If you’ve ever dreamed of unearthing a true postwar utility vehicle straight from the weeds, this 1946 Willys 4-63 Wagon might be the barn (or field) find for you. Listed here on Facebook Marketplace and photographed sitting in tall grass with decades of baked-in patina, this Willys tells a story through rust, dust, and time. It shows just over 54,000 miles, and while the ad offers few details, the photos and history of the model speak volumes. Thanks for the tip Zappenduster!
The Willys 4-63 was the very first all-steel station wagon offered in America. Introduced for the 1946 model year as part of Willys’ effort to pivot from wartime Jeep production to civilian vehicles, the 4-63 was an innovative and durable machine. It featured the Go-Devil 134 cubic inch inline-four and a three-speed manual transmission, making it a practical and rugged vehicle for postwar American families, tradesmen, and rural communities.
This example wears what’s likely its original brown paint, now thoroughly sun-baked and weather-worn. The steel body features period-correct side and rear woodgrain-style paneling—likely painted steel rather than actual wood, giving it a faux “woody wagon” look. While covered in heavy patina, the body panels appear largely intact with no major rust-through visible in the photos, a good sign for anyone eyeing a restoration.
Under the hood, the original Go-Devil engine appears present but untouched for decades. It’s covered in dirt and surface rust, and there’s no mention of whether it turns over. Based on the condition and a rear license tag that reads “1976,” it’s possible this Willys hasn’t moved or run in nearly 50 years.
Inside, the cabin is rough. The floors, dash, and interior panels are heavily rusted and layered in debris, but surprisingly, much of the original structure remains. The steering wheel, shifter, and seating frames are all there, making this a full-scope project rather than a pile of parts.
As the first mass-produced all-steel wagon, the Willys 4-63 paved the way for the American SUV. Its historical value is real, and survivors, even rough ones like this, are becoming harder to find. Would you tackle the restoration and bring this utility icon back to life, or would you preserve it just as it sits?
One of the original outsized station wagons-before a mandatory four doors and cupboards holders classified them as an SUV.
Depending what’s underneath, this could be a fun one to redo, although all indications are that it’s 2WD only. The 3 speed on the column would be entirely entertaining in and of itself, and coupled with the 4 pistons singing lazily along it be a fun one to hang your Desert Water Bag in front of the radiator for a ride on an old 2 lane for a weekend outing.
Nev^ is right, these are 2wd, and often confused with the 4wd models. I bet more than once, someone bought one thinking it was 4wd, like that DJ story. Again, while revolutionary, the truth is, these were like riding in an empty coffee can with 6 marbles. They rattled and shook, and hot in the summer, cold in the winter and horribly underpowered, yet, the SUV movement had to start somewhere, and these could haul a lot, just not too quickly. I read, in late ’46, Willys offered a 2wd 6-63 wagon, with the 6, but only about 50 were sold. Most went with the 4×4 anyway. Got resto-mod all over it, and that’s okay. Put the body on a modern 4×4 chassis and make it useful again.
My older brothers bought one of these at an auction in the mid 70’s. A guys junkyard was being liquidated and all kinds of hotrods were being sold and my brothers brought this piece of crap home. I mean what were they thinking? All kinds of SS impalas with big blocks were being sold cheap and they got this. It sat by the fence for 5 or 6 years before it got junked
I don’t know enough about these to know what I would be getting myself into but I think it would be kinda fun to get it back on the road
Well, the engine rebuild on one of these should be easy enough.. And if you wanted a 4X4, it wouldn’t be all that hard to slide a
front diff and transfer case and all that goes with it under that body. Sure, you’re gonna have to
figure out just where you wanna put the gear stick for the transfer case, but you can do that while you’re putting new floors in it anyway. The best person to talk to about this one would be Leinidude as he owned one of these for years. I’m sure that he
can tell you the ins and outs of a
Wagon like this. Me, I’ve always thought that these were cool and
I’ve always wanted one. But my girls are used to things like A/C,
Bluetooth, GPS, and a good sounding stereo with Syrius XM,
and an automatic. And if you want another engine, a 231 Buick V-6
would slide right in with not much
trouble. And Howard, have you been pardoned by her Majesty yet?
Located in South Dakota, with a listed price of $5,000.
Great rare find and would be a good winter project. Yes they were primitive but you can change some of their short coming during the restoration. $5k might be a little strong but everything is there.
I’m restoring a much later ‘62 Willys Wagon with four wheel drive, six cylinder power, pointed grille, rounded front fenders, etc. I have been working on it since 2014 and it’s still not finished. The chassis is complete but there is a long way to go on the bodywork. It only has 41k original miles but it’s a very rusty New England coast car and needs a lot of metal work.
SBC…