DJ-3A Dispatcher My long awaited jeep, Looking for info and parts

[greyrider]

Hi all my name is Dennis and I just got a DJ-3A Dispatcher no. 56337 17470 and cant believe I found it. I dont know what is stock or what isnt, it is 4x4 with a old double winch on it.I know the doors and back hatch are not stock and am looking for stock ones, the seats are nice but dont think they are stock. I want to fix it up with the right doors and hatch and ride around,hunt and fish from it. Look forward to chatting with you all and plan to post picts. as soon as my son helps me. Thanks All Dennis

[colin]

Hi Dennis-

Colin here in Phoenix. I try to maintain a database of DJ3As and their serial numbers and I will add your info to the database. Send me an email at: colins60vette@cox.net with your name and contact info, as well as photos as I also try to keep a photo file on each DJ3A, and I can add it all in. It appears that your DJ3A is a mid year production for 1960. The model numbers for all DJ3As from 1956 until late 1963 start with 56337. Serial numbers started at 10001 and ran consecutively through the end of DJ3A production in late 1964 or very early 1965. 1960 production started at 16643 and ended at 19367, for a total of 2725 units. 1960 was the introductory year for the Jeep Surrey and those may have added to the larger total than in most years. If you can, please post photos and between us, FBill, Glennstin, ba25 and a few others, we can pretty well tell you what is original and what is not. 4wheel drive is not, but many DJ3As were converted to 4WD. You might look at the right frame rail on top, just before the front body mount and behind where the back leg of the battery box meets the frame and see if you have the last 5 numbers of the serial number on your Jeep. It should be 17470. That will indicate whether you have a DJ3A frame that has been converted to 4WD. It is a relatively easy conversion to make using CJ2A or 3A parts.. The DJ3A Dispatchers with the delivery body could have had a single driver's seat, or a 60/40 split bench driver and passenger seat. Column shift was normal, however some have been equipped with a 3 speed floor shift.

Good luck and welcome to the DJ3A fan club!!

Colin

[greyrider]

Thanks Colin, plan to do that soon.

[F Bill]

Finally got a batch of pics loaded..



Many more in th ealbum these are in, just click on them and you should be there. if Not , search for user name truck2N and you will find mine, most recently downloaded pics.

Gotta get back to work now..

[greyrider]

Thanks FBill ,My son and I could never get them on here. Hope this will help Colin

[colin]

FBill-

I could only bring up the two photos you have here. If you could send the others to me at colins60vette@cox.net, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

[F Bill]

Link to the entire album. Will try and forward teh pics to you , Colin.

[colin]

This is a copy of an email I sent to Denny(greyrider) on Sept. 2, 2012. I sent him a couple of photos, but I am not real good at being able to post them on this forum, so here goes with what I sent to Denny:

Denny-

You had several questions about originality on your DJ and after looking at the photos, I think I can tell you what is original and what isn’t. First off, the 4WD is not original. Looking at what I can see, I suspect you have a later model CJ5 chassis under your Jeep. How you can tell is to look directly under the air cleaner on the passenger side frame rail just in from of the body mount, you should be able to see the last 5 digits of your serial number stamped into the top of the frame rail. If it is not showing, you have a 4WD chassis under the DJ3A body. The radiator you have looks like it is from a CJ5 Jeep as the radiator in the DJ3As is identical with the radiator in the CJ3A Jeeps from 1949-53 and the CJ3B Jeeps from 1953 up.

The winch and front bumper are not original to the DJ3A Jeeps and that setup looks to have been modified from what may have been available for the CJ5 Jeeps.

The delivery body you have was one of the body styles available on the DJ3A Jeeps, however your side doors and the top rear portion of the back door are not original. I will send you some photos of what those doors should look like. The rear tailgate is original, but the upper portion has a large window in it, and it slides up and into the top of the body and locks into place. The side doors slide back to the rear of the body and lock into position. The windows of both of those doors move up and down with window regulators. The door latches are mounted at the front of the doors and lock closed at the front.

DJ3A Jeeps had either 15 inch 4 hole rims or 13 inch 4 hole rims, not 5 hole rims as on your Jeep.

The front windshield portion and top of the body are original, except for the racks mounted on the top. Both mirrors appear to be original and are mounted in the original position.

