Dan Walton has completed the only restoration I've seen of an original U.S. Army CJ-3B. It's one of possibly the only batch of Willys CJ-3Bs ordered by the Army, bought under a 1964 government contract which also added to the Navy's roster of 3B's. The Jeeps were used in non-tactical roles such as by Post Engineers or MP's, and had a plain-Jane look, with only a registration number and "For Official Use Only" stencilled on the hood.
According to a former Army mechanic, the military would assign registration numbers by lot to each factory order contract, and the registration numbers were used to manage the vehicles while they were in the Army, not the chassis serial numbers.
There was no trace of the lettering remaining on the hood when Dan acquired the Jeep, indicating it was probably not painted, but done with stick-on lettering which the Army began to use in the early 60's. Based on on another 1964 U.S. Army CJ-3B with a similar Willys serial number and registration number 1M 0513, Dan settled on 1M 0599 as a realistic hood number. See also 1M 0570 still in service.
The Jeep came from the factory with the following details, which were retained or restored:
The 16" wheels used in Dan's restoration came from a '56 Willys pickup.
There was significant body work required. Dan says, "I replaced the body tub from the rear to the lap joint behind the side drain holes, with new panels. The tailgate and all front sheet metal was repaired and preserved."
The flag staff is not original; Dan added it for parade use. This photo was taken on Memorial Day 2010.
Additional original details seen in the interior (and on 1M 0513) include:
The oil pressure gauge on the left side of the dash, and the Warn overdrive, are not original, but were added by a previous owner. The ashtray under the dash is similar to those found in some other Willys vehicles, and it's not clear whether it was originally installed to go with the lighter or not.
The original paint for the Army 3B's was 14087 glossy Olive Drab. The Willys paint tag gives the color as 999, and trim color 67. Dan comments, "I did not realize during the restoration that the original paint was a gloss paint, instead of the semi-gloss that I used."
The nomenclature plate (50K JPEG) beside the standard Willys data plate on the dashboard, indicates the Jeep was built by Kaiser Jeep Corp. under Federal Contract No. DA-113-AMC-02534-T and Federal Stock Number 2320-965-0948. Date of Delivery is given as 4-64 .
Dan sent two pictures of the Jeep the day it was brought home in 2002. He says, "Too rusty for road use, but still a nice running jeep for $800. I used it almost daily for three years cutting firewood and general farm use. It had been repainted school bus yellow with blue on the bumpers and hood. I think I remember our Dept. of Highways trucks using that paint scheme in the 70's. I haven't confirmed that as of this time or any other history of my Jeep, so it's only speculation."
"A good friend of mine found the jeep for me to buy. He has a gift of being able to find vintage Jeeps and Volkswagens. I swear that he can smell them while driving down the road. When I brought the Jeep home it smoked, but ran OK. It was rusted too bad for on road use. When the brakes failed, I finally started the complete frame-off restoration, doing everything myself. Only the engine machine work was farmed out. I was able to complete the restoration in 14 months."
The Koenig Iron Works steel top and large mirrors on each side of the cowl are original. All the Army 3B's were reportedly ordered with the Koenig Steel Cabs. See a U.S. Army MP Jeep in service in 1965.
Dan says, "I guess due to the factory installed steel top, there were not any footman loops installed on the wheel houses and quarter panels. Only dimples and punch outs marking the locations of the holes. The tailgate did not have any footman loops either, but had the holes which were filled with screws and acorn nuts.
"I found original CJ-3B wagon top bows and rods, and Beachwood Canvas sewed up the canvas top. I have the steel top enclosure, doors, and large mirrors in storage to keep with the Jeep.
"I do not know if the Jeep came with a rear seat, but it had the mounting clips in the floor for one. The rear seat came from a M38A1. I modified the mounting feet to CJ-3B feet configuration.
"While searching for NOS rubber and some other parts for the ventilating windshield (which are impossible to find) I lucked into a complete NOS ventilating windshield assembly. Other NOS parts used included side steps, vacuum wiper motors, MB-style trailer receptacle, rear drive shaft, and taillight lenses."
"As I learn more about this rare Jeep variation, one day I may redo the Jeep by installing the steel top enclosure and repainting with gloss paint. But for now, it's much more enjoyable with the canvas top, which can be easily removed. It also has more spectator appeal, and the steel top with its sinister-looking small windows was also very hot in the summer." -- Dan Walton
Thanks to Dan for the photos. See another nice shot on the June page of your 2011 Jeep Classics Calendar. -- Derek Redmond
Return to 1964 CJ-3B Owners and Photos.
See also You're in the Army Now for photos of a civilian 1964 3B restored as U.S. Army by Les Davis in Texas.
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