That wagon is/was in Newburg Oregon and sadly had a lot of cancer and was poorly modified with a non running/incomplete GM V-8 engine and someone attempted a 4WD conversion. It has a lot of good parts, but the cancer repair could be a bit intimidating to restore properly and cost effectively.
Yes it’s “Maverick Special” #8 out of 100 in 1958. Originally equipped with F-4 134, column shift T-86, and 5:38 gears in the differential with limited slip. The upholstery and mask around the instrument cluster was special, and being 2-WD, it sported the W-O hubcaps without beauty rings. The “Maverick Special” did not carry a spare tire, it ran Goodyear run flat tires. I certainly wouldn’t make it into a rat/street rod, there’s so few of those that survived.
Beginning with the 1959 production, the Kaiser rocket ship cowl emblem was dropped. The stainless belt trim on the 1958 was actually two 1 inch trim pieces stacked on top of each other. In 1959, they became one piece, like what you find on all the 1961-63 wagons. The rear cargo area had black short pile carpet, no oak runners like the other wagons.
During this time period, one could still purchase a 2-WD wagon that was a non “Maverick special” even with a L-6 226. The “Maverick Special“ promotion ran through to 1960. In 1961, the promotion was dropped, James Garner no longer was on the TV show as he was the President of the screen actors guild, he had not been paid for some time for his role on Maverick, and the screen writers went out on strike, the actors joined them.
The Willys wagon got a stainless trim facelift to the “missle” trim design, and was the ONLY 2-WD wagon available, all with column shift. The Wagoneer body was already in early production stages and Willys Motors was slowly trimming available old body types. (Some references as to the later production being a Maverick Special are undocumented with fact) The 2-WD wagon for 1961-62 still could be had with the F-4, or 226, then in 1962-1/2, the OHC-230 or the F-4 with the OHC body tub.
Any 2-WD wagon is hard to find after 1956 with the straight axle and is a nice driving vehicle.
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