Shop Find: 1951 Willys Wagon
Researching Willys Wagons for this article left me with one overwhelming impression: this vehicle has attracted serious restomod efforts. With hardly any effort, I found one Willys with a 283, a couple 289s, one 302, several 327s and 350s, two 351 Windsors, one 400, a couple 455s, several Vortecs, and one Coyote. Lest you think the restomods have crowded out the factory originals – not true! More than 388,000 Willys Wagons were made, so on any given day, you’ll find several original examples for sale. Here’s one on facebook Marketplace: a 1951 Willys Wagon with an asking price of $9000 or offer. Take your trailer to Detroit, Michigan to pick her up, because although the motor will crank, it doesn’t run. We have JimA to thank for spotting this classic for us!
The Willys Wagon had a long run. It was launched in 1946 and sold in the US until 1964. Facilitating sales was the simple Brook Stevens design, made of flat sheet metal panels – the bodies could be made by any fabricator, keeping prices low. American Central, Hayes, and Briggs all had a hand in building the Willys. At the outset, Wagons were equipped with the 134 cid in-line four-cylinder Go Devil engine, though in 1948 the six-cylinder Lightening was available. By the time this Willys rolled off the line, the standard engine was the four-cylinder Hurricane, still at 134 cid but now configured as an “F head” with a higher compression ratio and 75 bhp. A Willys is comfortable at 50 mph, but it strains at 60.
The interior is barely visible here, but Willys advertised seven-passenger seating, and copious cargo room after removing the rearmost seats. Improved headroom over the war-time Jeep got the nod from buyers, but for today’s drivers, keep in mind that interior space is on the tight side if you’re girthy.
Our seller doesn’t say much about this rig’s specifications, but I think I see the transfer case gearshift in this photo, making this a 4×4; four-wheel drive was introduced in 1948 and sold alongside the 2WD version until production ceased. A three-speed manual was the only transmission offered, though overdrive was a desirable option. This Wagon has apparently covered 50,000 miles, with no indication whether the odo has rolled over. Without more information from the seller, it’s difficult to judge his asking price. But for the would-be Willys buyer, here’s a site that offers several comparators. What would you pay for this Wagon?
Auctions Ending Soon
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now1 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now1 days$4,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now1 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now3 days$11,000
1974 Datsun 260ZBid Now5 days$750
Comments
Thanks, Michelle, another dusty memory. My 1st “FFW”( Flat Fender Willys), was this truck, only a ’54. Mine was the same color, but had a sbc too, a 307, I think. It was poorly built, and I didn’t care for it, and “found” a ’51 pickup, I put the motor in with much better results.
The reason so many were modified, was even the 6 was horribly underpowered and with V8s a dime a dozen, it was a popular swap. Mine had an adapter plate and retained the Willys drivetrain. I doubt there’s anyone that would pay $9gs for one in this condition.
It should be noted too, this was the 1st all metal wagon, as most wagons were wood. Honestly, they were miserable vehicles with the 4×4 being its main attraction. Hey, if you needed a wagon to be somewhere in Michigan in winter in 1951, this was about your only choice. You and the occupants froze their arse off, heat not being a requirement, apparently, but you got there.
Note to seller: C’mon, man, couple grand tops, it’s not that special.
Now, if they throw in the 8N(?), you got a deal!!
Yes, I like its tractor “roommate”!
It’s a Fergy! TO20 or T030 Ferguson.
I think that’s either a 2N or a Massey.
The front axle and wheels don’t look like any 8N I ever saw; and I’d worked with a DPW that had four of them for cutting park grass.
I don’t know but I believe: For the last two years, the Kaiser-Jeep Tornado OHC six may have been the bigger-engine option. Kaiser (a name Willys took in 1963) was oh-so proud of their “new” OHC six. It was a modification of the old flathead Continental engine they’d bought the rights to make in-house; they’d hired an engineer out of Donald Healy’s operation to design the new OHC head for it.
Unfortunately, groundbreaking engineering advances are not cheap. And just as the Kaisers found with Kaiser-Frazer, doing expensive things close to the edge, doesn’t pay.
