More restoration photos on the next Photo Album Page!
This is where the Chasm started! What a deal... only $530 for a 1951 Willys CJ3A!
Following are a variety of pictures highlighting the entire restoration process. Before, during, and after.
You could say it's the good, the bad, and the ugly... but, hopefully not in that order!
If you are interested in more specific information or a specific shot not shown here, send an e-mail
through the "Contact & Links" page, and I'll see if I can help you out!
May 2004 at Redding's Auction. Isn't she a
beauty? Check out the wooden floorboards!
1951 Willys Overland Universal Jeep CJ3A
waiting to be rescued!
Looked like it
was used as a
dumpster! Take
a look at that
dented hood
and those seats!
Hey! Where are
the oil filter and
the fan shroud?
Guess the guy
who did the 12
volt conversion
added the siren &
took them out!
Welcome to the JeepChasm!
The Rescue and Restoration of an American Legend!
An original Willys Overland Patent Rear PTO!
That's an uncommon accessory with lots of
potential. Don't overlook that tailgate... yep, that's
a piece of a waferboard beam, and a closer look
reveals the 2x4's used in the bed!
"Dad, you should buy it... we can fix it up and go 4
wheeling"... "yeah, that would be pretty cool Mr.
Mike..." Obviously, I had plenty of encouragement to
buy that little red Willys. Still waiting for their help...
maybe on the next one?
The photos above and to the right show what
remained after the wooden bed and floor
boards were removed. This tub was pretty
much a total loss. You cannot see the Bondo,
fiberglass, and sheet metal patches very well,
but they are there! Patch panels would have
cost more than a good new reproduction tub,
so that decision wasn't very hard to make!
The picture to the left shows the
driver's side rear quarter panel
stripped of all of the small parts that
can be restored and re-used.
Tailgate chains and brackets,
footman loops, gas fill insert, and etc.
NOTE:  Don't throw any of your old
Willys parts away! Save them for a
complete restoration or sell them on
Ebay or a Jeep web forum! Someone
is always looking for that one missing
little Willys part. In this case, one
man's junk truly can be another
man's treasure!
Lots of rusty and dirty small parts
to clean, strip, sand, prime, and
paint!
Time and attention spent on the
small details will be well worth it in
the end!
A few hours of
hard work in my
garage had the
original Auto-Lite
starter looking
like new!

The date code
on the Auto-Lite
tag is correct for
a 1951 starter.
Bare Bones: Restoration of the chassis!
The 2 shots below show the chassis with the tub and 134 L-Head engine removed. The frame was in
surprisingly good shape after numerous years of neglect. There were no bends, breaks, or repairs! The
rear cross-member was the only rusty part and that was easy to replace. The body mounts were in good
shape as were the springs, Dana 25 front axle, and Dana 44 rear axle!