Ron’s father Jeff Selley joined the 8th army in 1940, he fought through Africa and up into Italy. He came back after the war with many stories of the prowess of the Jeep. He mentioned how the GIs would take the rotors out of the distributors to stop other troops from “borrowing” their Jeeps. Once he figured this out he found one parked outside a cinema in one of the Italian towns, which he expropriated for his commanding officer.
After the War the civilian CJ-2A came out, Jeff bought one and used it for many years while building roads into the Lesoto Mountains opening Diamond mines for General mining. Ron was born in 1947 and grew up in this Jeep as well as a Jeep Wagon. The CJ was discarded to the farm yard after a breakdown, by this time it already had a hard life.
When Ron was 12 years old a tire salesman came to the farm and offered R10.00 about $20.00 to Jeff for the Jeep. Ron asked his Grandmother to intercede on his behalf. His dad agreed to keep it for him providing he pay what he was going to get from the tire salesman. For a long time most of Ron’s pocket money and many hours of work on the farm secured him his Jeep. He worked on the Jeep during school holidays. After school he used it as his daily commute and to take hunters out into the bush-veld hunting game. During this time the Jeep went into Mozambique on hunting and fishing trips and to Lorenzo Marques, where Ron would take the steering wheel off to stop it from being stolen. In 1975 he fitted an F head motor and in 1976 he raced in the roof of Africa Rally and finished in the qualifying time.
Then he moved up to Rhodesia ” Zimbabwe” and worked for Rhodesian National Parks. The terrorists used to chase herds of buffalo and elephant to open tracks through the minefields. One of Ron jobs was to track down and shoot wounded game. The end of the bush war in 1979 he returned to South Africa and worked for the Natal parks Board and later Kwa Zulu National Parks.
In 1983 he fitted a 2.3 Chev petrol motor and used it patrolling the beaches of Natal and on many hunting trips and bush patrols. In 1997 we changed the Jeep back to it’s original Willys flat head. The Jeep has had many different colors of paint through its life fighting rust and today it is painted Jeep Anvil Grey, the same as Ron’s 2015 Jeep Rubicon. Ron is now 72 years old and still loves his Jeep as if he got it yesterday.
Willys Jeep Life Story – Ron Selley
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My Dad was in North Africa, Corsica and Italy during WW2, and served as a supply Sargent for the US Army. There were stories about “appropriating” vehicles vehicles for various uses. I don’t ever remember stories about removing the rotor from the distributor to prevent the vehicle from being “borrowed”. Great story about your Jeep. Thanks!
My ch2a is a 1948 just finished and now road worthy
Glad another Shelley has the love for the flat fenders
Nice, but you should of kept that chev 2,5 in it. At first glance I thought you were an MP with your browns and the FN rifle
There were other tricks that could be used to stop Jeep thieves also. One would be to turn the steering all of the way to lock and chain& padlock the steering wheel to the pedals. The other was to reverse 2 spark plug wires, I think 3&4 and the engine would start, but have no power.
that jeep and your family have had an incredible life !!
Ron that’s a great story n pics You’ve had more adventure than most can imagine glad u kept you best friend along. Cj2a. Working on my 46 now
Ron! What a great story you have with your Cj2A. God Bless your Dad for his service to us all in the mighty 8th of the Army Air Corps during WW2. Facinating work you have done through the years, and incredible mechanical skills adapating your Jeep over the years to fit the missions. If that Jeep could talk. Of course it does talk through you with stories shared like this. I’m sure you have told it a million times when you meet people and they ask you about your Jeep. Great job, are you still in Africa? Did you bring your Jeep back to the states? Where are you now? Shoot me an email at gartforvets,org. I would love to hear more about you and your Jeep.
Ohra, Captain Montefusco, USMC. Gartforvets 1952 M38.
Ron, Nice job and like the stories and all the pictures, about time someone posted mucho pics, and the one of someone leaning over the engine and standing on the fender is so cool.
DB
great story , great jeep and fantastic historical account ! i’m glad that tire saleman didnt close the deal with your dad
Nice Jeep and a wonderful story about you and it.Thank you
Lekker history Ron. You and your Jeep have come a long way
Helluva great story! Liked the olive drab/tan color.