I purchased this 1950 Willys CJ-3A back in 2013 in Fenton, Michigan. It was in rough shape—what was left of the body had to come off, and I started from the ground up restoring the frame. There were plenty of cracks and signs of hard use, but I straightened everything out, installed the correct engine, and eventually had a complete rolling chassis ready for a new body.
Then life stepped in.
After losing my job of 25 years, I had to relocate two hours north for work. The Willys ended up sitting outside in a friend’s storage yard for four years. When I finally got it back, I had to undo some of the damage from sitting exposed before I could move forward again.
I ordered a new body from Kaiser Willys during the pandemic—it took about eight months to arrive. Once it did, I began the process of fitting it, sealing seams, and bringing everything together.
And then, out of nowhere, lightning struck my building. The resulting garage fire damaged everything inside. Somehow, the Willys survived with only heavy smoke damage.
It took me about 2 more years to get after it again. I almost gave up on it. I pushed really hard on it with my son’s help and steady diligence, I completed the build. Then the top and I’m still finishing bits and pieces. The end result is really nice I think.
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Scott Irwin
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