I first fell in love with Jeeps when I watched an episode of the old tv show MASH. As my love grew for the show so did my love for the Jeep that was used in the show. This was 17 years ago. I did a little research and found that I could get one. At the time I was in college and had no extra income. Over time I got married, and told my wife I would own a Willys Jeep some day. Life happens, loss of jobs couple times. My wife and I both had major surgeries, she had knee surgery 3 or times. I had gastric-bypass surgery and two shoulder surgeries. The dream was there but nothing seemed to line-up. I met a guy named Doug at a church weekend event that I almost did not go to that I was invited to a week before the event. I was really not thinking anything would happen. Doug and I made plans to hangout out sometime after the event. I called him a couple of weeks later and made plans for dinner for our wives and us to hang out.
We went over for dinner one night. After dinner we were sitting out back having an after dinner drink and cigar. We started talking about cars. I mentioned that I loved the old tv show MASH and grew to love the old Jeeps that were on the show. He looked at me smiled and said that he has old 47 Jeep sitting next to the house. I sat there shocked!!! I asked can I see it!! It was under a car cover and tarp, it was dark so it was hard to see anything. I asked if it ran? He said before he took out the transmission it ran. And yes he would sell it. We agreed on a price along with a couple of odd and ends. So for about a year I would makes payments on it. I did not mention I know very little about working on cars. I know how to change breaks and tire rods. Anything else I do not know. So we got into the garage one day after making the final payment. I come to realize that my 47 CJ2A was the not the same one used in the show but had more history than just the Korean War. As I dig even more into the History of the Jeep I came to respect the history and the men and women who design and made the powerful history changing vehicle. I would save money for parts and go over to Doug’s house and we would work on in the garage. Our friendship grew into something great as we worked on the Jeep. He helped me find a new career path. I was in a car accident while at work and needed shoulder surgery. Then was laid off from work. But we still work on my Jeep that I named “Hawkeye”.
Working on this Jeep has been great, it has taught me patience and I have learned many things. My self-confidence has grown to the point at 42 years old I have decided to go into welding. I am currently getting ready to start my second semester. My friendship with Doug has grown and we are brothers. At a time when life seemed so hard God finally brought a little 1947 CJ-2A Willys Jeep into my life to teach me so much about Him and myself. Hawkeye is up and running. I am waiting on the original transmission to be finished from a rebuild. I was able to get a second one for now. I drive it around town and the feeling is amazing. Next year the plans are to take the tub off and work on the body, add the original transmission work other things that come up.
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Michael Sherrod
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Great project!
I also considered doing a MASH tribute jeep, but your jeep is a lot closer than my ’54 3B.
I wouldn’t worry too much about your jeep not being the exact jeep. Since finally getting a jeep myself I’ve become a much better jeep spotter. Did you know that there are three different jeep types that show up regularly in MASH? The early show has an MB, Colonel Potter makes his debut in an M38A1, and in the last years of the show the main jeep shown appears to be a militarized CJ2A. At some point there was a bush fire on the set location and an MB was destroyed, which may be the reason for the jeep swap between the early a late seasons.
I’m a bit of a purist so I was initially discarding the idea of doing a MASH jeep until I watched Patton again recently. There are lots of different jeep types, including prominently displayed CJ3As and 3Bs. George Scott is even seen in a militarized 3B. If Hollywood didn’t care about such details in such a blockbuster, then maybe we shouldn’t either. Anyway most people will never know the difference and will just lump any and all old flat-fenders together as Army Jeeps.
I don’t know if my jeep will ever become a military tribute jeep. My project tends to evolve the longer I work on it. Right now it’s turning battle ship gray because that color most closely matches the primer gray it had. Maybe mine will turn into a Navy jeep, who knows?
Great project!
I also considered doing a MASH tribute jeep, but your jeep is a lot closer than my ’54 3B.
