Black Hills 4-Wheeler veteran John Van Vlack has had his hand in more than a few buildups and makeovers of fellow wheelers' 4x4s. A few years ago, the spirit moved John "Flattie" Van Vlack to morph his fairly tame Jeep into the rock-crushing, mother-of-all-Jeeps behemoth you see here. His '49 CJ-3A has grown from a standard spring-under, 33-inch-BFG, Powr-Lok-'n'-4.88s flatfender to the trailblazer and search-and-rescue loaner cover-gracing Jeep of choice for the Black Hills of South Dakota. HIs years of trail experience and pragmatic decision-making have resulted in this big-shouldered and accomplished Jeep.
Dual Dana 44s, both with 5.38...
Dual Dana 44s, both with 5.38 cogs and Detroit EZ-Lockers, replace stock offerings. A John Van Vlack original, a rear-center torque arm with a slip yoke to prevent binding, controls the rear wheelhop commonly found with soft spring-over swaps. Note the unique rear leaf-spring mount, which obviates the need for U-bolts, that wraps around the underside of the axle tubes. The shocks are mounted at a slight angle to squeeze out a bit more suspension travel without being limited by the shocks.
Framed by the trademark flat...
Framed by the trademark flat fenders is a 0.030 bored over 4.1L Buick V-6 that's filled to the gills with TRW pistons, a Cam Dynamics stick, a balanced reciprocating assembly, and ACCEL ignition. A Holley 390-cfm four-barrel modified for inverted action handles the induction part of the equation. Thanks to the mods on the carb, John says his Jeep can stand on either its tail or its nose, persuading spectators, deceptively, that a fuel-injected powerplant breathes under the hood.
Imagine, if you will, the...
Imagine, if you will, the TH400 tranny and Model 18 transfer case tucked above a large skidplate. Incidentally, the skidplate is made of the same material as rock-crushing blades found on heavy equipment, making it highly scratch-resistant. A coating of Pam makes the skidplate nonstick and an effective mud repellent, though apparently not an effective boulder repellent.
The '49 CJ-3A's frame is another...
The '49 CJ-3A's frame is another Van Vlack original crafted from 0.120-wall, mild steel 2x4 tubing. Outboard from the frame hang Wrangler leaf springs with loosened clamps mounted in a spring-over-axle configuration to contribute added lift and flex. If things get too exciting, there's an outboard bumpstop. A vintage Warn 8200 winch sits on the front bumper. Nesting between the bumper and grille are a Saginaw power steering conversion and coolers for the steering and tranny.
The standard rockcrawler interior...
The standard rockcrawler interior includes the steering column swap, rollcage, and electric wipers. Since this photo was taken, the burlap lovelies from a bygone era were replaced by seats from a Honda Civic. Leftover parts from a Jeepster have replaced the gas pedal and shifter, and note the dash-mounted parking brake handle under the CB speaker.