About a year or so ago, I went to look at a 1950 Willys CJ3A, I thought hte seller's price was high but I thought it was an awesome Jeep. Instead I ended up buying a total project 1953 Willys CJ3A, and started this thread... https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/new-to-me-1953-cj3/195542/page1/ This has turned into being way more work than I have he skill or time for, but I pressed on.
Fast forward to last week and I found the same 1950 CJ3A I looked at awhile ago for sale again. This time it was for sale by someone else than the seller who had it when I looked at it. The good was that at some point it was from AZ (based on the title) and has no rust in the floor pans, frame or undercarriage. It does have some spots in the tub and is a poorly painted camouflage. I began debating getting the 50 and replacing the bad parts with the ones I had for the 53. I drove it around and it seemed to run fine, idled fine, and stopped, but the parking brake would only hold on a flat service but not on an incline or decline. The seller offered it to me for less than half what it was when I looked at it the first time, I became very interested. I thanked him and headed home.
At home I compared the project I had, all the parts that would transfer, and the new parts I purchased for the 53 to the 50. I decided to get the 50.
Friday, I picked it up and drove it home the hour and 20 minutes on the back roads with no issues until the last two stop signs before my neighborhood. Then it just randomly cut out and stalled on me. Restarted fine to get to the house, but since then it takes multiple tries to start. Additionally it wants to stall in first gear. Second and third gear seem fine. Once running and warmed up it runs fine and shifts fine, but sometimes still wants to stall in first gear. I know the current seller told me it had been sitting for awhile. I'm guessing it's fuel related of some sort. I put fresh gas in, and the tank doesn't appear to be nasty when looking at it through the filler neck.
Any suggestions?
It has a V6, and was told it was a Buick. I know the Buick oddfire and evenfire V6s were common swaps into these, but the seller didn't know for sure, and I don't either. Here are some pics:
Looks like a buick to me. Based on carb, guessing late 70's?
definitely agree on picking up a better starting point too. Good call
for fuel start at the carb, there's probably a little filter on the inlet. Probably some boogers in the system somewhere.
I have also purchased a parts car that became the project car :) It says a lot about the vehicle you chose to start with!
Why worry about a Buick V6 in it now. Now you have a Willy that you can paint up nice and sell off the old one for the cash
Edit: they are asking 14k for this one.There are two,the other asking price is 11k. Some incentive 
My little girl helped me swap the hood over from the 53 to the 50. We also swapped the headlight rings, removed the rectangle turn signals, and installed LED turns in the stock location. Haven't decided if we are going to out then turn signal trim rings back on.
Such a cool rig! Definitely doesn't help my want for a flattie or early CJ-5 at all. Nope.
(runs to FB Marketplace/Craigslist...)
Always had a soft spot for these. My great uncle had one when I was a kid!
On the V6, that's 100% a 1975-up Buick flavor, judging by the valve covers and HEI distributor sticking out the front. I'm not sure if that makes it an odd-fire, but if it is, a friend of mine did a great writeup on how to convert it to Holley Sniper EFI. You can read about that here.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Thanks. That was a good read.
Only had about an hour to work on it, but my daughter helped me swap the tailgates yesterday.
Just a update from yesterday...
Well I think part of my stalling issue was a) it was low on gas doh! and b) a PO at some point installed a small peacock valve between the tank and fuel filter. I assume they did this in case they needed to replace the fuel filter. The peacock wasn't all the way open, so I opened it. After that it started and drove fine. I drove down the road and went to gas.
I parked it for 45 mins and it started and drove fine that time as well. Then I had a short drive, ran I got he store for 10 mins came out and then it didn't want to restart. After 3 tries it caught, but wasn't running as smooth. I drove it around for a another 30 mins or so and it smoothed out and ran fine.
I removed the "mailbox" aka the gas siphoning deterrent.
This is actually after I started but when I remembered to take a pic.
And after:
I hit it with 250 grit to see what was underneath the homemade camo. My daughter wants it to be blue, and I probably won't argue. This is my first car paint project.
If we paint I've read to sand with 400, then prime, sand with 400 again, then paint. Looking at using the Tractor Supply roller method. I don't care so much about super shiny polished finish, but having the whole Jeep the same color would be cool.
Roller primed and drying for paint. Hood didn't come out right so I'll sand and prime that again.
Nice! I do love some red primer.
It may be an awful paint job but it will always be my favorite.
She rolled almost the entire first coat by herself.
So, I ran the VIN on the Jeep yesterday.. The Jeep came back to two guys in TN (one I bought and some other dude) and two guys in AZ. And I got lucky!
I just hung up with one dude in AZ. He said it was used on a gold mining claim in AZ when he bought it and didn't have a VIN. He got a VIN through the AZ process and then he used it to drive over all kinds of off-road stuff out there. After that he moved to TN and brought the Jeep with him. He DD'd it from Decatur to Chattanooga for a couple years. He then bought several acres, and needed a tractor more than a Jeep. So he traded the Jeep for a tractor and farm equipment.
Funny thing is, when I put my project Jeep up for sale I got offered a tractor and farm equipment.
octavious said:
It may be an awful paint job but it will always be my favorite.
She rolled almost the entire first coat by herself.
This is awesome!
My daughter's 19 now. She would've looked like a smurf at that age.
Nothing has been done since the last pics. I put the hood on just because, and had to roll it into the driveway to get the mower out. So I took a pics. I like it.
My son and I got around to wet sanding the bad spots yesterday evening, which was mostly the hood and fenders. Neither of us had ever done it before, and wet sanding did eventually take the orange peel out. We did make sure to rinse sponges and the areas we were working often. But...our arms looked like Smurf arms, and the driveway is now a nice shade of blue. We both had a good laugh over that, and today he can pressure wash the driveway again.
We'll it's painted. Not bad for a guy with a lack of attention to detail, and his two kids roller painting it in the garage. I'm happy that it is solid colors.
Now, about my alignment...
Tony Sestito said:
On the V6, that's 100% a 1975-up Buick flavor, judging by the valve covers and HEI distributor sticking out the front. I'm not sure if that makes it an odd-fire...
My (very) old V-6 Performance book agrees with the '75-up ID and says that Buick went to even-fire sometime in '77. The plug wire terminal spacing on the distributor cap in the OP's photos indicates an even-fire engine.
