Little Willy is a project I started in the first part of "02". It's a 1977 J20 3/4 ton chassis with a 360, T18, dana 20, dana 44/60 with 4:10 gears. Part two is a 1947 Willys. I started by pulling off the cab and box of the J20 and lining it up with the Willys to see how the cab would match up. After thinking and measuring, I determined that I wanted a 100 inch wheel base with a narrowed cab. In order to be proportionate, the engine would have to be moved back 7 inches. So I wheeled the chassis in the garage and began cutting. I did a spring over in front and in the process figured out that the springs were two inches longer in the front than the rear After flipping them end for end I only had to move the engine 5 inches back. I made a heavy duty bracket to lower the steering gear box and added a dropped.pitman arm to eliminate the need for high steer knuckles. With the stock 27 inch tires the frame is 20 inches off the ground, so with 36 inch tires I should have about two feet of ground clearance.

I work at a body shop but I am not a body man, I do mechanic work and haul wrecked cars. Having been around the shop as long as I have I picked up a few things about metal work so I figured I could do this. After careful measuring, I marked a center line all the way around the cab. Then marked two more lines 9 inches on ether side of the line and began cutting with a metal cutting blade in the circular saw. It took several hours but I got the entire middle section cut out. After getting the two halves slid back together I tack welded them in place. The old cab is in good shape except for the floor but I am going to fabricate  a new one anyway.

About two and a half feet wide in front and 4 feet wide in back, it will be a one seater with steering in the center. I cut strips and placed them under the seams and welded the two halves except for the floor because I don't know about the floor pan/tunnel yet. The whole purpose behind this project is to have a street legal, daily driver type rig that uses stock parts for easy trail fixes and reliability. With windows that roll up and down, doors that open and close, a heater that works and a comfortable seat for my old and tired ass. I want to jump in it and go to events and stay warm and dry, unlike my CJ5 that I've had for years. I took measurments and made templates of what I wanted for the rear frame to the welding shop and they turned out a great piece of work. A 2x6 steel rectangular tubing frame that slides into the existing c channel frame about three feet, simple to attach. Now the frame is boxed front to back. Junk yard chevy truck spring hangers with 6 bolts per side through the tubing and c channel with spot welds should be solid enough to hold it together.

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