1949-1950 Jeepster parts car mongrel being put back on the road.

Barnabas

Bigger Hammer
Jun 28, 2015
95
Mount Vernon IL
First Name
Scott
Willys Model
  1. Jeepster
Willys Year:
  1. 1949
Thought there might be some interest. I bought this off Ebay last winter to sell for parts. Well, after selling a bunch of stuff too cheap, I decided I wasn't going to make enough profit to ever convince my wife to buy another project to part out.
One of the big snags was that the rebuilt (In 1995 and never ran, but $750 in reciepts) engine was incomplete. I ended up buying a distributor & intake off ebay for it, which isn't the right way to part anything out, but nobody seemed interested in buying it for anything but chickenfeed not running.
The frame is off a 2wd 1949 Wagon, it was sandblasted & sprayed with POR19 when I got it. (Also unfortunately is what the title is to) The body tub was totaled on the right quarter and hit in the cowl area too. That was ok, I was only going to sell parts. The rest of the parts were from his original 1949 rusted to the ground project. (DeKalb IL upstate)
I sold $1000 worth of parts off it before I decided to get it running to sell the engine. Well, I put the engine back into the car and somewhere along the way decided to just make a cheap, rough but presentable driver out of it (from a ways off) to enjoy for the heck of it since I was starting back with not much in the remaining car. I did buy a Poly gas tank for it already, so the money is going back the wrong way.
The photos are somewhat out of order, but the engine does run fine. I may step on some toes, but most of the body is too rough to really restore, so I'm going rustoleum rusty metal primer, and Case Power White oil based tractor paint and not worry about the purists. It will get corn starched to a dull finish. It just has to make me happy. Goals are to drive a cool beater Jeepster around town on errands. I have the top bows, but not planning on a top for some time if ever.
 

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I could have sworn I posted the right quarter in primer. The Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer is water proof unlike most primers. The underside of the tub is therefore as far as I'm concerned, done. It will be all sprayed the Power White (sort of a halfway point between tan & white), and I still have all the trim except for the hood chrome (which I never got) and I'm still kicking myself for selling the vent window assemblies for $25 each. I'll make up mouldings like the door sills to cover the gap. I do have years of body work experience but I'm retired from it, absolutely burnt out on restorations. But I like this.
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I think that is the stiffest part of the body. I have a 10 ton porta power ram I pushed it out with first but there was maybe a 1/4" between the gas filler hole in the body and the filler part of the floor. The whole truck fender is probably in 1/2" from where it is shoved in to the floor. (thus the dull finish so not to show much waves)
The cowl was hit hard in the right side and the firewall and dash were buckled in the middle. The cowl came out decent with the porta power but the dash under the gauge cluster was beyond straightening properly. I'm just going to cover it with a piece.
 
There is a lip around the bottom of the floor for a trim panel around the rear and where it meets the opposite (drivers) wheel well at the floor. I put a block of wood there and pushed out the seam and sheet metal as well as I could. The damaged fender was shoved in along with the rest of the quarter panel on that side and looking down it even pushed out on the corner, it is evident. If I was going to get wild with it, I would bolt down the drivers side of the tub tight to the frame. attach the frame to some anchor points and pull on the damaged fender until the floor and quarter were back out where they should be. That would require an actual frame machine to pull from the fender height and Although I have had 3 years doing frame work at one shop, I don't have access to a frame machine anymore and wouldn't pay for it for this project anyway. Another solution would have been to cut the quarter panel off including a foot of floor and the rear body panel a foot or so inboard and splice it on. Since I don't have access to a good right quarter and it would also exceed the budget (which is near nothing as my wife would get wind of it since she is barely ok with this since I'm supposed to be working on my 1967 Ford Econoline pickup also sitting in my shop) it wasn't an option either... Those things you have to work around in real life.
 

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Thanks for letting me know how you went about it. The trick is always finding something stronger than the part you are trying to move. ;)
 
Great progress so far. I see a project that would have been junked getting a new lease on life. Really, you have no rules. Missing parts, just come up with an alternative idea. If it looks like you did it on purpose then you get style points. Make it anything you want, make it fun, and enjoy it. To me it looks like a blast. Good luck and please keep posting photos of your ideas. Cool Econoline too.
 
Will do. Not going to be home for the next week and a half, so nothing going on right now. Plans are to get it on the road and enjoy it for what it is.
 
I did put it together for the first time since I have owned it to see what it looked like with the parts on it. It has a long road ahead, then hopefully some real road. I think I haven't mentioned the doors. They are rough as they get. The latches on the doors and quarter panels were two different styles and didn't seem to work anyway. (49 & 50? did they change them then?) I bought small street rod 2 stage bearclaw latches and took off the door lock hardware to make them fit in the ridiculously thin doors. This is the one installed in the drivers door. Going to have it open from the inside only. By the UN stencil, this door has some history. (thus my avitar, which will be all I have to remember it after the sandblasting)
 

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I have the headlight rings but they are pretty rough. I'm going to check out a swap meet tomorrow for stainless ones. I came up with a piece of chrome for the hood center off of an 80's GM Station Wagon. Its flat and the right width. Needs shortened some but the price was right. Also came up with an oilbath aircleaner and windshield divider moulding off a 50's Dodge. You do with what you can find.
 
Hey Barnabas. If you need a Jeepster outside door handle in fair shape (with pitting), PM me your address and I'll mail this one to you for free.

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I did buy some headlight rings, the stainless 50 Chevy truck style repros for $14 each and for my tail lights, I bought '28-'31 Ford extensions at $10 each to hold my round trailer light housings. It isn't going to be restored, just on the road.
 

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Johnny Cash Jeepster Lots of parts, lots of years.

Oops! I didn't remember that I had joined up here already. I Thought it was a different forum. (red) As you can see, I registered again. You can search this ID's photo albums for the current state. That UN door had no Bottom or outer skin I just made one from sheet metal that came out good, and the bottom of the door is C channel that a P.O. got to fit fairly well.
 

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I wonder if you ask nicely if Pete can merge your accounts. or if it is just more trouble then it is worth.

it looks nice by the way.
 
Thanks for the post. I stole a couple pictures to use as reference on my project.
 
I wonder how close the wagon frame is to the Jeepster? Thinking steering box location. I think you would need the Jeepster box. I think it's longer than a 2wd Jeep wagon.
diggerG
 
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