'48 Willys CJ-2a build

jwilson645 · Jun 29, 2020

Picked up the sweet little Willys from J-Mox this weekend as a project for my son and I. It runs great and can be yard driven as is but needs a few things before I would take it on a street. Will not be a crawler or anything. The idea is to just restore it back mostly original, although I will have to create some more leg room.

j-mox · Jun 29, 2020

Looking forward to updates to see what you do to this!

98TJ · Jun 30, 2020

I've always wanted a flat fender.....maybe a CJ3B. But I'm just too damn big for one. I think those things were designed around 5'6" 135 lb soldiers.........but I still want one. I had about convinced myself I could fit in one until I got into a CJ2 with the full doors and top. Not a lot of room in there.

csutton7 · Jun 30, 2020

for larger lads you can cut into the fender wells a bit and move the seats back unless you stretch the body....

98TJ · Jun 30, 2020

I wonder about that. It looked like the seat could come back quite a bit with the wheel well cut. I wouldn't want to stretch the body and screw up the classic look.

jwilson645 · Jul 1, 2020

Yes, I have seen the wheel well cuts. We will probably be going that way with it. Trying to keep it as factory as possible but I'm 5'11" and my son is 6ft at 15 yrs old already and he will be driving this too.

jwilson645 · Jul 8, 2020

No picture worthy progress so far. We've been working on getting the lights all working. We did take it for a little ride around the neighborhood.

Looking for a media blaster in the Birmingham area now.

jwilson645 · Jul 13, 2020

Picked up some parts yesterday. The windshield that came on the Jeep has had a bunch of "custom" work done to it. You can see it in the photos above. I'm not quite sure what they were going for but all of the hardware and frame were gone for the tilt out windshield. I found one with new glass and weatherstripping a couple of hours away in Dallas, Georgia, along with some other pieces we needed, so we took a road trip yesterday morning to pick them up. Had to go ahead and put the new frame on.

We've also got all of the lights working now and took it for a spin up the road. Those old, dried out tires were like driving on square blocks but this little thing is fun as hell to drive

j-mox · Jul 13, 2020

Looks like a really nice windshield frame! Most I see have had repairs over the years or missing parts. Good find

jwilson645 · Jul 13, 2020

j-mox said:
Looks like a really nice windshield frame! Most I see have had repairs over the years or missing parts. Good find

It isnt perfect by any means. It does have some repairs and rust but those can be fixed. The highlight was all the parts, new glass and weatherstripping!

jwilson645 · Aug 10, 2020

Got the boy rebuilding the fuel pump. Probably cheaper/easier to buy new but what is the fun in that? molaugh

onepieceatatime · Aug 13, 2020

My favorite wheeling videos on YouTube these days are of guys in stock Willy's riding through the woods. I think Jpetrowich is the main guy and there's a dude with Grampas Jeep that really got me hooked. It's amazing what they'll do with some lockers.

jwilson645 · Aug 13, 2020

Yep. We've been watching Grampa's Jeep too. That damn thing is amazing. I really want to get out and wheel this thing as it is but my son wants to restore it. :dunno:

bgredjeep · Aug 13, 2020

I wouldn't change a thing on the body of that jeep. Maybe something to protect it and keep it looking the same. Go nuts on the mechanical side to make it drivable/reliable.

Like others mentioned, I think I'm just too tall for a flat fender. I rode in a buddy's MB and I was looking over the top of the windshield more than through it. It's was still amazing and fun. Lol

MoparMan · Aug 13, 2020

Yeah, I'd say wheel the crap out of it. If y'all would like to go riding with me and some buddies in Morris the next time we go, then let me know.

jwilson645 · Sep 1, 2020

Slow process but we got a little more done. Walked my son through rebuilding the fuel pump then we put in a new fuel tank, sender, and new fuel lines. When we got it, the original tank had rust holes so it had been running off a 1 gal lawnmower tank with an old electric fuel pump.

jwilson645 · Sep 1, 2020

MoparMan said:
Yeah, I'd say wheel the crap out of it. If y'all would like to go riding with me and some buddies in Morris the next time we go, then let me know.

I'd love go wheel it some but it still needs tires and the steering/brakes rebuilt before we do. Where do ya'll ride out here? Over at Dustin Stubb's place?

MoparMan · Sep 1, 2020

jwilson645 said:
I'd love go wheel it some but it still needs tires and the steering/brakes rebuilt before we do. Where do ya'll ride out here? Over at Dustin Stubb's place?

I gotcha. Well maybe we can get together sometime soon. Nah, it's on down the road from his place. As soon you turn onto Castle Heights Rd off of Glenwood Rd, it's the power line trails right there.

jwilson645 · Sep 1, 2020

MoparMan said:
I gotcha. Well maybe we can get together sometime soon. Nah, it's on down the road from his place. As soon you turn onto Castle Heights Rd off of Glenwood Rd, it's the power line trails right there.