Some have called it my mid-life crisis – this obsession I’ve had with the Willys Jeep for the past two years. Those of us who grew up with one on the farm, learned to drive in one or merely rode in one for our first hunting trip will understand the passion that comes with owning one of these little character-ridden tubs. With a grill and headlight configuration that seems to have its own soul, each Jeep could tell you so many stories about where it’s been and how many different people have been for a ride in its “luxurious” seats. I bought my first 1949 CJ-3A from my good friend’s parents at age seventeen. They used the Jeep twice a year to get them and their gear up the hills to deer camp, deep in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. It was ugly! With a face only a mother could love. Hunter green, loads of character-dents and scratches, orange wheels and a square hard top that made it look like a household appliance rolling down the road, but I was a teenage boy, and this was a Jeep! I saw plenty of potential for a nifty ride to get me through my high school years, oblivious at the time, of the following these Jeeps had around the world. Only later did I develop my own respect for how well this ugly little guy out performed many of the SUVs and four wheel drives it traveled with.
A new metal flake, midnight blue paint job, a “home” paint job by the way, accomplished in my best friend’s garage (we’ll talk about my best friend Richard later) with an exhaust fan in the window that promptly coated everything in reach a soft blue, new chrome wheels, a roll bar made in my high school metal shop class and a soft top from the Sears catalogue. Suddenly I had a ride the girls loved to be seen in and one that could still out-climb most of the rigs in the four wheel drive club at school. I converted that Jeep to a 12-volt system and with a few adapters and some help from Ray, my brother-in-law, we dropped in a V6 motor which finally enabled me to reach the speed limit. Then came the day I’ve regretted for thirty years. The day when out of the blue, a man on the street offered me twice what I had invested in my little Jeep…. and I sold it. Every day since, when I’d see a flat fender on the road, on a trail ride in Moab or even rusting away in a field somewhere, I would wish I still had my little blue Willys Jeep. Well, that was then and this is now. I’m older, wiser and fortunate enough to have income and time on my hands to finally realize my dream of finding an old CJ-3A and fixing her up just the way I wanted to. Introducing my 1951 CJ-3A “Willys Woody”.
My 12 month labor-of-love started by combing the classified ads, ebay and magazines until I got lucky and found a somewhat mechanically sound 1951 CJ-3A in a community just north of Salt Lake City. I bought that Jeep the next day from Elaine. Elaine is a widower who had purchased the Jeep as a gift for her late husband. He was a Vietnam War veteran who suffered through and finally succumbed to the effects of Agent Orange. He and Elaine loved all things military, especially World War 2 era. The couple had even owed an amphibious vehicle at one time. She thought he would enjoy driving and owning his own Willys Jeep. The Jeep was painted and detailed with military insignia and on it were mounted all sorts of accessories like gas cans, a shovel, and an ax. Even the tires were military. This Willys Jeep had been transformed, given a new identity if you will. Transformed to resemble something from a veteran’s past memories to help him better cope with his situation. When I handed Elaine the cash for the Jeep she expressed how important it was to her that the new owner appreciate and enjoy the Jeep as much as her and her late husband had. As I loaded the Jeep onto a trailer I shared my vision for “our” Jeep. She seemed excited, insisted I send pictures and asked if she could ride shotgun in the Jeep’s first parade. I told her she could.
Months later, when I was deep into the body work on the Jeep – grinding and sanding through different layers of paint, bondo, welds and lead body patches, work that was obviously performed by different craftsmen, in different time periods. I couldn’t help but think of how many times in the past sixty plus years this little Jeep had been repaired or repainted and transformed to meet the new owner’s concept and needs. Much like Elaine had done for her husband. However, before I tackled any of that body work, this Jeep needed a top. Why not a wood top? I had a pile of used red oak I had salvaged from a construction remodel and a best friend, yes, the same Richard from high school, with an auto/wood shop. (See Gamut Design) Richard was fabricating and building four wheel drive versions of the 1940 Woody Wagons. Staging them on Suburban chassis with custom made composite fenders and body parts, then custom building each body cabinet to suit the owner’s specs.
