‘63 Pickup - Body Questions

scwillys

Gear Grinder
Sep 3, 2017
8
South Carolina
First Name
John
Willys Model
  1. Pickup
Willys Year:
  1. 1963
I've tried looking through the thread on body changes over the lifetime of the pickup. I've been looking for a ‘62-63 for a long time, and have found a ‘63 I'm considering ( I have not yet visited the truck in person as it is far away, and have just reviewed it in pictures.) The current owner claims is an original paint truck. Good historic documentation of ownership history. The truck is painted a single color, not a two tone.

Here are my issues: I was under the assumption that the horizontal bars on the grill should not be painted but rather should be chromed/stainless. The ones on this truck are painted body color (see picture). Am I correct? Also, it has the 6 bolt front front bumper with the add on piece (sorry I don't know the name) that attaches at the second and fifth bolts and rises above the standard bumper as a sort of secondary bumper. This bumper assembly on the truck is painted silver, but from images I have searched this bumper assembly appears to always be chromed on a 63 truck and wagon, and thus would be incorrect. Comments? Finally, on the interior, there is virtually no headliner, just a piece of what appears to be masonite type material. Searching willys parts, it appears that all trucks came with a headliner, and therefore this one's is missing. Yes, no?

Thank you in advance for sharing your expertise. I'm excited about this truck, but as they say, this ain't my first rodeo so I am doing my due diligence.
63 grill and bumper.GIF
 
I'm not an expert but everything you mentioned is factory to my recollection.
 
scwillys said:
I've tried looking through the thread on body changes over the lifetime of the pickup. I've been looking for a ‘62-63 for a long time, and have found a ‘63 I'm considering ( I have not yet visited the truck in person as it is far away, and have just reviewed it in pictures.) The current owner claims is an original paint truck. Good historic documentation of ownership history. The truck is painted a single color, not a two tone.

Here are my issues: I was under the assumption that the horizontal bars on the grill should not be painted but rather should be chromed/stainless. The ones on this truck are painted body color (see picture). Am I correct? Also, it has the 6 bolt front front bumper with the add on piece (sorry I don't know the name) that attaches at the second and fifth bolts and rises above the standard bumper as a sort of secondary bumper. This bumper assembly on the truck is painted silver, but from images I have searched this bumper assembly appears to always be chromed on a 63 truck and wagon, and thus would be incorrect. Comments? Finally, on the interior, there is virtually no headliner, just a piece of what appears to be masonite type material. Searching willys parts, it appears that all trucks came with a headliner, and therefore this one's is missing. Yes, no?

Thank you in advance for sharing your expertise. I'm excited about this truck, but as they say, this ain't my first rodeo so I am doing my due diligence.
View attachment 124720
Click to expand...
A lot of the grill bars were just painted white. The chrome ones were an option I believe as most trucks are painted.
The bumpers and overrider assembly were always chrome.
There was only a cloth style headliner in the 47, 48, and 49 pickups I believe. After that it was a kind of cardboard insert.
 
There should be a paint code sticker on the passenger firewall.

That can be helpful to determine original paint color at times.
 
the front bumper as painted is not original. I have not seen grill cross bars painted the body color. look at the screen on the air intake passenger side from grill below the turn signal. it appears green as well which would be overspray from a repaint at some time as it would not have been painted. headliner would be cardboard-like material that typical disintegrated long ago, if you ever see one, is a repro that has also failed.

what engine does it have?
 
Truck grille bars were typically white, as was the bumper (no overriders) on 54 and later 3-bar grilles. Some 50-53 5-bar grille bars were chromed on the trucks. Wagons had chrome bars and bumpers with overriders. Late model 230 trucks with two-tone paint and "7" style body stainless also sometimes had chrome bars and bumpers with overriders.

Your truck has been repainted, but appears to be spruce tip green or close to it. The headlight and front lamp rings were always chrome, yours appear painted. Remove a grill bar (philips screws from back side) and you should be able to figure out what the original colors were. The heater intake screen was black held in by stainless screws. Chrome grill bars are being reproduced if you want to dress up the front a bit.
 
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scwillys said:
I've tried looking through the thread on body changes over the lifetime of the pickup. I've been looking for a ‘62-63 for a long time, and have found a ‘63 I'm considering ( I have not yet visited the truck in person as it is far away, and have just reviewed it in pictures.) The current owner claims is an original paint truck. Good historic documentation of ownership history. The truck is painted a single color, not a two tone.

Here are my issues: I was under the assumption that the horizontal bars on the grill should not be painted but rather should be chromed/stainless. The ones on this truck are painted body color (see picture). Am I correct? Also, it has the 6 bolt front front bumper with the add on piece (sorry I don't know the name) that attaches at the second and fifth bolts and rises above the standard bumper as a sort of secondary bumper. This bumper assembly on the truck is painted silver, but from images I have searched this bumper assembly appears to always be chromed on a 63 truck and wagon, and thus would be incorrect. Comments? Finally, on the interior, there is virtually no headliner, just a piece of what appears to be masonite type material. Searching willys parts, it appears that all trucks came with a headliner, and therefore this one's is missing. Yes, no?

Thank you in advance for sharing your expertise. I'm excited about this truck, but as they say, this ain't my first rodeo so I am doing my due diligence.
View attachment 124720
Click to expand...
DSCN5888.JPG
TOYOTA TRUCK MIRRORS.... SORRY ABOUT THAT! :)
 
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