic if you think you are going to use a ww2 jeep regularly as they are far more problematic than the Hotchkiss M201 varients

When you've decided which type of jeep to go for, making up a simple check list is a very good idea so you don't overlook potential problems. If you can ask as many questions of the seller as possible including email photos sent of the problem rust areas under the front floors and just inside the front floors,toolbox bases etc, this may save you a lot of time and travelling to see a jeep that's quite rusty and not what you would be prepared to buy. A good long road test of 3 or 4 miles should expose any mechanical failings,

I often buy jeeps as non runners, broken down projects etc but I can repair them myself and don't have to pay a specialist so that is no problem for me

I buy jeeps in all sorts of conditions and often have lots of faults but I can mend them myself

Those who bought reasonable jeeps at under £10,000 a few years ago, will see them fetching upwards of £15000 now.

Put the same money in the bank for six years and you won't even notice the increase.

We are now in 2021 and I can now add to this that the prices have carried on going up and those average condition running jeeps purchased for £15000 just a few years ago are now selling for around £18000 to £20000