Return to the index of 1960-62 Jeeps.
"I purchased this 1962 CJ-3B in the summer of 2021 with just over 40K miles. It came running and driving, with a Solex carb, freshly recovered seats, and the Bestop soft top and doors. One interesting 'feature' is that only one side of the hood has the Willys stamp! The passenger side is smooth, making this Jeep potentially one of a kind.
"There were a few spots of very rough body work, and a few spots of rust through in both floor pans and parts of the body. I chose to tackle the most obvious spot first which was where the spare tire holder (200K JPEG) had apparently ripped free from the body. I then fixed the floor pan and other body rust the next year.
"The tires were old and cracked so I replaced them with 7.00 - 15 Deestone D503 tires and set out to enjoy some miles and trails (640K JPEG).
"Soon the engine started backfiring and losing all power randomly, which I discovered to be a combination of an intermittently failing ignition coil and the throttle linkage randomly sliding off the flats and allowing the throttle blades to close until letting completely off the pedal to reset it. I upgraded to a Pertronix ignitor and a true 12V coil, and tightened up the Solex throttle for the time being This was also the time that I upgraded to an aluminum radiator, 16" SPAL electric fan, and a one-wire alternator.
"I planned out a winter project to improve the brakes, reduce the slop in the steering, do a quick clean and coat on the frame using Eastwood internal frame coating spray, rebuild the T90 and T18, and rebuild the rear end while also installing a TRE air locker. Brake upgrade consisted of a dual remote reservoir Wilwood master cylinder and four-wheel 'Trackick' disc brakes.
"With all that taken care of, I set out on some more strenuous trails where the little 3B did grea through mud and rock obstacles (750K JPEG), until it came time to take the interstate back to camp. Buzzing at 55 would make the temp climb, and eventually the fuel would boil in the Solex, leaving me on the side of the road tapping on the float bowl trying to knock the air out of the needle and seat. I installed a used Webber DGAV 2-barrel carb on an insulated spacer, an ATV overdrive, and Ian's rock slider kit (seen in this photo.)
"Future modifications planned as of 2024 are new springs, a Lock-Right locker in the front D25, DIY bead locks on a set of 16" wheels for taller trail tires, a roll bar and shoulder belts, and a ThunderHead289 Carb Cheater closed loop AFR controller to help maintain the proper A:F ratio when climbing."
See Eric on the rocks in CJ-3B Owners On the Trails.
Mike sent this photo of his Jeep with a nice patina in June 2018: "I'm in northeast Oklahoma and have had the CJ-3B for about 6 years. It's mostly original and unrestored. I'll track down the engine number. The body is pretty rough but it still is a blast.The driveline is in good shape. The biggest issue is that I need to to use an electric fuel pump as a mechanical one won't go.
"I also own a '59 CJ-5 that is also original."
Craig in Connecticut has a great-looking 3B with a drivetrain from a 2A and a mystery tub. He says, "My brother and I found a completely disassembled CJ-3B body and frame at a garage sale in 1982. There was no drivetrain; only the radiator and boxes of miscellaneous parts. The guy that we bought it from said that it had been his grandfather's project. We brought it home and stripped many layers of paint off it, and to our surprise there was no rust! The body had some unique features like a large hole for the gas filler neck, tool holders on the body (160K JPEG), and a hole on the rear upper left for a trailer wiring connection. A friend and local Jeep enthusiast thought it was some type of military style body so we painted it semi-gloss olive drab.
"The body and frame were assembled with the drivetrain from a donor CJ-2A that we also owned. The 2A was in running condition but the body was very rough. We used the 3B for fourwheelin' and as a hunting vehicle for a year or so and then put it in storage. I happened upon The CJ-3B Page one evening last winter and was inspired to see if I could get the ol'Jeep running. With lots of help from Brian at Brian's 4WD Jeep Parts in Branford, CT, I've got it running! I have been driving and enjoying it this summer; I can't believe I let it sit for 18 years!"