So with my “vision,” no drawn plans, except a few sketches on a napkin, and Richard’s woody know-how we cut and often re-cut, clamped, glued, screwed, sanded, shaped and assembled the hard top and doors you see here, one stick at a time. Did I mention SANDED?! With all the rounded and shaped corners and edges, there is a LOT of hand sanding involved in the making of a wood top for a Willys Jeep. Throughout the project Richard often reminded me that my choice of wood (red oak) was more difficult to work with than most other hardwoods, and harder to SAND!! But I had the wood and loved the wood grain patterns and knots the oak had to offer. My 1951 “Willys Woody” is basically a restoration. Except for the removal of the oil bath air filter, to make room for a custom built heater, removal of the tailgate, which was filled in with a quarter inch steel plate and the seats, which were swapped out for a pair of center row buckets seats from a Windstar van, the Jeep’s motor, body tub and parts, drive train, chassis and suspension, steering and brakes and 6-volt electrical system are all original. Along with new gauges, signal lights, rubber boots and seals ordered and purchased from the great folks at Kaiser Willys Auto Supply. We etched, primed and painted the Jeep right there in the middle of the shop, opening the front door and placing an exhaust fan in the back door… just like we did thirty years ago in Richards’s garage.
Huge thanks go out to my buddy Richard who helped me with both CJ-3A restorations and didn’t laugh for too long after I told him of my Willys Woody idea. Larry Olsen, Jeep expert and owner of On-N-Off Road Haus in Salt Lake City whose expertise and knowledge of the flat fender is unsurpassed, at least in this region. Larry’s shared input, direction and knowledge on this project was priceless. Thanks you old fart! Honestly, this Willys restoration has been more fun than work. Not to mention very rewarding as each process was completed and assembled. I can’t imagine a more fun hobby or project for a father and son, family or just a group of friends.
Finally, I write, record, produce and perform parody songs and jingles for radio and television clients all around the country. So I thought it would be fun to take what I do for a living and share the fun and passion that I have for these little Jeeps and pickups with my fellow “Willyites.” Please enjoy I Get Around ..In My Willys,” a parody of the original song by the Beach Boys.
If you would like to share your Willys Jeep Story please send us a line. We ‘d love to meet your Jeep.
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I’ve been running through my mind to build an extremely similar top but this is the first one I’ve seen. Sure you realize it can be done, but how exactly? A step by step instructional manual of how to bend corners, what wood to use, what hardware is required, what to cover the roof with, what to finish the wood with. I’ve consider the idea of a fiberglass topper with bends in the right area for a roof too, or bending plywood with wooden ribs underneath and a vinyl top. Do you start with steel bows to outline the dimensions, and build off from them. This would be a great project and a how to manual would sure help.
robert,
today in slc utah as i drove down a street in south salt lake i saw your jeep. I continued on my errand in hopes id be able to stop and look at your jeep on my way home. your jeep was gone. i got home and told my buddy all about what id seen as he was working on wireing my willys. i had to search for what i had seen and here it is. not able to afford a top after building my jeep i am curious as if you or your friend has or can draw up plans to build a top.
thanks much,
luke walker
ldwonearth@gmail.com
385-282-3102
Please end me any and all pictures, diagrams, blogs what ever related to your Woody Willys red oak hardtop project …. it is exactly what I have been looking to find had been done for the past 10 years … and I just started on a 44 MB project!
Great job! I would like to do similar work on my J55. I would appreciate if you helped me with details of how you went about this great work. Would this woodwork cope with offroad ride?
