Johnny Cash's "58" Wagon.

steelhorse4x4

Gear Grinder
Apr 2, 2017
24
Virginiia Beach
First Name
Jim
Willys Model
  1. Wagon
Willys Year:
  1. 1958
Ok guy and gals. I'll try to make sure I get all the information in here, but it's a bunch. I purchased a Wagon a couple months ago and bubba got ahold of it many times throughout the years. No vin plate, assigned number from Washington state with a good title. That was the easy part. Came with 4 new Firestone NDT tires, 4 new repop Willy's rims, not running, but with new harness partially installed, new headlights and all new marker lights, new steering wheel and hornkit, and full weather stripping kit. I did very good on purchasing it, didn't even pay for all the new parts.

Anyway, while purchasing I noticed bubba made an inch and a half bodylift with pieces of oak, lol. I thought, oh well, and moved on. After looking at it harder over the last few weeks, I've realized the blocks are holding the body up because the front fenders, even with the blocks are hitting the frame and engine mounts. I've figured out so far the body is most likely 51-54 by the dash and that the front fenders and body are from different vehicles due to different base color paints. Also they torched the firewall to clear the Super Hurricane. So far I believe that the motor and frame are original to each other because the front cross member is clearanced for the front pulley. I believe the body was probably from a 4 cylinder due to the firewall cutting. What has me baffled is the fenders sitting on the frame rails. Was there a difference in the fenders that I just haven't been able to search and find the answer to yet, and yes I have searched a bunch. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
What he is saying is that this wagon is a Jonny Cash Special It is a reference to the Jonny Cash song ...One piece at a time ...

Last line of the song ....What year is it?.....its a 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 automobile....its a 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 Automobile


This how alot of our trucks and wagons are now with very few completely original from factory with no major parts ever replaced

my 51 is no execption Cab 51... left fender 51 right 54 Bed 54 rear fenders left 51 right 54 Tailgate 60 Doors 51 ?? Frame 51??

i even tell people this people that are looking for a Truck/Wagon they could literally Johnny Cash themselves a truck/Wagon.

then people say they have a truck or wagon with lots of mixed parts an ask what year parts are on their truck? i simply tell them its a Johnny Cash Special!



Larry
 
Well, they went from the flat fenders in '49 to the pointed crowned fenders in '50 but I didn't know they changed the cowl in some way. I always assumed the jeepster, wagon and pickup all used the same fenders. What I would guess since it is the inner fenders is that they made different inner fenders to fit the 2wd jeepster and wagon and the 4wd versions? They would bolt to the cowl and grille the same but who knows what would happen around the frame & suspension.
 
I'm at a loss myself. Short of hacking up the inner fender I see no other way to correct it, or find new fenders.
 
2wd vs. 4wd inner front fenders.

Here are a couple of photos of my 2wd Jeepster inner fenders. Do they look like this? (I only found one)
 

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Here's what I'm dealing with. See the fender sitting on the frame and the wood blocks at the frame/body mount. Yes the inner looks like that.
 
Here's a shot of the fenders of my 4WD truck during the painting process:

fenders001.jpg
 
They definitely appear to be different. I would like a pic or two with them mounted on the truck if and when you get a chance. Thanks guys. I really appreciate the help. As of now I'm leaning towards the fact that I have 2wd fenders.
 
Hey Jim. I also have a '58 Wagon, and ironically, live in Washington State! I may be misunderstanding you post, but both my front fenders sit on the frame as well. Aren't they supposed to? Here is a pic of my passenger fender before I removed it to replace the engine and paint the engine compartment. Is this what you're talking about?

IMG_3041.jpg
 
They definitely appear to be different. I would like a pic or two with them mounted on the truck if and when you get a chance. Thanks guys. I really appreciate the help. As of now I'm leaning towards the fact that I have 2wd fenders.

Here's a link to a rather big picture (went with a link instead of the embedding the picture due to it's size). You can just see the top of the shock tower which nestles in the 'bump' in the inner fender. I don't think the fender should be sitting on the frame, I'd have to take another look at mine (haven't really had a reason to look at that in 10+ years).

http://www.jeep-trucks.com/assets/images/20040618/000_0009_Fender.jpg
 
Thanks for all the pics guys, it's been very helpful so far. Moriazbane is exactly correct. Mine are sitting on the frame with the blocks, which would make it impossible to use these fenders without the blocks, or cutting the crap out of them.
 
Jim
It sounds like you have a 2wd body on the 4wd frame. I also have 1 of those. I did that job 35 - 40 years ago on a yard truck. The 2 wd wagon body has a far different located firewall. i also had to cut a big hole in the firewall to fit in the 4wd engine location. As for the blocks, I'm thinking that he did not get the wood blocks right, for whatever reason. Check that.
diggerG
 
But would there be wood blocks from the factory? I agree with the 2wd body because I see evidence that the battery tray used to be on the passenger side. Is there any solution besides lift blocks? Thanks Digger. Also I haven't forgotten about that shift tower. Just been VERY busy.
 
JIm I relate to the VERY busy part. I have never seen wood blocks under a Jeep from the factory except for gas tanks. not saying they never did that, just saying'....
I'm guessing that there is no evidence of frame bendage? Or work done on the body mounts?
Past that, I would not worry too much about that for now.
diggerG
 
Yeah, I'm too anal to let some bubbafied crap like this go though. No frame bend, they're under the entire body, every mount. I grew up in the sticks, bubble gum and bailing wire PhD, but this is........
 
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