Jeep Dispatcher (DJ-3A)
Willys's first two-wheel-drive Universal Jeep paired the flat-fender CJ-3A body with the L-head 134 four, a column-mounted shifter, and a Spicer 23 rear axle. Launched in the fall of 1955 as a 1956 model, it was sold as a cheap runabout and delivery vehicle in open, soft-top, and steel hardtop forms, including a version built for mail routes. From 1959 the brightly painted Surrey aimed it at resorts and rental fleets. Sales were modest, under 3,000 a year in the factory records that survive, and the CJ-5-based DJ-5 replaced it in 1965.
Engines
| Engine | Power | Torque | Fuel | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willys L-134 L-head I4 Nearly the same as the Go Devil but with the carburetor turned 90 degrees (cj3b.info); a DJ-specific rating was not found. |
— | — | Gasoline | 1956 to 1965 |
Transmissions
- 3-speed manual, column shift (1956 to 1965)
Sizes and weights
| Measure | Size |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 80 in2,032 mm |
A range covers the body styles and trims of this generation.
Trims and editions
- Surrey (sold for export as the Gala), 1959 to 1964
Worth knowing
- It was the first Jeep since the early CJ-2A with the gearshift on the steering column.
- The rear axle was a Spicer 23 with a centred differential and 4.56:1 gears, later a Spicer 27 with 4.10:1, and the wheels had four bolts.
- The mail version had the right-side door opening cut down to the floor, full side windows, and right-hand drive.
- Willys advertised it as America's lowest-priced delivery vehicle; the 1956 base price was $1,284.
- In 1955 Willys also built a two-wheel-drive Air Force 'Dispatcher' using the M38A1 body and F-head engine for work on bases.
Year by year, newest first
- Replaced during the year by the CJ-5-based DJ-5.
- New serial-number prefixes arrived (8202 to 8205, with 8204 for the Surrey).
- Last year for the Surrey.
- Hardtops rode on 13-inch wheels, with 15-inch wheels optional.
- Wheel size dropped from 15 to 13 inches, around late 1962.
- About 1,540 built, by Willys factory records.
- The best year in the surviving records: about 2,740 built, counting stripped chassis.
- The Surrey arrived in mid-to-late 1959, painted Tropical Pink, Cerulean Blue, or Jade Mist.
- A 12-volt electrical system became standard around this year, with 6-volt still available.
- Hardtop door openings were enlarged to full height, with an extended floor.
- Launched in the fall of 1955 as a 1956 model, with serial numbers starting at 10001.
- About 2,510 built in the first year.
Notes
Production years are given as 1955 to 1964 (Jim Allen), 1956 to 1965 (JeepTech, offroaders.com), and 1955/56 to 1965 (Wikipedia). It debuted in the fall of 1955 as a 1956 model, so first_year is 1956. Yearly totals are calendar-year figures from Norton Young's list, which stops in 1961. cj3b.info gives the 12-volt change ('about 1958') and the 13-inch wheels ('about late 1962') as approximate dates. The $1,284 price is from Wikipedia, citing Changing Times (April 1956).
Sources
- cj3b.info /Siblings/Dispatcher.html
- cj3b.info /Poster/DJ3A.html
- cj3b.info /Poster/USAF.html
- cj3b.info /WOfigures.html
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/models/dj-3a/
- en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Jeep_DJ
- offroaders.com /tech/jeep/Jeep-DJ.htm