It wasn't just the rust that got to the jeeps, it was also the abuse.
Rust wise, the first place to go was usually the outer skin right in front of the doors. The pillar channels liked to keep dirt trapped there. Next were the floors. You could usually know exactly where the hat channels were under the floors because you could see them from above. They were dirt and moisture traps of the greatest magnitude.
Abuse wise, the jeeps took it in all four corners. The army went through so many front fenders it eventually just quit providing them, until the refurb program. Both back corners used to take a lot of hits as well, backing into trees in the bush. In the dark days of the 70s, the Jeeps were being treated as front line vehicles in lieu of proper army equipment, and they paid the price in wear and tear. As well, a lot of the jeeps had that tall antenna bracket mounted on top of the spare tire carrier. The leverage provided to the AMU mounted way up there, along with the already considerable weight of the spare tire and bracket, ensured that the back panel took a lot of stress and developed cracks. Later antenna mounts were on the left corner, and relieved this stress, although by then it was usually too late.
Short of major accident damage, it wasn't easy to PCC a SMP vehicle. So the bondo just kept getting layered on again and again.
Boy, those were the days, when you could go to a peace keeping operation with something as light as a Jeep, and come home to talk about it.
I note you picked up a Cdn2. Be sure and check for frame cracking in the area above the forward position rear spring hanger (The ones located under the driver, co driver). It was a very common place for the frame rails to crack, and it seemed to develop right around that little hole where a brake line clip would fasten through on the left frame rail. Jeep must have recognized the problem, because they boxed that area to re-enforce the frame on the Cdn3 Jeeps.
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