A little later today I'll begin clearing out the garage. Originally I was planning to turn the double garage into a rec room and the single into my shop; now the double will become the car shop and the single a workshop. I hauled the DJ from Virginia down here last week, finally picking up the carb and the manifolds my brother repaired. Once I clear out the garage the Willys will go up on stands and work will begin. Ordered the manifold gaskets Thursday but I'm still awaiting confirmation the order went through. Surprisingly the seven year old battery took a charge and passed a load test, so my first task will be slapping the manifolds and carb back on and seeing if she will still run. The spare F-head motor will go on stand (when I get one) and I'll see how good or bad the condition of it is. That will probably be sold intact or parted out, or swapped for another L-head. I'll be checking out the transmission too but will probably keep it as a spare. From the limited info I have found on the DJ3A it came stock with the L-134 engine, T-96 transmission and Dana 27 rear axle. The spare parts likely came from a CJ, so I expect the spare tranny is a T-90.

Anyway, my first project is to get her running again. Depending on how that goes, I'll start working on the body. The steering column shifter is a pain and binds up shifting to second and third, so I will either replace the bushings in the linkage or try to find if a T-90 floor shifter will work in my transmission. The floorboard and transmission have plates for a floor mounted shifter. Money and time permitting, I think this will be a nice little project vehicle. As is, the thing is just plain fun to drive around. But, with a little bit of imagination, it could be a great project. Swap in a larger motor and make it a sleeper, or swap in a CJ drivetrain and make it the 4WD Jeeps were designed to be. Reading an article about another DJ showed me how a little knowledge and ingenuity can turn a Dispatcher into an off-road beast. Similarly, my neighbor was a hot-rodder in the Eighties and has given me some of his own ideas. Honestly, I don't need speed or off-road prowess right now, just a little something to occupy my weekends.