Thursday, April 24, 2008

Missed It By That Much.... Looking For A Flat Fendered Jeep CJ2 or CJ2A

One day last week I spent the morning searching out places to get the Cushman inspected. My old reliable had moved to West Kearney so I drove up Grant Street. Alas, they hadn't had their paperwork transferred so I couldn't get an inspection.
Since I was already on West Kearney and it was a wonderful, sunny day, I decided to head over to the "blind store" and do a quick reconnoiter to see if they had anything I could sell on ebay.

I bought two Breyer horses for daughter Sara and when I went to start the Cushman, nothing happened. Two men came over and decided the battery terminals were corroded from sitting all winter. We cleaned the terminals and it started right up. Then one guy said it smelled like bad gas and did I leave gas in it all winter.

I had, about a half a tank. But I told him I filled it up with high octane to level it out. He told me that the worst thing I could have done, as the high octane dislodged all the varnish in the carb and I'd need to clean the carb now.

His wife asked if it was for sale. I said yes and told them the price. They said ok, we'll buy it.

I told them I had to ask my wife before I could sell it, thinking, shoot, do I really want to sell a vehicle that gets about 40 miles to a gallon when gas is $3.25?

But, I want a flat fendered Jeep.I knew that I had to sell something before I could even begin to think about buying anything else. (I've been down this road before.) I had sold my 1953 Chevrolet pickup about a week ago so I was building up cash for a Jeep purchase.

The couple bought the Cushman and I am looking for a flat fendered Jeep, like this one I found in Colorado which is what I want and it is all done but it is 600 miles away, but the price is right.This jeep is up in Independence, but it needs to be finished, or even started. Compared to other jeeps I have been looking at the price is too high for the condition. But it's up by Kansas City. Then, on Ebay I found the jeep I could afford, which is a tad bit different from the jeep I wanted. But this one was close enough both in price and distance. And the auction was ending soon. I waited all morning for the last 30 seconds of bidding, 20 seconds, 10 seconds....I made my bid and my computer froze up and my bid didn't go through.

Dang! I hate it when that happens. The Jeep went for $4,000. I was a little bit concerned about the T90 slipping out of second gear, it will be due for a transmission overhaul, but I know a guy in Nixa who used to do them for about $600.00 (I've been down that road before also). Anyhow, someone made a very nice buy on a nice column shift CJ2A. Unfortunately, it wasn't me. Dang it! I missed it by that much!If you are interested old cars and trucks, and you've got the time, here are a couple of links to some of the vehicles my wife and I have owned over the past 40 years: Old Cars and Trucks and this link: 1A Chevy and others.

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