'48 cj2a

[DanB2]

Now please don't get me wrong, I love the fact that your willing to save this old war horse. There's a lot of work there, but I would enjoy the heck out of bringing life back to Jeep history.

It was a lot of work when I restored an old Cessna I bought years (and years) ago. It spent 2 years in my 24x24 garage before it went back to the airport for re-assembly. I bought that for $4k and sold it for $11k. (invested about $20k) But that is another story not suited for a jeep forum. Hehe, I remembers the time I first test ran the engine - I had chained the tail of the plane to the wall of my garage with the rest in the driveway - my pickup truck parted sideways in the front. I had kids from all over come running to see what was going on. I had helpers to keep them away. IT seemed quite a bit LOUDER in town than it did at the airport. But that was another time when I had lots more money...

 

[DanB2]

Just a couple of comments.
1. a CJ2a can be driven well past 50 mph if in good condition.I had a CJ2a w/ built 283 sbc and t-10 4speed,5.38 gears and warn Overdrive .Buried the speedo many times. Short wheelbase doesn't have much to do with it.

I had a CJ5 with the AMC 304 V8. I drove it at 70 often. Granted it was years newer, but when I done, this will as able as the CJ5 was.

3.The 4.3 chev. can be bolted up to the toploader ford tranny with a couple modifications.

I don't plan on keeping the toploader as the shifter is in the wrong location. It is clear back by the right front leg of the seat support. I'll source a used or new T-90 and put it back where it belongs.

5. Sorry to hear about the overall condition of your project jeep. A lot of time a person is better of to spend a little (or a lot)more money in the beginning and start with something that will give you a solid foundation to build on. I can understand if a guy wanted to restore granpa's jeep or something regardless of condition for sentimemtal reasons . Otherwise it's the story of diminshing returns on your investment. Mike

If I had a little bit of money, a better condition CJ could have been purchased. But being retired and on a fixed income, I have more time on my hands than I do money. Sure, I have a little bit of extra each month, but I've tried saving that 'extra' money up and the wife ends up spending it for me. This way 'my project' is going to trump 'her project' when it comes to buying things. I just wish I had some extra money right now, on craigslist in my area, there are 4 - 16" vintage Jeep wheels with new unidirectional tires for $300. I gotta call that guy and see if he will hold them for me :drool: as I've spent this months money already.

Please don't take this post the wrong way. I'm new here and nobody knows my history yet. I hope in the next few months more of me will be known. For the record, I'm an old guy (58) worked for a phone company for 30 years, retired before 50 - I have ran a 1915 H.K. Porter Steam locomotive for a summer - I owned and flew my own airplane - I have lots of stories - don't get me started, you might regret it .

 

[mstar]

Great post Dan, I agree 100% on your plans as I have a mostly stock 1967 CJ5 .BTW I also am retired from qwest comm. in 2006.I was a outside tech doing everything seemed like. Worked construction mostly with a stint in I&M and Coin.That jeep is probably better then the pictures show .Was it a Idaho area vehicle? Have fun on that project. Mike

 

[DanB2]

Great post Dan, I agree 100% on your plans as I have a mostly stock 1967 CJ5 .BTW I also am retired from qwest comm. in 2006.I was a outside tech doing everything seemed like. Worked construction mostly with a stint in I&M and Coin.That jeep is probably better then the pictures show .Was it a Idaho area vehicle? Have fun on that project. Mike

No, the CJ currently has a Wisconsin title, but one of the previous owners was in Oregon and I purchased it from an old logger in Montana. If it could talk I bet it could tell quite a story. There is one issue with the title, but the guy I bought it from says he is working on it. He runs a powder coating business in MT so I'm not worried about him running out on me. I know where he lives and works. As a logger he collected a lot of neat stuff and is now trying to get rid of some of it. Some people might call it junk.

I started as a phone operator (GTE), went to I&R, then onto cable splicing, worked in engineering on loan for over a year, went into the CO as maintainance, then as an installer. I retired (2004) as COEI (Verizon - I hated that Bell Atlantic/GTE merger/takeover). I have left parts out, but I've had a varied work experience as well. I taught most of the splicers here in N Idaho how to splice the fiber optic cables when they first started going in. Kinda like a jack of all trades. Got sent home with all my hand tools when I retired and only now have started using any of them for personal use. I installed a solar power system into one of my brother's in-law's 20 ft. cargo trailer. That was the first time I used any of my old tools. But that is another story...

 

[DanB2]

you said the rear of the tub was hinged. All I see is the tailgate.

Here is a shot showing the hinges. Sorry I can't show it tipped up.

 

[DanB2]

Last post unless I find a T-90 tranny cheap... I found these tires and wheels on Craigslist and convinced my better half it is better to buy these now than to wait to when I needed them. Four 16 inch vintage wheels with 5 non-directional tires. That will replace the the 15 inch wheels now on my CJ. Someone please tell me if $300 was to much to pay. I didn't think so, but then sometimes I place value on things wrongly.

 

[johnnyreb]

good looking wheels and tires. I think new tires run about 167.00 each

 

[wookie]

Small world,I still work for the phone company and I wish I could say I liked it.Not the job it used to be.But if I know anything you'll spend a lot of time sitting and looking at O.B.Good luck with it

 

[DanB2]

The telco world isn't what is used to be. I worked on everything from open wire to fiber optics. Now cell phones are taking over. Wireline phones are going away. But I still have one. The siding on my house has created a cell phone black hole. Service is sketchy at best. Living in the country I don't get phone DSL or cable DSL. But there is a wireless (radio, not cell phone) provider that gets me internet service. 12 miles to a mountain top then a couple more to the provider. Not the fastest in the world, but it works. When I win the lottery I'll get myself a fractional T1 - hahahaha.

Jeep-wise I have found myself a T-90 tranny with a Chevy bellhousing adapter bolted to it. Bad part it's 300 miles away and I'm trying to arrange my niece to pick it up for me. I'm going to have a shop full of parts before I get a chance to work on it.

 

[johnnyreb]

I'm going to have a shop full of parts before I get a chance to work on it.[/QUOTE]
That's ok, then you go out coffee cup in hand and day dream About what your gonna do.