The Willys Jeep CJ was the commercial version of the World War II military workhorse (CJ was an acronym for “Civilian Jeep”). The vehicles went on sale in 1945 and were still in the mix some 40 years later. The seller has a solid 1948 CJ-2A, an early CJ that differed from what the Army used with the addition of a tailgate and a side-mounted spare tire. From Woods Bay, Montana, this reliable machine is available here on eBay where the current bid is $2,103, below whatever reserve the seller has set.
CJ-2As went into production in 1945 while the war was in its final stages – and would stick around until 1949. These vehicles were some of the first mass-produced 4WDs targeted at John Q. Public. Their components were beefier than their military counterparts because farmers and other buyers might keep them employed for many years. The CJ-2As saw about 215,000 assemblies as part of the 1.5 million CJs that Willys or their successors would build in four decades.
The seller’s CJ should have a Willys 134 cubic inch “Go Devil” inline-4 with a 3-speed manual transmission. We’re told the Jeep stayed indoors for many years, but a new carburetor and battery have helped make it road-worthy again. It’s adequately drivable and ready to go to work on a ranch or farm. The tires are good, and it may need nothing more than to flex its muscles once again.
The seller has listed this Jeep on behalf of the widow of a friend. Videos of it running around are available upon request, as the seller apparently wasn’t able to get them uploaded to eBay. If you need or want a Jeep and like the idea that it may be older than you, does this CJ get your motor running?
sigh,,,”widow of a friend”, I know, turn, turn turn, but seems to be a familiar resonance here, “Passed on Finds”. In my usual candor, who is going to want this today? It’s got stiff competition from those cushy ATVs, you know, the ones with stereo, GPS, power port this and that, an old army Jeep? Yeah, dream on, gramps. I wasn’t any different. All is not lost however, I think there is still enough interest for a few years, anyway. I saw’r a group of about 15 older Jeeps on a putt back I the hills, dust flying, big smiles,,,, not a kid in the bunch.
I thought my Jeep( ’91 YJ Wrangangler) was merely a glorified army Jeep. Seeing these again, maybe not. I love my Jeep but this is in an entirely different league, a league that may not exist in a few years. 151 viewers, aka “alta kakers”( old crappers) and a sensible bid of $2 grand, bolsters my views, the bidders don’t have much to spend on this. Great find.
Perhaps if you come back to this site in ten years, it will have been renamed “Funeral Finds”…
I continue to be mystified when a reader comments on how a vintage vehicle is something nobody wants, or is of no use in today’s world, or is of no appeal to anyone on the younger side of life’s spectrum, or is so uncomfortable/hard to drive/impractical/unappealing that it’s destined to be ignored.
So many of us hope for younger enthusiasts who will become the next caretakers of vintage vehicles. I have often encountered and engaged young would-be enthusiasts at car shows and events, answering questions, showing them my vehicles, and encouraging them to pursue whatever vehicle sparks their interest and to keep learning—including visiting sites such as Barn Finds.
Whenever I see the dark cloud these-vehicles-are-of no-interest-to-people-and-of-no-use-in-today’s-world comments, I think of those budding hobbyists having their enthusiasm extinguished and moving on to something else.
Hey Dave, I will admit I lead the charge on the lack of interest thing, and I think it’s great to hear of interest from younger people, but I say again and again, it’s nowhere near the magnitude it once was, and most young people just have no interaction with classic vehicles, much less how to operate one. I hear all the time here, “but MY kid loves MY this and that, and their friends too”, but that’s where it usually ends. Without any previous interaction, it’s highly unlikely they will do this on their own. Kids of people that had/have no interaction with classic cars, and we are at a time where that’s entirely possible, will indeed move on to something else, just no connection. Like I said, it’s like me doing the Charleston, that my parents adored,,,did nothing for me. Sadly, I don’t see “budding hobbyists”, and more like wilting hobbyists for a multitude of reasons.
A great example for me was, when I worked on the dairy farm in the early 2000s, he would get HS students to spend a “day on the farm”. One kid, he gave 2 9/16 wrenches and said” go along the stanchions and tighten the bolts, I’ll check back”. He came back 15 minutes later, the kid hadn’t turned ONE nut. He said, “I just don’t get it”. Now those kids are having kids and not a shred of mechanical knowledge. Can’t sugarcoat it, sounds like death for the hobby to me.
“Sadly, I don’t see budding hobbyists.” Your experience is not necessarily universal, and it shouldn’t be projected as such.
And, you may not do The Charleston as your parents did, but dancing still survives today.
The automotive hobby is evolving, too. The hobby doesn’t need to be “the magnitude it once was.” It can still survive and thrive with a smaller base, and there’s plenty of evidence that there’s still a segment of younger people who are interested in older vehicles. One sure way to bring about the hobby’s death is to regularly represent its future with cynicism and pessimism.
Thanks for being cordial, I’m not popular BECAUSE of my views, but I see many people do agree with me, and many do, but are afraid to say so. When I say, “the hobby”, many of us were part of “the hobby” and didn’t really know it. Mostly by necessity. Vehicles weren’t these objects of today. Many didn’t start, or something, practically requiring you to find out what was wrong. Today, “the hobby” is more of a separate entity, we just don’t have that anymore, and without being redundant, probably never will again. Shop class, that was another. We all took shop class, and learned a lot. They were eliminated in the late 90s, due to lack of interest. For your last sentence, while true, you can’t kill something that’s already dead. You may not see it that way, but compared to the past, it’s painfully evident to me.
Once again, an apology before anyone chews me out. You can tell when the coffee wears off and I need to find an exit ramp( expressly forbidden today). The hobby isn’t dead. Perhaps to me it is, but more accurately, adjusted beyond my means, and that sucks. It’s difficult for a younger person to understand, a $16,000 ’65 Chevy Impala 4 door for heavens sake, unheard of in my day, and perhaps the Charleston was a poor example, point was, I’m sure my parents were just as upset as what they held dear, I thumbed my nose at. Today, the “hobby” generally attracts folks that want certain types of cars, and willing to pay dearly for them, not so much as an investment, but just to satisfy their curiousity as to what all the hub-bub was about a 454 Chevelle, or CJ Mustang. In my day, the “hobby” incorporated everything from a Rambler American to a Coupe de Ville. I just don’t see that today.
Again, I hope you can try and understand, I suppose it might be like all of a sudden, you can’t use your phone or computer. I bet that would stir some feathers. I don’t have an answer, and there’s some solace knowing people like you still care. I guess I’m just an old fart that really enjoyed tinkering on $300 Chevy Impalas, and using them for a year. I’m not alone, I hope, and that last cup of Joe sure tasted good. ( see the price of THAT lately?) The Who ( the who?) sang,,,”The kids are alright” :)