MD Juan |
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JayBob
Member Joined: 20 Aug. 2019 Location: Huntington, IN Status: Offline Points: 141 |
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Posted: 24 Aug. 2019 at 5:35am |
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Has anyone replaced their tub and tins with a new MD Juan kit? I bought one this spring and it's still in the crate because I didn't have time to do anything for awhile, and now I'm figuring out the starting issues before I move ahead with paint and mounting. While I was watching some YouTube videos tonight I found one video of a guy who had all sorts of problems with his 48 CJ2A tub kit and it has me pretty worried now. I'm more of a mechanical guy...I'm not a sheet metal or fabricator guy. I was told there would be some drilling and I was okay with that, but the guy in the video had to do some major cutting, welding, and fabricating to get his to fit properly. I hope this isn't the case.
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Kinnett
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Aug. 2018 Location: Williamsburg VA Status: Offline Points: 94 |
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I'm in the process of installing an MD Juan body kit on my 47. The fit is "OK". I had to open up the brake and steering column holes about 3/8" of an inch to the right and also open up some of the bolt holes on the fenders a little bit but overall the fit is acceptable. Oh, I also had to open up the transfer case shifer hole about 1/2" forward. I bought the kit last fall and was assured it was a recent kit. I believe the crate had an August 2018 manufacture date on it. Be prepared to do some body work - lots of spot welds to smooth out, etc. For what it is, I'm pretty happy with it. It certainly beats trying to repair my old tub, which was a disaster. Getting everything to sit just right and bolt up easily is a job, but with patience an a dremel tool it's coming along.
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harvey45
Member Joined: 14 June 2011 Status: Offline Points: 360 |
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Spot welds were exposed on early jeeps as it was a utility vehicle
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SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 22 Jan. 2016 Location: S.E. Kansas Status: Offline Points: 3191 |
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Ol' Red is a MD Juan repro. The original body had too many "careful oilfield miles" on her for an inexperienced body repair person (can't say bodyman, anymore, don't you know) to correct. So...
MD Juan was the answer for me. Yes, there were mounting holes to locate, the steering shaft hole and clutch and brake holes needed some work, and the floor board at the transfer case lever needed some attention to remove interference when going into low range. All that was fairly minor though. No one promised me a rose garden. Overall, I am satisfied with the end result. The fenders, tailgate and windshield all fit the tub correctly and matched the original grille very nicely. I could have done with a little less orange peel in my red paint job in a couple of places but that was on me, not MD Juan. For someone that wants a showroom finish, there are many spot welds to correct, but as "harvey45" has posted, the finish on the original bodies were not finished to perfection either. In 1946, the emphasis was on utility and getting it out the door at Toledo than as a clear-coat "boulevard machine". Of course, if you want a showroom finish, you will have to do some work to get it that way. I chose to leave the spot welds mostly alone, perhaps knocking down some of the high spots and leaving the dimples where they were. People will criticize that if you go that route out of ignorance. They have no idea about what kind of finish came out of the factory in 1946. I believe it gives a more natural original look. I restored Ol' Red to use offroad and while I would hate to see some damage from offroad use I know that eventually there will be a ding, scratch, or dent at some point. Knowing that is going to happen at some point kept me from using spot putty to fill spot welds. I want to enjoy the use of the vehicle, not obsess over potential damage. If Ol' Red is damaged, I will either repair it myself or pay someone to have it fixed. In other words, the original jeeps were work trucks, not show cars. My advice is to get that tub out of the crate and get started. You do WHAT YOU WANT TO DO to produce WHAT YOU WANT in a finished project. It is yours, not someone else's. Everyone is going to have an opinion on the work you put in to your jeep, but your opinion is the only one that really counts. Always remember that. Get started... |
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46 CJ-2A #64462 "Ol' Red" (bought April 1969)(second owner)(12 V, 11" brakes, M-38 frame, MD Juan tub)
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer(ret.) U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and damned proud of it. |
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Greaser007
Member Joined: 16 Jan. 2018 Location: Anderson, Calif Status: Offline Points: 850 |
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There was one of these listed in the Sacramento, California area a few months back for $3500, on Craigslist.
