The body is in surprisingly good condition. Includes a rear PTO.
https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/fortville-1948-willys-jeep-cj2a/6988979673.html
“1948 Willys CJ2A Jeep. original engine / transmission / rear PTO. Original paint and no rust repair no patches, all original sheet metal in great condition. a couple small rust spots behind front fenders but not worth fixing in my opinion. I have put 200 miles on this in the last week. Runs and drives excellent. lights works, engine is tuned up, brakes gone through all around and newer Bias ply tires. Clean and clear Indiana Title in my name. If your reading this its still available. can assist with shipping if needed. I will not respond to the “is this available” text.”
Love this jeep!
Surprisingly good shape for it’s age. If you look at the very last picture in the listing, it’s of the under seat tool box with out any rust. After viewing this picture, I noticed the script “Jeep” stamped into the front metal. I’ve had my 1948 2A for 49 years, and never noticed this. I had to run out to the garage and look, sure enough, there it is. I don’t know how I missed that. I don’t remember it being on my dad’s 1950 3A, or the 51 3A I had. Just one more of those nagging Willys Jeep questions of life; Was the Jeep metal stamping done on all CJ’s and until what year was it dis continued? Call me a pain in the you know what, but these are fun trivia questions, maybe somebody knows the answer.
I feel that it was on only a couple of years then removed because of the battle of who owned the word JEEP. Maybe wrong but that idea was stuck in the back corner of my mind.
Dave from Mn, Yeah, so there are theories about this, makes sense.
Mike- both of my 1945 CJ2As have the willys script on the front of underseat toolbox. The tubs are original on both, that is also true of any of the CJ2as I’ve had.
I went out and looked at some of my parts rigs . I was surprised that my 2 M38’s had the jeep script on the front of the toolbox.
3As and military CJV-35/U and M38 had the script Jeep in front of the tool box also. The JEEP name had already been used on late 44 and 45 MBs in 3 places on the vehicle, including the dash data place which reads Jeep Division Willys Overland Motors. Lore has it the tool box script was a poke at the govt restrictions on trademark embossments on govt. contract vehicles. (“By the time they find it here, it’ll be too late” lol).
Per Dave’s comment:
Willys-Overland first claimed use of the Trademark Jeep was Nov 1940
Ford wasn’t happy that W-O was trying to get the trademark, so the company complained in 1944 to the FTC about W-Os marketing, claiming that W-O didn’t invent the jeep. The FTC told W-O to knock it off. W-O did back off it’s advertising (http://www.ewillys.com/2019/04/12/345934/), but also snuck the term Jeep onto the jeep in various locations just as Barney indicated.
In mid-1950, W-O was finally awarded the Trademark (in the automotive vehicle category).
Thanks Guys, another “UN-SOLVED MYSTERY” SOLVED. I always thought of Robert Stack as a role model. So gratitude is given in more ways then one…
Wow, learn something new on here bout every day. Who’d a thought I hang with a bunch of ‘academians” (smart ass comedians)? Really nice ol jeep too, love the colors
Tim: Smart Ass Comedians is likely more accurate 🙂