CJ-2A Jeep Revival in the “Middle of Everywhere” Nevada

In the 1960’s my dad was paid for his labor with this Jeep in central Nevada. Our family of five daughters grew up driving it: to the grocery store, hunting, fishing, target practice, to work, and just to go up a canyon for fun. My favorite part of riding with Dad was when he played “Rat Patrol!” 

Being the middle child, I was just the right age to drive it the most. It was not “cool” for the older girls and the younger ones were, well, too young! My dad called me “Jeep Jeep.” I worked janitorial for a local gold mine, and it was my ride to work. There were times when I had to park on a hill so I could jump start it but it never let me down. Dad always told me, “If you get this stuck to the extent of having to be pulled out, you’ll never drive it again!” On one occasion when I was ridge running, I got it high centered. BAD! Needless to say, I dug it out and drove it home!

Somewhere along the way Dad moved to a close by town and the Jeep went with him. Later when he moved out of state, it stayed here with me. He commandeered it when he came home to visit. I caught him in a weak moment and bought it for $500. My two sons grew up riding and then driving the Jeep. When they were little, I’d put it in first gear in low 4 wheel drive (granny). We’d find a road in the flats; a boy would steer, and I’d walk alongside. It didn’t matter if they ran off the road. I could always catch up.

The only work I’ve ever seen done on it is the carburetor being rebuilt and the leaf springs replaced after a rough climb. That and some body work where there was rust and the beefy roll bar that’s on it. (I secretly have always wanted to put a replica of a 50 caliber machine gun on it.) 

Fast forward… my kids grew up, the rear differential was leaking bad, and the Jeep had been sitting for about 10 years. Now my grandkids were almost grown, and it was time for a Jeep revival. I started looking for parts locally but found that Jeep people don’t part with them that easily. My husband and I are retired, and this had to be done without a big price tag. 

Being in the “Middle-of-Everywhere”, Nevada, the closest place to take it was Fallon (160 miles) or Reno (260 miles). I ran into a local guy who had a Jeep and he volunteered to work on it for FREE if I bought parts. Well, I jumped on that one! It went to his buddy’s garage, and they started working on it.

The months that followed were exciting, agonizing and hurt my savings some but once we started, we couldn’t go back. It was an experience hanging out in the garage with these two listening to them banter and cuss. Of course, as some things in the Jeep were exposed, there were opportunities to replace things that “we just should do to prevent future problems.” Lots of those…

One of those things was the transmission. Being poor and cheap, we bought one (from Kaiser Willys) and my husband, Jack, put it together in our garage. He had never assembled a transmission but after watching tons of YouTube videos, he did a great job! Maybe he had some incentive because he saved us some money. 

Now family who comes to visit can go out and have a taste of what it was like growing up in rural Nevada and a little bit of Grandpa “Rat Patrol.” Without Kaiser Willys this Jeep would never have been rebuilt.

Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Tinker Evans

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