The Tornado was the last engine Kaiser attempted to design or seriously modify. The last Kaiser proprietary engine was the former Buick V6, simply set up and run off just as it had been for GM. And…speculations abound as to why the Kaiser organization was so hurried to sell Kaiser-Jeep, which had become very profitable by the late 1960s. There are dozens of factors and theories, not the least of which was Henry Kaiser’s death and the later complete liquidation of Kaiser’s various subsidiaries; but the Clean Air Act mandating smog equipment on automobile engines, was a hurdle that tiny Kaiser-Jeep just couldn’t leap alone.
Even American Motors, much bigger, was struggling at the challenge, ten years later.
I don’t think that is an 8N. But I will defer to the tractor experts to identify it. The roots of the 8N go back to Ferguson. Massey is related as well. Almost as many intermarriages in the Tractor family tree as in the Automotive family tree.
Yeah, these things were subject to a lot of “odd” swaps back in the late ’50s/early ’60s – the earliest Four Wheeler magazines detailed a number of them. They were probably second only to the flat fenders in the number of unusual swaps that were tried over the years. I looked at a lot of these in the ’80s as a teenager and many of them still had odd swaps then.
I’m with Howard – this thing is worth nowhere near the $9K asking price.
If you want a Willys wagon the six cyl. with overdrive is the way to go; unless you just want to drive around town.
Comes with the special “pliers” option on the battery cable.
icebox or stove depending on the season.
Yes and not the way you would wish!
I’d leave the Willys and be away with the grey Fergie! Still a competent tractor, and groundbreaking* at the time.
*pun unavoidable!
Mynold neighbor had a couple of these. Restored to stock. They’d putt them around town at around 40mph. A friend had one, also stock, that he used as a work truck. Every time he’d arrive at a site, in the summer? The thing would be steaming like a teapot. Good times..and that’s why people swap in V-8’s.
These were a dime a dozen when we were buckin’ bales some many (!) years ago, usually kept as transportation to the alfalfa sprinklers as they just wouldn’t quit. No maintenance to speak of. When they did quit, they were generally left where they stopped until they got in the way then dragged to the ranch scrap heap. “The junk pile” where we were at had interesting stuff in it, including one of the first rigs nowadays called an SUV-a 1940ish GMC Suburban Carryall. Too, old trucks, old Jeeps or Broncos or whatever; later on used up Honda 3 wheel ATV’s and the like.
A recent trip took us by there and the ‘kid’ had inherited the spread, sold off almost everything in the scrapyard and made more money than in 3 years of alfalfa sales by knowing what they were worth. He kept the ‘58 Chevy pickup though, as it’d been his ride when he met his girlfriend, now (and still!) his wife 52 years later..
These are still out there as you pointed out, Michelle but $9k is a bit more than what we’ve seen sell-but then again, as the great Wayne Gretzky said, “Ya miss 100% of the shots you DON’T take..” some life wisdom there!
I knew a guy who transplanted a 6 cylinder with an over drive from a Willys car into one of these Jeeps, but I can’t imagine a 302 or especially a 351 into one of these jeeps without additional suspension and upgraded brake system that sounds downright dangerous!
Between station wagons/panel/pickup style, I’ve got eight of these. Bought the first after a hiatus of collecting MGB’s, Fieros, and other miscellaneous orphans. Fortunately no kids to extend the insanity.
I like it, wish I was in a position to get it I think it would be fun to get it back on the road
A bunch of haters… Jeesh… Cool old Willys. I love those things.. We used to ride in the back as kids in the 4th of July parades we used to have in the 70’s. When it was still ok to proud to be an American. It had the original flat head, olive drab and army tires. My Uncle drove that thing all over during summer. I just might be interested in that jeep around $4000.
It’s still OK to be proud to be an American. I am!
Upgrading a 51 Willys Jeep to a V8 would mean welding new motor mounts and trans crossmember and a 8.5 or 9″ rear end. All new wheels and brake system. More work than I would want to do. Or you could leave the 4 banger and just drive to Lowes on wknds.
I had a 51 wagon on a 78 3/4 ton 4×4 Chevy frame. Had a title but never tagged it. Ran it everywhere until my son blew the engine. I’ve seen other Willys running and in better shape for 3 to 4,000. The asking price on this one is way to high.
You can still buy the Massey Ferguson grey paint by the gallon, quart, or handy rattle can at your local Tractor Supply store. It’s really pretty good paint too.
I have a ’62 Willys wagon with the flathead 6 cyl that I’ve been restoring for 10 years and I just bought a ’46 Ford 2N!