The Willys Jeep Truck enjoyed an 18-year production run from 1947-65. It was based on existing Willys vehicles, the Willys Jeep Station Wagon, and the Jeep CJ-2A, to help keep costs down. This 1952 edition, complete with primer grey and patina, has had the same owner since 1997 and needs some mechanical TLC to get back on the road. Located in Overland Park, Kansas, this Willys is available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $6,000.
Introduced a couple of years after WW2, the Jeep Truck was a one-ton four-wheel-drive vehicle that rode on a 118-inch wheelbase. Besides being available as a pickup, they also came as platform stake trucks, chassis cabs, or as just a bare chassis. A ¾-ton two-wheel-drive version became available in 1949. The truck got a restyle in 1950 with the addition of a V-shaped grille with five horizontal bars. By 1951, the standard engine was the 2.2-liter, “Hurricane” inline-4 that produced 72 hp. Upon being discontinued in the mid-1960s, more than 200,000 of these trucks are said to have been assembled.
Two things may be keeping the seller’s 1952 Willys Jeep Truck off the road: a bad fuel pump and a bent rear driveshaft. The seller already has the replacement pump and the driveshaft was removed. The truck is said to have been running before that and looks to have been the seller’s pet project for more than two decades. He mentions that his wife has never been a fan of it, so continuing to fix it up doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Production records point to 16,155 of these trucks having been built for 1952. But when you drill down to the specific model number for this one (452 EB1), that number may drop to just 1,085.
The body is good overall and there is green paint to be found under the grey primer. Naturally, it has its share of surface rust after nearly 70 years, and the cab floor has a few small holes along with the bed being thin in a few places. The bumpers are welded on rather than bolted, a step that was taken by the previous owner because they were required in Colorado where the truck lived at that time.
Though sidelined for several years, the seller tells us the engine was rebuilt many moons ago by the prior owner and is in good shape other than the fuel pump. When it was in running condition, we’re told it could climb most obstacles! During his ownership, the seller has made some improvements in the areas of safety and drivability. For example, he changed the coil, distributor cap, and plug wire. Larger drum brakes make for better-stopping power, and the muffler has been upgraded which might help give it a little more torque. The shocks, wheels, and tires are newer, but since the truck has been off the road for several years, the tires may be suspect. The same might apply to the leaf springs which are stiff from sitting.
Same tires 23 years too.
These are rugged farm trucks with their original drivetrains but having owned one I can say they’re not really streetable but for fun-runs to the lumber yard or grocery store
Another from my memory. How do you guys do that? Russ did a great job on the history of the Willys pickup, I had a pickup like this in the late 80’s, only a ’51. I had bought a ’54 Wagon, with a 307 Chevy conversion. The pickup had a homemade plow,( that he cut off) and a 6 with an extra hole in the block, and had 19,000 miles. All the guy did was use it to plow his long drive( for like 50 years) until the motor blew. The body was perfect. I put everything from the wagon into the pickup, and was my daily driver for quite some time. This is a great find at a realistic price, “FFW’s”( Flat-Fender Willys) are getting hard to find. Don’t drag your feet on this one.
I had a 1950 Willys in New Mexico sold it for $3500 and it was in great shape I have a 1956 also in good condition would consider selling it
ill buy the waggy
;^ )
I have one of these PU’s. I added an overdrive so you can almost make it to freeway speeds. 3500 RPM’s is about the end of the line for the old long stroke flat head. Also added electric power steering and power disc brakes.
Here we go again with another insane seller. Let’s see, it doesn’t run, the driveshaft is bent, the tires appear to be old, it was used to plow snow, so the front suspension will require a complete rebuild, to make it drivable, ask me how I know. Very likely the front diff will also need a rebuild. Ask me how I know. So figure another $3,500.00, just to get it drivable. You’ve spent $9,500.00, and you now have a truck worth $3,500.00, max.
gotta get into the esoterica most don’t know but ur short a big pilea cash. Consult the EXPERTS in this to know.
(An ex is a has been
a spirt is H2O under [pressure)
but have the facts, U cant compare to others but must know market for these.
My experience comes frm ’50/60s Italian and ’66/77 broncos. This is the same I’m bettin.
I have passed on plenty of these old Willys that were in better shape than this one for under $1,000 not to many years ago. I helped a friend a few years back, he brought me the body in pieces all sand blasted while he was doing a frame off. I charged him 6K to straighten and paint everything, I’ll bet he has another 10K plus a bunch of time doing it up, I doubt that he will break even…
Straighten the drive shaft, drop in an LS-3, Disc brake kit, big radiator, rebuild drive units and just go for it 😆LOL.
LOL is right.
I had a nice wagon and also a very nice 1 owner pickup of this era. I liked them both, but for Jeep to give them a 3/4 ton and 1 ton rating is silly. Their ancestor was the 1/4 ton Jeep of WW2 and these carried on with drive train parts from the CJ of the time. At the time Dodge was building the 3/4 ton and 1 ton Power Wagon that dwarfs these Jeeps. Circa 1972 I had just gotten my wagon running with a 235 Chevy 6 conversion when a heavy snow fall hit LaPine Oregon. I chained a log behind it an drove down the road and plowed out my neighbor’s driveway. Once he could get out neighbor Jim drove his car to town (Bend) and came back in a new Scout. Lol. :-) Terry J
All pictures taken in garage. Try harder, seller.