UPDATE ***: Jurgen spotted this one. The ad for this jeep has resurfaced, this time in Ireland. Note the text claims the body panels has their “rivets” removed using a special tool. The panels were welded together via spot welds, not held together using rivets. It’s the same claim made in the text from last year: https://www.vintagestefano.com/for-sale
UPDATE II: A Craigslister reported that the seller is away and keeps raising the price as emails are exchanged. “Guy claims he is govt working but keeps asking for more and more info if you respond to his add…beware”
UPDATE: This jeep was on eBay a couple days ago. The seller listed it in College Station, Texas. The same jeep just popped up on a West Virginia Craigslist for only $4000. The text in the ad is similar to the text shown down below.
Here’s the current scam ad: http://huntington.craigslist.org/cto/5644379040.html
“1946 Willys VEC (Very Early Civilian) CJ-2A Jeep – Museum Quality Restoration
Offered is a 1946 CJ-2A that has undergone a frame-off, nut and bolt, rotisserie restoration. This is a very early civilian version, identified by square windshield plates, column shift, tool indents, ‘F’ script bolts in drive train, frame tag on the outside of the driver front gusset and three data plates on the dash.
I acquired this Willys Jeep CJ-2A from a Kingman, Kansas flying service in 2008 where it was being used as an airport tug. Everything was original, uncut, matching numbers and well preserved in several coats of orange paint. The frame tag, dash data plate and the Willys body tag are each numbered 17968 and correctly located. The motor number is CJ-2A 18464. The AMC numbers on the tailgate and front gusset are matching and both read 8620.
All documentation regarding the rebuild including receipts and notes is included with the vehicle in its restoration notebook. The engine has been professionally rebuilt by Vilas Motor Works of Bryan, Texas. The transmission and transfer case were shipped to Herm Tilford – aka ‘Herm, The Overdrive Guy’ in Brush Prairie, Washington where they were also professionally rebuilt.
The body was completely media blasted and rusted panels removed by drilling out rivets with a rivet extraction tool. New body panels from Krage Motorsports were then welded into place and include the front floorboard with hat channels and the right rear quarter panel.
Meticulous care was taken through extensive research to identify correct paint color for each component. The Harvest Tan was mixed using the original color found inside the headlight rings (a small section of the original paint has been preserved inside each ring for posterity). Wheels were painted to match very early advertisements and photos in the rarely seen two-tone configuration – Sunset Red surrounded by Harvest Tan with hand painted black pin stripes. Paint is a catalyzed 3-part Polyurethene Acrylic by Matthews.
The electrical system has been gone through and components rebuilt (starter and generator) and replaced with period correct items where needed including a replacement wiring harness from Walck’s.
New period correct components include radiator, NDT tires, water hose kit and tubes, air hoses, generator arm, generator bushing support and tension bracket (early), battery tray, battery hold down hardware with correct wing nuts, dash knobs, volt meter, front bumper, fender welting, firewall grommets, cogged fan belt, radiator welting, radiator felt, wooden hood bumper blocks, hood tie-down strap, rebuilt vacuum wiper engine, wiper vacuum lines, bulbs, accelerator pedal, exhaust system, oil plug gasket, oil hoses, brake hoses, windshield glass, windshield welting, windshield tape, missing windshield star washer, body to frame welting and bolts, tailgate chains and covers, tail light, rear reflector, master cylinder, gas tank and sender, brake sender, brakes, wheel cylinders, ‘s’ lines, plugs, plug wires, points and condenser, footman loops, hood latches and seat covers from Beachwood Canvas mounted on original springs and seat frames (except for back seat bottom cushion – original is included on request along with original gas tank and sender). There is much more, but basically the entire vehicle has been disassembled, inspected and reassembled with replacement and correct hardware added where needed – receipts will bear this out.
Vehicle odometer showed 24,745 miles before the rebuild. Odometer was reset to zero and approximately 250 miles have been put on the vehicle since that time in addition to weekly startups and running of the engine for fluid circulation.
The vehicle runs perfectly as it should. All gauges and lights work as they should.
The correctly restored 1946 Texas license plate is available for $100 at the close of the sale but does not convey with the vehicle.
Vehicle is sold as is, where is with no warranty and with clear Texas title. Available for inspection by appointment.”
Nice looking Jeep, too bad it has a Solex carb, destroys the original look. A lot of effort put into the 2-tone wheels, but I don’t think the color combination works well. I think the 2-tone wheel concept is considered to be an advertising artist creative license and not a factory done procedure.
Mark, destroys is pretty harsh for something that 99% of people looking at the Jeep won’t see or notice.
It looks pretty good, but it’s not detailed to perfect. Major bummer on the Solex.
wrong rear seat for a 1946 .
Seth, I was not trying to be overly critical, but in that price range, I think it is a valid point. I just don’t like the way it looks, too modern. I think properly rebuilt Carter carbs are available, and perform quite well. Just one of my jeep hang-ups, like non-original style tail lights.
I live in College Station, Tx and we have lots of old jeeps around, but never seen this one tooling around. I would believe this is a scam too. For 21k Hah!!! they better throw in the ’46 plate….single plates can be had here for $25, it is the pair that draws a C note or two. For 21K they should have stated something about every seal, bearing, and bushing being replaced in Front & Rear Ends, and should have a faithful Carter WO.
True Willys people know if you put 20,000 into CJ2A restore, with a few thousand hrs of labor, you better keep and enjoy it because no way you will get that back out on a CJ2A.
PS – Vilas rebuilt my L134 for my CJ2A and they have a much better cleaning and painting of block and head than this one, my engine literally looks factory new as Vilas are perfectionists. If you zoom in on head bolts/nuts and exhaust manifold studs, looks like the threads are crud’d up. Throttle cable not connected, throttle linkage it bent, fuel pump output line looks rusted, pink plumbers teflon on fittings. Does not look like the oil filter line next to fuel pump got a new grommet at the filter bracket and that line should be going to the filter, but instead looks like it is heading to fill tube/dipstick. Rust on fan shroud at upper rad hose……list goes on…not a 21k jeep…
250 miles at 50 mph would be 5 hrs of run time, 10 hrs at 25mph….Engine should still look pristine.
This jeep was also listed on The CJ-2A Page, and seller states the jeep has been sold. I think this was a legitimate jeep seller, who created a nice ad with good pictures. Then the typical Craigslist hackers stole his ad. It is getting harder to sell nice stuff on the internet!
Mark,
I agree. That’s what I thought happened, too.
– Dave
Dave, sorry for the duplicate posts, my computer is really acting up, something to do with foxfire and outdated Adobe reader.
Not a problem. It’s a simple issue to clean up 🙂 could have been an issue with the site. That happens, too.
I am the restorer and seller of this vehicle and can say that, while not perfect (as pointedly noted) it was a reasonably good restoration by most standards and, although I didn’t get the full asking price, any seller knows you start high and negotiate from there. The original, restored carb was included with the sale along with the original gas tank. And, yes, Vilas DID overhaul and restore the engine; all receipts and specs were included in the vehicles restoration binder which conveyed with the sale.
Too bad the scammers have run amok with the old listing.
p.s. only one plate was issued in 1946, not two.
Dear MLS,
It is now advertised here: https://www.vintagestefano.com/
They are based in Ireland.
Did they buy the car from you?
Kind regards, J.
Hi Jurgen,
Given the text in the Irish ad has similarities to the earlier Craigslist posting, I believe this is still a scam. I have not seen any valid ad for the jeep since 2016. Thanks for the note! I’ve updated the post with a screen shot and a link to the site.
– Dave