[Scott1952]

Hello,

I just joined the forum. I have a 1952 CJ-3A in nice condition that I want to fix up a bit and paint. It was my father's jeep. He traded out the seats for newer more comfortable seats, put in a newer steering wheel, a new front bumper, and new wheels. Unfortunately it also has a 1962 F engine. It has a 1967 Ford Falcon carb, I think. I am trying to go back to as original as possible. I found some original hubcaps I will clean up and paint. I have a steering wheel but need a hub to attach it. I need seats and a new bumper. I have the original paint chip and hope to come as close as possible to it.

I live in Utah.

[F Bill]

Scott1952, on 02 October 2011 - 07:09 PM, said:

Hello,

I just joined the forum. I have a 1952 CJ-3A in nice condition that I want to fix up a bit and paint. It was my father's jeep. He traded out the seats for newer more comfortable seats, put in a newer steering wheel, a new front bumper, and new wheels. Unfortunately it also has a 1962 F engine. It has a 1967 Ford Falcon carb, I think. I am trying to go back to as original as possible. I found some original hubcaps I will clean up and paint. I have a steering wheel but need a hub to attach it. I need seats and a new bumper. I have the original paint chip and hope to come as close as possible to it.

Hi and welcome.. You might want to do some research on your 3A. Bob Westerman wrote a firly detailed book on it, and there are lots of advertising posters around here that show what an original 3A looked like. As far as I know the Jeep never came with hubcaps, altho I have seen beauty rings advertised for a 3A.. Also the steering wheel did not have a removeable hub. It was a plastic wheel, three spokes, with a simple nut and horn button in the center.

What are you referring to as the original paint chip? Is it a paint supply color chart with chips? That would be noce to see a picture of. The formulation of matching paint to original colors is a little difficult for Willys, as very few colors have verified matching modern formulas. Which color is it that you are needing to duplicate?

The later F head is a very capable engine, and almost a bolt in, especially with the Falcon carb. Hopefully your hood is still uncut, and you have an air filter hooked up. As long as it runs well, I don't see any pressing reason to go back to a flathead....

[Scott1952]

Thank you for the response. Do you know where I can I find Bob Westerman's book? I checked Amazon under his name and didn't see anything.

Oops. I didn't intend to write hubcaps--rims. I bought an old set of rims that need to be sand blasted and painted.

The steering wheel I just got matches your description. But I don't have any way to attach it. I need to figure that out. I assume I can order something from the company that sold me the steering wheel, or I'll have to get a machine shop to build something for me. I haven't looked very hard yet. My horn button is attached to the side of the steering collumn.

I found a "1952 Willys-Overland Colors" chart with Dupont color chips attached. It is two pages, 8 1/2 by 11, three ring binder hole punched, and dated April 30, 1952. It has every vehicle made by the company with the available color chips for that year. Apparently the CJ-3A was only available in Hampshire Green Metallic that year. The back of the page lists the colors for 1948-1951 without chips. So I am hoping some autobody shop can mix a close match or that I can find a modern formula somewhere. I can scan and email the color chart to you. I don't know if the colors will copy well. I assume my chips have faded a bit but they look quite good.

I have seen pictures of the Jeep with the rims painted white and I have seen pictures with the rims painted to match the body color. Do you have any idea if that was an option? I assume in 1952 they all came with rims painted Hampshire Green Metallic. But if white was an original option I would rather paint them white.

Yes the engine runs well and the Falcon carburetor is fine. The hood is perfect. My father build a home designed air filter system out of cans, one of them is a tuna fish can, that has worked quite well for the last 30 or 40 years. But the carburetor is in serious need of a tuning up. I live in a small town and doubt any of the shops around my home have a mechanic who really understands the old carburetor well. I don't.

I will go looking for old advertising photos. I would like to find some good close up shots.

Again, thank you for the information.

[F Bill]

http://www.cj3a.info/book/index.html should give you info on Bob's book.

The color information you have sounds incorrect.....I have a similar chart at the house, forget what year it was from. Often when the same color was used year after year, the paint company only put chips in in the first year they were used, and referred you back to those chips in later years.

