My Willys 3A and 3B Community
Your Projects => Your CJ-3A Project => Topic started by: Saskajeep on February 18, 2021, 10:14:07 PM
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Way back in March of ‘14 my wife and I may the long trip to Boise, Idaho to pick up a Jeep I had purchased on EBay. The seller had provided lots of pics and video so while it was not really “sight unseen” it was a little risky. The trip was very nice and the Jeep turned out to be just what I was expecting. The ‘52 3A was in pretty good shape and came with a rear seat, 5 good original rims with tires in rough shape, and the original canvas top and complete bow set. The canvas is not useable but will make a good pattern.
When I got home I took it to the car wash to clean it up a bit, did a little bit of brake work and put a new wiring harness on it. I have been driving it quite a bit during the warmer months just like that. The only issues I have had are the usual dropping out of second gear, e-brake seized, and worn carb. It had the wo carb which I put a rebuild kit
in with poor results. I concluded that the shaft and throttle body are worn to the point that too much air is sucked in there. I put a new solex on and it now runs great. I have the wo tucked away to have fixed sometime. It would be nice to have it back on as pretty much everything else is as original.
At the end of last September I lost my job due to my employer closing the doors. Between Winter and COVID new job prospects were not good so I decided now was the perfect opportunity to do the frame off restoration I always intended to do.
Here are a few pics from when I first got it.
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As fate would have it just a couple of weeks before my last day of work I found another flat fender for sale much closer to home. It wasn’t that I really wanted another Jeep but this one came with an extra bonus. It is a “47 2a in good restorable condition complete with a rear pto unit. On top of the the owner had accumulated a huge inventory of new parts. There was a carb, fuel pump, wiring harness, complete suspension, complete exhaust, complete steering, front and rear floor pans, all seals and bearings for both axles, transfer case and transmission and lots of other stuff. The price was more than fair so I brought it home too.
A couple pics of the 2a.
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Hey really nice. That looks like a great starting point. I'm amazed how rust free it seems. Those look like "Jackman" wagon wheels. I think those are somewhat highly sought after by some folks.
Good luck and I look forward to more entries!
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So at the beginning of October I drove it into the unseated garage and started to tear it down. I took a few pics when I first started but was not good at documenting the progress. I just kept my nose in it and took it apart piece by piece while trying to label or at at lest keep track of what went were. I was fortunate in the things came apart pretty well with only one bolt breaking off (fender to frame). The biggest problem was that red Idaho clay which is like concrete. There was actually a couple of times I used a hammer and chisel to chip it away so I could find hidden bolts.
Pics just as I was beginning.
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By early December I had it tore down and the frame sandblasted and ready to start going back together.
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By mid February I had gone through and painted the mechanical components. Some of the work I did:
- popped the covers off both pumpkins, washed them out and inspected, no damage.
- new kingpin bearings and seals on both steering knuckles.
- New bearings and seals on outer ends of both axles.
- complete new brake system.
- new tie rods and ends, draglink rebuild, new sector shaft, seals, bushings and bearings in steer ing box.
- new u-joints on both drive shafts.
- new secondary shaft bearings and thrust washers, seals and gaskets in t-case.
- new small parts kit, bearings, seals and gaskets in transmission.
- new head and oil pan gaskets.
- new seals on pto shifter and gear case.
- hours and hours if scraping and wire brushing to get ready to paint
- painted frame, axles, t-case, tranny and engine with 2 coats gray por15 rust coat
- paint frame and other part with 2 coats of chassis black por15 topcoat.
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scene last march, i got my engine in, and wire harness done, and a lot of other odds and ends steering, oil psi, etc. plumbing the brake switch, and got one last leak to fix ( gotta re flare ) a brake line. then have the pros check over my wiring. and i' be ready to drive it. then get the body ready for tags to have it on the road.
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Over the past weekend I got her together minus the body. I had to play with the distributor a bit but finally she fired up after a few adjustments was purring nicely. ROAD TRIP!
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i'm 17 years into mine, did the wiring over winter. i got a apt to have it gone over, has a few bugs. been spending way to much to get a title. and then get the wind shield fixed and painted an glass . then get my rims painted and tyres. looks great
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Looks nice. I spent about five years of weekends and vacation on mine, The key is breaking it down into components and doing it one at a time. That way every completed component is a small victory. It also helps spread out the expenditures of money. I started with the chassis, then axels, then transfercase and trans, then motor. I left the body and metal work for last knowing it was the least enjoyable, but walking past the complete driveline kept me motivated.
Keep krackalackin Sakajeep!
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Looks nice. I spent about five years of weekends and vacation on mine, The key is breaking it down into components and doing it one at a time. That way every completed component is a small victory. It also helps spread out the expenditures of money. I started with the chassis, then axels, then transfercase and trans, then motor. I left the body and metal work for last knowing it was the least enjoyable, but walking past the complete driveline kept me motivated.
Keep krackalackin Sakajeep!
i agree, i did the same..
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It has been a while since I updated this thread. When the nice weather started progress on the Jeep slowed as other things took priority. I have been plugging away at it however and have it almost completed..
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A few more pic
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NICE!
Great attention to detail!