The 25+ Year Prolonged Build Of A "cj-2a"

I'm finally getting close to working on this thing. My other projects are wrapping up and I just need to clear out that corner of the shop so I have space to work.

I bought one more piece of the driveline puzzle, a partially complete Warn overdrive:


The only gear it has needs to be replaced, but that's OK since I'll need a Terra-low bowl gear anyway. Might as well start with all new gears. Most importantly though, it has the bronze shift fork instead of the crappy aluminum ones in the new Atlas overdrives.

That's really why I bought it. Just to get the shift fork:

 

With the CJ5 on bring a trailer, you'll be able to get this project going again!

 

I know to well how other projects can get in the way. You'll get to it in your own time.

 

It is about time to start digging into this now. I have one more quick project on the 71 first though.

 

You had me at 25+ year project. You just described me to a T!
Will be looking for progress as it occurs on this Jeep. I'm sure it will be Dog Approved!
Your dogs have the best life. The other two Jeeps you had were very nice.
If this progresses like my projects, it might be a while.


Dave

 

If things work out on Sunday, my flatfender project might be making a left turn.

This Jeep has been tough for me because it needs literally everything and I just don't have the time to build something from scratch.

If things work out on Sunday, I should be picking up this to hit my flatfender itch with something that's more complete but isn't so nice I don't want to beat on it out in the woods:


The seller's dad recently passed and he's clearing out the estate. It caught my eye because of everything that's been done to it.

Let's play scavenger hunt. From the picture above, you can tell:

• Full float rear axle!
• Rear gas tank
• Tilt wheel
• Probably 31" mud tires on wheels that are my not favorite, but aren't bad
• Probably a 2.5" lift
• Cage!

Front:

• Dana 30!
• Front disks!
• Saginaw steering!
• Tow bar that I'm not real interested in

Not much new in this picture:


Under the hood:

• Dauntless!
• 4BBL Truck Avenger 390
• Hand throttle
• Distributor is in the middle of being swapped
• Power steering!
• Aluminum radiator
• Looks like a mechanical fuel pump
• Heater

Inside:

• Aftermarket wheel missing the horn button
• Somewhat ugly bucket sears
• Looks like lots of gauges
• I might see an overdrive lever?
• Interesting wiper motor that looks like it drives both wipers in sync

More inside:

• Blown out rear window
• Seventies-tastic roll bar padding wrapped with tape.
• Front cage tie bars in the middle of the Jeep

Looking in from the rear:

• Lots of tire tread
• You can see the rear tank
• Rear floor looks decent

Underneath:

• T-18 or T-98!
• Rear disk brakes!
• Skid plates on the front spring plates
• Electric fan
• No skid plates - that needs to be fixed
• Still has floor hinged pedals
• Looks like a single circuit master cylinder - that needs to be fixed
• Parking brake not hooked up - maybe the rear disks have parking functionality?
• Floors and hat channels look good!
• Still can't tell if there is an OD

A little bit of the rear:

• Some weird brackets off the rear bumper for some sort tire carrier?
• Tailgate

I'm really curious to see it in person and figure out what else it has. The seller doesn't really know anything about it, so I have no idea what the axle ratios are or if it has any sort of limited slips/lockers. We'll find out soon enough!

Given what I can see so far, it needs at least the following to make it a good wheeler:

• New top or window repairs
• Get the engine running
• Engine driven fan and shroud
• Exhaust routed between the frame rails and out the back
• Skid plates
• Dual circuit brakes
• Parking brake
• Winch
• Bigger tires?
• Roll cage tie-ins/sliders
• Spare tire rack
• I'm sure I'll find a bunch more stuff to fix after a full inspection.

These are all things I can tackle one job at a time without blowing the Jeep apart. I think this is much more doable than my other Jeep. I'll probably pick the best pieces of that one and sell the rest off.

I can't wait for Sunday to see it in person. I can paint the hood black and copy Rich M!

 

Shackle reversal to list
Looks good I like it!

 

That's a good starting point, lots of good stuff there.

 

Looks pretty sweet!

 

It looks like that 4 speed is newly added. The patina doesn't match and the front drive shaft has been out. They used a new cj5 crossmember for the swap. Interior cover is very well done. You can even see where the old crossmember was against the frame

Verify clutch functionality.

No parking barke calipers, no cables and the brackets would need to be more horizontal. I'ld do something like duffer with independent manual parking brake calipers.

Doubts on the overdrive. Definitely looks like a shifter but might not have been installed with the 4 speed work.

 

Yes, that needs to be on the list too. Probably a YJ spring conversion at the same time.

 

The more I look at the pictures, I'm pretty sure there is no overdrive. It seems like it would show up behind the crossframe in the underneath picture and I think what looks like an overdrive lever in the interior picture is a push-pull hand throttle attached to the transmission shifter.

One of these:

 

I forgot to mention above, you can just make out the AA chain clutch linkage in the underside picture.

The font brakes look like the 1/2 ton Chevy setup. I can't tell if the rears are or not. It would be nice if there was a parking brake caliper that fit the brackets. No matter what, the transfercase parking brake is going away.

 

Here's the early full circle 1/2 ton bracket.
Note how it's about .188 thick with a stamped profile and the ears that wrap around the caliper.


This isn't in focus but the later 1/2 ton bracket is the same but the stone shield was a seperate 20ga plate. The calipers have the banjo bolt off center but the casting is the same left and right. Overall the bracket is still a good 120deg of sweep.



The flatty has thicker brackets that are less of a circle. I think they are R&P brackets on the rear.

 

Actually looking at the front brackets again, they aren't the GM ones. They look more like the later CJ brackets.

These:

 

Those are the early D30 thick rotor caliper brackets

 

Any action on the flatfender?

 

It's home!


Turns out it's a bit of an odd duck. It's actually a 1963 US Navy DJ-3A that's been converted to 4WD.

I crawled around it and took a million pictures last night. I'll post up more details later tonight when I have time.

 

I'm jealous of your garage space! My lil garage is so tight I only have 19" on either side of the jeep to move around it LOL.