Greg is in Mildura, Victoria, and since 2004 he has been slowly acquiring and working on a small collection of CJ-3Bs.
This photo sent by Greg in 2024 shows new wheels on his first 3B, the blue '58. And in the background, believe it or not, is a 1955 CJ-3B.
He wrote, "I now have my '55 up and running on the road. I know you guys will be disappointed because I have changed the front cowl and grille to look like a military jeep from WWII. "
Greg has the front end looking like an MB, but the running gear and chassis is all 3B, and it still has
serial number 20917 (250K JPEG).
To fit the F-head in, Greg replaced the original carburetor with a Holley 1904 from a Ford. (See also Hurricane Engine in a Low-Hood Jeep on CJ3B.info.) He says, "I still need to tinker a bit more to get it right. Running a bit rich.
"The air cleaner I am using is a K&N 3600 (160K JPEG) inside the original air cleaner housing. Made up a steel ring to fit up inside the housing and the bowl holds the element in place (160K JPEG)."
"Starting in early 2004 I did a full restoration on my 1958 CJ-3B. I had the body sandblasted, cut out all the rust, panel beated all the body panels, and applied a small layer of body filler on the outside of the Jeep, just to straighten her out a bit. I got the registration and roadworthy on 27 January 2010."
"Here's a gecko friend on our front grille.
"The chassis number is stamped on the chassis: 57348 46151S. It is right-hand drive with no cutouts or repairs to the toe board or the left hand side of the body. A 1953 CJ-3B was used as a parts donor; I bought both Jeeps (70K JPEG) from an ad in the local paper."
"I fully rebuilt the engine, gearbox, diffs, brakes and steering. I upgraded the steering linkages with HJ60 Landcruiser tie rod and tie rod ends. I have eliminated the problem with the Jeep tie rod end slopping up and down, that I was never happy with."
This photo shows the RHD steering linkage. (For more on factory RHD, see Details of a Right-Hand-Drive Universal Jeep on CJ3B.info.)
Greg also mentions, "I painted the body, rebuilt the instrument cluster, and installed VDO instruments inside the original cluster (70K JPEG)."
See his completed, very clean engine bay (80K JPEG).
"A five-day camping trip in Sunset Country, a national park in Northwestern Victoria, at Easter break 2011 was the first real trip for the CJ-3B. It went off without a problem at all, along the bush tracks (190K JPEG) and sand dunes. Everyone else had Toyota Landcruisers or Nissan Patrols with air conditioning -- I bet I had more fun riding the Jeep (100K JPEG) around the countryside than anyone else there that long weekend. I am most impressed with the Willys."
In May 2024 Greg wrote, "I purchased another 1958 3B just last Sunday so I will forward you the VIN number to place in the surviving CJ-3B list as I plan to rebuild this one as well. I have been collecting parts over the years; all I need is time!"
Greg might have needed all those parts; there were quite a few things missing from this '58. But he now says it turns out that "it had a lot of water sitting in the diff/axle housings and it's only good for parts."
It did have the T-handle emergency brake that mysteriously appeared on the Australian Jeeps in 1958, several years before it showed up on domestic 3Bs in the USA (see Dating a CJ-3B by Interior Details.)
Surprisingly the serial number tag on the firewall was still intact, and it shows the letter L, stamped at the Willys plant in the USA, indicating the Jeep was headed for export. Most destination countries were designated by a particular letter, but for some reason at least five different letters were used for Australia: L, R, S, T, U and X.
Thanks to Greg for the photos. -- Derek Redmond
See also a photo from a 2010 ANZAC Day parade, in Everybody Loves a Parade on CJ3B.info.
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