Hello from Schenectady, NY!

[EatenByLimestone]

Hi!

My name is Matt and it's currently 2F outside.  The woodstove is cooking away, and it's warm inside. 

When I was young my father had an old jeep that wasn't running and I remember crawling all over it.  Other than the color, hard top, and radio that's about all I remember of it.  That and my father said it was just like an old Army Jeep. Now it's time for me to get a jeep and crawl all over my own.  Only I'll get to take apart this one too.   [smiley=grin.gif]

So now comes the question of which model?  That I'm not sure of.  Luckily have a while to decide as I have a pretty long Honey Do List to work down including buying the wife a new car.  I'd like to keep it as simple as possible and I figure that keeps me below the mid 70s. 

Most of my wrenching has been limited to newer vehicles.  Only my first car had a carb, but I've been bitten by the old outboard bug and run a couple 60s Evinrudes.  There's something incredibly satisfying about taking something that's old and not running and then bringing it back to a well performing piece of machinery. 

I've been through points ignitions and simple carbs.  I've also pulled and repaired engines. I'm pretty sure with some guidance I can step up to something a bit more complicated.  The hardest task was the ignitions as I couldn't find anybody who remembered how to work on them.  I finally pulled one side apart and found they were pretty simple and only looked intimidating. 

My main worry is parts availability as I remember being told the reason why the jeep wasn't running was he couldn't find a water pump for it.  Maybe parts availability wasn't the same back in the 70s when I think the jeep was parked or there was an engine swap to something odd ball. 

I'd hate to have something like worn out clutch linkage or something permanently park a jeep in my garage.

Well, hello again!

Matt

[Ryan_M]

My main worry is parts availability....

Hi Matt and welcome to the site. So long as you have a credit card and an internet connection you can build one of these old Jeeps out of thin air if you are inclined to do so. We are fortunate that parts availability, with a few exceptions, is rarely a concern.

[Quebec Jeep]

Welcome here!

As Ryan said, part is not really a problem. Some of them is being reproduced.

If you want to get a fast idea, i suggest you to check the part catalog of Kaiser Willys at;

http://www.kaiserwillys.com/parts_catalog

There is also Walck's;

http://walcks4wd.com

As far as for which model, it's depend to you. I consider myself the M38 (military version of the 3A) the top of the flatfenders but none was available around me so i got a 3A.

If your honey to do list is long, try to find a Willys where someone already spend time on it. Kind of my lost your gain deal. Buying a junkyard 500$ Willys will cost you time, $ and time....

Check this site to find one;

www.ewillys.com

Hope this help.

[F Bill]

Welcome, from Guilderland, NY!

Your main issue with jeeps in this area is trying to find a solid enough jeep to build. Frames and tubs are pretty bad in the rust belt here...Tubs can be rebuilt, frames from here that got rusted usually are not worth rebuilding.� Or....you could buy a rotted one here and put a new aftermarket frame and tub on it....or buy used at a jeep gathering or from a fellow jeep nut elsewhere in the country.

One advantage to an older jeep for NY'ers is the hoops to jump through for registration up here aren't that difficult, yet. You'll still want to avoid jeeps with no paperwork unless they are really decent and obviously owned by the previous owner for a long time. Before you go an purchase anything see what the DMB is requiring nowadays on pre title vehicles....I think there is a difference between buying instate and from out of state that you may want to read about...

There is also the option of going with a homebuilt frame and modern drivetrain....Lots of ways to go.

If I hear of anything local available I will try to contact you thru the PM system...I have gotten rid of almost everything I had in Stephentown so I can't help you out there....

As far as what model to get....condition is everything, even trumping what model jeep you want.

The later the jeep, the more modern the amenities, with things like V6,V8, and disc brakes eventually in CJ5 -7 models.....WWII jeeps and 2A's are very close to each other in useability on road.....especially here with those silly new York drivers... 3A's have a quieter windshield, slightly more room behind the wheel, and a stronger frame design.� 3B's get you the high hood, a face only a mother could love, and the F head engine with its increase in HP.� CJ5's got a whole redesign of the tub but mechanically they were similar to the3B initially. Then later on the Cj5 got the straight 6, a longer nose and frame,, and more optional stuff.

I work on Hamburg Street so if you find something locally and need another set of eyes to check it out I may be able to help out. Just be aware I am a jeepaholic and it is a very contagious condition.

MikeC1493 has a thread or two about a jeep he restored that came from my collection....well worth reading to see what you may be getting into....Here's one from when it was finally finished..:
http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/this-is-the-pile_topic29127_page1.html

He is up in Mechanicville...

Garage Gnome's jalopy is another iconic jeep.....Check out his off road only build in threads here or the 2A page.. He's fairly local as well, in western MA.

It would be worth putting a wanted ad in the local Craigslist /...you might pull something out of the woodwork that way. ANd don't buy the first jeep you see...take the time to make a good choice.

I know of two WWII GPW's but they are going to be close to $10k each by the time they sell. I also have several projects in Texas if you ever get down that way.

[EatenByLimestone]

Wow!  I Didn't know anybody was so close to me!  I can't say I've seen anything older than a cj7 on the roads here.  I know where a flat fender is sitting in a barn, at least it was there about 5 years ago, but I heard she wouldn't sell.  If I see her I'll ask.  I think it's been there for a real long time.  Maybe she would want the space or cash now.

