Wednesday,
January
24th,
2024
~ Sent to us by Calvin Hunt
A farmer was the original owner of this 1949 Willys CJ-3A. After he passed away, his son inherited the farm and the Jeep. The son never registered the Jeep again but just as a farm implement on the property. It served well for many years but never received any service or TLC. After it would no longer run it was just stored in the back of the barn and forgotten for decades.
Finally, the son decided to sell it. I learned about it just as I was retiring, a perfect time in my life to take on a Willys restoration project. Years earlier I had owned two different flat fender Jeeps. I had done minor alterations on each of them, i.e., changed to 12 volts with an alternator, changed to Saginaw steering, moved the spare tire to the rear, etc. I had planned to do the same to this Jeep until I realized it was completely original.
Nothing had ever been changed, not even as much as a hole drilled in the dash for a new switch or such. I decided that never being altered after all that time, I was not going to change anything… just restore it. I stripped it clear down to the frame and started the restoration. Everything that went back together was either overhauled or new. When I was finished I had a brand-new 1949 Willys Jeep. Everything was as it was when it came down the assembly line, except the color. They didn’t have Detonator Yellow in those days.
The first year after the restoration my friends talked me into entering it in a car show of more than 300 cars. It was the No. 1 attraction. The first few years it was solicited to pull floats in parades. But I enjoy it most taking it on the many 4X4 trails available nearby. It now has a few scratches and dings, but I didn’t rebuild it for show.
- Calvin Hunt Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – If you would like to share your Willys Jeep Story please send us a line. We’d love to meet your Jeep.
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