1946 Willys Jeep

CJ2A Convertible

4 - Cyl.

Manual

14,513

Gasoline

1946 Willys Jeep CJ2A #14,513 w/ Column Shift & Warn Overdrive & Hubs Very Early Civilian Jeep (V.E.C.) I became interested in the 1946 CJ-2A because I’ve always liked the rugged look and because it was the first production 4 Wheel Drive vehicle available to the public. The CJ2A is the grandfather of all modern SUVs. Additionally, I grew up in the desert near Palm Springs and probably spent too much time watching Roy Rogers and his side-kick use Roy’s horse, “Trigger” and his partner’s Willys CJ2A jeep, “Nelly Belle” as the two tracked down the bad guys every week on TV! Anyway, this jeep is a Very Early Civilian (V.E.C.), CJ2A serial #14,513. It has the original column shift, the World War II steering wheel and the pioneer indents on the driver’s side (a feature found only on the earlier WWII era military jeep). Of course, it is a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle and even though it is 65 years old, I don’t hesitate to take it off- road because that is what it was made for and because it is fun! While parts are readily available, original equipment is harder to find. It has taken me two years to collect all the vintage parts for it and to restore it to my standards. Some background on the Willys CJ2A - During World War II, the rugged Willys MB Jeep established its incredible reputation in Europe, Africa, the South Pacific and in virtually every other theater of operation. As the war drew to a close, and with the Jeep’s hard-won reputation with the G.I.’s for being rugged and dependable, Willys ramped up for civilian production of the same basic vehicle. The primary differences from the military version of the Jeep were; a side mounted spare wheel on the right rear quarter panel, a slightly different grill, and the addition of a tailgate, (an improvement that WWII jeeps did not have.) Production serial numbering of the Civilian Jeep began with #10,001. Only a few CJ (civilian jeep) units were made in late 1945 and full-scale CJ production began in early 1946. With a serial number of 14,513, this vehicle is considered a Very Early Civilian jeep (CJ2A web page) and as such, is very rare. Regarding the rarity of this vehicle; consider the fact that there were far fewer CJ2A produced than their earlier military counterparts. There were only about 20,000 VECs made with the column shift. In my opinion, due to the relative fewer numbers of CJ2As produced in the first place and their increasing scarcity, the VEC especially, should present much greater collector value in the future. They aren’t making them any more! Background on VEC #14,513 - During the past seven years I have restored four 1946 CJ2A jeeps to original condition. This jeep is by far the best and is the rarest of the four. It also represents my last jeep restoration project. I work at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park and my first restoration of a CJ2A is being used in a trained animal show there every day. I had so much fun, with this project that it got me started restoring them for fun. #14,513 is my best restoration and I expected it to be my “keeper”. As far as I can trace the history, except for the last year before I purchased it, when it was in Oregon, this jeep is a California native (at least for the last 50 years, when the ownership trail went cold). It has no rust. In the 1950’s it was owned by Phil’s Garage in Torrance, California. It was set up to tow vehicles back to the shop. It was impeccably maintained by the garage mechanic, who I never met, but whose workmanship and attention to detail 50 years ago, I still admire today. This jeep has matching serial numbers on the firewall, dash and left front frame horn. Behind the column shifter, is the T-90 transmission. The column shift option was dropped early in the first year of production (at around #30,000), because the GIs returning home from the war preferred the floor shifter transmission like the ones they were used to driving in their various theaters of operation. For this reason, there are very few, original equipment, column shift VECs left. This Willys CJ2A is a four-wheel drive vehicle with a Dana, hi-lo transfer case. The 1946 CJ2A came from the factory with a 6 volt electrical system. #14,513 was converted to a 12 volt system and was completely rewired. I did not use cloth covered wire because it rots and becomes brittle just too quickly. It has a 12 volt generator. As you will notice in the pictures, the oil filter was moved from the right side of the block to the inner fender to accommodate the generator. The dependable 134 cubic inch, flat head 60 hp Go-Devil engine has four cylinders and is super easy to work on. In fact, during WWII, G.I.’s would frequently just roll them on their side to work on them! Another interesting fact about the WWII era jeeps that I read somewhere is that they had a combat life expectancy of about 12 weeks! Anyway, the combination of the engine and gearing creates a 4 WD vehicle with really massive torque. FEATURE LIST - VEC #14,513 – Everything works on this jeep just as it should. RUNNING COMPONENTS Nearly new non-directional military tires 7.50 X 16 Warn hubs Warn OVERDRIVE (this important bonus feature saves gas and allows you to drive safely on the freeways at 55 mph – Probably the most beneficial of all the additions to this restoration) New shocks New steering dampner Front and rear push-pull tow capacity Original off-road skid plates for oil pan and transmission Custom designed removable tow bar and safety chains INTERIOR Brand new Beachwood Canvas ® Winter Top complete with rear and side curtains and doors. Beachwood Canvas ® uses original patterns and canvas to original specifications. This top represents how the original Willys came off the assembly line. In my opinion, if you are restoring a Willys jeep, Beachwood Canvas ® is the top of the line. It wasn’t cheap (nearly $2,000), but you get what you pay for. All data plates are original including the matching left front frame horn ID tag Current California plates and registration Complete vehicle restoration log book with all receipts and CJ2A vehicle reference materials New upholstery front seats and rear seat & indoor-outdoor style grey floor coverings Beautiful passenger side under-seat tool compartment Original period correct Unity ® hand-held spot light Original period Pyrene ® solid brass fire extinguisher (not charged but functionally capable if you can find someone who knows how to charge the unit) Driver & passenger original specification vacuum windshield wipers Driver & passenger safety door straps (WW II type) ELECTRICAL Original period correct Unity ® white driving lights Original period correct Unity ® blue alternating flashing fog lights Original period correct Unity ® back-up light New manufacture period correct tail lights New 12 volt battery Re-wired with vinyl-coated wire (I elected to rewire with vinyl and not the original cloth covered wire because the vinyl lasts longer and doesn’t crack) WWII STOCK PARTS Because this is a very early CJ2A manufactured just after the end of WWII and military jeeps were no longer needed, in 1945 & early 1946, Willys had stocks of WWII jeep parts. These parts were used on the VEC jeeps until the stocks were used up. Some of the original equipment from WWII stocks on this jeep includes the following: Original WWII steering wheel WWII – type safety door straps WWII – type desert theater radiator water collection & cooler (This feature was developed for the jeeps operating in North Africa during WWII. Although this was not an option offered on CJ2As, I purchased one made in Europe from the original plans, because I live in the Southwest and vacation in the desert. (I figured, “Why not?” I’ve never had overheating problems, so I don’t know if or how much it actually helps, but I do think it looks pretty cool and that was enough!) Hood mounted windshield latches (keeps the windshield from bouncing when operating with the windshield flat to the hood. This was a WWII feature and I think should have been continued on the civilian version). Shovel & Axe (both come with the jeep but these are not original WWII implements. They are recent manufacture). The “pioneer indents” for a shovel and axe on the driver’s side, are the same as the WWII era jeeps. Again, the indent panels were left over stock from WWII military jeeps because when the stocks were depleted the feature was dropped mid-year in the first year (1946) of CJ production. In the absence of data plates, these indents are one of the easy ways to tell if the jeep is really a VEC, CJ2A. Metal head lamp black-out covers. (These are really a one of a kind extra that I purchased several years ago and can be easily put on or taken off. Again, I think they look cool). Up-grade Descriptions - Because I wanted to be able to drive 14,513 safely on San Diego freeways, I paid $1,200 and installed the stock Warn overdrive. This unit bolts right on to the Power Take Off (PTO) unit alongside the transmission. There is an extra floor shifter that engages the overdrive. It will cruise all day at 55 mph. I’ve driven it from San Diego to the Colorado River several times without a problem. Although not stock, as an added safety measure, I installed turn signals on the front fenders and original Unity fog and driving lights on the front bumper. The jeep has in-line fuses with the electrical system. An original period Unity lamp was added as a rear back-up lamp and is mounted on the rear tow plate. (This is also not a stock feature but a nice addition if you are towing something). In addition, this jeep comes equipped with a beautiful vintage Unity hand-held spotlight which is mounted on a post, within easy reach of the driver. It is located just behind the shift levers, between the driver and passenger seats. When driving with the top down, the spot light can also be mounted on a bracket which is fixed on top of the windshield frame, just to the right of the center post. Behind each front seat are black nylon/canvas bags for first aid kits, flares, binoculars, bullets and other associated items. Because these early jeeps did not yet feature a glove box or trunk, I also fitted this jeep with a locking metal 9mm ammunition case between the driver and passenger seats. I made this modification on two other restorations and although it is not original equipment, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll use this little feature! The jeep comes with a brand new, original factory specification, Winter Canvas Top, with side curtains and doors made by Beachwood Canvas ® (not a cheap top but only one of two companies that still makes the originals, and is by far, the best quality). Of course, it has original top bows to support the canvas top. The upholstery is also brand new. I specified black textured vinyl because it looks good with the flat-grey paint scheme that I selected or any other color you may one day choose to paint the vehicle. After many discussions with auto painters and because I really like the grey color with the black accents, I used two coats of a high grade flat primer which was catalyzed with a hardner. So, later on, if you decide that you just have to have a different color or want the original paint scheme, all that would need to be done is to lightly sand and shoot. SALE DETAILS - FROM THE WINNING BIDDER, I WILL REQUIRE A 10% NON REFUNDABLE DOWN PAYMENT WITHIN 72 HOURS AND THE BALANCE IN 7 DAYS. I WILL CERTAINLY HELP TO COORDINATE ANY SHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS. THIS WILLYS IS 65 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE DONE MY BEST TO DESCRIBE ITS CONDITION, HOWEVER, IT IS BEING SOLD AS IS WITH NO WARANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. THE VEHICLE IS BEING OFFERED FOR SALE LOCALLY AND I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO END THE AUCTION AT ANY TIME. I hope you enjoyed the story and thank you for your interest. God Bless our Troops! Good luck with your bids!