"After two years the basket case I brought home from West Virginia is finally finished. Although venturing a little farther from stock than I had planned, everything worked out fine. My Jeep incorporates a more modern suspension system (see Wrangler Springs for a '62 3B). Other modifications include Saginaw steering, 4-wheel disc brakes, and the dual reservoir master cylinder conversion."
See also a front view photo (70K JPEG) and a left side photo (60K JPEG).
As of 2017, the Jeep belongs to Sam Michael Jr. in Florida.
This unrestored 1962 Jeep with about 16,000 miles on it, belongs to Louie Larson who says, "The '62 has original Jeep Renegade aluminum wheels and radial tires on it for practical reasons, but I have the five original 700X15 Goodyear NDT's on the original wheels for show. The only other additions are a roll bar, Warn Overdrive and Warn 6K lb. winch. It has new Warn lockouts on it but I also have the original Warn free-wheeling hubs in the tin tool box."
This photo was on the cover of CJ3B.info in early 2004.
Louie took this photo in 2001, showing the '62 with his 1948 Jeepster and his red '53 CJ-3B, one of several other 3Bs he owns.
This nicely restored Jeep in Germany appears to be an M606 military export, possibly ex-Swiss Army. Engine number 4J306755 is probably original. The vent in the windshield is an unusual feature.
"When I first looked at this Jeep it was in the back of a sandwich shop on Main St. in Doylestown, PA, which used to be a Willys/Crosley dealership. It was actually an estate sale as the previous owners (husband and wife) had passed away. You can say though, I bought this Jeep from a former Willys dealer!"
For more photos and details, see Found Behind the Sandwich Shop on CJ3B.info.
This 3B is registered in Pennsylvania as a '57, but judging by the VIN is probably an early 1962 model. See a photo of the VIN tag (20K JPEG), which reveals the original Fountain Green under the red paint, and a the interior (70K JPEG).
Bill says, "I purchased this in March 2000. It had been sitting for 4 years. The first few days of ownership consisted of many lookovers and considerations for restoration, very little wrenching. After finding rust in the gas tank and cylinder head, we decided to tear it apart rather than try to get it started."
See photos of the right side (40K JPEG), the top removed (70K JPEG), and the engine (80K JPEG).
"I traded a .22 cal. pistol to a friend for the Jeep. It was missing the gas tank and windshield frame. The axles had been swapped for an early set from a CJ-2A -- both were completely worn out, and the rear wheels fell off towing it home. Since then, we installed a Buick V6, Chevy SM420 granny 4 speed tranny, and found a disassembled CJ-5 and swapped the Dana 44 in the rear and the Dana 30 in the front. Everything in it has been by guess and by golly -- the radiator is a 1969 Toyota Land Cruiser 4 core, the swing pedals are from a Jeepster, we used the Land Cruiser slave cylinder, and installed a 4 turn Saginaw power steering box.
"It has 11" brakes but we'll soon be installing the front disc setup we got from Mike Heimbigner. Along the way we have had several Black Widow spider bites, skinned knuckles, long cold nights on the garage floor working on the old girl, and we've gotten into a little sideline of getting a lot of Jeeps and finding homes for them. But the most important thing about this whole process has been the bonding experience I've had with my son, and the truly wonderful and interesting people we've met. This is a very nice community."
See also some photos from JC's trips over the Rubicon Trail.
Rafael Sarante's Jeep in the Dominican Republic has a complicated history: "This Jeep belonged to another person, who changed a lot of parts: windshield (Land Rover), engine (Toyota Corolla 2T), radiator (Jeep, maybe Land Rover), pedals (?), rear axle (?). I changed the brakes (Chevrolet 1964), steering gear (Chevrolet 1963, mounting in front, below the bumper), seats (Japanese), steering wheel (Chevrolet 1964), turn signals (Toyota Land Cruiser), and other things I don't remember, but I love my Jeep CJ-3B."
"My name is Derek Schnorenberg from La Porte City, Iowa. I recently purchased my first flatfender, a '62 CJ-3B. It is titled as a '63, but the serial number info on CJ3B.info tells me that it was manufactured late February 1962 (serial number 57348-89184.)