The stock wheel has a splined hole, that matches the splined, hollow steering shaft (or tube, depending on whose book you are reading) It is held on by a large nut which also has the horn button in its center. There is no separate hub. Often removal of the old wheel damages the threaded portion of the shaft beyond repair, and it will need to be replaced. For some close up pics of the parts involved, google jeep steering wheel removal.

[Scott1952]

F Bill, on 03 October 2011 - 02:08 PM, said:

http://www.cj3a.info/book/index.html should give you info on Bob's book.

The color information you have sounds incorrect.....I have a similar chart at the house, forget what year it was from. Often when the same color was used year after year, the paint company only put chips in in the first year they were used, and referred you back to those chips in later years.

The stock wheel has a splined hole, that matches the splined, hollow steering shaft (or tube, depending on whose book you are reading) It is held on by a large nut which also has the horn button in its center. There is no separate hub. Often removal of the old wheel damages the threaded portion of the shaft beyond repair, and it will need to be replaced. For some close up pics of the parts involved, google jeep steering wheel removal.

Thank you very much. I have ordered the book and look forward to reading it. I'm having fun.

[Scott1952]

F Bill, on 03 October 2011 - 02:08 PM, said:

http://www.cj3a.info/book/index.html should give you info on Bob's book.

The color information you have sounds incorrect.....I have a similar chart at the house, forget what year it was from. Often when the same color was used year after year, the paint company only put chips in in the first year they were used, and referred you back to those chips in later years.

The stock wheel has a splined hole, that matches the splined, hollow steering shaft (or tube, depending on whose book you are reading) It is held on by a large nut which also has the horn button in its center. There is no separate hub. Often removal of the old wheel damages the threaded portion of the shaft beyond repair, and it will need to be replaced. For some close up pics of the parts involved, google jeep steering wheel removal.

You suggest the color information I have might be incorrect. Let me tell you what I have. It is a two-page bulletin labeled 1952 Willys-Overland Colors, Bulletin No. 10. It appears to be a Dupont document. The front of each page has what appears to be a listing of all the models made by W-O in 1952 along with a description of the colors for each model and a paint chip. It indicates the only color for the Jeep that year was Hampshire Green Metallic (which happens to be the original color of my 1952 CJ-3A). On the back of the second page is a listing of all models for years 1948-1951 along with the available colors. For example it indicates the 1948 Jeep was available in Potomac Gray, Emerald Green, Luzon Red, and Normandy Blue. The back does not have paint chips, just the name of the paint color.

[F Bill]

Scott1952, on 29 October 2011 - 11:56 AM, said:

You suggest the color information I have might be incorrect. Let me tell you what I have. It is a two-page bulletin labeled 1952 Willys-Overland Colors, Bulletin No. 10. It appears to be a Dupont document. The front of each page has what appears to be a listing of all the models made by W-O in 1952 along with a description of the colors for each model and a paint chip. It indicates the only color for the Jeep that year was Hampshire Green Metallic (which happens to be the original color of my 1952 CJ-3A). On the back of the second page is a listing of all models for years 1948-1951 along with the available colors. For example it indicates the 1948 Jeep was available in Potomac Gray, Emerald Green, Luzon Red, and Normandy Blue. The back does not have paint chips, just the name of the paint color.

The key is that it is a DUPONT document. Chip charts are expensive to make and they were provided free to bodyshops and dealerships. Probably the Hampshire Greeen Metallic was the only NEW color for 52. THe other colors available were repeats of previous years colors. Dupont and other paint companies would often only show the new colors for a year and expect the paint guys to check previous year charts to find the formula for a car they were attempting to match the paint of. They aren't really meant to research what was available a particular year.

[Scott1952]

F Bill, on 29 October 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:

The key is that it is a DUPONT document. Chip charts are expensive to make and they were provided free to bodyshops and dealerships. Probably the Hampshire Greeen Metallic was the only NEW color for 52. THe other colors available were repeats of previous years colors. Dupont and other paint companies would often only show the new colors for a year and expect the paint guys to check previous year charts to find the formula for a car they were attempting to match the paint of. They aren't really meant to research what was available a particular year.

After getting your response I went back and loked at my color chart and it appears to be just as you said. Thank you for taking the time to explain that to me.