Some would say it's seen better days. I'd say it can't get much better than this.
This little beauty was parked outside my hotel recently, and I caught a few photos with my iPhone. I liked it so much, I went back with my good camera to get more shots.
Needs a tune-up, maybe a bit of a wash. And absolutely nothing else.
Well, perhaps “parked” is a bit of a strong word. It looks more like “abandoned” is the correct term, as it doesn’t appear to have moved in quite some time. Still, in so doing, this Willys managed to acquire one of the most perfect patinas we’ve seen in a very long time. Enjoy the gallery below.
With a bit of research, I’ve managed to narrow this down to a model range between 1955 and 1960; it has the split windshield of a pre-1960 model, and the hood ornament of a post-1955 model. Other than that, I can’t narrow it down any further. Can anyone else get more specific?
Now THAT'S what i call PAH!tina!
It has "get me stuck" written all over it.
Willys: How to spell "WANT" with 6 letters.
None of this is an intentional customizing cue. It's clear that it's just been sitting for eons, so it wasn't planned out. There's no clearcoat over the patina or anything, it's just bare metal.
Perfect Patina.
BTW does anyone else think of Dan Auerbach's song "Streetwalking" whenever they read this? The Black Keys FTW!
I REALLY want that hood ornament for my desk.
/ADD
LOVE that band. Good call, gotta listen now.
Black Keys FTMFW
I'm no expert at dating a Willys, but that tailgate seems to point to it being an earlier model—perhaps earlier than 1955. Interestingly, it appears as though the "W" is painted on, rather than stamped into the tailgate "W (over) O".
Of course, having some mix of parts from various years is entirely possible, since these were pretty similar year-to-year for two decades.
Great truck, but those way-too-modern tires are throwing me off. Needs more Military Non-Directionals.
"I'm no expert at dating a Willys…"
You're more of a love 'em and leave 'em type, eh?
Nothing so glamorous as that. I'm just going through an awkward phase; I do, however, aspire to becoming a globe-trotting mustachioed cad.
Well, get out there my friend! Practice makes perfect!
Me, well, my moustache is pretty horrific. I'm more of the baby-faced, "daddy won't mind me dating him" type that uses my innocent looks for nefarious enterprise.
Wow, that is a pretty serious find there. That patina is really awesome. 4 Wheel Drive looks like it was written in blood many years ago, but never washed off.
This thing was just screaming for some Candlebox:
Now maybe
I didn't mean to treat you bad
But I did it anyway
And now maybe
Some would say your life was sad
But you lived it anyway
And so maybe
These Hoons they stand around they watch your crumble
As you falter to the ground
And then someday
These Hoons they buy you and get you driving
Oh you were driving on the highway
But then someday Hoons look at you and want to call you their own
They watch you suffer
Yeah they hear you calling for them
But then some day we could take our time
To brush the leaves aside so you can reach us
But you left me far behind
Surprisingly, the lyrics work pretty well with only minor modifications.
looking at those tyres someone loves it . post it up on pirate4×4 , someone will know who owns it
That's about $1000 in tires, so I doubt it's completely abandoned.
For the most part, Willys/Kaiser vehicles sourced parts from other manufacturers or suppliers. That, combined with long product life cycles means almost any engine/trans/t-case/axles combo will bolt into most of these.
For this era, I'd rock a stroker AMC 6.
(CJ 258 + Later 4.0L head + correct rods = 4.6L stroker).
I was actually thinking an early AMC 327. Not exactly known for massive horsepower, they were primarily intended for the larger station wagons, so they produced excellent torque. I remember years ago seeing a few hop-up kits for them, primarily intake and heads. Old enough to still seem period-correct, powerful enough to be a nice hop-up, and with a wonderful exhaust note to boot.
I think I'm growing a man crush on you. Little Golan Engine action perhaps?
Hmm, while it looks like someone has been taking care of this truck, it brings up an interesting subject. There's a nicely patina-ed Scout II near me which has been left tin the woods for at least 10 years, never drives. I kinda want to adopt it. Is there any way to do this and register it?
Somebody owns those woods. Not sure how things work where you are, but where I'm from the county assessor has a website where any piece of property can be clicked on in map form, which then gives you the owner and tax information. Maybe you'll get lucky and he/she will let you have it just for hauling it out. Then again, it's probably owned by some crazy old codger with a totally irrational attachment to the Scout, happier to see it rot into the ground than to see someone take a shot at fixing it up.
It's a starting point anyway. Save the Scouts!
This guy lives right down the street from me, and I've got some better pics but I thought you guy's might like this view because he's got a bunch of MG's and Triumphs in his yard. This one's a '63 I think, but he's got a few more in the back-yard and when I see him next time I'll ask him about this.
[URL=http://s422.photobucket.com/albums/pp308/rexjenne...
This guy lives right down the street from me, and I've got some better pics but I thought you guy's might like this view because he's got a bunch of MG's and Triumphs in his yard. This one's a '63 I think, but he's got a few more in the back-yard and when I see him next time I'll ask him about this.
<img src="http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp308/rexjenney/P7130050.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
Very nice. There's a guy here with one that's nicely fixed up, red with nice meaty wheels and tires and a loud V8. I love seeing these fixed up and taken care of.
Tire clearance? We won't be needing that with stock springs…
so where did you find this stray pup? I have a wifely sanctioned spot in the driveway to park it in.
I have always wanted one of those!
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Rebuilt Engine
Rebuilt Engine says:
“Interesting post, we shall be following your blog more closely in future! Best Wishes ”