What do you use your Willys for???

mikec4193

mikec4193

Precision Fit
Jan 18, 2010
923
Mechanicville ny
First Name
Mike
Willys Model
  1. Other
Willys Year:
  1. Other
Hi Everyone
I had this brain fart the other day. I was wondering what all you guys and girls use your Willys trucks for??..I have owned mine since 2007 and so far mine is used mostly for recreational welding and cutting (hours and hours and hours). I have learned lots from it so far. Can they be used for things other than lawn ornaments and money pits???
Just wanted to see if I was in the same ball park as the rest of you folks.
Thanks for listening....
MikeC
 
HA! Ok Mike, you'd better hang on for the ride on this one. I'm thinkin' you're going to get a lot of responses. :)This thread is gonna be Sad and Funny at the same time. :) I've owned this Willys since '96. It's my third and last. I'll hang on to it until I feel my son is worthy of it. :) He's 22 now. I use to drive it everywhere; even on the highway. For the last couple of years it's been pulling duty as a driveway ornament. It sucks, but hopefully this summer it'll roll again. :cheers:
Steve
 
Mine is my daily driver and part time money pit. In fact, I sold my Grand Cherokee so now my only backup is my Harley. Here's hoping I never need a major rebuild during the winter months.
 
I use my '55 PU for general purpose everyday driving. I run errands, haul firewood, plywood, gravel, dirt, whatever I need for the current project.


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my 62 pickem up is my dd I use for whatever and everthing just keep it going and use it my 47 2a im building will be my off road rider when its done so far 4 years and more money then I have still need the body work done and then i might use it for a while and do whatever the pickup needs to be right will have to see since Im already out of money retired and no jop time will tell its a good thing they both at least run really good. :lol:
 
mikec4193 said:
...Can they be used for things other than lawn ornaments and money pits???...
Click to expand...

Man, I sure hope so. Right now she's just collecting snow in the back yard. Hopefully it'll be a grocery getter and a once a week trip into the woods to collect some firewood. A friend said it'd look great as a toad behind the truck and camper -- not sure about that, but it really doesn't weigh anymore than the Cherokee, so maybe. It'd look kinda cool going down the road.
 
The plan for mine is to be beach buggy / errand runner and haul my 12 yr old son and the dog around with me as much as possible. Have a beach I can drive on about 5 min from the house so when I had my scrambler we spent a bunch of time down there. When I saw my wagon for sale I had to have it ! I had these visions of cruising the beach in it with the surfboards on top..........The reality so far is that it is something to spend money on and move around the yard until I have managed to kill what little bit of remaing grass there is back there :oops:

Has been about 2 yrs now and it still isn't a driver. Maybe this winter I'll get inspired and get it going. ( Finding a bunch of cash would really help too)
 
In good weather I use my pu as a dd,now its in the garage resting,wating for a trip to the shop for some lovin'.Summers we go to cruise nights and watch the young guys wonder what it is and listen to the old guys tell about how Dad had one when they were growing up,2 wheel drive so we don't get of the hard pan much,I like to take on customer calls as it's a good conversation starter......good thread Mike.........Jim
 
Right now my truck is doing a great job making my garage look small. It is intended to be the occasional driver, general purpose, pick up this or that sort of truck. I have had it for 1 1/2 years an am still slowly moving forward get the basics to work so I can go for a ride. Then it will get put to work and I will focus on maintaining it and having people ask me what it is. Then it will be on to a full on restoration of my 2a. Wagons will be after that. I have one wagon that was on the road for awhile a few years ago and it sure was a lot of fun breathing exhaust fumes and watching the road go by under my feet. :D Enough of the floor finally disappeared that I thought I should park it :cry: until I can get to it. It sure will be goood to have one that drives again. Maybe this spring!
 
Mine has been road worthy for about 5 years now, and gets driven to work at least once a week (50 miles round trip). I do not have a truck, so it is the lumber etc. hauler on weekends. I take it to cruises, even to Reno for Hot August Nights this year.
When my sons and daughter are home from college our other vehicles are in use and I drive it even more.
There are improvements that need to be made to any project, and driving it you find them. My latest find is that the 5.7L will run cool without the a/c on, but in summer the added heat in front of the radiator raises the engine temp 20-25 degrees on a 98 degree day. My next upgrade will be a remote a/c condenser with fan. What money pit ?
 
My wagon is just a big toy. We take it to cruise nights, some car shows and just take the wife and dog with on nice days to ride around or go get a burger somewhere. I'd love to drive it to work in the summers but I work at a retail store in a shopping center so no matter where I'd park it some clown would park 2 inches away and beat the crap out of it with his car door.

Hasn't been a real money pit. The clutch was getting weak and driving in the 4th of July parade last year finished it off. So, next Spring it gets a new clutch and I need to rebuild the steering box and should be good to go.

The best compliment I got was last year at a gas station. An older guy came over and slowly walked around the wagon as I was filling it with gas. He came by me and asked the year, etc. Then he said "I only see one thing wrong with it." I asked what it was and he said "It's not mine!!!"

Old Willy
 
Our '65 wagon, "Bluebell", started out in 1996 as a recreational vehicle on a remote island (only about 5 miles of roads). For three years she was amazingly useful pulling other vehicles out of ditches and winching huge logs out of the forest. The last few years however she continues to be resto-modded and sits most of the time under a tarp garage in our city back yard. If I can get her through Aircare, she'll see much more use around town. Perhaps the money spent has built up too much. Still, she remains very endearing if not particularly practical these days.
 
My 59 wagon is a daily driver used for going to work (9 miles), hunting in the hills of central washington, hauling building supplies for projects and just plain general driving for fun. We have a few vehicles at home but this one is mine and no one gets to drive it except me, I'd share but it really is all mine. my wife has a 09 4 door jeep wrangler and the kids have a hand me down 93 explorer so no need to share. I didn't realize how much i'd use this thing when I first got it.
 
Hi Mike. I've got a 63 Willys Wagon and a 57 Willys Pick Up. The Wagon is mainly my Plow Truck. I've been working on the restoration going on Four Years. By Fall of 2011, the body work should be done and the wagon painted! At that time, I may bring it to a few local car shows... Here is a link to it's story:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3297626/1963-willys-wagon

My friend Terry and I are currently working on a 57 Willys Pickup. I'm doing a Willys/Chevy Conversion Project. It will be driveable by Spring, 2011. I will not start the body work until my wagon is finished. The pickup will be used for some general driving chores to the store, scenic rides, going to local car shows, "Normal" Four Wheeling and some Mud Whompin (Not going to Rock Crawl with it)... Oh, and to Scare people. Here is the link to "Floyd's" build: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3805815/1 ... lys-pickup

The "showing" of my two Willys Trucks will have to be divided up as I also have a 1937 Chevy Coupe that I cruise and SHOW all the time. Here's the link to Ruby:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3870188/1 ... ter-deluxe

Good thread here Mike. It's good to read about what others are doing with their Willys Trucks. I'm surprised how many people don't know what these trucks are! It's guys and gals like all of us that hopefully will help educate these people and maybe get a few of them to become Willys Crazies to go find an old Willys Truck and help Save Another One! A Money Pit? Isn't every thing? I'd rather have an Old Willys Truck! Good Luck with your Truck!
 
Although my '48 Wagon is a running vehicle, it hasn't been started since this past August, when I got it and began the "Making it mine" process. Currently, it's my grandsons' "playground (so he thinks)" and he supervises the "work in progress" any chance he can get

Kai__Papa_in_Nelson-_Nov_2010_-2044.jpg


Temperature permitting (unheated garage), 'Ol Nelson will be back on the road this coming spring, with The Kid riding shotgun, and Gramma delegated to the back seat, although I think that arrangement may change ;)

Later...

Lee
 
My Willys see limited use, hobby stuff mostly.
towing utility trailer
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towing my 3a
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exploring with friends
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"Her Royal Highness" is a 48 Jeepster with a 4wd conversion and a chevy V8 thrown in for good measure. I've got about $5k in her and so far I just tool about town, with the occasional trip into Houston on the freeway for work. It's a real eye catcher and a chick magnet (not really). I wish someone had asked me this question before I took the leap.
 

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I thought it would be a good way for me and the family to keep up to date on our tetanus shots. Anyone can step on a rusty nail but there's usually a good story and scar to go with the shot when it involves an old car..............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, building memories.

All joking aside, Once I get everything where it should be and start doing the fun stuff on it I'll bring the kids back to "help". They had a blast on the teardown and will have even more fun fixing and making stuff.
 
My Willys has proven to be an excellent motivator for discovering new and exciting ways to justify to my wife it's associated expense. And, not so coincidentally, it is also a very convenient tool for justifying and triggering lavish spending on said wife.

Funny how that works.
 
To add to the flippant remarks....mine is restoration process so I hope some day for it to grow up to be a Chick Magnet as promised by forum.

But alas it is currently.....check one or all
A parts storage bin
1954K (My verison of Retirement Savings account (negative)
Man cave decoration
Surrogate girlfriend
Grounds for divorce
Garage parking displacement device...wife's car is in the driveway
Reason to hang out at auto parts and hardware store
Surrogate punching bag
Land verison of my boat..hole to throw money in...
But most importantly a place where me and my Lab Giacomo can hang
 
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