Longtime old-car guy, first-time 4-wheel-drive guy

David Conwill

Knuckle Buster
Feb 15, 2020
4
Bennington, Vermont 05201
First Name
David
Willys Model
  1. Pickup
Willys Year:
  1. 1947
Hey folks, thanks for having me aboard!

My name is Dave. I live in Southwest Vermont and I grew up in Northwest Michigan. Living not far from the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, I had a lot of friends who did the off-road thing, so I've always been generally aware of the coolness and utility of 4-wheel-drive but I've always stuck to the pavement. Since I've moved to Vermont, however, I've noticed how much more fun my 4x4 and AWD friends seem to be having in the snow.

Except for the last year or so, I've exclusively driven old vehicles and I really miss it. I sold my '62 Falcon and bought my wife the anniversary ring I'd always promised her, and since then I've been kind of casting about for a good daily driver for me. I'm a writer for Hemmings Motor News and its related publications, website, etc. When I travel, it's in a company car, so I no longer have any need for a road-trip car in my professional life. The highest speed limit on my 10ish-mile commute is 50 and traffic on that road often goes 40 or 45, so I'm not sweating short gears or unassisted drum brakes.

I've decided I need an Old Willys in my life. My first thought was a CJ2A but as I've done my research, it's become clear that I really just need a '2A, '3A, Willys Wagon or Jeep Pick-Up truck. Earlier is better, to my taste, but condition, proximity and cost will really rule the day. I have a slight preference toward the old pickup trucks so you could say something like a 1946 4T would be my ideal candidate, but it seems far more likely I'll find a mid-fifties to early-sixties example.

My search will be written up in Hemmings along with some tech eventually. I'm not rich by any stretch, so all this is contingent on funding also. I have a Royal Enfield motorcycle and a 2-wheel-drive '60 Dodge 3/4-ton to liquidate while I'm hunting for the right candidate.

I'm here looking for guidance, experience, and the tips and tricks of the Old Willys hobby. Thanks for having me!

1962 Ford Falcon Deluxe med.jpg
The '62 Falcon that went away. It had disc brakes, a big six-cylinder, and a five-speed. It was way overkill now that I no longer do cross-state jaunts in my daily driver.

2008 Royal Enfield Bullet 500.jpg
Me aboard he 2008 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 that was supposed to take its place as a commuter--and taught me I'm not really that into motorcycles.

1960 Dodge D200 Peaches med.jpg
The 1960 Dodge D200 that we nicknamed Peaches and I want to replace with an Old Willys. My wife's 2008 Dodge Charger police car in the background is fun, but I like older stuff for the simplicity and the level of driver interaction.
 
I am drooling, looking at your Dodge pickup.. If off road is you thing, the long overhang of a pickup rear make it less desirable than the Wagon.. Also the cab on a pickup is quite cramped.. I drive the pickup because I need at least one vehicle with a bed. Your Falcon is also a beaut but, if I
had that Dodge I'd never let it go..Best engineered truck ever..IMHO.

That Enfield is very nice....I'd never let that one go either... I have a condition...Riding motorcycles is essential to my mental heath (such that it is).
Yamaha 8 3 16 002.JPG
 
Not looking for any kind of hardcore offroading. More like a durable, all-weather utility vehicle to support my old-car habit and give me that daily driver fix I'm so sadly lacking. I'm imagining the kind of Willys vehicle Gus Wilson might have driven in the '40s and '50s, sitting high over knobby tires and with a toolbox and jerry can in the bed. With a set of chains, there will be no question about getting to the office, the store, the hospital, or wherever.

I've got a Model T gow-job project in the works and the ability to haul things and make the occasional foray into the woods to rescue old parts would be most welcome.

I hope somebody else feels the same way about the Dodge and the Enfield, I'm hoping to liquidate them in the spring to fund this Willys project. If the Dodge were a Power Wagon (especially a 1940s Power Wagon) this whole thing would be moot, but the earlier roots and more-compact dimensions of the Willys; plus the seemingly widespread availability of parts makes a Jeep-type vehicle very appealing.
 
Welcome from North Idaho! Long time subscriber to Hemmings classic car. Good luck on your hunt for your next project! Great group of very knowledgeable people here; don't hesitate with any questions. Can't wait to see what you get!
 
Dave - welcome aboard. If you work the YouTube search well you can find a guy in Iceland with either a cj2a or 3a and a wood cab similar to the gpw or mb you have pictured above. His videos show he and his family tooling around on Sunday drives in the back country but not crazy off roading.

I ditched a 53 Chevy 1 ton for my 57 wagon. It has been a blast. I kept the Ural though.
 
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