I was going through my old files and found a stash of old black and white photos I took when I first got my flattie! I even found a printout of the original ad from recycler.com!

 The ad verifies my memory of paying $400 for the rare DJ prototype. And yes, it is a prototype. Lots of guys think I say that just because it's one of the not-to-common models with doors, but the VIN verifies it as a CJ-3B "blank chassis" and several years ago I was contacted by one of the original engineers who build my Jeep, along with two other DJ prototypes in 1952. He even sent me a photo of my Jeep sitting next to its two sister prototypes taken in late 1952 or early 1953. I just need to dig it out from wherever I stashed it when our company moved its offices from Beverly Hills to El Segundo a couple years ago.

Regardless, check out the snapshot of the DJ shortly after I bought it. It's sitting in the crampt one-car garage of my old townhouse in San Diego. It was in here that I completely dismantled the Jeep, pulling the body off the frame, removing the drivetrain, and cutting 1/8-inch steel with a reciprocating saw to plate the frame. I towed the Jeep 140 miles north to Cappa's house to weld on the plating and hang the new suspension. I then brought it back to my townhouse and laid the body back on before moving to LA for a year, where the Jeep sat untouched in my new two-car garage.

Finally, I moved back down to San Diego in 2002 and finished the buildup. It had its maiden street voyage in about August of 2003 and the first time the hubs were locked was when I pulled it off the trailer to take it over the Rubicon trail in September of 2003. More info is here at jpmagazine.com. Click the link