Old jeep advice?

[BD]

When I was in high school in PA in the early 1970s a good friend had an MB that we had a lot of fun in. When my daughter was in high school in Maine at the turn of this century, a good friend of her's had a CJ2a that they had a lot of fun in. I have grandkids now, I live in Northern Maine, and I think they should have a lot of fun in an old jeep as well. I don't like modern four wheelers or side by sides at all. I've used them a fair bit at work, and other than the ability to put tracks on, I think they are not what I want. Too expensive, Too Loud, Too fast, and Too fragile. The selection of old jeeps is limited in Maine, and 60" in width is a real factor, (ATV laws and barriers). I am currently looking at two possibilities: One is a 1948 CJ2a with a 231 odd fire that is sound steel, but rough assembly. A real back yard mechanic rig. It has an after market quite thick CJ3a tub, no rust through, and a good frame, T-86 tranny rebuilt with T90 gears and a twin sided PTO and a Ramsey front PTO winch, good seats, but lacks a windshield and any sort of interior refinement, (no shift boots, no shifter knobs, no working gauges). Starts and runs, Original brakes and steering gear, Winch not currently working, $3,500 . The other is a 1949 with a 153 chevy nova 4 cylinder, custom top , new paint, OD, everything works, (almost too fancy for me, has a radio?) for $8,500. I don't know what the tranny is, and I see no sign of a PTO. Any advice? Any advice on the CJ forum that is the equivalent of CastBoolits? My goal is a street legal jeep that will do at least 55 and be safe to drive, while still being configured for off road. 20 years ago 45 mph was enough to get the 15 miles to any nearby trailhead. These days twenty folks would be passing you,( half out of control), if you were doing 45 for more than a mile.

[Brokenbear]

Well ...my last build was a 54 wagon ...frame up and made a good profit and had a good time "scrounging" for things ...I lean to original and there re sources out there to keep the drive train near original and certainly tubs,fenders floors etc ..but I do have to say this ...I urge you to find one of the early CJ's (don't recall the first model years) but go for one where the axles are on TOP of the springs ..the lowered body and resulting lower center of gravity is/was a life saving move.. all young people need every edge they can get as experience in driving and learning/managing the dynamics of off roading is just not available like we learned on our farms and ranches
So I'm for non hybrid jeeps ..KISS ..keep'em original ..sure makes keeping them on the road easier

Bear

[historicfirearms]

My old cj2a would do 50mph flat out. That was with the original L head engine. One day while going downhill I got her up to 54mph and blew the engine. Parts are probably getting hard to find for these old jeeps. Twenty years ago when I had mine parts were rare. Then scrap metal prices went up and all the junk cars went to the crusher. Transmissions, transfer cases, closed nuckle front ends, all gotta be nearly non existent now.
I loved my flat fender so I hate to say this. I would look for a little bit newer CJ5 if it were me. They will also be easier to drive 55.

[sigep1764]

49, the whole way. You said grandkids. They are gonna need gauges and that Chevy 4 cylinder will run forever with enough power to get them out of trouble. And its sorted. Its turnkey, just maintain it. Worth the extra 5k

[redneck1]

Being an odd fire it's more likely to be a 225 duantless then a 231 Buick . But that doesn't mean it isn't . You'd have to check the serial numbers .
Regardless of that , the little odd fire v6 engines are pretty solid .
They make plenty of power in stock form . And if that isn't enough for your tastes they are very easy to get a lot more out of .
Given a choice In a jeep I'd take the v6 over a 4 , inline six or a 304 v8 any day of the week .

Edit ..as a side note , if your looking to possibly modernize a jeep with fuel injection in the future .
Odd fire engines aren't the easiest way to go , an even fire engine will be easier to do and a fair bit cheaper

[Lloyd Smale]

buick made both an even fire and odd fire 231 (3.8) v6.

[truckjohn]

Yes they are super fun but they are scarce now. Prices are going up and parts are scarce.

Have you considered a side by side utility 4-wheeler by Honda/Polaris/Kawasaki? Integral roll cages. Small light engines. Parts and service availability. I bet you could get the dealer to put a limiter on it so the kids could not run 80mph in one...

[Todd N.]

What is your ability to do reconditioning work on one of these? That COULD dictate your choice. Having the tools, knowledge, and garage space to work on a "project" will open up more options.