I am sure someone bought it is my guess. I wondered if it were for sale by Ron Fitzgerald from Oregon. |
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JayBob
Member Joined: 20 Aug. 2019 Location: Huntington, IN Status: Offline Points: 141 |
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Oh, I'm not going for a carshow showroom shine. I'm more than likely going with a flat paint that might clean up fairly nice, but not too worried about weld marks or anything. What I was nervous about was in the video I watched (and maybe he WAS going for perfection) he was relocating fender braces, cutting metal and relocating holes that were an inch off, said the tub was a little too long to match up, and had gaps...which I figured that's what welting is for anyway...lol. I'm not afraid to do a little cutting, grinding, elongating holes, drilling, etc and I pretty much expected that anyway. I just don't want to, or have the knowledge to go full fabrication because that's why I bought my tub kit in the first place.
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damar2yxr
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 23 Aug. 2010 Location: Watertown, Wisc Status: Offline Points: 2632 |
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Don’t worry. The slight aggravation of making a few adjustments to make it fit right is very small compared to dealing with patch panels, rust, welding, grinding and pounding. Your life with this repop body has become infinitismally more carefree.
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eat,sleep,jeep
Proud father of a Marine, Army Dentist, Navy Pilot and a Princess. LIFE IS GOOD! 43MB,47CJ2-A,48CJ2-A X2,70Jeepster Commando 1/2 cab,84CJ-7, |
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SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 22 Jan. 2016 Location: S.E. Kansas Status: Offline Points: 3191 |
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X2! |
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46 CJ-2A #64462 "Ol' Red" (bought April 1969)(second owner)(12 V, 11" brakes, M-38 frame, MD Juan tub)
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer(ret.) U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and damned proud of it. |
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Scratch
Member Joined: 30 July 2019 Location: Hudson, WI Status: Offline Points: 1454 |
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Do you have a link for the video. I'm planning on a new tub for my GPW and am considering an MD Juan.
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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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JayBob
Member Joined: 20 Aug. 2019 Location: Huntington, IN Status: Offline Points: 141 |
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1948 Willys CJ2A (restoration in progress)
1952 Ford 8N tractor restored 1997 Jeep TJ 265,000 miles, DD and mudder...I like to live dangerously. |
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JayBob
Member Joined: 20 Aug. 2019 Location: Huntington, IN Status: Offline Points: 141 |
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Amen brother! Mine was originally an Agri-Jeep so I know it wasn't the purdiest from Toledo. It was meant to be a small utility tractor that could drive you to town if you needed. I'll make things fit...heh.
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1948 Willys CJ2A (restoration in progress)
1952 Ford 8N tractor restored 1997 Jeep TJ 265,000 miles, DD and mudder...I like to live dangerously. |
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JayBob
Member Joined: 20 Aug. 2019 Location: Huntington, IN Status: Offline Points: 141 |
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I paid $3500ish on Kaiser Willys this spring, and got a $300 discount and a $250 gift certificate during sales. Came with tub, fenders, hood, windshield frame and hardware, and tailgate. Only thing not included was the grill, but mine was still good.
Edited by JayBob - 25 Aug. 2019 at 7:33am |
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1948 Willys CJ2A (restoration in progress)
1952 Ford 8N tractor restored 1997 Jeep TJ 265,000 miles, DD and mudder...I like to live dangerously. |
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damar2yxr
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 23 Aug. 2010 Location: Watertown, Wisc Status: Offline Points: 2632 |
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Man that video was pretty good and accurate. Look the tub over carefully because there are brackets that need to be added and you sure don’t want to go to paint missing things you’ll regret later. As for getting an MD Juan kit for a GPW my understanding has been that they’ve got the MB and GPW bugs pretty well worked out. They started out repopping military jeeps and have been doing them for a long time. MD Juan is your only choice for tub kis....no one else makes them. Find another tub, fix yours or you get MD Juan. I’m telling you I would rather do that than resurrect a beat up and rusty tub.
