I do not intend to keep this Jeep but it is a 3A and it is a [short-lived] project so here it is. This is "Trapper". Trapper is '51 3A SN# GB1-451-29769. I bought Trapper last week from the guy with 34 tractors parked in his yard. Tractor guy is in his 60's and this 3A belonged to his father who used it as a hunting/trapping vehicle and so appropriately named it "Trapper".
Tractor guy could not remember the last time Trapper actually ran. From the looks of things, it's been awhile. I thought ol' Trapper would be destined for disassembly and parting out but figured it was worth a shot seeing if he would run. If he runs, it is instantly a better candidate to keep together.
Today, I draped a tire over the bumper and shoved it into the garage (on the first try!) with the red 3A.
Engine SN 3J100613
Trapper's tub is completely shot. Among other custom repairs, here's a new one for me - Instead of simply hammering in some floor patches, someone opted to weld 1/4" plate TO THE FRAME to keep the driver and gas tank from falling through. If anyone is concerned about driving over a live IED on their way to get ice cream this is the vehicle for you. You won't even notice it.
The carb was a tad dirty so I shoveled out the debris and made some adjustments.
I also replaced the fuel pump, installed some decent used plugs, and replaced the negative battery cable. It only had crummy little 6GA cable running from the negative terminal to the back of the grill (!). No way a 6V Jeep will start with a 6GA ground wire and this was no exception.
As soon as I swapped it for a 1GA cable properly grounded to the battery tray it fired up. I wish I had noticed that cable prior than spending an hour swearing at other things. Makes you wonder if that's what led to Trapper's abandonment in the first place. Could some unwitting soul have replaced the negative cable with a "new" one and just couldn't get it to start? It's a shame a single cable could have potentially led to this Jeep going to the scrap pile.
With Trapper running for the first time in years I'm pretty sure I saw dinosaur fossils blow out of the exhaust. If the haze wasn't so thick I probably could have identified more artifacts but I had to blindly stumble outside for some air instead.
Anyways, once the smoke cleared a bit I climbed behind the wheel and took a lap around the yard. Note to self, when you are driving downhill towards a lake in a Jeep with zero braking ability and no way to shut it off from the seated driver's position you don't want to let your mind stray too far from the immediate task at hand. It's amazing how quickly one can forget there are no brakes...
You can't see it but Trapper is equipped here with my soon-to-be-patented Dangling Wine Bottle Fuel Cell which is hanging from the driver's side windshield arm by a coat hanger. Good stuff.
Not sure where Trapper will end up but at least I won't be the one parting him out. He'll hopefully head to his next home as a complete project for someone.
[media]https://youtu.be/4bOFZgL4Ufg[/media]
