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How I met my Willys |
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konstan 
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Joined: 22 Aug. 2016 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 351 |
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 Topic: How I met my WillysPosted: 22 July 2017 at 11:55pm |
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You know, like "How I met your mother"... ?
Anyway, funny story. This is last year but I don't think I told it before. I have this buddy. He and his GF are from the UK. Every year or two they come over to visit us, spend some time at the farm, splash in the pool. She went to college with my wife, so, this goes way back. Well, one year when they were here, we are driving around and he sees this M38A1, sitting outside, with $888 written on the windshield. I had been driving past that thing for at least 5 years every weekend. (I know, right? A steal, but I didn't know any better). So he buys it, we put the title in my name because he does not have an SSN, and they go back home. I put the M38 in my barn. Whenever my buddy comes over, we haul it out, work on it, then put it back in the barn. It's his jeep, I am just the custodian. So, the next year, while casually browsing my local craigslist I see a CJ2A. My buddy was here, so he starts in with "this thing is even older and we should totally jump on it" and well, so... thats how I met my Willys.
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Unkamonkey
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Joined: 23 Mar. 2016 Location: Greeley CO Status: Offline Points: 2093 |
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Posted: 23 July 2017 at 5:38am |
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Good, my first Jeep was a MB. the start of this craziness.
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uncamonkey
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Ol' Unreliable
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Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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Posted: 23 July 2017 at 6:01am |
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I was at work one day and a couple guys were talking about doing something and one of them mentioned selling "the Willys" to get some cash. I heard him say "the Willys" and my ears immediately perked up and I asked him "What kind of Willys?" He said a CJ-2A, I said I'd like to see it, and when I did I decided to buy it right then. Not a thrilling tale, but it's the truth.
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Adrian
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Joined: 01 Oct. 2011 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 1517 |
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Posted: 23 July 2017 at 6:31am |
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For me it was motorcycles, but whenever I went for a ride my young kids would watch me ride off, I thought this is not fair and I thought I'd sell the Triumph and get a quad bike or similar, something we could all have fun with....anyhow I was just about to buy a new Honda and then spotted a Jeep on an local auction site.
I rang the guy selling it and asked him what his reserve price was, he said he couldn't tell me but I was quite confident that there would be many people chasing the Jeep and told him its likely to go well past his reserve. So in the end he told me exactly what the reserve was, there were a lot of people watching the online auction, but not too many bidding, I put my bid in $1 more than his reserve and won it. So I ended up with a army greenish, M38 repro bodied Jeep salad, but hidden under all the wrong bits was an early 2a, I had never even heard of a column shift model before buying it. The previous owner brought it to NZ from South Africa, so its a well travelled Jeep, possibly from Botswana before SA?? |
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1946 CJ-2A Column Change 14605
1973 Saab 96 |
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Unkamonkey
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Joined: 23 Mar. 2016 Location: Greeley CO Status: Offline Points: 2093 |
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Posted: 23 July 2017 at 7:48am |
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We used to go up with friends. One couple always let drive their CJ3A. I was hooked. So I ended up with a MB. I suppose you can say the rest is history from there. Yeah sold all 3 of my bikes around a year ago. There is just too many idiots out there.
Edited by Unkamonkey - 23 July 2017 at 7:54am |
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uncamonkey
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Ol' Unreliable
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Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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Posted: 24 July 2017 at 3:58am |
Just this past February, a dog tried to kill me when I was riding my Harley. Six blocks from home, it stepped out right in front of my front wheel and I couldn't do anything (it was dark and the streetlight made a shadow where the dog was hiding) except fall. Broke a collarbone, cracked 3 ribs and a shoulder blade and totalled the Harley. It's still rideable, just needs a bunch of parts replaced. I hate dogs and dog owners who won't keep their dogs under control. |
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Adrian
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Joined: 01 Oct. 2011 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 1517 |
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Posted: 24 July 2017 at 4:10am |
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I hit a sheep while doing about 110kmph on a new BMW, broke my left leg in a couple of places and did a heap of damage to the bike and sheep!.
I asked the surgeon if I could keep the screws when they took them out and they asked why, I said next time I will supply the parts.... Adrian |
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1946 CJ-2A Column Change 14605
1973 Saab 96 |
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Unkamonkey
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Joined: 23 Mar. 2016 Location: Greeley CO Status: Offline Points: 2093 |
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Posted: 24 July 2017 at 8:18am |
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I never put my Harley down. Might have scraped up the pipes a bit canyon bashing and certainly flopped many times on one of the Yamaha dirt bikes.
