David Eilers

Abandoned DJ-3A w/4WD Made to Run Again

David, a reader from Texas, shared this video of an abandoned jeep made to run again. Called a CJ-3A in the video, it is clear it was was originally a 2WD DJ-3A. Given the Stewart Warner gauge coupled with the lack of a passenger-side heater vent, this is likely a '58 or '59 model. The jeep was adapted to 4WD using the axles from a WWII jeep (steering on the front axle; full floaters on the rear). The transmission cross member is likely WWII as well, though it could be from a 2A. I didn't watch the entirely of the video, but maybe there are more clues (such as T84 vs T90).

7 Comments

  1. SteveK
    Not only is that guy "creative" mechanically, but did an excellent job of making the video interesting too. Thanks!
  2. Mike Finegan
    This was a common conversion back in the 1960's in NJ. There were a lot of DJ3A pizza Jeeps floating around due to the popularity of pizza in the NYC-NJ area. The pizza joints would trade them in every couple of years due to hard driving by high school delivery drivers. Nobody wanted a 2 wheel drive jeep back then, so they sat on the back side of the dealers lot for years. Kalman Motors, Hackensack NJ had about 5 of them sitting on his lot for years, so this became a great way to update a beat up old CJ2A. I remember a guy in my neighborhood of Clifton, NJ doing this on his front lawn. This subject was covered many times in past EWILLYS posts, it became a running joke between me & Dave.
  3. SE Pennsylvania Steve
    Thanks for posting this. The guy did a great job making this video, I enjoyed it.
  4. Tom in Paris
    That was fun to watch. Thanks for posting it.
  5. d
    Guy certainly took quite a few mechanical liberties to get this thing running...doubt he'll ever do anything additional other than the video with the Jeep. Some notable items: - bending a bent valve back with a crowbar - using a cutting torch to add lug nut holes to an old wheel with the wrong bolt pattern - cutting and melting off a lug nut before realizing it used left-hand threads - using 90w gear oil in the engine to quiet a rod knock (so he could continue to film) Maybe "mechanically creative" is a kind way to say it, but some of his decisions seem to have been made for "good TV" rather than logical sense (e.g., he was ok going to the parts store for new plugs, but yanked an old hose from a truck on the lot and used that, instead of making a trip to the parts store.) But he does have 1.8 million views on this, and I think getting those views was the main goal (and the crazier the "fixes" the better). Looks like taking cars for "one last ride" is his channel's shtick.
  6. David
    Ahh, I dunno. I get the gripes above but the truck was abandoned and was likely to remain so. Rusted out beyond most people’s idea of reasonable, swapped from 2wd, left to molder with the head off and carb open. Let’s be realistic, any attention at all is worthwhile. I rather think that some notes on “barnyard fixes” are fun. Anyone can obsess and “do it right” Pretty liberating to see what you can do with nothing. Kudos for the effort the kit makes. If he wanted “likes” he’d be doing colabs and selling merch.
  7. muley
    ran when parked?

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