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Rod Womack’s 1953 Jeep CJ3A
Everything Old Is New Again - Moon Buggies are SO last year
story and photos by Harry Wagner
“Retro” seems to be all the rage in the automotive industry these days. From Mini Coopers to Hemi motors, everything old is now new again. Fourwheeling is not exempt from this nostalgic trend. Early Broncos, FJ-40 Land Cruisers, and Jeep flatfenders are all increasing in value. Clean examples of these vehicles are becoming increasingly rare, largely because their simple and stout drivetrains make great foundations for trail rigs.
Most flatfender Jeeps we come across these days are either tube creations with a flatfender grill, or military restorations that never leave the fairgrounds. There was a time though, when REAL flatfenders were the vehicles of choice for rockcrawling and trail riding. For Rod Womack and his friends, those days never ended.
Front- 45” long Rancho springs sit atop the Dana 30 front axle, which contains and ARB Air Locker, 4.56 gears, disc brakes, and Warn internal hubs.
The interior of the flatty features a GM tilt column, swing pedals, and a custom aluminum center console. Also visible are the shifter for the Warn overdrive (next to the tranny shifter) and the Sony stereo that is protected from the elements by a marine cover.
Rod drives a ’53 CJ-3A with all of the “right” retro pieces. Instead of a high dollar EFI V8 under the hood, you’ll find a Buick 231 V6 with a Rochester two barrel carb, ported heads, and an RV cam. This mill allows for the inner fenders to be retained and fits nicely in the engine bay. The engine’s power is transferred through an SM420 gearbox to a Model 18 transfer case featuring a Warn overdrive. Parts from Advance Adapters hold everything together. Between the 7.05 first gear in the tranny and the Teralow 3.15 low range gears in the transfer case, this is one flatty can idle over just about anything. On the other hand, with the overdrive and 4.56 gears in the diffs, Rod doesn’t have to worry about valvetrain components coming through the hood as he drives down the freeway.
The 231 V6 provides plenty of low end grunt and fits nicely under the hood, leaving room for the master cylinder on the driver side and the ARB compressor on the passenger side. Rod works with forklifts so the Group 8000 battery was easy to come by.
Tom Wood’s long travel driveshafts transmit power to the axles. Not interested in full width Dana 60s, Rod retained the original offset Dana 44 rear and added a matching width Dana 30 from a CJ-5 to the front. In addition to the 4.56 cogs mentioned above, the axles feature ARB Air Lockers and Warn internal hubs. The front axle uses disc brakes while the rear boasts 11” drums and a Warn full floater conversion. From there the torque is transferred to the ground through 35” Goodyear MT/Rs mounted on chrome spoke wheels.
In order to make room for the 35” tires, Rod moved the leaf springs above the axles. Six leaf Rancho lift springs, originally intended for the rear of an early CJ-5, are used up front. These 1 3/4” wide and 45” long springs are used in conjunction with a shackle reversal and Rancho shocks. The rear suspension uses 2” wide Rancho springs intended for a later model CJ. Other than the width, the spring length, number of leaves, and shock configuration mirror the front of the rig.
The stock transfer case crossmember was spaced down for improved driveline angles. With an 80” wheelbase and 35” tires, breakover angle is rarely a problem. |
The rear axle is the original Dana 44 with small tubes and an offset differential. It has been upgraded with 11” drum brakes, 4.56 gears, an ARB Air Locker, and a Warn full floater kit. Behind the axle sits a custom gas tank that incorporates a 1/4” thick skid plate. |
There is more to this little flatty than just a well chosen suspension and drivetrain. The devil, they say, is in the details, and details are what set flatfenders apart from late model Jeeps that come from the factory with every option under the sun. True to their military heritage, flatfenders are spartan. Think of them as blank canvass that allow their owners to paint their character. Rod has painted quite a few details onto his flatty canvas. In order to turn the aired down Goodyears in the rocks, Saginaw power steering and a Chevy tilt column were added. Diamond plate corners and CJ-5 fender flares fend off rocks and cops in equal measure. Other features include a frame that has been partially boxed and rear wheelwells that have been notched in order to move the seats back two inches for additional legroom. Speaking of the seats, they are Steel Horse Super Seats which sit atop an amplifier on the driver’s side and a subwoofer on the passenger side. To make room for the amp, a custom rear mounted gas tank was fitted between the frame rails. Further details such as a reinforced body around the tailgate, diamond plate corners, and automotive trunk liner in the tub and under the body indicate the time and thought that Rod has put into his Jeep.
Flatfenders take a lot of work to make them perform just right, but Rod Womack made the effort and now his Jeep is dialed on the trail. You can keep your New Beatle and bellbottoms, when it comes to fond memories, we’ll take a flatfender.
The original spring loaded body mounts have been retained to allow for flex between the body and frame. More desirable flex is obtained with the front springover and shackle reversal, which necessitated the long travel front driveshaft. |
A Saginaw power steering box helps turn the aired down 35” tires in the rocks. With a nearly flat drag link angle and proper caster, the Jeep doesn’t exhibit any steering quirks. |