"My Jeep is in need of some body work, but the frame is in excellent condition. The drivetrain is all original, F-Head, Dana 18, T-90, with power-lok differentials, and the only thing that needs some attention is the tranny (needs new 2nd gear and synchronizer.) The original color was plantation white with black trim, but it received an amateur spray paint job before I acquired it. This 3B is actually in great running condition (only 27,000 miles.) Right now I am installing a Pertronix HEI electronic ignition and coil, and ordering new suspension components, and super swamper tires. I plan on a mostly stock restoration, but it will be used exclusively for trail driving and offroading."
See also a front view photo (110K JPEG).
Rudrajit Bose in New Delhi, India has a Willys CJ-3B with serial number 57348-CJ3B-88776-P. This number helps to establish a general pattern of letters added to the end of Willys serial numbers indicating the country or area to which the Jeeps were exported. The only other serial number with a "P" suffix in our list of surviving Serial and Engine Numbers is 8105-122112-P which is now in the U.S. after having been brought back from India.
Rudrajit's Jeep was likely imported CKD (completely knocked down) and assembled by Mahindra & Mahindra. He says, "It comes with original plates with manufacturing information and the date 6/10/61, which are fixed near the dash, and the chassis no. can be read off the chassis.
It was originally LHD, but later got converted to RHD by the earlier owner. It was sold to a farmer by a former military officer apparently from the Rajput Rifles (Indian infantry regiment). The story was told to me (so I can't verify its authenticity) by the son of the deceased owner, who was quite happy to get rid of what he called a moving junkyard.
"I got it in scrap (rust, corrosion, cowebs... you name it and it had it all) and rebuilt and restored it in 2001. It has an 1800 Isuzu petrol engine, as the original engine was a writeoff, power brakes as I drive a lot in the hills, and high-backed seats for back support and seatbelts. It has 'Willys' embossed on the tailgate (120K JPEG), hood and grille, and an ammunition box fixed between the seats that serves as the tool box. I have travelled the length and breadth of India in it, including Ladakh, as I frequently go on treks and drives. "
"I purchased this Jeep new from Kolars Jeep (dealer) in Seattle, Washington on May 29, 1962. The main reason we bought this Jeep was that it was cheaper than the CJ-5. We were in a hurry the day we bought it, so we took it the way it was that day at the Jeep dealer. It had an ugly Koenig hardtop, Braden PTO winch, Warn Overdrive, and 5.38 gears with power-lok on both ends. I pulled the original engine out in 1965. I did a lot of work on the Jeep that winter. I put in a Chev Nova 4cyl, T-98 4speed, power steering, and built a full floating rear-end with Warn hubs for towing. I believe we put a K-Line soft top on the following summer. We used two different Chev 4cyl's untill 1990 when we installed a 300 Buick that is still in use.
"The Washington state license plate on the Jeep is 62-CJ-3B. We have belonged to the Seattle Jeep Club since 1968. We have a Jeep Club trail run scheduled for August 29, 2042, for my 100th birthday. My 3B and I Will Make That Date."
"It took us over 2 years to restore it. It was so rotten, people thought we were crazy even to think about restoring it, but we made it. It had a long way to come here, from Switzerland, where it served a farmer. After a while it was transported to the harbour of Rotterdam, where it we found it, situated on top of a junkyard."
See 1962 Military Jeep Restoration for more off-road and restoration photos and details.
Mike in Richland WA says, "I am attaching a couple photos of my latest find. This will make Jeep number 25 for me over the last 40 years. All of which have been 1971 or older.
"This is a Sea Foam Green 1962 CJ-3B that I bought from the second owner. The Jeep has only 30,823 original miles (80K JPEG) on it. Everything is stock right down to the taillights (80K JPEG). The serial no. is 57348 86096."