My thoughts on the 2 choices you presented:

The '48 is a "project" (beater) through and through. No matter who you are or what your resources, it will likely be a year or more before you can drive that thing down the street to check the brakes. Are the motor mounts welded correctly? Is the motor installed square to the frame and with the correct offset? What's going on with the clutch linkage? Is it non-existent, home fabbed, or aftermarket hydraulic? The trans "upgraded gear parts" is as meaningful as saying, " I use .30-'06 bullets in my .308" - it's just a case of interchangeable parts that truly has no merit. The PTO winch has very little use any more beyond collectors and restorers- they don't allow you to drive out of a "stuck" like an electric winch can do for you. Your PTO port is better served being stuffed with a Warn or Husky Overdrive from Herm The Overdrive Guy. Original brakes and Ross steering? For ease of driving and the safety of your precious grandkids, please update those outdated, marginal-at-best systems. Aftermarket jeep bodies are iffy. I have an Omix-Ada body from 1997 that sits behind my garage. It is not square, holes are wrong, dimensions are wrong, some original parts won't bolt up no matter what you do. It is my $3500 mistake.
I could go on but you get the picture. Beyond the purchase, you will likely invest $3-5,000 getting this Flatfender fully operational and safe to drive. And like I said, you will spend a year or more doing it. More like 2 years.

The '49 sounds turn-key. I personally am not a fan of the Chevy 4 cylinder motor for a jeep- lack of appreciable torque, powerband is narrow- but they ARE fuel efficient. You probably don't see a PTO because the OD is using that port on the transfer case. Out here in the West, that Jeep is WAY overpriced at $8500. I don't know the jeep market in your area.

Alternate ideas would be to find one on ebay and have it shipped, or have friends or relatives in other parts of the country find on for you that is a better buy and have it shipped. Either way you will get more jeep for less than $8500. Here's some examples...

https://portland.craigslist.org/yam/cto/d/mcminnville-1960-willys-jeep-4-wheel/7017974710.html

https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/d/bothell-1950-willys-cj3a-flatfender-jeep/7024863899.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/vacaville-1953-willys-jeep-m38a1/7018314872.html

[BD]

I looked at the '49 today. It looks good on top, and has a very nice custom top, overdrive, seatbelts, gages, glass, turn signals and Saginaw steering. Downside is that it looks worse than the '48 underneath. Other than the 153 and steering, it is the original tub, drive train, brakes and suspension, pretty much untouched. They did not pull the tub to paint it and the tub hat channels are mostly gone with the wood fillers falling out. Shifted hard and I couldn't get the transfer case to go into low. With the lever in low there was nothing there but a whirring sound. I'm going to try and look closer at the '48 later this week. It looks like in either case I'd be pulling the tub to go through the undercarriage and paint.
Although it's over 40 years ago now, I pretty much grew up in a body shop, working there summers and weekends from age 13 to 21. I can handle the work, and I can fab most things. It's more a case of value for the dollar going in.

[Petrol & Powder]

Neither one of those sounds real appealing to me.

I would keep looking.

[redneck1]

I'll toss out some advice .

I'm going to assume from the price range you've been looking at that the budget isn't unlimited nor is it minimal .

So you want a jeep and you mention grandchildren, why not forget about actual value . This is something you want , not need .
Concentrate on getting the jeep you want in the condition that suits you . spend what your comfortable with and dont worry about anything else . If you spend a few bucks more or less then you should have who cares .
I don't know anyone who is getting any younger and letting money get in the way of some enjoyment just doesn't make much sense

[lefty o]

if its for you, buy whatever tickles your fancy, but as you allude it would be more for the grandkids, buy the newer option. yes the new toys may be faster, but they are also way safer.

[Ickisrulz]

The Mahindra Roxor looks pretty cool to me.

[BD]

So the guy with the '49 came down to 4,000. I'm going for it tomorrow. I'll post some pics when I get it home.

[BD]

The Roxor is too wide and too long IMO. It's the compact size and wheelbase of the 2a's and 3a's that I like. Otherwise I'd go for the basic creature comforts of CJ5

[skeettx]

Good luck, looking forward to the pictures :)

This is what you got?
The other is a 1949 with a 153 chevy nova 4 cylinder, custom top , new paint, OD, everything works, (almost too fancy for me, has a radio?). I don't know what the tranny is, and I see no sign of a PTO.