Never flopped a Jeep either but I certainly know to get one stuck. |
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uncamonkey
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Willy M
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Joined: 18 July 2017 Location: Dyer, TN Status: Offline Points: 233 |
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Posted: 24 July 2017 at 1:35pm |
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Years ago (70s), I owned several old Brit bikes (BSA, Royal Enfield, then a succession of Triumphs). Then I got a '80 CJ5 and forgot all about the bikes. Now, the Jeep is long gone and I've kicked myself ever since for letting it go.
Lately, it's been ATVs, but I like to haul the grandkids around and was looking at some of the newer side by side ones and thought "that's an awful lot for something I can't get street legal". Which shifted to "I need another Jeep". I started out looking at 80's CJ7s & Scramblers, then a CJ3A caught my eye. Next thing I knew, I'm looking all over the internet at low hood Flatties. I'm still looking around "researching" but I'm pretty sure my next vehicle is gonna say "Papa Willy's Willys" on the tailgate.
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konstan
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Joined: 22 Aug. 2016 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 351 |
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Posted: 26 July 2017 at 4:29am |
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I used to own a bike too.... I stopped riding simply because this one morning I was riding to work and the rear tire just... exploded under me. I was doing 45... I was lucky -- or blessed -- I did not fall. I got a new tire and all but I noticed that I was no longer in the mood to ride anymore...
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Willy M
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Joined: 18 July 2017 Location: Dyer, TN Status: Offline Points: 233 |
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Posted: 26 July 2017 at 4:32am |
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Yeah, I can see where that would be a mood killer
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konstan
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Joined: 22 Aug. 2016 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 351 |
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Posted: 26 July 2017 at 4:33am |
I bought my first ATV last year and I am kicking myself for not doing it 10 years ago.... I have a place with lots of room to ride them though. The side by side UTV stuff *is* expensive. I still can't justify spending money on one.
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pilot195
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Joined: 29 Nov. 2016 Location: Washingtonville Status: Offline Points: 116 |
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Posted: 30 July 2017 at 1:05am |
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Gosh .. where to begin? I didn't know a thing about jeeps or Willly's back then (except I craved the CJ-5s at the time). Given the chance, I built a trailer out of an old pickup box for one of my teachers and traded for his CJ-2A. Again..not knowing anything about it, it was just a fun, mud-slinging, rock climbing blast on my dad's farm while I finished high school!
Now, 35 years later, I've got the same CJ-2A back in my possession and beginning the restoration. (And this week I was at Oshkosh* and got one-on-one tutoring from Lincoln Welders on using my new Mig welder!!!! (* - the Greatest Airshow on Earth! .. eaa.org for more info) |
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Jim
'46 Willys Jeep CJ-2A USAF retired |
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konstan
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Joined: 22 Aug. 2016 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 351 |
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Posted: 30 July 2017 at 1:08am |
LOL yeah. Took me another year to realize: I just start, run and maintain this thing, pay for registration and insurance, but don't really ride it.... TIME TO PUT A FOR SALE SIGN ON IT |
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konstan
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Joined: 22 Aug. 2016 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 351 |
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Posted: 30 July 2017 at 1:11am |
We have a pretty good one here in Omaha every year, at the Offutt Airforce base... Except this is the first year in like forever that they are not doing it. I am bummed out. |
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Nick_
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Posted: 30 July 2017 at 4:06am |
Not to get off topic, but we had a dealer with a booth there. Did you see Mudd-Ox amphibious atvs?
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Mark W.
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Posted: 30 July 2017 at 5:24am |
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I met my Willys when I was 4 years old. I vaguely remember going with dad to pick it up (LOL dad dragged it home on gravel roads as the rear tires would not turn) this was summer 62. Dad worked for quite a while on it to get it road worthy. He then drove it to work 15 miles one way for about 7 years. Then it didn't get driven much until I started driving it in high school in 1974-5 last time it was on the road was Sept. of 1976 a week before I left for college. In 2004 I took it out of dads shed and brought it home I been working on it ever since.
Dad already had a 49 (I think it was a 3A as my "2A" has a 3A windshield) only thing I know about it was dad said it was a total rust bucket. MY first vehicle I purchased myself was a 57 Willys Wagon that had a screaming transfer case that lasted less then 3 weeks before it ceased and pogo'ed the drive shaft into a gravel road. I got a new tranny and transfer case but within a month later it rolled into a gravel pit up in Portland and ended up parted out. |
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Chug A Lug
1948 2A Body Customized 1949 3A W/S 1957 CJ5 Frame Modified Late 50's 134L 9.25"clutch T90A D18 (1.25") D44/30 flanged E-Locker D25 5.38 Since 1962 |
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Unkamonkey
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Joined: 23 Mar. 2016 Location: Greeley CO Status: Offline Points: 2093 |
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Posted: 30 July 2017 at 5:32am |
I gave up because there are too many idiots out there. Sold 2 to a friends kid and the Harley went to a friend in Denver. I don't miss them at all. |
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uncamonkey
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Unkamonkey wrote: