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Topic Summary

Posted by: GAJeeper
« on: December 03, 2012, 08:17:24 PM »

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and advice.  It will be a while before I am doing any serious work on the body but it is good to know what everyone else has done and how it worked out.
Posted by: Dennisanvil
« on: December 01, 2012, 02:55:48 PM »

i brought a tub from willys-overland. it fit great. they had gone thur the mounts.i would buy there again.
dennisanvil
Posted by: johnrb3b
« on: December 01, 2012, 11:12:50 AM »

We bought an MD Juan tub this summer for the 3B, through Walck's.
It fit almost perfectly. A few little tweaks here and there but nothing major requiring cutting out metal and welding in a substitute part.
I've read of a few instances where the tranny hump was way off. Ours was with in 1/2". Close enough for the cover to hide any mismatch. We did have to grind off a little metal to keep it from rubbing against the tranny case. The original fenders mated up with the new tub and original grille with no big issues.

With the tub all bolted down to the frame, you can see a small misalignment between the rear apron and the rear crossmember. You don't notice it unless we point it out to you.

Overall we're satisfied with the MD Juan - not thrilled, but satisfied.

We spent way too much time and effort trying to salvage the original tub we had and finally gave up. Simply not enough shiny metal to weld patch panels to. We'd keep cutting farther and farther up the side of the tub, hoping for a shiny core in the sheet metal. Never found any. Even under original paint, the metal was rusty to the core. Sigh.
Posted by: calvinhunt
« on: December 01, 2012, 01:09:55 AM »

GAJeeper,
 ï¿½I should have added that my project was 5 years ago now. �I've been told by Dan (the owner) at Willys-Overland, Toledo, Ohio, that the tubs and kits they sell, even though they also came from MD Juan in the Philippines, are modified and corrected before they turn them out. �Their product is a little more expensive but not that much more. �It would be worth it if they really are fixed. �I haven't spoken to anyone who has purchased from Willys-Overland to verify what I was told. �On the other hand, there have been some great posts here on the 3A Page that show to what lengths some members have taken to restore the original. �That would be a labor of love with great value. Good luck!! Please keep us posted on your progress. �Those of us who have already done it enjoyed it then and enjoy it again as we see others struggle and win. �Photos are great.

  And yes, it did about put me over the edge to have to modify a 60-year old American manufactured product to fit a poorly manufactured reproduction component.
Posted by: GAJeeper
« on: December 01, 2012, 12:42:23 AM »

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.  Having to relocate original parts to match a reproduction tub might just push me over the edge.  The idea of just dropping a new tub on the frame sounds so easy.  I guess it is like so many other things that seem too good to be true.  I have decided I would much rather spend my time repairing what is left of the original tub than trying to make a new one fit.    
Posted by: calvinhunt
« on: November 30, 2012, 01:31:48 AM »

Welcome GAJeeper,
 ï¿½In response to Tim's post: I removed an original tub, fenders, and hood and replaced them with the MD Juan reproduction look-alike parts. �They fit so poorly that I regretted many times not spending the amount of time I took trying to get the repro parts to work satisfactorily and spending that time on reworking the original. �Coming from the desert southwest I didn't have much rust. �My problem was the original owner used the Jeep as a farm tractor (that's what he bought it for) and even though it was very much original it was really hammered and not maintained. �I purchased it from his son who inherited it but never licensed it. I started a thread about the project and my problems on the former CJ-3A site (which can still be pulled up) and several other 3A members responded with similar problems. �

Here I had to drill off the outriggers from the frame and relocate them in order to align with the hat channels in the tub.




Put them back on with aircraft bolts (similar to grade 8).




This is how far they had to be moved. �You can see where they were.




With the tub properly situated onto the frame the cut out for the transmission shifting tower in the floor was in the wrong position. �I had to cut, weld, and grind to get a proper fit. �Others complained of this identical problem. �There were serious problems with the dash and the spare tire mount as well.  The list goes on.  They are all repairable, but makes you wonder whey they just didn't do it right.  Wouldn't have taken any more time or effort during the manufacturing process.  Sure did afterwards.