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eat,sleep,jeep
Proud father of a Marine, Army Dentist, Navy Pilot and a Princess. LIFE IS GOOD! 43MB,47CJ2-A,48CJ2-A X2,70Jeepster Commando 1/2 cab,84CJ-7, |
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redrunner
Member Joined: 01 Apr. 2016 Location: NW Iowa Status: Offline Points: 308 |
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I put one on my 47 a year ago and am happy with it. It took some or more detailed a small amount of work to get it to fit on the frame. A few holes needed enlarged and moved over some, then patched in the other side of the hole. A few mounts and trial fit is all I did. Looks good, I would do it again without another thought.
I did have a body shop paint it. The guy did some work body work to it as well and it turned out great. He is very detailed in all he does.
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“Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid.”
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Oldpappy
Member Joined: 09 Apr. 2018 Location: Tennessee Status: Offline Points: 4908 |
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One thing not mentioned is even if you were somehow able to find a NOS original tub, there would be similar issues of things not being in perfect alignment with a frame that has been twisted, torqued, and banged against rocks for 70+ years.
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JayBob
Member Joined: 20 Aug. 2019 Location: Huntington, IN Status: Offline Points: 141 |
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One more thing I need to think about... What extra parts am I going to need when/after fitting the tub and tins? I think I read somewhere that the parking brake cable bracket maybe? I have a ton of parts in three boxes and I'll figure them all out eventually, but are there some "must haves" other than mounting spacers and hardware? I've already bought the welting and seals. I have a glass guy who will hook me up with two windshields. I have the pax seat pivot mounts and gas tank grommet, welting, and strap. I bought new tailgate chains with covering. Does the MD Juan need a spare tire bracket/stiffener? I'm not to the stage where I need a top yet, so I'm not too worried right now about soft top bows and mounting/bow storage stuff. So, just to get this roadworthy when I install the tub, what are some things I might be missing?
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1948 Willys CJ2A (restoration in progress)
1952 Ford 8N tractor restored 1997 Jeep TJ 265,000 miles, DD and mudder...I like to live dangerously. |
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JayBob
Member Joined: 20 Aug. 2019 Location: Huntington, IN Status: Offline Points: 141 |
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Lazy question. I have a parts manual, but to save time if anyone has already done the research... Locally procured hardware...ie: bolts/washers/nuts to mount the body,fenders, grill, gas pedal, etc... Anyone have a list? If not, maybe I'll make one up after researching.
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1948 Willys CJ2A (restoration in progress)
1952 Ford 8N tractor restored 1997 Jeep TJ 265,000 miles, DD and mudder...I like to live dangerously. |
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damar2yxr
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 23 Aug. 2010 Location: Watertown, Wisc Status: Offline Points: 2632 |
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Best advice....get your kit, mount it to your frame and get all your fenders, grill and hood fit. Have all your mounting hardware figured out. I would then take a lot of pictures and post them here. Everyone will point out what your're missing. Typically its some bracketry for the gas tank, top bow pockets etc. MD Juan has added many improvements to the kit but who knows if you get an improved kit or an older unimproved kit. One thing about these tubs is they are not actually a CJ2-A tub configuration rather it is a CJ3-A. This means your CJ2A seats wont fit exactly right...they'll be a bit short. You may need to source 3A seats for an exact fit. The 2A seats will work but a slight modification will be needed.
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eat,sleep,jeep
Proud father of a Marine, Army Dentist, Navy Pilot and a Princess. LIFE IS GOOD! 43MB,47CJ2-A,48CJ2-A X2,70Jeepster Commando 1/2 cab,84CJ-7, |
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