009:Thomas W Hayek’s 1946 Willys CJ-2A Jeep
About 1950 my Dad bought some property in 29 Palms, California. He loved going to the desert. We started going up on the weekends to work on the cabin he was building. He needed a 4 wheel drive vehicle so he could hook up the trailer and haul lumber, etc., so he went to an auction and bought a 1946 CJ2A Willys Jeep…just what he needed. We took it home and started cleaning it up and we lifted up the old rag top and there written in white paint on the rear fender was the name “TOMYBIL”, which happens to be my name (THOMAS WILLIAM) – the jeep worked out just great. In about 1976 my Dad gave me “TOMYBIL” and I was thrilled to get it. I had it painted, a new rag top made, and I got a license plate that reads TOMYBIL. Let’s fast forward…I lost interest in the jeep and it sat in my backyard for about 5 years just deteriorating. Well, my wife began to ride me big time about the jeep sitting in the yard, saying “you need to sell it’. That was my wakeup call! My interest came back quickly and it has been my main hobby ever since. I had it repainted and replaced the engine, got new brakes, worked on the transmission, and gave it new tires and wheels.These pictures show where we are now.
“The jeep has been in our family for over 60 years.” – Thomas W. Hayek
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You Have a very nice old jeep, I to have an old’ie,
it is a 1950 cj3a and I let it sit for over 25 yrs.
befor I brought it home from my mothers house,as
I thought I had broken something in the transmison,
when I got it home I found out it was just out of gear
( the transfer case). I never thought to just shift
the it as I had lost intereast in it till 25 yrs later. ( I did turn it over every once in a while
so it wouldn’t( the engin) stick one it. And when I got It home, I put new gas in it and low and behold it started right up, to my suprise.
I now drive it quit often.
So keep up with it and it will last a long time.