1951 CJ3A ranch rig & maybe a little more.

Since I bought the 3A, I'd been accumulating parts for it. Picked up a half cab top from New Life Canvas.  Came about two weeks after I ordered it.  I think I must have been lucky.  Mocked it up, thought yep, that's what I'm looking for and put it away.  Picked up a narrow track disc brake Dana 30 and stuffed it in a milvan.  You get the picture.  Lumpy always got pushed down the priority list due to work, mission critical projects, life, etc.  Same as it is for anybody.  I just kept it running and used it hard wherever it was able.  

And then I shuffled off my business and retired last Fall and I've been so busy since I don't know how I had time for a job.  I hear it's that way for everybody.

Lumpy was at his best when he was doing the heavy lifting.  Skid logs, haul gear, lug or pull stuff around, put out hay, or haul water.  Better than a tractor for our needs on our ground.  He did have a few fatal flaws are far as using it on the ranch.  The biggest was the two open differentials.  We have trails that it just can't get up.  From a lack of traction, rather than lack of trying.  And you need that traction since the L134 won't give you much in the way of wheel speed to keep your momentum up.  Then there was the aforementioned weak brakes.  The lack of turning radius was another as was the Extend-A-Bed on the back dragging here and there.  

That pretty much forced us to use the UTVs (Honda Pioneer 1000s) in the more remote or rugged portions of the place.  As we have learned, the Pioneers, IMHO, are really not up to the job of being a working vehicle.  They're fun, they're super capable off road, they'd climb a tree if the bark wouldn't come off, but they're fragile.  Expensive to own and to operate if you ask them to do real work.  YMMV.

Here's one of the trails I cut in during the summer of 2018 to give you the flavor of what I'm talking about.  It's long and boring and just me trying to hold my phone with one hand and driving with the other.  Hey, I may not have Scorsese's talent but I bet I do grunt more than him.

And here's one of the last section coming back up.  The camera flattens the terrain but you'd have trouble walking up it.  My neighbor is a badass competitive moto rider and his son rode for KTM and was a national champion and it still took him three tries to get up it.  You can hear that 80-horse Honda working hard all the way up in 1st gear, in low range, and both ends locked.

I'm laying all that out there so you know where I'm coming from.  Might save some speculation about what my conditions and motivations are.  I'm not a flat fender expert at all.  Pretty far from it.  This CJ3A was my first.  I'm just a babe in the woods really but I've owned a Jeep of some flavor or another most of my adult life.  I have four right now, one of which I've had for 30 years (Grand Wagoneer) and other for 21 (my second Gladiator truck).  I picked up a CJ2A as a parts and who knows what rig last winter.

I recognize this place as having experts far beyond my potential and I welcome your advice and tutelage.  I have a couple of major concurrent projects in the shop right now so my time is split between them and my other chores but I'll keep this updated as I'm able.

Anyway, it was that failed master cylinder that brought Lumpy into the shop:

It went hardcore leg bone connected to the hip bone from there and the next thing you know:

edit: hopefully fixed the video order.

Jay

Like you wouldn't believe.

Thanks.  Yes, it's my private shop but I did run the last couple years of my business out of there in preparation for retiring.  It was all part of the wind down.  We built an apartment on one side upstairs and that's where we live.  We were going to build a separate house but we decided we're pretty cozy here.  First six months here we lived in a 1975 Airstream on the ridge overlooking the shop through the winter.  The two of us and three big dogs in a 25-ft trailer at 20-below with no running water or indoor privy was an adventure.  Jill's always been big on adventure so she's an easy keeper.

First of all your shop is amazing 

Can’t wait to see the rebuild of Lumpy. 

Thanks for the video of your property,when you mentioned ranch use for your jeep in the UTV tire post, I was very curious and wanted to ask about it. 

Looking at the fences you’ve built on that steep ground.... now that’s WORK! Nicely done. 

I see ranch panels on the upper gates?? Sheep?

Also if possible would like to see a picture of the Grand wagoneer. 

Thanks 

Thanks for sharing. 

Reused gates make sense. Couldn’t figure why that secure of gate would be needed with a barb wire fence.