This 1948 Willys CJ2A is a worthwhile restoration project, according to the seller, with its original paint still on the body beneath that weathered exterior and lots of interesting period farming accessories still attached. The Jeep left the factory wearing Potomac Gray paint with red wheels, which would have made it a downright handsome rig when new. Despite its weathered Virginia license plates, the Willys is now located in Phoenicia, New York, where the seller has listed here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $6,500 and the option to submit a best offer.
No matter which brand of vehicles is your favorite, the presence of original accessories will almost always make any car or truck more interesting. This Willys is fitted with Newgren three-point hitch and all of its associated parts, including the pump, controller, and engine driven governor, right down to the correct handle on the dashboard. The Willys also has a full rear PTO as well as a right angle drum pulley. To say a previous owner wanted to put this CJ2A to work is an understatement, and how cool is it that all of those pieces remain attached to this day?
The seller doesn’t say much about the engine, other than its the original mill. We actually had one of these on my friend’s property in Georgia (you can get a glimpse of some of the vehicles we have for sale here) and out of all the vehicles we had to attempt to get running again, the Willys fired up with the least amount of work. These were tough drivetrains for a reason, and obviously designed for quick and dirty field repairs. The completeness of the Willys at least inspires confidence that not much has been messed with under the hood.
The body appears reasonably sound, but the seller points out that the front floorboards should be replaced. I’m fairly certain patch panels exist for those areas, so that’s not a deal breaker. The rest of the body shows no evidence of prior accident damage, and the seller states that all of the original interior features – like the gauges, under-dashboard heater, and data plates on the firewall – are all still accounted for. Overall, this seems like an entirely worthwhile project with loads of cool period charm. They tend to hold their values well, too.
Is that blue Chevy pickup a ‘63?
O my. I have a friend who heads been looking for attachments for a long time. Will have to press this on to them.
I just finished re-reading my favorite book, “The Jeep”, a few days ago and this example reminds me a lot of what I imagined the truck in that book might have looked like. Very cool!
My grandfather had a Jeep (must have been a CJ2A or similar). He would string a flat belt between the drum pulley and a standalone hammermill. Then I would have the “privilege” of scooping a few tons of mixed grain, feeding the hammermill to make feed for his dairy herd.
Ah, the good old days. Hot, sweaty, with a layer of ground up grain coating me.
I’ve put this picture up before but it is still a reminder that it’s on my short list of things I wish I hadn’t sold. These old guys are a lot of fun. Sorry for the offset picture but we lost all the other ones in the ’17 hurricane. Just click on it and it comes up.
Phoenicia is close to me so if any one would like me to look at this one and photograph, feel free to call 845-635-3662, Charlie. Looks like a decent solid jeep. Good luck to the new owner!
cheers
GPC
It warms my heart to see the air cleaner still attached.
What paint?
What is left is original. Seller is technically right.