My first "car", a 1953 Willy's CJ-3B. I bought it in 1981 (when I was a junior in high school) for $200. I towed it home, put a new 6v battery (I later converted it from the 6v generator system to 12v GM alternator system), oil, gas, and clean oil in the oil bath air filter, started it up and took it for a spin around the block. Originally it had a half-cab on it, which I traded straight across for this full cab with a friend. The Jeep had the floorboards almost completely rusted through-"Fred Flintstone style", I cut plywood to fit and covered them with carpet...it was kind of neat to see the floorboards float when I was fording deep water. Which I did quite often, it also loved mud. I rattle -canned the camo and added all the lights and carrier with spare and cans. I lifted it with 3" springs and 3" shackles and 31x10.50 15's (the little overhead 4 cylinder didn't have enough power to turn anything bigger) even with 5:38 differentials. I know, because I tried 33x12.50 15's on it. Even with the low gears and small engine it would still do 75 MPH on the highway if you had the cajones to, which I did with frequency. It might have been the lack of wisdom as a youth rather than cajones, although I have a 1978 CJ-5 304V8 Renegade now and it will do 95MPH, probably more, but I have since gained some wisdom and have not driven it any faster. There are wide open space between towns in Montana Ultimately I traded off my "Ambush" Willy's for a 1975 CJ-5 304V8 Renegade, then I traded the CJ-5 for a new '90' GMC CK1500. At the time I had to drive 30 miles, one way, to work. Icy roads and CJ's don't mix, the CJ, myself, and a friend "bounced" off of the Yellowstone River Bridge at Huntley, Montana one November evening in 1989. It was raining and the bridge was solid, silky smooth, black ice. When I backed out of the throttle to slow down to make the right turn at the end of the bridge, I was only doing about 45mph at the time, the CJ went sideways. I jammed the clutch down, but the CJ is just too short and spun like a top...what a ride, you can still see the bent iron on the bridge where I "bumped" it. And no, I did not get a ticket, the bridge was just that freak'in icy. A Sheriff actually watched the crash unfold while waiting on the opposite side of the bridge with his "rollers" on. I missed both Jeeps for many years until I bought the '78'.
As a side note, my first actual "car" was a 1972 Light Blue Metallic Camaro SS 350 I bought for $1100 in 1985 (I will have to try to find a picture of it). I wish I still had that car. I traded the Camaro for a 1968 Ford 1/2 ton 4x4 with a 6" lift and 33x12.50 15's. I did/do more hunting and fishing than cruising.
I added the pics of the two CJ-5's for "reference"
The Jeeps are (top to bottom) '75'-CJ5, '78'-CJ5, '53'-CJ3B
Comments
At the time I had to drive 30 miles, one way, to work. Icy roads and CJ's don't mix, the CJ, myself, and a friend "bounced" off of the Yellowstone River Bridge at Huntley, Montana one November evening in 1989. It was raining and the bridge was solid, silky smooth, black ice. When I backed out of the throttle to slow down to make the right turn at the end of the bridge, I was only doing about 45mph at the time, the CJ went sideways. I jammed the clutch down, but the CJ is just too short and spun like a top...what a ride, you can still see the bent iron on the bridge where I "bumped" it. And no, I did not get a ticket, the bridge was just that freak'in icy. A Sheriff actually watched the crash unfold while waiting on the opposite side of the bridge with his "rollers" on.
I missed both Jeeps for many years until I bought the '78'.
As a side note, my first actual "car" was a 1972 Light Blue Metallic Camaro SS 350 I bought for $1100 in 1985 (I will have to try to find a picture of it). I wish I still had that car.
I traded the Camaro for a 1968 Ford 1/2 ton 4x4 with a 6" lift and 33x12.50 15's. I did/do more hunting and fishing than cruising.
I added the pics of the two CJ-5's for "reference"
The Jeeps are (top to bottom) '75'-CJ5, '78'-CJ5, '53'-CJ3B