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I just bought a 47 CJ-2. I want to restore it as an MB. I'm curious to know if this is possible. I know this is a broad question but I'm just starting out and I'm ignorant on alot of the compatability issues. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tracy

I spent a lot of time, effort and money in rebuilding/converting a repop tub CJ3A into a M38 - gathering missing military parts and fittings, going through the mechanicals, repainting, etc. Then I realized that no matter what I did, the little jeep was always going to be a little mutt (and I don't mean a M151). So I bought a real M38 to restore. I see lots of "Army" jeeps for sale - green painted CJ's. There's nothing wrong with that but they are not actual military vehicles. I think that some of the total rebuilds of civilian jeeps in their original colors and fittings are more valuable that the cross-breeds. Of course, the military did use some civilian vehicles so there is some precedence in rebuilding a CJ for a military appearance. But turning one thing into another, well, you can't turn lead into gold. The CJ2A and MB are close enough that you can get a new tub and fittings to make it look pretty good. If your goal is to have a military-looking jeep, it can be a fun project. If you want a MB, buy one. Decide first on what you want you want in end.

Very good points made above.

If the CJ2A is restored as a CJ2A it will retain a much higher resale value.

If all you want is a military look for your jeep then just restore it stock and paint it OD and put markings on it. The Army used thousands of civilian jeeps as did the other services. They were usually painted in the services normal color and would have a service or US government ID tag affixed to the dash.

If your goal is to build a MB then of course you shouyld start with an MB. If you build a CJ2A trying to have it pass a buyer's inspection as a MB you will be very unhappy with the outcome.

Thank you both for the replies. I think I'm going to do as y'all say and restore it to original and paint it OD. Just for the record, I'd never try and decieve someone on what I have. I really wanted the military look. Maybe in the future I can do an MB.

Once you have the CJ2A restored and painted OD if you add the hood numbers and unit numbers most folks won't even realize it's not a WWII Army jeep.


Navy 2A


Navy 3A