WJL 14 Willys. Jeep. Life. 1)
Willys. Jeep. Life. POST ARCHIVE: 5/30/2012
[Post Title]: The Mythical Barn Find by Mike Bowen
Ponce de Leon searched for the Fountain of Youth and intrepid explorers throughout the centuries have sought the lost city of Atlantis. Those of us with “Jeep Fever” have a quest that is nearly as all-consuming — the search for the mythical “barn find.” We seek, mostly in vain, for the good farmer who has tucked away, in a hallowed corner of his barn, the object of our desire: the pristine, unmolested vintage flat fender Jeep. Like new fallen snow, a fine layer of dust covers the original paint and tires. Rust? Ha! There is no rust. Mileage? What mileage! Old Farmer Brown only drove it out to check his fences and to church once in a while; heck man, this Jeep is hardly even broken in.
Many of us who suffer from Jeep Fever have befriended this mysterious farmer from time to time and have beheld his virgin Jeep. Some of you will remember the farmer, the barn, the Jeep. And, you’ll painfully recall what happened right after you handed Farmer Brown five crisp one-hundred dollar bills and he handed you the keys and title. Come on, yes you do. You woke up from your dream and got ready for work!
As we are all aware, most old flat fenders have spent the last 40- 60 years out in the elements, where rust has taken its toll. They
BLOG POST ARCHIVE: 5/30/2012
BLOG POST ARCHIVE: 5/30/2012
have been driven to death by infidels, deprived of lubrication by the irresponsible, molested by rabid welders, painted by idiots, modified by fools, or all of the above. Finding the pristine Jeep is difficult — but, even today, not impossible. I got the Jeep bug in 2007. I can still remember the Rat Patrol and Combat TV shows from my childhood. I’ve always loved the old flat fenders, but, until I raised my family, I never had the time or the money to own one.
When I first got into Jeeps, I didn’t know anything. My first Jeep was a DJ-3A body on a CJ-2A frame. From there, like a crack addict, I bought and sold Jeeps to support my habit. In the span of three years, I must have bought and/or bartered at least a dozen Jeeps. eBay fueled my addiction, and, like you, when in my car I kept an ever-watchful eye out for roadside treasures. Few were drivable. I continually traded up or bought a Jeep for the tires, PTO or other coveted part, and sold the rest to a fellow Jeep addict. I sent three containers to England — I have a friend in Manchester. Yes, the M543 wrecker was ours, and it was safer than using a forklift.
During this time, I learned that every man doesn’t look at rust in the same way. I once drove all the way to Kansas to pick up a Jeep from a farmer’s field. At this point, I need to warn you that just as there are good farmers with good Jeeps, there are evil farmers with bad Jeeps! If you’ve seen The Wizard of Oz, you’ll get the picture.
It was snowing and I got stuck in the muck from the rain the day before and nearly froze to death before being pulled out by another farmer with the tractor from hell; a real monster. My evil farmer didn’t have a tractor. His eBay auction had read: “This Jeep came from California; no rust.” Well, I guess, technically that was true; since the floors had rusted out and were completely missing. Live and learn. After that, I got very specific with my questions and asked for lots more photos, when buying off eBay. My last Jeep (before the one I’m about to tell you about) was a 1951 M38 military Jeep. It had no rust and a freshly rebuilt motor. I had just finished collecting all the parts for it, including a complete 24 Volt electrical system, when an amazing thing happened. I had bought another M38 simply
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