The Willys CJ2A was one of the civilian jeep designs put out by Willys after the completion of the war. Similar in most ways to the Willys MB, Willys CJ vehicles, including the Willys CJ2A, incorporated design alterations to include vacuum-powered windshield wipers, a tailgate and civilian lighting.
Production on the Willys CJ2A started July 17, 1945, sharing production time with the MBs. The CJ2A had two distinct series, often referred to as Very Early Civilian (VEC) and Early Civilian (EC) CJ2As. The EC CJ2A is considered to have been in production from mid-1946 to mid-1947.
Early CJ2As, using many Willys MB parts, featured a civilianized MB with larger Willys headlights and a side-mounted spare tire. As the MB parts began to run out, later CJ2A jeeps featured design, and thus parts changes, including chrome headlight trims, chrome rear tail lamp doors, chrome rear reflectors and more. Later changes included paint colors, offering a wider variety of body paint colors, as opposed to the two colors that the early Willys CJ2As came in.
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A friend of mine just got a CJ2A Jeep with navy color. We thought it was a Navy Shore patrol jeep. But after reading about it I see I was missed lead,Thanks for the input.
can anyone give me more info. on the “Early Civilian” CJ2A’s ???? I have what appears to be 1948 Cj2a but it has what appears to be an ‘early 46″ chain drive engine. The body has the split windshield, upper windshield electric wiper on drivers side only, manual wiper on passenger side, windshield frame opens, gas tank fill spout on outside of drivers side, 10 gal. tank, tail gate and “willys” stamped on hood, windshield, and tail gate, glove box opening (but no box or door).
Interestingly it has spare tire mount on Drivers Side, not on rear or passenger side (there are no mounting holes in body there). Because of this i believe it may be an ‘Early Civilian” CJ2a. Can anyone help identify this ???
Bob H…don’t know if you ever received a reply. Those fittings are for storage of the top bow brackets for a canvas top. Took me awhile to figure out how they fit, but that’s where I now store mine.
Finally acquired a CJ-2A, can anyone tell me what the metal fittings on the left side of the body, fore and aft the rear left wheel are for? Pioneering tools maybe?
Hi Ron,
The CJ2’s were built in 1944 or 1945 with a column shift T90 Transmission. Have a great Day!
What years did the CJ2 have the column mounted shift and what was the transmission Model used? I would like to find a side shift tranny for my CJ2.
Great job David,
My wife thought that it was my 1946 when she first looked at it, the colours are almost identical, but the canopy is different and a few other small items.
Have a great day,
Harry.
Who wants to be me? I have 9 jeeps.2- 46’s,3-47’s,1-48,1989 Comanchee,1999 Cherokee and a 2005 grand.Im currently building a 462a frame up,with a brand new steel body?I have a parade ready 2a I drive for special occasions,and a 472a that I drive daily.I have owned over 20 2and 3a’s since buying my first thirty five years ago ….I kick myself for not keeping all of them,when I drive one of them they always attract a lot of attention.I like to park beside some fancy big 4wheel drives and watch the crowd migrate over to the little flat fender,happens everytime!
Had one (1948) that had been in our Foster Family for years, Had to move & gave it to a Farmer who always wanted one for his farm.
One thing that puzzled me is why the shovel/axe mounts disappeared in the civilian transformation. It would seem that the farmer/sportsman target audience could well use them.
Alas, because of that oversight, I have a small shovel clamped to the roll bar on my Wrangler
Hi Bill,
Thanks for the input – I will put a post on the Tuxedo Park on my editorial calendar!
Try http://www.autocolorlibrary.com, they haveall the records of the original colors and sell the paint.
I really enjoy your bloggs about the history of the Jeep. Whst can you tell us readers about something I have never heard of, a “Tuxedo Park”?
Where can I find a list of original color options for the CJ2a?