CJ-2A Modifications Borrowed from Military Jeeps
Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 7:31 pm
I was 14 when I purchased my jeep (1948 CJ-2A) and there was no internet, credit card mail ordering or “repro” parts. All parts were hard to find. The only Willys vehicles I could find in junk yards were a few of the old wagons, however I discovered that the front parking lights were perfectly interchangeable and the truck/wagon lights are glass – not plastic. Other than this all of my modifications are borrowed from the military jeeps. From what was left of the tail lights (some P.O. had added one to the right side) that were on the jeep I could tell that they hadn’t been very sturdy; so I cut holes in the sheet metal, made up some brackets and installed M-series tail lights that are recessed in the body M38-style. That was over 20 years ago and I haven’t even scratched the paint on them since.
A few years ago I modified the bracket that holds the pedal cross shaft into a bolt-on affair (MB/GPW-style) to make servicing and repair easier (see my reply to the “Time Saving Holes Installed” topic on this message board for details).
Recently, I installed a pintle hitch (I don’t use the tailgate anyway) on the rear frame and an MB/GPW intervehicular cable socket in the hole that Willys-Overland very accommodatingly left over from MB production in the rear of the jeep (above the left rear tail light) so that I can hook-up my WWII Bantam T-3 trailer (when I finish restoring it!).
I also installed a slave receptacle on the front to make jump starting easier (I have them on all my vehicles – even my 1959 Oliver tractor!). I use the NATO style (except on my M37) and I installed it vertically between the bumper and the grille (inside the frame rail) on a home-made bracket; so it is protected but conveniently located and I didn’t have to drill any more holes in the jeep. I made up my own slave cables using No. 4 jumper cables, some surplus slave cable plugs and welding cable quick-connects so that I can interchange one of the slave plugs with the original gator clips when I need to jump off another vehicle that doesn’t have a slave receptacle.
A few years ago I modified the bracket that holds the pedal cross shaft into a bolt-on affair (MB/GPW-style) to make servicing and repair easier (see my reply to the “Time Saving Holes Installed” topic on this message board for details).
Recently, I installed a pintle hitch (I don’t use the tailgate anyway) on the rear frame and an MB/GPW intervehicular cable socket in the hole that Willys-Overland very accommodatingly left over from MB production in the rear of the jeep (above the left rear tail light) so that I can hook-up my WWII Bantam T-3 trailer (when I finish restoring it!).
I also installed a slave receptacle on the front to make jump starting easier (I have them on all my vehicles – even my 1959 Oliver tractor!). I use the NATO style (except on my M37) and I installed it vertically between the bumper and the grille (inside the frame rail) on a home-made bracket; so it is protected but conveniently located and I didn’t have to drill any more holes in the jeep. I made up my own slave cables using No. 4 jumper cables, some surplus slave cable plugs and welding cable quick-connects so that I can interchange one of the slave plugs with the original gator clips when I need to jump off another vehicle that doesn’t have a slave receptacle.