When I bought Mighty Mo, there was a frame with axles attached and a tub just sitting on the frame. The fenders, hood and grill were laying in the tub along with miscellaneous items every thing else except an engine.  In November 1975 I was laid off from my job. But I had a small snow plowing business with a CJ5 and a CJ3A as my vehicles. What money I was able to get went to bills and I sure didn't have extra money to buy parts for the vehicle but my skill set was an asset.

 

I spent every hour I could sanding the body down to bare. I found a terrible case of cancer under the layers of paint and Bondo® The entire hood had at least 1/8" of Bondo® on it and chunks of Bondo® were in all the usual rust areas. I wire brushed the frame and all cracks were welded. I decided to "wrap" the body to cover-up the Swiss cheese in the body panels. The sheet metal for the body "wrap" was obtained from various sources including washers, dryers and stoves found on "unlimited pickup trash day". Sure is nice that there aren't any compound curves on a 2A body. The entire frame and body was primed and painted with Rustolem®. I spent probably close to 100 hours a week for 4-5 months on the effort. Eventually my backup snow plow, CJ3A, donated it's engine, transmission and transfer case along with other items like drive shafts. I finally got back to work in late April and a local automotive machine shop rebuilt the engine for one half of the snow plowing bill they had incurred.

 

Memorial Day I took Mighty Mo to a local Jeep® show and won a trophy with him. Then I went to the local off road rodeo June Bust Out (JBO) where Su Kemper took the picture of the Flying Willys. In November 1976 Off Road Magazine published the full page color shot along with an article on JBO.  I collected some 15 trophies racing him in the late 70's.

 

In 1981 I lost my job, moved and got divorced. Funds were non existent. Mighty Mo sat patiently for 18 years waiting for me. During those 18 years the elements took their toll. Rust had attacked the sheet metal "wrap" so it was time for another frame-off repair. I considered doing a restoration to put him back to what he was back in 1948. But, that would destroy the memories we have together. The memories I have of him sure aren't a show room stock vehicle and it's the memories I have restored.

 

Mighty Mo and I have been together for since 1975. We have good times and bad. He has always waited very patiently for me to do my part. When I ask, he does his part. What else can a guy ask of a partner?