Noob Here Seeking a Suitable Project - Possible Pitfalls?

[coolpool]

I've always been facinated with flat fender jeeps for as long as I can remember. I'd glue myself to the TV watching MASH in black & white hoping to glimpse a jeep driving around :-) I did 20 years of Canadian Military service and had the (pleasure?) of driving a 1956 5 Ton gas 6x6 all over the country. Now as my years wane, I've got the green light to find a project to refurbish; make a sunday driver on back roads and take it to the odd car show. Are there any models I should stay away from due to parts availability etc? I'm located in Northern Alberta so I will be more than likely travelling to the US to buy a mostly complete unit. Any Jeeps you find around here are in rough shape. I'm not scared of challenges as I'm mechanically inclined but most parts will need to be shipped which will add mad bank to the project. I went through the write ups on kaiserwillys.com (very informative) and am initially looking at the CJ3A and M38. Is there a preference for civilian versions over military versions? I may be limited to the CJ versions due to rules in transporting US military vehicles across the border. And if anyone has a nice unit for sale, let me know. I'm not against travelling and could make a mini vacation out of it. I just got back from Laurel, Indiana with my son participating in a vintage 3 wheeler meet down there; 1900 miles in 34 hours, get'r'done! Thanks for looking!

Pete

[bpd303]

Hi and welcome,
The largest pitfall is they can become a money pit and finding parts. I found out that a lot of parts will not interchange between year models. If I was to do things different, I would look for a running CJ3A that only needs some paint & body work. Here are my projects. Good luck in your search, there are some nice one's in the classifieds here.
http://willysjeepforum.kaiserwillys.com/showthread.php?1226-Hi-from-NW-Arkansas

[coolpool]

Thanks for the insight. A 90+% solution would be my goal for sure. I'm thinking Craigslist is a better choice than fee bay. It's the real local adds that I'm bound to miss out on. Patience, patience.......

[coolpool]

Well I'm looking at a 52 M38 completely redone with a top, period correct winch, fording kit and it's a Canadian stamped model. It's pricey ($18K)but appears to be very well done. 2nd owner from 1952. Has a willys powered gen set too? I know pics are best but does it sound OK for the money?

[coolpool]

I gave myself an early Christmas present and splurged on a M38Cdn. I couldn't be happier; it runs like a top and travels at 50mph with no rattles or shimmies. Stops good too with a 11" drum upgrade in the front. The gen set is PE-95 and it runs also. It also came with a NOS Heater Kit in the crate, a fording kit and some spare parts; new and used. It's still 24V but has been converted to electronic ignition. Everything works including the gas gauge!

[K & L Machine and Welding]

Congrats on the cool Christmas present! Looks like Santa Claus did you right. haha!

[LarrBeard]

It looks really nice, but with a vehicle in this great shape - what are you going to do for a "project"?

[coolpool]

It looks really nice, but with a vehicle in this great shape - what are you going to do for a "project"?


I'm cleaning up the undercarriage a lot getting rid of the mounds of grease and remnants of oil leaks. It does have a few leaks so I'd like to see if I can tackle a few of them without digging too deep. I'm not afraid of projects, just want to enjoy this one for a while. My other hobbies are old three wheelers. Here's a 1965 golf cart with a 1986 Honda 250 drivetrain. Slightly modified ;-)