Category Archives: Cars & Trucks

1947 Willys CJ2A (update)

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UPDATE (12/22/22): While Paul was test driving the Jeep the steering shaft broke. Which means new steering box and column. As well as a radiator cap and a carburetor (It runs but it won’t even attempt to idle). Nice to find these issues now. Suspect there will be more.

Paul is moving fast. New wheels and tires a big improvement. And a few rattle-cans of camouflage paint took care of the hideous camo. I love this flat green. Perfect.


Seats are in good shape so I’ll live with the camo there. Look close to see the 3-speed shifter, the 4WD lever, and the high/low lever. I’ll probably lose the old Igloo cooler/cubby. Looking forward to figuring out all of the dash gauges.

The hideous camo top will be the first to go. I’m planning on this being a spring/summer/fall ride. I’ll adios the flood lights, too.

I’m very excited about adding this old (there’s some question about whether ’46 art ’47) Jeep to what I guess I have to start calling my collection. Might have it by the first of the year. Late xmas present, or early birthday.

1947 Willys CJ2A

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I’ve always been fond of Jeeps. Not the current models, the “original” Jeep. I’ve spotted several around town in recent years but the owners would sooner give you a leg than their Jeep. I get that. Feel the same about my Land Rover. So when Paul Bandelier mentioned he had a 1946 1947 Willys CJ2A, I raced out for a look.


Paul says the engine is as simple as a lawn mower and anybody can work on them. That’s what they told me about the Land Rover and it’s sort of true.

What would I do with three vehicles? Drive each one for two days every week? I guess this would make me a collector.

1980 Ford Courier

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I really can’t explain my love of old pickup trucks and while I only have room in my life for one, I enjoy seeing what my friend Paul has for sale. (He gets most of his trucks from Colorado where rust is less of a problem.)

Today he was showing off a 1980 Ford Courier. I can’t say I remember these but I wasn’t thinking about pickup trucks back then. The truck has its own Wikipedia page. This beauty can be yours for $3000.

Land Rover go fast

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Dan Poettgen and Chief Mechanic Scotty worked some magic on the Land Rover.

Every so often I’ve had to take it in for them to adjust a cable (?) that fed fuel to the diesel engine. As it slipped, I had to push the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and still wasn’t going very fast.

Like so many things with the Land Rover, this bit wasn’t really done properly the first time. So Dan and Scotty ordered some parts…made some parts and voila!

I have way more “throw” on the accelerator and it feels like the engine is (for the first time?) getting the fuel it needs. Drives like it has twice the power and acceleration it had before.

A great car needs a great video

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The handful of readers who followed my Land Rover adventure will recall Grayson Wolf was the young man who found the Series III Rover that has been my daily driver for the last few years.

Based in the Bay Area, Grayson works on high performance vehicles for the well-heeled and finds buyers and sellers for just about any thing on four wheels. He’s been working with a friend to produce videos used to show and sell. I was particularly impressed with the music in these videos, original compositions by Grayson’s buddy. [2000 Ferrari 360 Modena, 1967 Jaguar E-Type, 2001 BMW Z8 Roadster]

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ55

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Mr. Wolf is still out there finding, buying/selling, restoring vintage automobiles. This week he shared some photos of an FJ55:

“FJ55s were rare to begin with and had zero rust prevention, so they all evaporated. When you do see them they are usually a collection of rusty parts held together with Bondo. So an original paint 55 is a rare sight. That one now has fuel injection, a 5 speed, disc brakes, AC, beefier axles, lockers, etc.”“Original paint with heavy patina, so we did a satin clear coat on it.”

Road rot? Where?

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When I purchased my 1977 Ford F150 pickup truck it was comparatively rust-free, having spent it’s life in Colorado where — I’m told — they add corrosion inhibitors to the salt they put on their highways. Had the truck spent those same 40+ years on Missouri highways, it would have rusted away long ago. But my truck did have (does have) some rust spots which I’ve successfully ignored. But the two holes in floor of the cab are getting bigger and sucking some cold air in.

My buddy George Tergin — the master of the automotive hack — suggested I patch these using old license plates, silicone, and self-tapping screws. Before and after photos below.

Hadn’t planned to do much about the other rust spots until Mr. Wolf pointed me to POR-15, a rust preventative coating that I can “glop on the other rust spots. Like so many things in my life now, the pickup only has to last as long as I do.