Throwback Thursday: Stock 1946 Jeep Willys CJ2A Proves To Be Surprisingly Capable
‘Quaint’ 1946 Jeep Willys CJ2A takes on Sand Hollow State Park in southern Utah and wins.
When folks get to talking about wheeling their Jeeps they can get carried away a bit when it comes to what you need to tackle some trails. You only have 40-inch tires? You will never make it! No 6-inch lift on your Jeep? Good luck getting anywhere. You are not triple locked? Don’t expect to make it out of the parking lot!
While modifications like that are useful and even required when taking on extreme terrain, it is refreshing to see what a stock Jeep can do. Especially if that stock Jeep happens to be 76 years old. The 1946 Jeep Willys CJ2A that you see here is basically as it was when first built. And despite its age and lack of upgrades it is still quite capable out on the trail.
This week’s “Throwback Thursday” is all about this 1946 Jeep Willys CJ2A. It was purchased recently from a gentleman who had it in his family for about 50 years. It was used as a hunting rig for a while. Then in the early ‘90s it had a basic restoration done and was used as an occasional play thing.
Now it is owned by Grant. And Grant is intent on keeping this simple Jeep simple. Revery 4×4 posted a video on their YouTube channel recently of Grant and his Jeep. Nothing fancy to see here, no crazy mods. Just a man and his old Jeep taking on some trails in Sand Hollow State Park.
Modifications
Goodyear TrailRunner All-Terrain tires. Bestop soft top. That concludes the extensive list of modifications. This 1946 Jeep Willys CJ2A is as close to original as you can get. It still uses the original straight four-cylinder Go-Devil engine.
And that is what makes this video so refreshing. We love heavily modded Jeeps as much as anyone. But this video serves as a good reminder of what a basic Jeep can do. And what a basic Jeep always could do even when Harry S. Truman was President.
The Sweet Spot
This Jeep is in the sweet spot condition wise. It is nice enough that you could take it to a car show and people would enjoy it. But it not an over restored garage queen show truck.
So Grant still feels comfortable getting it out on the trail and using it like a Jeep is supposed to be used. And that is a good thing because it is out on the trail where this Jeep really shows its worth.
Having Fun
This is what the bulk of the video shows. It is Grant and his 1946 Jeep Willys CJ2A tackling some tough terrain out in a Utah State Park. There are no water crossings or deep mud pits to drive through. But there is plenty of sand and rocks to negotiate.
We would be lying if we said this was the toughest terrain that was ever driven on. Or if we said that the little Jeep didn’t have its struggles. But considering the age of the Jeep and the fact that basically nothing has been done to it, you have to be impressed.
See For Yourself
Checkout the video below and you will be treated to footage of a basic Jeep getting the job done on the trail. It is about as honest and refreshing an off-road video as you will find out there.
It is a breath of fresh air to just take a step back and watch something like this every once in a while.