1954: Mark Stovner
"I am a member of the Snohomish County (Washington) Search & Rescue, and the team leader of our 4x4 unit. I built the 3B to use on SAR missions and it works great up in the mountains (120K JPEG). This is not my first Jeep; I have owned several CJs over the past 27 years but never a high hood -- this is the one I've always wanted since I was kid. I purchased it in 2007 from a guy in Oregon who had started the project and gathered a lot of the main components already. I did a complete frame-off restoration, and I have now completed the 2.5 year project.
"The engine is a 283 Chevy V8 (120K JPEG), with a Muncie 4-speed, Atlas adapter, Dana 20 T-case, custom C-V drive lines. The axles are late-70s CJ Dana 44 rear and Dana 30 front wide track with disk brakes. Both have lockers with 427 gears. The suspension is spring-under lifted, with a shackle reversal. It has Chevy power steering, Wilwood brakes and hydraulic clutch, Camaro 4-core radiator with electric fan, Painless wiring harness, custom full roll cage and seats, and Warn 8,000 lb winch (80K JPEG).
"The frame rails are original and fully boxed now. The tub and fenders are aftermarket from the Philippines, and I had a buddy of mine do the paint job. We took it to his shop in pieces and all the parts were shot with 3 coats of lacquer top to bottom, then cut and buffed. The color is 1969 Chevy Hugger Orange.
"I have more plans for the project down the road."
1954: Jukka Meriläinen
"I live in Helsinki, Finland. 1954 is the first registration year of my Willys CJ-3B. Finnish registration number is in the frame near bumper: 4J-46880A (engine number?) It has no VIN plate. It has been a show car in American Car Show in Finland year 1987. Then the second owner before me built it in sailing style with wooden panels and black color. It has been green originally. I have done brake and electrical work. The owner before me has done mechanical work. It is very original; major changes are electrical fuel pump, carburetor, changes in fenders and tires. Original engine and transmission are working well. Some oil leaks.I have owned it since 2006."
See also a front view photo (220K JPEG).
1954: Russ Nauceder
"This is my 1954 Willys 3B. As I disassembled it to do some small repairs I found I had big problems. Everything was bad (70K JPEG). I took it down to the frame (70K JPEG) and started from scratch. I purchased another 3B body (ironically he called me as I was selling off the parts I no longer needed and he said he had a body he wasn't going to use -- what are the odds?). Anyway, that body wasn't perfect either, but better. I've modified this greatly -- it wasn't the plan to do all this but I didn't have much to start with. I love how it turned out (60K JPEG). It has a 350 engine, automatic transmission (350 turbo) and is two-wheel drive. I live in Ohio so cruising the 'flat' state is fine with me. The hood and fenders have been extended two inches to make room for the engine. Custom seats added as well. Many more modifications to get it running. There really isn't another one like it anywhere."
1954: Josh Hamlin
Josh in Prineville, Oregon, says, "I bought my 1954 CJ-3B last April, and have slowly been restoring it to original. It is my fifth Jeep. I owned a '53 CJ-3B in the 90's when I was in high school. A 1960 CJ-5, a 1966 CJ-5, a 1956 M-38, and now the 54 CJ-3B. I live on a cattle ranch in Central Oregon, and use the Jeep to hunt and play. We live about ten minutes from the national forest, so we run the Jeep up there to hunt, fish, and camp. This CJ-3B is pretty much original. I found a set of military 16" wheels to use, and put on a set of 600-16 NDT tires. I took the seats out that were in it (they were not original, and had green moss growing on them) and replaced them with boat seats ordered from Cabela's. I took out the homemade roll bar (150K JPEG) and took the homemade tow bar off the front. It came from a family in Eastern Oregon. I don't know the full history past that. My wife, kids, and I love that old Jeep, and so does our dog."
See a newer photo of the family out hunting in the Jeep (300K JPEG).
Continue to 1955 Owners and Photos.
Return to the index of Jeep CJ-3B Owners and Photos.
You can contact the CJ3B Page to add your CJ-3B to the Owners & Photos pages and to
The CJ-3B Database. -- Derek Redmond
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