what if????

[preacherman]

OK I have been thinking lately about my DD. I drive 2.1 miles to work every day and I have 2 young children so any time I drive anywhere else but work I usually just drive my wifes mini van with the car seats.

So I have been thinking I could do something really fun to drive and unique as a DD. Then gas prices got high and I started thinking it would be good to get something that might get good mpg as well. So I started really thinking about my options (it must be semi cheap) this weekend. And here is what I came up with.

OK you ready for this one....
What about a willys CJ2 with a toyota drivetrain? A 22re motor, toyota 5 speed etc... the toyota makes about 120 hp (the jeep had less that 90hp) and the 5 speed would offset the low factory gears in the jeep axles. It would be pretty fun to drive, the conversion would not be to hard, and the 22r's and 22re's are everywhere so it would not be hard to find parts. I dont remember off hand the transfer case outputs for the CJ2 but in a pinch I think an entire drive train could be used (axles and all) from a toyota. Classic style, reliable drivetrain, good mpg, easy to work on, it just might work...

What do you guys think???

 

[John90XJ]

Quit rationalizing it....you just want one.

Put a cage in for the kids.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

OK you ready for this one....
What about a willys CJ2 with a toyota drivetrain? A 22re motor, toyota 5 speed etc... the toyota makes about 120 hp (the jeep had less that 90hp) and the 5 speed would offset the low factory gears in the jeep axles. It would be pretty fun to drive, the conversion would not be to hard, and the 22r's and 22re's are everywhere so it would not be hard to find parts. I dont remember off hand the transfer case outputs for the CJ2 but in a pinch I think an entire drive train could be used (axles and all) from a toyota. Classic style, reliable drivetrain, good mpg, easy to work on, it just might work...

What do you guys think???

Awesome!

A good freind of mine (Carl Whitmore) did just that in his CJ2A years ago.
http://www.txjeeper.com/readersrides/showcase/august99/index.htm

 

[computeruser]

Sounds good. Build two of 'em and send one up to MI for me.

 

[Doin_It]

I think at 2.1 miles, you could totaly build and have what you want, by just riding a bike to work.

 

[fisher205]

The bike would be more comfortable also. I loved my old CJ 2 but It wasn't that comfortable. Though I know a guy that has driven his CJ 2 every day for the 25 years I've lived here.

 

[DaveInDenver]

A couple of more.

Matt Stoffregen's '57 22R-E powered Series I
http://www.4wdandsportutility.com/features/rover/0611_4wd_1957_range_rover/index.html

Chris Olson's '48 CJ2A with a 22R-E
http://www.bc4x4.com/fv/2000/colson/colson.cfm

FWIW, the 22R-E from the factory made 116 HP and 133 ft-lb of torque at sea level. Most people get around 140~150 ft-lb and 120~125 HP with the regular stuff, header, cam, head work, etc. I have a higher flowing head and oversized valves on my 22R-E and it'll probably do about 125~130 HP once it's all broken in and I can run synthetic again.

BTW, 2.1 miles, I would walk before I drove. My drive in is about 15 miles, it goes about 16 miles if I ride the bike (which I do usually a couple of times a week). Save the gas and the environment, ride a bike to work!

 

[gpwpat]

you drive 2.1 miles and are worried about gas prices? I drive 80 miles a day. I would not be worried about your daily driver if I were you. You could drive what ever you want. you are only going to fill the tank once a month.

Here is my take on modifying a cj2a with a toyota.

Why? I mean you are going to drive it 2.1 miles a day. Leave it stock. the flat head 4 banger is a really reliable engine. it will tick away for years. If you really think you need do drive faster than 50. put a overdrive in it. then you can go 65. They get 15mi to the gallon. ok not great. but heck it is origional. it will be more than that if you go for an overdrive. The OD bolts on the back of the transfercase. no modifications needed. The engine does not get any easier to work on than an old flat head.

I have a restored wwii jeep. I put 10K miles on it in the 5 years since I finished the restoration. It just ticks along. and still looks new. Not only that people love the sound of the flat head. and when you are done with the restoration it will be worth so much more 100% origional than modified into somthing else. But then again. that is why classic jeeps especially flat fenders are getting so expensive. They keep getting gutted and built into something else. stock ones are getting rarer and the price is going up with the demand for a stocker.

If I only had to drive 2 miles a day I would probably drive my GPW to work half the year. Even getting caught in the rain in the GPW is an adventure. manual wipers, no doors or side curtains. Great stuff. I love my 42. this weekend I am taking the 100% wwii jeep on a 300 mile camping trip with 4 other 100% wwii jeeps. Up into the mountains we go. no seatbelts, no turn signals, no rollbars. old fashioned NDT tires. What fun. can't wait.

I know I have a 1989 toyota pickup. it got 280K miles on it. then the tranny went out. I drove the heck out of it. It was my first car. I love the reliability of toyotas. but In my opinion. a classic jeep is more fun the way it was made. They are more rare and very capable they way they came. I have a friend. He is in his 70's now. been driving the rubicon every year for 40 years in the same 1945 jeep. Only things he has added recently only when driving the rubicon is the rollbar, and modern tires for the slick rock. When back on pavement off goes the rollbar, and on go the old fashioned tires.

any way it is only my opinion. I just love them stock. I have more fun showing my jeep off and getting crazy looks when my origional jeep made it up some trail that huge built up rigs run on. and here is this small army jeep just chugging along.

 

[DaveInDenver]

you drive 2.2 miles and are worried about gas prices? I drive 80 miles a day. I would not be worried about your daily driver if I were you. You could drive what ever you want.

I would be more worried about wearing the truck down by not driving it enough. Short trips are hard on it, it never really gets warmed up.

 

[gpwpat]

I have to admit. When I was caught by the classic jeep bug. 8 years ago. I too thought about different drive trains. for the same reasons you are talking about. I just thought I would never be able to keep up the old engine and it would be expensive. But I found otherwise. afterall they didn't call it the go devel for nothing. and the willys 134 L head was in production for close to 20 years. for 30's technology it had a long run.

 

[gpwpat]

I would be more worried about wearing the truck down by not driving it enough. Short trips are hard on it, it never really gets warmed up.

I agree. It should not be driven less than 10. to get warmed up and let the draft tube suck out any condensation.

But then again. If I worled in the town I lived in. I would be riding a bike too.

sorry about my rant. I am just a stickler for stock. they are so rare. that they are just cool to see. Teh novelty factor of driving a stock jeep never wears off.

My next vehicle I hope to find a LR series 1 to restore. I like old 4X4's

 

[preacherman]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. A couple of things.
-usually I ride my bike to work a few times a week, but schedule sometimes means I can't
-I was thinking about a swap because I had my eye on a good body that was missing a drivetrain
-I think I found a different one that does have all the stock drivetrain and would be better overall, so stock may be the way to go
-I had assumed that it would be hard to find parts for a '46 but after looking at it, it does not look to be that hard

The one I found is a '46 CJ2 and is stock except for some white spoke wheels and old AT's. The price is right and I may be able to get it by this weekend. It would be a great one to keep stock and right now is at the top of my list.

 

[atavuss]

I agree with Pat, I would leave it stock, plus the sound of a flat head 4 cyl. Jeep motor is music

 

[preacherman]

Snagged one. My buddy had a 1946 CJ2 complete and running (roughly). Best part of all I only paid $300.
View attachment 10321

 

[4Rescue]

I agree with Pat, I would leave it stock, plus the sound of a flat head 4 cyl. Jeep motor is music

Oddly enough it sounds alot like a 22RE, just a thought.