[Mal Paso]

The original jeep was tested, in part, right here in Big Sur. A local boy, Hank Adams, volunteered that Big Sur had all the rough terrain you could want. Close to Fort Ord was likely also a factor. There was a newspaper article shortly after Hank passed with the details. Lost the clipping to a wild fire but this thread jogged my memory.

[BD]

Yes, I'm buying the shiny one. My wife and daughter "firmed up" that decision based on the roof, heat, turn signals and "drive it now" factor. I did a little reading and I'm thinking the problem I thought was with the transfer case was probably operator error. Apparently the fork in the CJ2a won't let you go into low on the transfer case unless you are in four wheel drive. I had been trying to see how low first gear was in low range direct drive at the time, and I don't know that I had the front axle "in". I don't remember this issue on the MB from 40 years ago. Could be different in the MB, or could be my memory. The seller had never driven it in any range other than high on the transfer case and 1.25 on the OD. I'll check that out tomorrow, but at that price I could afford a transfer case rebuild, (and maybe a 4 speed as well). At this point I'm not thrilled about the 153, but on the plus side it will give me more range on the stock gas tank, and it can be made much much quieter than the Odd fire. The saginaw steering is a plus. The brakes may need attention, They are the stock 9" drums and I don't know that the 153 makes enough vacuum for a simple booster. Anyone know offhand what rims would fit this? It has the original rims and NDT's which I remember as not being very good on plowed snowy roads, (or even wet pavement). I'd like to put a set of modern studded snows on for winter use.

[enfield]

I bought 4 Willyses ( plural ?) for $2500 in early 2018 that were rotting in someones back yard for the last 25 years. I could salvage one frame ( still needed repairs and straightening ) 2 axles that had to be completely rebuilt, 1 engine also bored , pistons bearings etc. had one grille, one hood, 1 windshield frame. I built a complete tub ( it actually turned out pretty good I must say ) I had it driving down the road 13 months after purchase by working almost every night and every weekend on it. the transmission is apart now to overhaul and repair 2nd gear popout ( common T90 ). without labour allowance my parts alone added up to a lot more than I thought I would ever spend on a jeep.

[Todd N.]

BD,

Congrats on the Flattie! Here's a couple FYI's for you;

There is an interlock poppet in the transfer case shifter mechanism. Unless you remove that poppet, you can only get into low range if you are in 4WD. It;s REALLY harsh on the drivelines so people rarely do it unless they are running a competition grade crawler. If you are buying a jeep with a Chevy 4-banger, that is not your goal.
Speaking of the little 153, it actually will perform less efficiently than a V6. Remember, it's only about 80 HP. I run a Dauntless in my '65 CJ. With 33" tires, cast iron exhaust manifolds and single exhaust I average 16-17 mpg. AND I can run freeway speed- your 153 will be hard pressed to do that. We have 2 Flatfenders in my club with "modern" 4-bangers, a 2.3L Pinto motor and a 151 c.i. Iron Duke Pontiac. Neither one comes close to the V6 guys for fuel economy. It's the whole power-to-weight ratio thing...
Vacuum boost for your brakes is not the direction to go. Your 9" brakes will NEVER perform adequately no matter what you do to them. Put a slightly heavier tire on there, 4 people in the jeep and go 45 miles per hour. Your 9" brakes will get you stopped in a week or so. Get it up to 55mph like you said in your opening post? Your brakes will flat out scare you. The only SAFE answer is to get more braking not more pressure. 11 inch drum brakes used to be the hot setup but disc brake conversions are now so cheap and so much better than drum brakes that it's silly not to use them. Here are two vendors to give you a idea, but there are others who make them also:
http://hermtheoverdriveguy.com/brakes/front-disc-brake-kits

https://brennans-garage.com/products/copy-of-trackick-disc-brake-conversion-bracket-two-pair

With your fabrication skills, the smart solution is to convert to under-dash hanging clutch and brake pedals. This will give you better ergonomics of the pedals, better pedal effort ratios for more comfort and ease of driving (remember the part about getting the grandkids in the Jeep???), and give you the ability to install a modern dual chamber master cylinder for safety and even more increased braking efficiency. All of these upgrades as a package will give you brakes that rival a new-ish car and you don't have to add a booster. Change out your front axle to a Narrow Track Dana 30 and you will get better steering, disk brakes, open knuckles, and lower maintenance requirements.

