Here is my 1948 Willys CJ-2A Jeep lefty survivor! I completed a full ground up restoration that took almost 20 years to finish! 90% of the sheet metal is original. Second owner, I found it on a family friends hunting camp in Loch Haven, PA was used only on the camp and only licensed for the road in 1972! All original and in running condition. It has a front pto winch and rear pto for farm implements! Overdrive, many many parts courtesy of the friendly and professional folks at Kaiser Willys! The goal was to have it look like it came off the showroom floor in 1948. Think I Nailed it!
I learned to drive on the beach when I was 10 years old and bitten by the Willys bug ever since. I have owned approximately 26+ Jeeps since… it’s a disease, but one well worth having. In 40 years of driving, I have always had at least one Jeep in the garage. If I win the lottery, my dream is to own one of every Jeep ever made…
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Richard Bleser
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Beautiful! Nice Job!! I still have the “Lefty” 48 CJ2A my dad bought brand new off the showroom floor. I drove it to High School & worked on it in my Auto Shop class & I’m still working on it over 50 years later. It runs perfect & there are so many great memories. And I agree…it’s a disease. But a good One!
Beautiful! Nice Job!! I still have the “Lefty” 48 CJ2A my dad bought brand new off the showroom floor. I drove it to High School & worked on it in my Auto Shop class & I’m still working on it over 50 years later. It runs perfect & there are so many great memories. And I agree…it’s a disease. But a good One!
Great color combo. Good luck with the lottery.
Great color combo. Good luck with the lottery.
Rachel,
Excellent work, well done and do please enjoy it driving it around.
Looks like you started from scratch so your project was worthwhile.
Certainly the folks at Kaiser Willys are the best in my opinion. They did help me with many parts to rebuild my 1961 Willys Station wagon in Venezuela some 15 years ago.
All the best,
Carlos Z.
Rachel,
Excellent work, well done and do please enjoy it driving it around.
Looks like you started from scratch so your project was worthwhile.
Certainly the folks at Kaiser Willys are the best in my opinion. They did help me with many parts to rebuild my 1961 Willys Station wagon in Venezuela some 15 years ago.
All the best,
Carlos Z.
Looks great,
Question? does anyone know if there is anything I can Do?
I bought a 47 Willys here in NC, It was sticking out of an old barn, $100, it did not have a title. It had the original vin plate on the firewall,
On my way home with it the Vin plate fell off some where. I backtracked to try to find it, no Luck. Am I going to be able to register it with no Title or Vin or am I pretty much out of luck?
Looks great,
Question? does anyone know if there is anything I can Do?
I bought a 47 Willys here in NC, It was sticking out of an old barn, $100, it did not have a title. It had the original vin plate on the firewall,
On my way home with it the Vin plate fell off some where. I backtracked to try to find it, no Luck. Am I going to be able to register it with no Title or Vin or am I pretty much out of luck?
Sir, great work and effort.
a question: why did you put the spare tire on the driver’s side?
and the hood bow cases on the other side?
it’s interesting to know what special reason you had
Sir, great work and effort.
a question: why did you put the spare tire on the driver’s side?
and the hood bow cases on the other side?
it’s interesting to know what special reason you had
sorry is : and kits for roof arches to the other side?
sorry is : and kits for roof arches to the other side?
Sir, great work and effort.
a question: why did you put the spare tire on the driver’s side?
and kits for roof arches to the other side?
it’s interesting to know what special reason you had
Sir, great work and effort.
a question: why did you put the spare tire on the driver’s side?
and kits for roof arches to the other side?
it’s interesting to know what special reason you had
Just a great job all around. Wish I could find one to try to do the same.
Just a great job all around. Wish I could find one to try to do the same.
Best I’ve seen since I left the 50’s Korean area draftee Military. I was a Locomotive Engineer, my work location was next to Food Machinery Co. where they built Abraham tanks, they had a test track. North of that location about 1 1/2 miles was the Mustang Ranch where they restored vintage year Mustangs & Jeeps, that happened in the 90’s so I’m not sure their still in that location, the mechanics brought their children for a short ride on my switch engine.
Best I’ve seen since I left the 50’s Korean area draftee Military. I was a Locomotive Engineer, my work location was next to Food Machinery Co. where they built Abraham tanks, they had a test track. North of that location about 1 1/2 miles was the Mustang Ranch where they restored vintage year Mustangs & Jeeps, that happened in the 90’s so I’m not sure their still in that location, the mechanics brought their children for a short ride on my switch engine.
