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A true barn find. I could use some advice.

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cpt logger View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cpt logger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: A true barn find. I could use some advice.
    Posted: 25 May 2023 at 10:05pm
This week, I stumbled onto a 1949 CJ2a that is almost complete. It is partially disassembled. The fenders, grill & hood are off of it, as is the snow plow. The engine is complete. The air cleaner has been removed as has the radiator.

The good: It has been under cover almost it's entire life, it has been in a barn, a shed & lastly a garage. I am the 3rd or 4th owner. The fellow who had it from 1952 to 2011 used it on his property as a plow truck & an irrigation rig. He kept it in a shed & then, when he built his barn, it was stationed there. When he passed, his family trailer-ed it to their place where it sat in a garage for the last 12 years. It also has had a home-made 1/2 cab, complete with doors, made of angle iron & thin plywood on it almost forever. I suspect that the gear boxes have no water in them. We will see. Of course being a Colorado snow plow rig, it has a heater.

The bad: It is missing it's right fender. We may find it in another shed or barn, again we will see. The engine turns over with one hand on the fan pulley, not the fan blades, so zero compression. I have not checked that out yet, but I am sure the numbers will be below 10 PSI. The tool box has some rust, it is not rusted through there, yet. The right passenger floor has the rust through. The hat channels also have some rust issues. It was used for decades as a snow plow. While I have not crawled under it yet, I can see that the front cross member is cracked on both sides where it is attached to the frame rails.

The really good: It comes with a NOS MD Juan body kit, brand new in the crate! The serial number of the kit indicates that the kit was made in 09/2011. There is the tub, the fenders, a hood, & a windscreen complete with a piece of glass or two. I did not see any tailgate or grill. The guarantee is still attached to the tub in a plastic baggie. 

More really good, it has a clear Colorado title!

I seriously doubt that this rig has ever seen road salt as the road is gravel from the property's drive to the two lane 15 or so miles away. I suspect that this 2a has only seen the black top in 1952 on it's way home. In 2008 it got to ride on a trailer to it's new home. It also rode, possibly the same trailer, to my place.

Now for the needed advice: I have no time to add on another project. While I think that this could be a fairly easy project, I just do not have the time, unless... I sell my 48 CJ-2a project that I have not gotten to yet. I also do not have a garage or shed to put this rig in. I hate to see it sitting out in the weather. If I were to take this project on, I would not use the new crated tub kit. IMHO, this CJ's tub etc, is very repairable. Thus, I could sell the kit to pay for some of the project's cost... Or, I could separate the kit form the 2a & sell them separately...Or I could sell the entire barn find to someone who has the time & shop to put this cutie back together in. I also have only a small idea as to what this is worth. So any help there would be appreciated.

I know, I know, we need pictures! I guess that I will have to learn how to post some picture for you-all. I will try to work on that this week end.

TIA For any input you-all have, Matt W. AKA Cpt Logger.


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bight View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 May 2023 at 8:09am
i despise the trite trendy term "barn find". but so you may have the rights to that term use, sir. congratulations. 

c'mon cpt. 11 years is a long time to learn to post pics. LOL

help is just a scroll away. under suggestions, comments, testing:


Edited by bight - 26 May 2023 at 8:11am
CJ-2A 72586 tan (stock)
CJ-2A 197624 green (resto-mod)
the wife abides (def: to bear patiently; TOLERATE)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 May 2023 at 8:59am
oh, and i believe it is against forum rules to claim this sort of discovery and not post photographic evidence. LOL
CJ-2A 72586 tan (stock)
CJ-2A 197624 green (resto-mod)
the wife abides (def: to bear patiently; TOLERATE)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lee MN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 May 2023 at 9:06am
If it is a true 49 the right front fender is unique, and it would have the late style 2A frame. What’s the serial number ?.

Lee

Edited by Lee MN - 26 May 2023 at 9:07am
               LEE
44 GPW-The Perfected Willys
49 2A
“If you wait, you only get older”
67 M715
American Made Rolling History
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RSR_MK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2023 at 9:53am
I sold one I didn’t think I would a few months ago. A complete ‘47 survivor, all there and no rust. It had sat in the shop several years waiting for me to put the time it needed in it. A friend was looking for one and I let it go for what I had in it. I’ve been vey happy I did. The family is getting some good use out it and it has a very good home. Sometimes we just need to let go and move on. Life is too short for too many projects and there are others who have the same interests. 

Just my thoughts 

Mike

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2023 at 10:17am
nicely said, mike
CJ-2A 72586 tan (stock)
CJ-2A 197624 green (resto-mod)
the wife abides (def: to bear patiently; TOLERATE)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jhg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2023 at 10:37am
I had a jeep that because of time and scope of work I knew would never get running if it was up to me. I sold it, difficult though it was, to someone who did have the time. 

5 years later, I found a running, way less challenging jeep to tinker on and have never looked back. So it worked out better all around. So letting one go to aquire the other seems a pretty valid option.

Enjoy the ones you can. 

Remember seeing those guys with fleets of vehicles that end up languishing into heaps. They never could seem to get time and intention to agree and are not doing anyone any favors by hoarding.
You have a problem many wish they had-too many  jeep options.


Edited by jhg - 29 May 2023 at 10:39am
1948 cj2a. Rebuilt L-head, steering, T90, WO 636, steering, brake lines. So far.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark W. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2023 at 11:59am
If your not going to dedicate the time to rebuilding it. Then in my opinion the smart move is to find someone looking for a project and sell it to them. I would separate the new body kit and offer it separately. Determine a fair price for both halves and work to make a reasonable profit on both.
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Scratch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2023 at 1:19pm
Normally, I'd say just keep it and hang on to it for a rainy day.  I've had some of my jeeps for over 20 years and never touched them for that entire time, I've kept them all inside a pole barn, patiently waiting for their day under the knife.  There may be a day when you say "Golly, I wish I had a project jeep here to work on."  I guess it also depends on how serious you really are about jeeps. Some people are the type who... "yeah jeeps are cool, and I'd like to putz around in one someday."  Or you could be a freak like some of us here who eat, sleep and breathe jeeps.  It seems to me, you are the latter.  I can't tell you the amount of times I was so happy to be able to walk out to my "salvage yard" to find parts or see how a part was installed.

Now that's what I "would" say.... normally.
But, if you don't have a covered place to store it, it sure would be a shame to let it sit rotting out in the elements for what could be 5, 10, 20 years, when there are others who would love to start working on it right away.  Especially with a new tub there.  

As much as I'd love to see it packed away for a rainy day, I can't bear the sight of an old jeep rusting out in the open.

Good luck in your decision.
43 GPW 93487 Blk
44 GPW 230283 OD
46 CJ2A 50100 Tan
46 CJ2A 77632 Wht
47 CJ2A 141681 Grn
48 CJ2A 156240 Red/Yel
48 CJ2A "Lefty" 181341 Red
61 CJ5 123120 Tan
03 TJ Inca Gld
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