A reader submitted us a question about a Jeep he was trying to identify.
He writes…
I bought this Jeep (my first) yesterday. The VIN is 57548******. This
VIN indicates it is a 1960 model CJ-3B, which matches the title. In my
research of this model, it is supposed to have flat fenders, no glove
box, and parking brake on the right side of the steering column. This
jeep has rounded fenders, a glove box, and the parking brake is on the
left side of the steering column which I believe indicates a CJ-5. It
also has the Buick V6 engine which I assume was added by a previous
owner. My question is this: did they produce any 3B’s with glove
boxes, rounded fenders, and parking brakes on the left? If not, do you
think I have a CJ-5 and the title is incorrect? Any other things I
could check to confirm model? Thanks for any replies.
Well it’s definitely a CJ-5 style body. The 3B and 5 had the same wheelbase and relative frame configuration so body swapping wasn’t too difficult. The body looks more like an M38-A1 which is the military version of the CJ-5..you can tell by the opening in the top of the body below the windshield, The battery was located there.
CJ-5 or M38A1
CJ-3B
Most likely it was originally a CJ-3B that had a body swap somewhere along the way and the M38 body was adapted to fit.