"I purchased this Jeep from Lorne Spooner in the summer of '07 with the goal of restoring it. My plans are to buy a new body and repaint it President Red to match the color code, put 11-inch brakes on it, and install an overdrive. I would like to make it appear pretty much stock."
See more photos from Chris in Wapato, Washington: front, interior, rear, and engine (200K JPEGs).
Mike in Texas says, "The Jeep only had a few non-original items on it. The first owner had put big bumpers on it, and a hand rail across the dash (90K JPEG). The bumpers may account for the taillights and body being undamaged. I completely removed the rear bumper and trimmed the curved ends off of the front one in order to make it look like a Jeep bumper."
See lots more photos and details of Mike's "E-Barn" Find, which he sold in 2011.
"We used CJ3B.info throughout our nearly 2-year project," says Jim, "as we pretty much started from scratch. But because it had all the extra equipment, we decided to rebuild this unit with no looking back, and go ahead and spend the sweat, time, and money."
See Six Sticks in Dixie for more on this Jeep in Tennessee with OD and front and rear PTO.
Hector's CJ-3B in Bogota, Colombia seems to have bits from several Jeeps; it's registered as a '59, but chassis number 57348 86618 indicates the frame at least is from a '62.
This rear view shows an early-50's dash. And engine number MD137515 suggests a military donor. A photo with the hood open (250K JPEG) reveals no serial number plate on the firewall.d Thanks to Andy Gil for forwarding the photos.
Stefan Spielmann bought this 1962 Willys CJ-3B from the Swiss Army in the late 1980's, and since then he has done a lot of work on it, and a lot of on- and off-road driving in central Europe. The engine is a V6 from a Buick Skyhawk.
See more photos of this 1962 CJ-3B "Skyhawk".
This CJ-3B joins Glenn's collection of Jeeps and Jeep-mounted heavy equipment, in Smithfield, Maine. He's counting on his new Jeep to plow the snow during the winter of 2005-06, and says, "The snowplow is an early Fisher unit from Camden Maine (before the Rockland, Maine plant). It has 16" wheels and the Jeep Hi-Lo hydraulic pump, belt driven on the engine. Originally the bright green color. The heater better work well since the homemade top has no doors."
See also a right rear photo (80K JPEG).
Alec is in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto, and lists the work he has done on the Jeep: new steering bellcrank kit, speedometer cable, ignition switch, master cylinder, front pinion seal and clutch cable. All new tires, brake lines, and wheel cylinders front and rear. New shift lever and transfer case boots, Delco alternator, and crankshaft pulley. New fenders, restored grille, body work and new paint job.
The VIN plate (40K JPEG) has an unusual hand stamped "WC" (or "WO"?) following the serial number. We're trying to determine the significance of this.
See also a front view photo (50K JPEG).
"No data plate. But it's in fairly good condition and almost completely stock (except for some additional dash gauges, mirrors and spare tire carrier). I'm just painting and fixing some minor things till I have the space to do a ground up restoration. I actually found the chassis number on the frame (50K JPEG) -- the number is 87408, so the VIN number would probably be 57348 87408 (see Stamped Numbers on CJ-3B Frames.)
"This photo was taken in Vina del Mar the day I bought it, before driving the Jeep back to Santiago, Chile (approx. 120 Km.) My wife drove behind me in the car in case there was any trouble, but there was none, it was a great drive back home!"
"When I brought it home my wife shook her head and said what the heck is that thing. When it came time to restore it, the only real option was to buy a repro tub. The plans for the Jeep now are just to drive and enjoy. I did take it to the PA Jeeps All Breeds Jeep Show at the York Fair grounds, and it won the class."
See more details and photos of Frank's 1962 CJ-3B Project.
"My 1962 un-restored CJ-3B has a Kelly cab and Western plow. I have had this as a plow truck for a while and in 2002 I sent it off to 'summer camp' to get the minor body work done and new paint. Mileage presently stands at 16,010 miles."
See lots more details and photos of John's Jeep in New Paint for the 40th Birthday, and First Snow of the Year.
Return to the index of 1960-62 Jeeps.
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