Prospector ‘46 CJ2A

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted about my Willys, but I recently completed a long overdue project so it’s time for an update. The PO built a custom 26 gallon fuel tank and mounted it under the rear floor. It was massive and it hung to the bottom of the rear diff cover. Plus there was no access to the rear axel due to limited space and he also made it out of steel, so it was starting to rust inside. The fuel filter was clogging up quickly and the pump was whining louder and louder. It was a poor design and the tank had to go.  

I thought about buying an original and putting it back under the drivers seat, but the PO also built a new seat frame, so that idea would require a lot of work. I decided on a fuel cell instead and place it behind the seats. The Willys came to me with a steel bed cover that I repurposed a few inches higher to make some room for the new tank. I think it turned out well. 

I also cut off the 6x4 box bumper as suggested in a previous reply. 

Here is a pic of the lift gate. 

I used cable lock pins to keep the cover secure. 

I installed gas struts that work better than imagined to raise the lift gate. 

In the bottom left corner are the brackets and pin with rubber stopper. 

Here is the fuel cell. It’s 12 gallons, steel with a rubber bladder inside. I used AN fittings along with stainless and nylon braided fuel lines. 

I like the bulkhead fittings for a clean look coming up through the floor. 

I fabricated the mount out of 2 inch diamond plate. The ones available are expensive. This only cost me $15, and it hold it down super snug. 

Lastly is the vent line running to the rear fender to a tip over valve and a K&N breather.