I just purchased my first flattie as a father son project for my 8 year old son and me. 
It is a 51 cj3a.  Mechanics are good but tub is shot from front floors back.  My cowl and firewall are in good shape, so I was wondering the level of difficulty of rebuilding the rear 2/3 of the tub. I am not concerned with staying original, so I was wondering if I just bought the two side panels, could I fabricate a new tub section using plain sheet metal.  Transmission hump could be a rectangular box between front seats with screws for easier removal and improved access.  Basically I would box the interior with right angles rather than all the fancy bends.  I would also use some 2x2 tubing rather than hat channel.  Am I crazy to think this is a good idea or should I just patch and scab what I have. 
Thanks in advance.
Spike

Great to hear of another father-son project.
You'll build your skills and your son's and have fun doing it.
We'll want to see lots of pictures.

It may be possible but it is going to be a little more work. They attach to the floor so you won't be able to do anything but bolt them to the frame holes and weld them to each other and the steps if your steps are ready to weld new hats to.

Some have welded the floors in after establishing the correct height in the tub for them, then placed the tub upside down, laying the hats in place, and then the upside down bare frame to line everything up before final welding. As long as you allow for the proper lineup of everything , hats to the mounts , and floor and tub rear to the mounts you should be fine. Check your frame is not bent first, of course..there are dimensions in the factory manuals.

athawk11 wrote on 09/12/13 at 00:59:33:


Wheelhouse length is shorter on the 3A and 3B, for more seat room. But....You can customize them to whatever length you need. .

Starting to think I may take the classic enterprises route.  I think I can get away with just replacing floor pans and passenger side panel now. I can deal with removing tub for more extensive repairs after hunting season.

You should already have the removable floor panels if it is a stock M38 tub. Do your best to save them as they are harder to find than most M38 stuff.

Which frame do you have?  Built in bumper mounting where the bumpers mount right to the frame or the 2A style with gussets? (Or M38 with added lifting stuff?)

Spike,
Don't be discouraged.  Start small... with something very basic.  Cut out the bad metal and try welding in a new patch panel.  If this goes well, continue on to the next patch...and so on.  If it doesn't go well, consider a different option. 

If you look at the entire tub as a whole, it's way too easy to say it's a goner.  But if you take the approach above, you will eventually run out of rusty pieces to replace.  And you will have a indescribeable feeling of reward.

Check in with 1955CJ-5 and his restoration thread under the Projects section here on the 3A.  He was faced with the same feelings you are.  You may gain some great insite by speaking with him. 

I am also working on a project. This is what my current project started as...





This is after a couple solid months of free time...






All pieces scavenged from the best of a 3A and a 2A tub.  If I can do this, anyone can do this!

Of course Bill is right about the Wheel houses.  They are different on a 2A.  I had the added complication of one good 2A wheel house and one good 3A wheel house.  But even this can be fixed/adjusted...







Post some photos.  You'll get some great additional feedback.

One small step at a time.  You can do this.

Again, I highly encourage you to peak in on 1955CJ-5.  His restoration is very well documented...and very nicely done.
Tim

Man, those pictures make me think that my tub is totally salvageable!  If it was original, I'd definitely do what you guys are doing.  But it's a repro from the 80s, and I'd rather pay for a new repro than spend the time on it.  (Especially since I have zero sheet metal skills.  I figure whatever adjustments are needed to make a new tub fit will be enough learning for my first project!)

But this makes me think that my repro tub may have some value, as certain parts are in pretty good shape, including the dash/firewall (except it has a rectangular cutout where the gauge cluster goes), and the M38-style transmission hump.  I decided long ago to hang onto everything I've got until I finish this project, but once it's done, I may try to sell the tub (or parts of it) instead of scrapping it--even if I only get shipping cost for it.

-Paul