We got dumped on in Wisconsin where my farm and shop are. After the wind slowed down I went out and plowed myself out with my Hamb friendly 1952 Willys CJ3A.
As hard as plowing is on a vehicle, I definitely am surprised to see that nice little jeep being used for the job.
Nice, my great uncle had a 46 CJ2A with a plow, used to keep it at my folks house (1970’s- early 80’s). It had a hand pump to lift the plow, I’d go out plowing with my dad and as a kid it was my job to operate the pump. Michigan salt eventually took its toll on that one.
I have been using it to plow snow for the past 30 years. I also have a rear PTO with a pulley for a flat belt that I run a buzz saw off of to cut fire wood in the fall. You can buy just about everything you need to keep an old Jeep running, it's 1940's technology, so not hard to work on.
That sounds like the Farm O Road Jeep they advertised after the war. Very nice to see an old Jeep still earning its keep.
My experience with plowing is in Northern idaho in the mountains, on a 1+ mile driveway. We get lots of snow, and we use a bulldozer when it gets heavy enough. Most of the time an old 1 ton 60s ford pickup. It's on its 3rd front pumpkin... We do have a cj2a as well...well did. It was stolen along with some of our heavy equipment. Hopefully we'll get it back. Been on the property since new.
Not the Farm O Road, that has a 3 point hitch mounted in the bed. Mine just has accessories that I have added through the years.
Cj's being used to plow snow were real common in the 50's. I'd imagine that was a selling point when a guy told his wife he wanted to buy a Jeep back then. First Jeep I ever rode in was one that my dad's boss had at his Shell Oil distributorship here in town. It was painted Shell yellow and I don't know exactly what they used it for at the distributorship or if it even had a special use. Dad would drive it once in a while and I would get to ride in it.
When I was growing up in the sixties in South Dakota every other gas station had a Jeep for plowing there lot and starting cars.
As a kid growing up in Minneapolis every corner gas station had a Willys Jeep with a plow on it and a starting unit in the back, to jump start cars in the winter. When it was snowing they would plow around the pumps every hour or so. Unfortunately they all rusted to pieces due to all the salt they spread on the streets back then.
Yeah there were lots of them plowing snow. usually the plow stuff was welded on by a neighbor who just got his new welder this year, "practice makes perfect" ! Then after a good coat of salt they sat outside unused all summer. Most Jeeps had a hard life.
Great to see some "traditional" Willys Jeeps. I have a 1953 CJ3B. It was originally an Oregon Forest Service unit. It then was donated to a Nature Conservancy ranch in Wyoming. It was pretty well used, but escaped the rigors of midwest winters and salt. Mine had a front PTO winch, but part of the PTO drive was lost off the transfer case so I removed it. I do have a rear PTO setup with drum pulley ready for install. I really like the idea of the Farm Jeeps and would love to find a 3pt. setup for it. I don't take mine out in the winter, but our 3yr. old grandson loves some "slow fun" rides around the subdivision. We did get crazy last Fall and got down in a ditch and got some real dirt on the tires. This has been a real bad winter in Wisconsin, with most snow being very wet and heavy. My walk behind snow blower just will not do it. Neighbor comes over with his Honda four wheeler and blade.....does a great job. At our building in Iowa, we have a local contractor with a Bobcat......it is a serious snow mover and well worth the $35 each time. Have fun
I remember quite a few half cabs in the gas stations… I wonder if they were an aftermarket cab or Oem?
I believe most of the cabs were aftermarket. I had a full cab but it was amazing how top heavy it made the Jeep. It had steel doors with sliding gl*** windows and a lift hatch in the back. I used it one winter and sold it. It stays toasty warm with just the soft top. The engine puts out enough heat that I rarely use the hot water heater. And that's plowing in Wisconsin.
Why? They were used to plow snow back in the 1950s. I have a 8mm home movie of a Jeep plowing snow after a blizzard in 1957.
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