I took the Jeep to Cruise Night where hundreds of (mostly) old car and truck enthusiasts gather to see and be seen. My friend Paul introduced me to Bob who finds/buys/sells old Jeeps and Jeep parts. Bob and his wife were on their way home (Colorado) from a Jeep gathering in Ohio where Bob purchased an old engine block.
As fate would have it, just the engine block I’d need if the tiny crack in my block (see image below) made the Jeep un-drivable.
So I bought it for $100 and will keep it in the Annex as Cosmic Insurance against my current engine blowing up.
Category Archives: My Jeep
Spare tire of the Jeep
Paul is very particular about the tires he puts on vehicles. They must be the right tire and they must look great. Including the spare which he had to track down out in Colorado.
While I could have lived with this tire as a spare, Paul insisted it get a fresh coat of paint and gave me the privilege of getting all the old paint off.
This involved a few hours with sandpaper and some time in the sandblasting box. A very wax on, wax off experience. This simple chore gave me an appreciation for the time and effort that goes into restoring an old vehicle even though that was never the plan for the Jeep.
When I went to pick up the tire after mounting and balancing, the young man asked for the key so he could drive the Jeep into one of the service bays.
“Might be best if I do that since the transmission is a little… wonky,” I said. “Oh, I think I can figure it out,” he replied.
When he finally did get the Jeep in gear (first instead of reverse) he almost drove into the front of his building. I drove the Jeep into the service bay. (On the topic of shifting gears, I’ve discovered the Jeep is happiest when I double-clutch between gears.)
Fast food run in the Jeep
I’d love to know what the designers of the Jeep had in mind with the fold-down windscreen. Perhaps easier to carry more equipment or people?
Barb got her first ride in the Jeep today.
I’m still getting used to just how small the Jeep is.
And here’s the boy with his new toy, decked out in his anti-tick treated wood clearing outfit.
Fleet complete
I’ve never considered myself a collector but don’t know how else to describe my love for old vehicles. And for almost the first time they’re all together.
Jeep pedals (this could be a problem)
Now that I’m driving the Jeep every day, I’m starting to notice small things that will need attention. For example, the brake pedal is so close to the accelerator pedal (and both are loose) that pressing on the brake can press on the accelerator at the same time.
Jeep: First check-up
Most people who buy or restore an old vehicle don’t plan on making it their “daily driver,” for a lot of practical reasons. Reliability, comfort, financial… just to name a few. But for the last few years I’ve driven the Land Rover or the pickup every day. Leaving a cherished vintage vehicle in the garage would be like having a good dog you never played with. So when I added the Jeep to my little fleet, I knew I wanted to drive it regularly so a trip to the mechanic was high on my list. Just to make it safe-ish to drive. After an agonizing six weeks I got the Jeep back this week.
- Lube, Oil and Filter change
- Replace front and rear differential oil
- Replace steering bell crank
- Replace drag link repair kit
- Replace headlight switch
- Replace brake light switch
- Replace brake master cylinder
- Adjust radiator fan
- Reseal right rear wheel (losing air due to rust on bead)
The parking brake doesn’t work and the oil pan is leaking bit so we’re not quite finished but it’s about as good as we can make it for now.
Jeep “carport” ver. 2
Jeep has crack in engine block
Took the Jeep to my mechanic for four routine service and maintenance. Oil change, lubrication, etc. Probably been a while. Alas, he found a crack in the engine block. The plan is patch with StopLeak, J-B Weld, etc. I won’t be driving it fast or far and if/when it stops running we’ll look at replacing the block. As far as I can tell, almost all old Jeep blocks have a crack (or soon will). On the bright side, replacing an engine on a CJ-2a is as simple as it gets. And the Jeep won’t be my daily driver, just for fun in the sun. And we just need to keep the Jeep running as long as I am. A lowering bar.
Farming with a Willys Overland Jeep farm tractor
This promotional video (almost 25 min!) illustrates just how hard Willys was pushing the CJ series as a farm (and industry) tool.
“Now it’s a Truck… Now it’s a Tractor… Now it’s a Runabout… Now it’s a Mobile Power Unit.”
“Willys claimed the Jeep could “pull a 5,500-pound load on the highway at a good speed.” The company also claimed the Jeep could “do the job of two heavy draft horses operating at a speed of 4mph, 10 hours a day, without causing the engine to overheat.”
Can’t find a date on this film but probably late 40’s or early 50’s, so would have been shown in movie theaters.
“Perceived safety”
UPDATE: After a little more thought and some measurements, I cancelled this order. These straps look kind of cool but wouldn’t make me any safer.
When I purchased the Jeep there were a couple of vintage seat belts tucked under the seat. Maybe from a 70s era Chrysler? They were ugly and didn’t look safe so I removed them.
After riding around in a vehicle with no doors, seat belts seemed like a sensible idea so I purchased a set. (Paul called them “perceived safety.”) After struggling to install them I decided I did NOT need seat belts and put them back in the box. No turn signals, no seat belts! Then I started seeing photos and video of military era Jeeps with “safety straps.”
Looks like they might keep an old guy from tumbling out of the Jeep and I’ll settle for that. And in the event I’m surprised by a German patrol, I do NOT want to fuck with a stuck seat belt latch.