If it was just you looking for a rig to get him around on the ranch in winter, this thread wouldn't have meant a thing to me. Mention your kids and grandkids and it's a different story! My daughter was driving Moab in my 2A when she was 13. She now has a High Hood CJ-3B of her own. As a single mother, she has great fun running around with her little boy, and proudly telling people,"That's MY Jeep!"
I hope your project turns out to be everything you hope for!

[samari46]

I had a 73 CJ5 with three on the floor plus 4 wheel drive high and low range.Straight 6 230 something HP. tore out the old locking hubs installed new ones redid all the bearings at the same time. New distributor,wires and plugs, floor boards were rotten so 1/8" steel plate front and back. Big mud and snow tires and all new springs front and back as well as new shocks. Diamond plate for the back floor and wrap around diamond plate back where the quarter panels. Forget what style high power lights on front bumper. Two chevy J hooks off a surburban on the bumper. I called it bucket of bolts. Had to take out the frame supports they were shot and new ones made out of 1/2" steel. real fun drilling the frame. for the new bolts. There was a 4 wheel drive place that sold anything for trucks 4 wheelers. On saturday must have been a good 20 guys out back doing lift kits,winches, anything you'd imagine. Place would get deliveries every other day trying to keep
up what with all the stuff being sold and installed out back. Some guy always volnteered to be the gofer. burgers,pizza,whatever. Some guyswould bring a generator to run an air compressor cause the one in the shop couldn't keep up. And forget about tools, hand operated and air driven. Jacks,ramps you name it. Frank

[Petrol & Powder]

That Chevy 153 4 cylinder isn't a powerhouse but parts are available (a lot of the minor components are the same as GM six cylinder parts).
I wouldn't be afraid of drum brakes without a booster, drum brakes don't require the high hydraulic pressure disc brakes do to achieve full braking force. Drum brake DO suffer when they get wet (something that happens with great frequency with an off-road vehicle). Informed operators know how to anticipate wet brakes and how to dry them.
That Jeep doesn't weigh a lot and drums will work just fine. Make certain the drums are true (you may need to have them turned on brake lathe). Make sure they are adjusted properly and check all of the lines. If the system still has the single piston master cylinder, really pay attention to all of the lines and hoses. A failure anywhere will disable the entire system. A lot of people convert those single piston master cylinders to duel piston master cylinders. With drums all around, the single piston setup work just fine, you just need to have a good hydraulic system (all lines, hoses and wheel cylinders in good condition).

[Todd N.]

That Chevy 153 4 cylinder isn't a powerhouse but parts are available (a lot of the minor components are the same as GM six cylinder parts).
I wouldn't be afraid of drum brakes without a booster, drum brakes don't require the high hydraulic pressure disc brakes do to achieve full braking force. Drum brake DO suffer when they get wet (something that happens with great frequency with an off-road vehicle). Informed operators know how to anticipate wet brakes and how to dry them.
That Jeep doesn't weigh a lot and drums will work just fine. Make certain the drums are true (you may need to have them turned on brake lathe). Make sure they are adjusted properly and check all of the lines. If the system still has the single piston master cylinder, really pay attention to all of the lines and hoses. A failure anywhere will disable the entire system. A lot of people convert those single piston master cylinders to duel piston master cylinders. With drums all around, the single piston setup work just fine, you just need to have a good hydraulic system (all lines, hoses and wheel cylinders in good condition).

You give the impression of a person who has no personal, hands-on experience with a Flatfender. Since the release of the MB and GPW, drivers (and their terrified passengers) have cursed the poor brake system that came on these vehicles. Going back through decades of various Hot Rod type magazines, anyone can see that the second most-common alteration done to a flatfender is to upgrade the brakes. Why? Because they suck! There is nothing that can be done to the original 9" brake system to make it compare to brake systems in use even in the '40s! That system was designed for ease of manufacture, low cost to manufacture, and ease of field repair. They didn't perform when the jeeps were brand new and they don't perform now. Go back to the 1950's & 60's and read all the ads in the car magazines about brake upgrades- EVERYBODY KNEW IT WAS A WORTHLESS SYSTEM! The 11" drum brake upgrade was the standard for years. Jeep dealers, JC Whitney, enterprising junkyard owners and auto parts wholesalers, and speed shops everywhere offered true bolt-on kits for the little flattie. People quickly learned that the parts were just the standard brakes from the Jeep pickup.
The Achilles heel was still the single chamber master cylinder. One defect or failure in any part of the brake system and your brakes were non-existent.
Some enterprising guy figured out how to mount hanging brake and clutch pedals in a jeep and the quality and safety took a giant leap forward. As disc brake systems became the norm, people started adapting them to jeeps. 4 wheel discs are a boon for jeeps! Contrary to some OPINIONS, disc brakes do not require high pressure to operate- no booster needed. As I said before, my daughter was 13 years old driving my CJ5 thru all the rock crawler trails at Moab. If a 13 year old girl can make the brakes work, I'm sure a grown man can too. These days, the only time you see original brakes on a Flatfender is either on a full restoration or it is owned by someone who is lacking the money, skills, or guts to upgrade.
One last reason to dump the 9" brakes...

