1946 Willys Jeep CJ-2A With Trencher

Another in the two-for-one series, this 1946 (?) Jeep CJ-2A 4×4 by Willys-Overland may be Shawnee Red (orange), or it may have changed color at some point, but the big thing is the trencher attached to the back. And, it’s hard to see here, but dual rear wheels add to the cool factor. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Lockport, New York, and they’re asking $6,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to T.J. for the tip!

Here are the dual rear wheels. I’m not a Jeep fanatic, other than really liking the early CJs, but I’ve written about a couple of these models with built-in trenchers or backhoe attachments over the years. Our own Jamie Palmer wrote about a somewhat similar yellow Jeep trencher a decade ago here on Barn Finds, and I found one a few months later here. Even further back, in March 2017, I found one with a backhoe attachment that would have been incredibly fun at car shows. And, of course, for digging… I can’t imagine having a use for a trench digger, but a backhoe is another story.

We don’t know if this is a factory piece or not, but Jeep did offer a variety of features in its quest to appeal to farmers and ranchers after WWII to keep sales on track. In fact, the 1945 through 1949 Willys-Overland CJ-2As were sometimes called AgriJeeps or Universal Jeeps. There are a ton of cool ads here about the “farming Jeeps.” This one also appears to have a hole digger as well. Three-in-one. In case you were wondering about all that weight on the back of this small Jeep, there’s a huge counterweight in front to somewhat balance it out, along with the dual rear tires for stability. “Say, how does that trench attachment work, SG?” It’s funny you should ask, here’s one on YouTube.

This photo was in a Motor Trend article about these unusual rigs, and it’s wearing an Auburn Machine Works Jeep-A-Trench. It looks almost exactly like the one on the orange CJ-2A for sale in the craigslist ad, doesn’t it? Here’s a fun Gulf Oil maintenance sheet. The Jeep shown on craigslist has a PTO along with a governor, and the tires look like new, but we don’t know how old they are.

I don’t see a heated latte holder here, Willys-Overland really missed the boat! Kidding, of course, this one is all business. I’m assuming that’s some rust on the floors, but there are no detailed photos. The seller does mention that the “tub and frame” are in excellent condition. It sure looks nice in the photos. This Jeep is exactly 80 years old now, and unless it was in storage for the last 75 years, it’ll have some rust, at least surface rust. The steering wheel could use some help, and you can see in the photo of the steering wheel that the gauge cluster and gauges, in general, need help. The CJ-2A came standard with only a driver’s seat, since they were meant mainly for farming and ranching chores, not for joy rides.

The engine should be an L4 134 Willys Go-Devil, an L-head 134-cu.in. inline-four with 60 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by a BorgWarner T-90 3-speed manual and a Dana 18 transfer case, this one currently isn’t running, but it turns over. There is also no title, but again, you aren’t going to jump in this one and drive it to the store. If I had invested wisely, or more wisely than I did, I would buy this CJ-2A and bring it back to its former glory. Would any of you have use for a “farm and ranch” Jeep like this one?