Richard,
My first car was a ‘2A, the real Jeeps. You obviously need a tailgate, but what I would not give to have mighty might back again.
Dave Jones
Richard,
My first car was a ‘2A, the real Jeeps. You obviously need a tailgate, but what I would not give to have mighty might back again.
Dave Jones
Nice looking CJ2A. Am working on a restoration of a ’47 myself, appreciate the detail in those photos !
Nice looking CJ2A. Am working on a restoration of a ’47 myself, appreciate the detail in those photos !
Richard, Wow! Beyond nailed it my friend. Fantastic, love the paint, great photos and story. Well done my friend. By the way you are far from alone on your dreams of having more jingle to allow you to own one of every Jeep. I like many others could write a book about all the Jeep finds we have passed up over the years. I too have had Jeeps since I was 16 (61) now. But I now have many other vintage vehicles. Worry not my friends, we all suffer the same sickness. I call my variant “Vehiculitis” the wanting desire to own and rescue multiple vehicles of all historic shapes and sizes. Bravo on your work. Captain Gartforvets.org
Richard, Wow! Beyond nailed it my friend. Fantastic, love the paint, great photos and story. Well done my friend. By the way you are far from alone on your dreams of having more jingle to allow you to own one of every Jeep. I like many others could write a book about all the Jeep finds we have passed up over the years. I too have had Jeeps since I was 16 (61) now. But I now have many other vintage vehicles. Worry not my friends, we all suffer the same sickness. I call my variant “Vehiculitis” the wanting desire to own and rescue multiple vehicles of all historic shapes and sizes. Bravo on your work. Captain Gartforvets.org
In the early 90tis, my 2 son came home: Dad, I found a car, I must have, its a Willys! A military Willys Jeep? No, he said, its a normal car! I coud not believe, until I saw it. He, 17 started to take it apart. I told him, to take pictures, or make drawings .He sad, I have e good brain! When he was 21, he went to the USA to study landscape architeture and left the problems of redoing to his dad. I found a car shop, where I could work. One day, the owner came in and told me, that he found a newer typ of station wagon, 6 cylinder OHV, allready finished and running. The oldest son and I went to have a look at it, and wow, what a machine! The son bought this one (and still has it). In the meantime the guy at the first place told me, I would have to leave, because he is going to build a showroom. When I took all the parts away from this place, I realised, that lots of parts are missing. I forced him to look for the lost parts, and he came with a delivery wagon. I agreed, though it was e newer car, and had a 6 cylinder super hurrican engine.
I found another body maker, but I soon found out, that he was not the right man. A third place was found, the boss there told me, if I wont pay the full price, he would have the aprentice to work on it. (It was the son of the man at the first place!) In the meantime, the second son came back home with the bacheler in his pocket. We finished the first station wagon, and after a while I startet work on the delivery wagon. In the meantime, the man at the third place retired and we finished this one together.
In the early 90tis, my 2 son came home: Dad, I found a car, I must have, its a Willys! A military Willys Jeep? No, he said, its a normal car! I coud not believe, until I saw it. He, 17 started to take it apart. I told him, to take pictures, or make drawings .He sad, I have e good brain! When he was 21, he went to the USA to study landscape architeture and left the problems of redoing to his dad. I found a car shop, where I could work. One day, the owner came in and told me, that he found a newer typ of station wagon, 6 cylinder OHV, allready finished and running. The oldest son and I went to have a look at it, and wow, what a machine! The son bought this one (and still has it). In the meantime the guy at the first place told me, I would have to leave, because he is going to build a showroom. When I took all the parts away from this place, I realised, that lots of parts are missing. I forced him to look for the lost parts, and he came with a delivery wagon. I agreed, though it was e newer car, and had a 6 cylinder super hurrican engine.
I found another body maker, but I soon found out, that he was not the right man. A third place was found, the boss there told me, if I wont pay the full price, he would have the aprentice to work on it. (It was the son of the man at the first place!) In the meantime, the second son came back home with the bacheler in his pocket. We finished the first station wagon, and after a while I startet work on the delivery wagon. In the meantime, the man at the third place retired and we finished this one together.