The wife comes from the Houston area so I get down to TX every once in a while.  I've thought of picking up something down there and bringing it up. 

I just recently started looking into what nys requires for titles and emissions, etc.  I think pre title vehicles need a transferable registration, but historical vehicles can get some sort of exemption.  I'm not sure what that means though.  I was absolutely shocked to find they only test emissions going back 25 years.  Late 70s air pumps have to be pretty hard to find.

[1955CJ-5]

There's something incredibly satisfying about taking something that's old and not running and then bringing it back to a well performing piece of machinery. 

I think you are a perfect candidate for a jeep resurrection.....Welcome to the forum...!

You know where there is a jeep in a barn? Go for it, or someone else will!

Randy

[F Bill]

Wow!� I Didn't know anybody was so close to me!� I can't say I've seen anything older than a cj7 on the roads here.� I know where a flat fender is sitting in a barn, at least it was there about 5 years ago, but I heard she wouldn't sell.� If I see her I'll ask.� I think it's been there for a real long time.� Maybe she would want the space or cash now.

The wife comes from the Houston area so I get down to TX every once in a while.� I've thought of picking up something down there and bringing it up.�

I just recently started looking into what nys requires for titles and emissions, etc.� I think pre title vehicles need a transferable registration, but historical vehicles can get some sort of exemption.� I'm not sure what that means though.� I was absolutely shocked to find they only test emissions going back 25 years.� Late 70s air pumps have to be pretty hard to find.

Houston jeeps are usually almost as bad as NY/VT jeeps due to the proximity of the ocean... You will want an Oklahoma, Kansas, West Texas jeep to get a dry one...Believe it or not, there used to be a guy who made a pretty decent bunch of pocket change just buying and selling jeep stuff from downstate here, and he occasionally ran into a pretty nice jeep or two, so don't overlook downstate or NJ craigslists.

I hope you have already been to EWillys.com and keep checking back. Dave has the best all jeep collections of ads from around the country....but if something gets on EWillys and is a good deal, jump on it quickly....as you will be competing with a lot of people around the country.

I've not looked in the Want Ad digest lately.....but the only jeeps I ever saw in there were my own.

[johnrb3b]

I second Bill's recommendation to use eWillys.
I've bought two old Jeeps that I found on eWillys. One near Minneapolis, the other only 25 miles from my home in Chicago area. Very happy with both.

I've used the nationwide craigslist search engines of which there are several. None were as useful as eWillys.

The down side of national listings is that it's hard to avoid buying sight-unseen. There are several stories of people who drove many miles to buy a Jeep with "minor rust" that "ran when parked" only to find a totally rotted out tub with a dismantled engine.
Caveat Emptor
If you find something you might want and would be willing to travel to get, check the forums to see if someone lives nearby and would be willing to vet it for you before you travel.
I would be happy to do that for you, but GOOD Jeeps in the northern IL, southern WI area are VERY hard to find - I've bought three local Jeeps in the last six years. I know where there is one more but the guy wants twice what it's worth. Chicago area is not a hotbed of great old Willys.

Whatever you do, local or nationwide, ask the guys here to help evaluate. If it's local, go take a ton of pictures. If it's internet, post a link and we'll wade in with advice. We have lots of experience in what to look for both good and bad.

[EatenByLimestone]

I'm more than a bit worried about sight unseen. 

I think, since this is my first old vehicle project, paying a bit more and getting one that runs and drives or at least looks like it could without too much effort might be the key.  I don't want to get discouraged.  I've seen a couple projects come up saying project jeep completely disassembled.  It's rough, because that might be a great deal, but it may also be too much to handle or missing key parts that I don't recognize I might need. 

[athawk11]

Hi Matt,
Welcome to the 3A.

   

�
It's rough, because that might be a great deal, but it may also be too much to handle or missing key parts that I don't recognize I might need.�

Honestly, this is where many of us started.  I knew nothing about cars, much less an old Willys Jeep.  That's what makes the Willys forums so valuable.  I would have never tried this Willys thing if it weren't for 3A Page.

If you find something worth looking at, prior to purchase, snap a few photos and post them here.  You'll get great feedback on value and how complete it is.

Good luck.

Tim

[Ryan_M]

Honestly, this is where many of us started.  I knew nothing about cars, much less an old Willys Jeep

x2. I also knew absolutely nothing.  If they handed out Willys degrees after a million or so credit hours of reading and learning I would probably have several by now.

[johnrb3b]

I think, since this is my first old vehicle project, paying a bit more and getting one that runs and drives or at least looks like it could without too much effort might be the key.

That's how I started. I bought my 3B in the dead of winter and drove it home. Didn't have to do any work until I started doing upgrades the next summer.
http://home.comcast.net/~jrburch_h/jeep/jeep.html
The only things needing fixed were the rear springs (many cracked leaves) and the steering (very loose and sloppy).
Everything else I've done are upgrades - tires, turn signals, wipers, etc.

If you want something you can drive home, you'll need to be patient. I spent 4 years looking before I found my 1946 2A which I could have driven home but towed since it was easier.
http://home.comcast.net/~jrburch_h/jeep/2a/2a.html

[SteveW]

Best you don't realize what you are getting into. Once you realize what is going on it's too late to quit. That works on the first one after that no excuses you are just crazy.

[Kirkski]

Welcome!