“Pinky” A Willys CJ-3A Restored in Memory of My Late Wife

~ Sent to us by Alex Beguinet

I own several restored military vehicles that my wife,  Elizabeth, and I worked on together to revitalize and bring to fruition our vision of their restoration. Together, we displayed those vehicles, including 2 military Jeeps, at local and regional parades and shows. Elizabeth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, stage 4. Sadly, after a brave battle of 6 years, her cancer progressed, and Elizabeth passed away in December 2022.  

I wanted to honor her and since she liked Jeeps and restoring them was a shared passion for us, I decided to restore and dedicate a vintage Jeep to her.  After a lengthy search, I found a 1951 CJ-3A painted grey. I took it home and started to restore it with financial help, in the form of donations in Elizabeth’s honor, from my former students, and  friends.  

This 1951 CJ-3A Jeep was used by its previous owner on a farm as a tractor; I found so much dirt under the body, and this Jeep came with an attachment used for plowing. My next decision was: Which color should  the memorial Jeep be?  Of course, pink was the appropriate color since it is the color representing breast cancer.  

It took me several months and with the parts from Kaiser Willys, I finally finished the Jeep for Elizabeth, and nicknamed it “Pinky”.  I finished Pinky’s restoration in time for Elizabeth’s memorial services, and I was proud to show this Jeep as a tribute to my late wife. 

Since then, I have taken Pinky and driven it in some parades and some car shows.  I have received many compliments on Pinky, and this Jeep reminds me of my lovely wife Elizabeth (Zabet, as she was to me). 

- Alex Beguinet

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