Thursday,
April
11th,
2024
~ Sent to us by Chuck Fest
I’m 82 years old and bought my first Jeep, a 42 Military, in 1964 after getting out of the 82nd Airborne Division at Bragg and starting school at Trenton State College. I taught elementary Health and Physical Education after graduation until 2003. I’ve had Jeeps ever since. MB, CJ-2A, CJ-5 (several), CJ-7 and my CJ-3B.
Unfortunately for Jeep purists I could never keep them totally stock. But many of them were pretty close as shown by the enclosed picture of my 1953 CJ-3B which ran the Stock 4 class in the East Coast Four Wheel Drive Association off road events back in the day. It was campaigned, very successfully, by my good friends Leon and Jean Hart from Delaware. It was named “Hartburn”
I was racing, unsuccessfully, I might add, a ‘70 CJ-5. I purchased “Hartburn “, the CJ-3B in 2001. I run it on my own property and the adjacent woods. The engine had been balanced and blue printed back in 1970 and has run great ever since. I’ve been taking liberties with it for the last 10 years. I made modifications specifically designed for attacking the mud trails and stream banks that I have to navigate. I’ve extended the wheelbase and designed and built my own 4 link suspension. I’ve installed a Jeep JK power steering box and will be taking delivery of a double grove pulley from Kaiser Willys (of course), to drive the GM pump I’m installing. I welded up the rear spiders, I think they call that a “Lincoln Locker” and put a Detroit Locker in the front. I’m finishing up the project shortly and can’t wait to try it on the muddy trails and stream crossings.
Again apologies to the purist among us but it really is fun to fabricate stuff. Especially if it works! I’m looking forward to finding a stock CJ-2A again for on road and car show duty and keeping it that way I promise.
- Chuck Fest 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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