I wouldn’t worry too much about your jeep not being the exact jeep. Since finally getting a jeep myself I’ve become a much better jeep spotter. Did you know that there are three different jeep types that show up regularly in MASH? The early show has an MB, Colonel Potter makes his debut in an M38A1, and in the last years of the show the main jeep shown appears to be a militarized CJ2A. At some point there was a bush fire on the set location and an MB was destroyed, which may be the reason for the jeep swap between the early a late seasons.
I’m a bit of a purist so I was initially discarding the idea of doing a MASH jeep until I watched Patton again recently. There are lots of different jeep types, including prominently displayed CJ3As and 3Bs. George Scott is even seen in a militarized 3B. If Hollywood didn’t care about such details in such a blockbuster, then maybe we shouldn’t either. Anyway most people will never know the difference and will just lump any and all old flat-fenders together as Army Jeeps.
I don’t know if my jeep will ever become a military tribute jeep. My project tends to evolve the longer I work on it. Right now it’s turning battle ship gray because that color most closely matches the primer gray it had. Maybe mine will turn into a Navy jeep, who knows?
Congratulations on your cj2a it’s still a 70 year old plus vehicle. Many years ahead of you to have fun.
Congratulations on your cj2a it’s still a 70 year old plus vehicle. Many years ahead of you to have fun.
Willys Jeep will keep your heart pumping, it did with me dreaming of having one for all my adult life. My dad owned one in the early 50’s and I had to own one myself. After all the years gone by wihile in the military, I did not have the financial collateral to get one. Only after I retired from the U.S. Navy at 20 years and found a good paying job that I finally got my dream jeep, a CJ2A. It is battleship grey, with “go devil” L134 engine. I recently installed a canvas top that i ordered from Kaiser Willys. It is super satisfying to drive it on Sunday rides.
Joe Blas, Jeep 1, on Guam
Willys Jeep will keep your heart pumping, it did with me dreaming of having one for all my adult life. My dad owned one in the early 50’s and I had to own one myself. After all the years gone by wihile in the military, I did not have the financial collateral to get one. Only after I retired from the U.S. Navy at 20 years and found a good paying job that I finally got my dream jeep, a CJ2A. It is battleship grey, with “go devil” L134 engine. I recently installed a canvas top that i ordered from Kaiser Willys. It is super satisfying to drive it on Sunday rides.
Joe Blas, Jeep 1, on Guam
The Jeep’s you mostly see on MASH are WW2 ones ones which never would have been in Korea. The US army took very few of them home after the war any way. Occasionally you see a CJ in MASH but the correct ones would be the M38 which is a variant of the CJ3A. Good luck with your CJ2A. Jeff From Australia.
The Jeep’s you mostly see on MASH are WW2 ones ones which never would have been in Korea. The US army took very few of them home after the war any way. Occasionally you see a CJ in MASH but the correct ones would be the M38 which is a variant of the CJ3A. Good luck with your CJ2A. Jeff From Australia.
I have owned a DJ3A since i was 16. I’m now 70 and am still in love with this machine. Like you, Ive3 learned everything about working on cars from this little critter. It was supposed to be a father-son project, but my dad, William, died before he could even see it in its original rusty brown. It’s not the Jeep most people have; it’s actually a hotrod with a Jeep body. Everyone I come upon loves it like I do, and I would not trade or sell it for the world. I have even willed it to a family member.
Have fun with it. Your Hawkeye will grow on you like my Little Willy did.
I have owned a DJ3A since i was 16. I’m now 70 and am still in love with this machine. Like you, Ive3 learned everything about working on cars from this little critter. It was supposed to be a father-son project, but my dad, William, died before he could even see it in its original rusty brown. It’s not the Jeep most people have; it’s actually a hotrod with a Jeep body. Everyone I come upon loves it like I do, and I would not trade or sell it for the world. I have even willed it to a family member.
Have fun with it. Your Hawkeye will grow on you like my Little Willy did.