Your 9" brakes blew a wheel cylinder or a master cylinder on the trail? Park your jeep, hike home, order replacements from Autozone or O'Reillys or off the web, and wait, wait, wait. You'll undoubtedly get someone to tow you back to camp or a parking lot but you are still out of commission with no repair parts easily accessible. I truly hope you trailered your jeep to the outing instead of driving it there- at least your tow rig will get you home.

As a different example, my CJ5 has 4 wheel disc brakes. I can take my hands of the wheel at 65 mph, step on the brake pedal and it will stop in a straight line. And it will do it as fast as that Honda Accord in the next lane. If I blow a caliper at Moab, on the Rubicon Trail, or miles up in the Cascade Mountains where I often hunt, repair parts are just a few hours away.

Lastly, in the original post BD mentioned not only his desire to drive at highway speeds but to include his grandkids in the jeep hobby. Those original brakes do not hold up to safe use for either of those parameters. Besides, it's so damn cheap to upgrade the brakes now. Why wouldn't you???

[Petrol & Powder]

OK , thanks for talking down to me, now it's my turn.

I've owned and worked on a lot of vehicles with drum brakes and I just might understand a bit more about them than you think I do.

The braking force from drum brakes is highly dependent on surface area. Larger diameter drums and wider shoes will provide more surface area and therefore more braking force.
The braking force of disc brakes is more a factor of pressure on the pads but as the forces build up, more surface area helps to handle the additional heat. One of the reasons racing applications have four piston calipers is to allow greater force on the pads without having to increase the diameter of the rotor.

Disc brakes are less susceptible (but not immune) to brake fade from excessive heat. And, disc brakes handle being wet better than drum brakes. However, disc brakes require more hydraulic force than drums. That doesn't mean a 13 year can't operate disc brakes without a brake booster but it does mean the brake pedal may require a little more force to achieve the same result.

When a brake shoe contacts the inside of the drum, the rotating drum tries to pull the shoe around with the drum and this force is transmitted to the pivot of the bottom of the shoe. The geometry of the shoe/wheel cylinder/pivot helps to pull the shoe against the drum. This is why the leading shoe tends to wear faster than the trailing shoe on drum brake systems. It is also why brake boosters are less common on systems with drums all the way around.
On a disc brake system the only force pushing the pads into the rotors is the hydraulic pressure applied to the piston(s) in the caliper.
On a disc brake system, more hydraulic force equals more braking force (to a point). That doesn't mean disc brakes must have a booster but it does mean the disc brakes benefit more from a booster.

You will get NO argument from me that disc brakes are superior to drum brakes.
Disc brakes handle heat better (to a point), the are far better when wet and they can generate more braking force with a more compact/lighter setup.

HOWEVER, that doesn't mean every vehicle in the world with drum brakes is a death trap.

A 2500lb Jeep going 50 mph is not the same thing as a 7000lb fully loaded Suburban going 90mph down a mountain.
9" drums and skinny shoes aren't the best brakes in the world but I've driven a lot of vehicles with 10" drums and 2" shoes. Somehow I managed to live and I didn't kill anyone else.

As for single piston master cylinders, I've had my share. A hydraulic failure in a single piston master cylinder system is a serious problem but for a long time, that system was the norm. You maintain those systems carefully and they work just fine. They just aren't very forgiving if they leak.

I'm NOT a 13 year old girl and I would appreciate if you would refrain from addressing me as if I was ignorant.

[Sam Casey]

Helped our daughter dump her Jeep and buy a Toyota 4R. She could not be happier.