In the photos where you have the top taken off the body, I can see that your seat frames are not original. You should have either a single seat for the driver, or a 60/40 split seat for driver and passenger. The seat frames for those seats were made from flat stock, not the square tubing you have in yours, although I suspect your seat frames are sturdier than the originals! The door openings on the units equipped with the delivery body had the body cut at an angle just like yours, so that is original. The way the windshield framework attaches to the dashboard is original. The dash looks to be original with the exception of the aftermarket gauges. The turn signal switch is original.

The rear seat is not original, as the units with delivery bodies did not have a rear seat, although it is possible that Willys might have built one that way, but your rear seat isn’t of Willys design. The rear taillights are not original and are aftermarket items. The rear bumper is not original nor are the metal patches at the rear corners where the taillights are mounted. The rear license plate bracket and light should be mounted in the center of the tailgate where the rectangular area is.

The area where the shift levers are protruding through the floor appears to be stock for the 4WD Jeeps. On the DJ3As, most were equipped with a column mounted shifter, and the pans on the floor were the same design but had plates over the holes where the floor mounted shifters came through. An easy change, either way.

Under the hood, you have an alternator, but the DJ3As had a 12 volt generator. The horn looks original, but the solenoid on the fender, which I think is for the winch, is not. As I mentioned before, the radiator appears to be from a CJ5 Jeep. The air cleaner is original, as is the carb horn on the carburetor. You have the correct oil dipstick tube. The small flat area in front of the cylinder head that is painted green in photo#8290 is where the original engine number should be. If you clean that area with some paint remover and a soft brush, you may find the engine number there. It should start with the number 3 followed by a J, (3Jxxxxx).

I think I saw your Jeep advertised a few months back in British Columbia. Is that correct?

I have attached 3 additional photos( Img 1614, 1615, 1616) of a friend’s 1961 DJ3A Dispatcher with delivery body on it. This DJ is under restoration right now, but yours would have had the same body, doors and windows.

Let me know if I can help you with anything else.

[greyrider]

Thanks Colin this jeep is the one you asked about. I was just looking for a flattie that I could drive around town in the summer like my friends do with their bikes. I seen this one and thought I would fix it up. A while back there was one on ebay that I was bidding on to buy to get the right doors, rear hatch, seats and other things off of but after driving this one it only gets about 45 good on the highway with out sounding like it is over working the motor. So unless there is an OD or other tran. for it I drive to far on main highways to use it for hunting witch sucks because I could see this being a great little hunting jeep a fixed up. For now I am going to fix a few things on it till I can find a speed fix or will just keep the top off and use it for summer fun around town. Thanks for all the help and if you would know people or places to get the things to fix my problem I would be in your det. I can find a lot of things on most jeeps but not these DJ-3A. Thanks Again Colin

[F Bill]

You might look for an electric overdrive out of a jeepster, wagon or pickup, 2WD. That is what we determined was in my Dj3A, altho I haven't actually driven it yet to see how it works.

[greyrider]

Thanks guys, does the # 17470 on the frame passenger side in front of firewall

[greyrider]

I see that the # on the frame is part of the # on the tag on firewall does this mean the frame is not off a 4x4 but off the DJ-3A and someone changed it to 4x4

[F Bill]

If the last five digits on your firewall tag match the five digits on the frame, yes, you have the original DJ3A frame under your jeep. All the 4WD parts are bolt ons, so someone just added them to your DJ at one point. DJ3A's normally lasted longer than their 4WD counterparts so often a junk 3A or 2A donated its parts to make a DJ into a capable off roader, especially if the somewhat weak 2WD rear axle gave up the ghost.......

[greyrider]

Thanks Bill

[colin]

FBill gave you good advice, both about the frame number and the serial number tag matching. As for the overdrive, the transmission/overdriveunit out of a late 40s Willys Jeepster or 2 WD station wagon will fit the bellhousing on your engine. You will have to shorten the driveshaft to fit the shorter wheelbase DJ3A chassis.

You would get an overall rear end ratio of about 3.20 instead of 4.56. You could then cruise at a speed of about 55 mph or so without making the engine sound like it was coming apart. I would caution you, though, the 80 inch wheelbase of the DJ3A Jeeps can get very squirrelly at much over 50mph, when combined with the somewhat loose steering gear. I have had my 1960 Surrey up to almost 60mph(without an overdrive) and I wouldn't care to drive it very far at those speeds.