However, I should add that while I was restoring my Jeep I was doing most of the work on a friend's 1944 Willys MB. �I ordered an MD Juan full body kit for his. �It fit perfectly. �It had none of the problems I had with mine. �Maybe it's because they had so many left over WWII Jeeps in the Philippines that they did a better job copying them. �



Whichever route you choose, I certainly do wish you well with your project. �There is a lot of good help available here on the CJ-3A site. �There are some really great members who have a lot of experience.
Posted by: athawk11
« on: November 29, 2012, 01:10:48 PM »

GA,

That looks like a great starting point.  Your sheet metal actually looks pretty darn nice.  I would have been in heaven if mine was that good.

I chose to fix the side panels and replace the front floor pans.  I'm no welder by trade, and it took some practice, but if I can do it anyone can.  I would find myself in the --"keep as much original sheet metal as you can" --group.

A new tub is an option, but I have never seen a single post from a member that said they just bolted it right on.  Calvinhunt (a member) may have some helpful thoughts.  He would be able to tell you the current state of the MD Juan body kit fit.  I believe I've read that even the fenders have to be 'adjusted' to fit right.

Welcome to the group.  I'm looking forward to watching your progress.

Tim
Posted by: GAJeeper
« on: November 29, 2012, 11:41:36 AM »

I am in Statesboro, about 45 miles from Savannah.  There is a lot of Bondo and paint covering rust on the tub.  I was wanting to try to keep as much of the original body as possible.  I am still leaning toward using repair panels and patching it back together rather than getting a replacement tub.  It seems some people get one that fits and others don't.  I can work all day on something old and rusty but I have very little patience when something new doesn't work right.
Posted by: 3aJeeper
« on: November 29, 2012, 07:55:56 AM »

Welcome fellow Georgia jeeper! I also have a 51 that I bought from a guy out in Cedartown (south of Rome).

Even if you're floorboards are rusted the rest looks to be in decent shape. Where are you located?
Posted by: johnrb3b
« on: November 28, 2012, 02:06:20 PM »

You are a lucky man.
A JK
A 3A
And a woman who can love them.
But
You may never get the JK back. You just might have to get another one for you. ;D
Posted by: GAJeeper
« on: November 27, 2012, 08:48:51 PM »

You are so right!  I couldn't imagine not having a functioning Jeep.  I have a JK to ride around in now.  At least I used to.  Ever since I brought the CJ3A home my girlfriend has been calling it "your Jeep" and refers to the JK as hers.  I don't mind though.   I feel lucky to have a woman who loves Jeeps and gets excited when she discovers a 60 year old pile of Jeep parts in the driveway!  Like the "new" Jeep, she is a keeper.
Posted by: Gunslinger
« on: November 27, 2012, 07:14:18 PM »

She sure looks like a keeper!!! Glad to have you on board.  I think you need to buy another jeep, it seems to me that all the guys that buy one to do a frame off resto get real cranky about year 3, they git this itch to go driving around but their jeep is still layin on the floor of the garge resting.  The only cure we've found is buying another one to drive while your fixin on the first one... God bless you and keep on jeepin!!!
Posted by: GAJeeper
« on: November 27, 2012, 06:08:06 PM »

One more:
Posted by: GAJeeper
« on: November 27, 2012, 06:05:52 PM »

Ok now that I have the picture thing figured out I can tell you a little more about it.  It has a replacement L134 engine with the supersonic head.  The engine seems to have good compression, about 120 pounds on three cylinders and about 90 on one.  I'm not sure I was getting a good reading on that one because the starter was not working right.  It has been converted to 12 volt.  By looking at the starter and generator it looks like it was converted a long time ago.  The floor is pretty much gone.  I am planning on stripping it down to the frame and rebuilding everything from the ground up.  I just hope it looks as good as some of the Jeeps I have seen here when I am done.
Posted by: GAJeeper
« on: November 27, 2012, 05:50:21 PM »

A picture.  (hopefully)