[BD]

I bought the ’49. My wife loves it!, (I knew she would as it doesn’t look like junk, and it can be driven as is, to a point). The top is excellent. Doors need a little adjustment, but it is a real winter top for sure. It is definitely shiny on top. The gauges are all there and work, except the gas gauge, which the seller warned me about. Kenwood radio with Blue Tooth. I’d tear it out but Maine just passed a phone law with a $250 fine for talking with no Blue Tooth in a vehicle. Another stupid law, no exceptions for being at a stop light, or off road. The motor looks like a recent rebuild of a Chevy 11 from the early ‘60’s. It starts, runs, idles, has a manual choke and fresh paint, (painted while stripped down to the block). The only downside is a plate over the fuel pump and a chesey electric pump hose clamped to the frame with the ground tucked under the hose clamp. The paint on the body looks great but it is a “for sale” paint job. The tub looks great above, but was not pulled so it shows it’s age underneath, (originally red), and they painted over the crud on the axles and drive train. I can see some repairs underneath, (welded in fender well exhaust, welded front and rear cross members, some repair work for the aftermarket fender on one side), nothing scary and no bondo splurging in through rusted out areas. The hat channel rust is all outboard of the frame rails, (probably from the couple of winters in Minnesota). Inboard of the frame rails is well protected by leaking tranny/transfer oil over the years. Title search say’s it’s an Arizona jeep for 90% of it’s recorded history.
The drive chain has been neglected. I pressure washed it and was able to determine that it has a Warne OD unit and a Saginaw steering setup. I cannot make out the transmission, transfer case or axle info. I’ll need to get under there with a scraper and then a cup brush to read that stuff. The only stuff that looks like it’s seen attention in the last 20 years is the front axle. The steering parts are clean, there’s new rubber brake line connectors and a new set of Warne lock out hubs. Front driveshaft slip joint is very sloppy/wobbly. I did put the hubs in and drive it around the yard and experienced no untoward noises. On the downside the brakes are box stock 1949 and they are terrible. Reminds me of the original brakes on my ’58 Chevy panel truck in high school. I may pull the steering wheel off while cramming down on the brakes to get it to a halt. No sign of any of the emergency brake setup anywhere. That’s a bummer. It has four brand new Firestone 6.00-16 NDTs with the nubs still on them, and a bare 15x8 rim for a spare? The NDTs are no good at all on the packed snow/ice in my dooryard. This needs real modern tires and brakes.
It sits a couple of inches too high. The front and rear spring shackles look very long, although it is level. It has auxiliary “steps” , (to help short people get in ?) The steering radius seems wide to me. Lock to lock the edge of the stock 6.00-16 NDTs are 2” from hitting the springs. Is this correct? Center line of the front spring upper shackle bolt is 20” off the floor. How high over stock is that? The rear top shackle bolt is 18-1/2” off the floor. What I remember about the MB is crushed stamped steel shackles that were only maybe 3-4” bolt to bolt? I remember replacing these as they made some noise after being crushed, (six big guys driving down over the ridge to “crash” the party, and I mean “crash” in the literal sense).
Bottom line is that this is someone’s DD in 2WD ,or parade jeep, that someone built a good top for and then painted and sold to two brothers from Maine.
But, it made my wife happy!
I think the Geo-Tracker disc adaptors in the front, and maybe some larger drums which would accept an e-brake cable setup in the rear are in order sooner, rather than later.253137253138253139253140253141253142

[Shawlerbrook]

Looks like you( and your wife) made the right choice!

[Petrol & Powder]

My guess on those front shackles is someone was trying to achieve the correct height with springs that lacked the original arch.

The electric fuel pump was probably just an expedient shortcut during the build. That's an easy fix if you want to return it to a mechanical fuel pump but since it isn't an all original Jeep anyway, that's probably not important. I believe that 153 uses the same fuel pump as the 230 or 250 Chevy straight six engine; so they're easy to find. In fact, that 153 has a lot of parts in common with the 230/250 engines.

The big turning radius could just be due to the closed knuckle front axle (I assume it has the closed knuckles?) or maybe that Saginaw steering setup needs some attention? Or maybe some combination of both? Perhaps it had big tires at some point and someone adjusted the steering to prevent interference and never put it back when skinny tires were installed?

[Reg]

A great reference source is The CJ-2A Pages on the internet, there is one for the 3-A's as well also there are tons and tons of parts out there for the old flat tops Ebay is a good source for new and used parts and there are several new parts dealers out there. Check the internet.
Many new parts are now made in the Philippines in fact you can get enough new parts to actually build a flat top out of a catalog if you wish.
Hate to tell you this but get one flat top and you will want another !!!!!