I have owned a CJ-5, 1978. Ours was a soft top and the three speed manual with a 258 cid in-line 6 cyl. One day I decided to put on a 4 bbl. carb. Chose Holley vacuum secondary of 390 cfm. Mounted this beauty on a Offy 360 aluminum manifold. I tell you that that carb is just great!!!
Like all the others I do love your jeep — I have been thinking of doing something similar to a later model and planned to use the “full” doors with roll-up windows. So I am curious as to just how you treated the windows in side doors?? Photos seem to show no glass in any window locations. Did you figure out a way to provide roll-up windows in your DIY side doors??
………..so there I was, sitting at my desk at work one evening, paging through a friends copy of the Kaiser Willys catalog,………….and what do I see??? A picture of the most beautiful and eye-catching flat fender CJ done up in the classic woody style! I cannot stop staring at the picture of Roberts Willys Woody. And I’ve made up my mind that building a Willys Woody will be this years dream project for me. My wife and I love going to the beach during the summer in our motorhome, and a Willys Woody would be the perfect vehicle for us to bring to the beach. I think I’ll try to build it in secret and surprise the wife when it gets done. She’ll love it as much as I do. Robert, you did a beautiful job! Excellent!!!
Have you ever considered putting your song on a tape (cassette or disc? I know some people would like it.
Great job.;)
Love the jeep and the top. I would love to do the same thing for my cj5 anyway you can send me more info on how you did it.
Great job!
Thank you everyone for your comments.
Dave; Yes, tempered glass
Harry; hinges are vertical.. will post more picks
Dan: color BMW/Mini Cooper “Pepper White” Tires 31×10.50 R15 wheels 8″ wide
Shaya, Roger, everyone: I will post more pics that will show details of the build and restoration..
Once again thanks for all the great comments on the project. And I’m happy to hear most of you enjoyed the song.
Robert
great job i love jeeps, my wife loves woodys what a great combo. i’m into a cj project now. the love of jeeps if i had to explain they wouldn’t understand.
Best looking cab I have ever seen. Does it have glass in the windows, can’t tell in the pictures?
lots of fine original work with a great outcome. the only thing I can do with wood is build a fire . I do most of my own jeep repairs just no woodworking.
Very cool, always nice to see someone do something different. Love the song too, can see it getting broken out on the ipod around the campfire!
http://willysm38build.blogspot.co.nz/
I’m curious as to how the door hinges work as they do not appear to be vertically in-line. Could you provide a close-up photo? All in all, quite an inspiring project. Perhaps you should start a web site about it with lots more photos and details?
One of the neatest jeeps yet. I like this idea. To bad they didn’t do the station wagon this way
I have a 1970 Postal Jeep last summer I envisioned to make the inside of my jeep like a Woody too.
Dag Nabit you did it. I love it. I would love to see some more inside pictures. Can I email you to get more pictures? I want to see better how you did it.
Could you share some details of the restoration? Details about the doors and how the top is secured to the body. Any construction details that would help ease one into the project. It certainly looks beautiful. Mine is done in a military style and I would like to start another but as a civilian model this time. Thanks again,
Roger Speicher
Wabash, Indiana
[…] heck no to the idea of this top but it is one of the best looking flatty hard tops I have seen. CJ-3A “Willys Woody” – A Labor of Love __________________ […]
Very cool!! Great job!!. I have been looking at many pictures on kaiserwillys.com over the years trying to figure out what I want my cj3b to look like. I will have to say yours is one that has caught my eye!
Questions:
What color is the paint job?
What size tires\wheels?
Great restoration and the top is fabulous. Your song is number ONE on the Willys hit parade ! Would like to get a copy of the recording.
awesome job on both the Jeep and song.!!
That is really remarkable. It must leave people speechless because of the workmanship and creativity
in creating a one off real woody.
All the best in retirement
Clear prop,
Rene St.Julien
Both my wife and I have had a fondness for old “Woodies” and this idea/rendition is way beyond cool! And, it so perfect!
Great looking Jeep! Loved the song too!