Finished in Gunmetal Grey Metallic the 1951 military Jeep has been transformed with a couple modern and more convenient touches. The owners father who originally owned the Willys has his racing number displayed on the tailgate in remembrance.
With the chassis restored and a brand new engine built from NOS block and parts it was time to tackle a fuel tank relocation. Early Jeep drivers had to sit on top of the gas tank but with the installment of a CJ7 tank in the rear we were able to free up the space used by the original fuel tank for other things.
The Forward Control Jeeps were built by Willys Motors and featured engineering that was based on the CJ-5. The FC-170 model had a six cylinder Super Hurricane engine and a longer nine foot bed.
The M38 windshield could be folded flat for firing and the body was equipped with a pintle hook for towing and lifting shackles front and rear.
With the old body to the 1952 Willys M38A1 sitting in the background the Willys is starting to look like a completed truck.
The new body being lowered onto the restored frame. The M38A1 was the first vehicle to feature the round fender design that would later become the distinguishing body style of the CJ-5.
Kaiser Jeep was sold to AMC in 1970 marking the beginning of the end for the old Jeeps. The CJ5 was sold in America as either a Willys or a Jeep and overseas as the Ford Jeep in Brazil, the Jeep Shahbaz in Iran, and the Shinjin Jeep in South Korea. Watch for this CJ5 to make a huge transformation from it’s current state.
This is how the entire body of Willys M38A1 is packed into a crate and shipped across the world to keep these iconic Jeeps on the road.
“Little” Red is a brush fire truck that was owned by the Civil Defense and used by the So. Amana Fire Department. This is from the first year of production of a the M38A1 that continued for 20 years.
Powered by the L-134 Go-Devil engine these civilian versions of the military Willys MB were intended for farming, ranching, and industrial applications. The CJ-2A sports a grille reminiscent of those found on modern Jeeps which makes them easy to differentiate from the military model.
