Sometimes a classic vehicle doesn’t need a million horsepower under the hood and mirror-shining paint to gain plenty of attention and admiring comments. That is the case with this 1950 Willys Jeep. It presents exactly as its maker intended and is in spotless condition. It is a classic that needs nothing beyond a new owner ready for a life of adventure in the great outdoors. If you believe you could be that person, you will find the Jeep located in Polk City, Florida, and listed for sale here on Barn Finds Classifieds. The owner has set a sale price for this Willys of $16,500.
When I first looked at this Jeep, I was quite taken by its overall presentation. This classic is not a vehicle with a mirror paint job, but its Surf Gray glows precisely as the manufacturer intended. The owner rates it as an easy 9/10, which seems to be a fair assessment. It shows no signs of flaws or problems and has been laid over laser-straight panels. There is no evidence of external rust, and the underside photos reveal floors and a frame that are spotlessly clean. The overall impression is that it presents to a similar standard that it would have the day it rolled off the showroom floor. Due to its practical nature, the exterior doesn’t feature lashings of chrome, but what is there is appears excellent. The canvas top is in as-new condition, while there are no problems with the windshield. So far, then, it ticks many of the right boxes for potential buyers.
Powering this Jeep is the 134ci “Go-Devil” flathead four-cylinder engine that produces 60hp. However, it wasn’t the horsepower that was the key to the Jeep’s legendary off-road ability, but the 105 ft/lbs of torque that this motor produced at a mere 2,000 rpm. The power and torque are fed to the ground via a three-speed manual transmission and dual-range transfer case. While those power and torque figures are not likely to threaten any muscle cars, the transfer case and locking hubs mean that this Jeep could tackle the harshest terrain. If you feel the north face of Mount Everest beckoning, this could be the classic for the job! The Willys is in excellent mechanical health but features a couple of sensible improvements. These include a new carburetor, an alternator, and the electrical system has been upgraded to 12-volts. These don’t detract from the vehicle’s overall originality and will improve both reliability and ease of operation. The owner says that the motor starts easily, the transmission is smooth, the four-wheel-drive system works as it should, and the brakes feel strong. For potential buyers, this appears to be a turnkey classic.
Life inside a 1950 Jeep will never feel like you’re living in the lap of luxury. However, it is unerringly practical. If the owner utilizes this vehicle as the maker intended, they will find it a blessing. The seats represent the only upholstered surfaces within the Jeep, and these are in excellent condition. There is no evidence of wear or other problems and no signs of stains. The original wheel is free from cracks and issues, while the painted surfaces appear perfect. The passenger seat is removable and features under-seat storage that offers added security for valuable items. The gauges look crisp and clear, and a heater adds a touch of luxury to a utilitarian interior. Overall, the presentation and equipment levels are in keeping with how this vehicle would have looked when it was new.
For an enthusiast seeking an off-roader with the ability to turn heads, this 1950 Willys Jeep has to be a strong contender. It isn’t loaded with luxury extras, but the ability of these classics to access harsh terrain is legendary. It presents superbly and would seem to need nothing. It is a practical vehicle that offers its next owner the promise of years of enjoyable motoring. If communing with nature is more important to you than massive engine power and dazzling paint, this Jeep could be the perfect vehicle to park in your garage.
After owning a ’42 for a few years I can tell you that they are fun to drive. They are a great example of our military and automotive history. The previous owner of our Jeep built a top and doors for it, which since we were in Michigan at the time was a good thing. Using the hydraulics out of an Army missile site and a 55 gallon oil drum we built a plow which became a big favorite of the neighbors.
@bobhess – love your Jeep and hurrah for homemade plow blades! My Dad’s John Deere has one that started life as a water pipe, then became a horse trough, and is now a plow blade.
Should have those chains on the front for more traction
Hey, Adam didn’t include his signature 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, so here they are. Sitting down? 0-60 in just a tick under 26 seconds and 1/4 mile comes in at a scorching 21.8@ 59 mph. VW bug times and I was surprised, these didn’t get that great a mileage, like 16 mpg overall. These generally didn’t go too far, so it was acceptable. I believe this is the CJ3-A, and a fantastic restoration. I don’t think they came out of Toledo this nice. Pretty amazing seeing the transformation from this to a modern Rubicon. I mean, even my ’91 YJ has some similarity to this. An optional, and very rare O/D will bring this unit up to freeway speeds, if the 4 cylinder could handle it, that is. In doing so, may God have mercy on your soul. Somebody did an outstanding job here, I’d be afraid to use it.
59 to 60 in 4 seconds! I think it’s safe to say the peak of the acceleration curve had been reached.
Great first sentence Adam, it fits this vehicle perfectly.
If you are judicious with what you do with it, one could have fun. Seems too nicely restored to do anything foolhardy (like climbing a mountain), so it might be relegated to simpler duty like local car shows or running errands or taking the neighborhood kids for a ride. As long as you don’t go very far where the prevailing speed is over about 35 mph.
59 to 60 in 4 seconds! I think it’s safe to say that the peak of the acceleration curve had been reached.
Add a winch and lets go hunting 🦌
You see pics of ww2 jeeps scurrying around the battlefields, but these are top heavy enough to flip. The military jeeps won the war for us.
Cheers
GPC
Boy Howdy, you got that right, my friend. Many of us might not be here today, had not our fathers got rides in Jeeps that saved their lives,,,and ours, come to think of it. Pictures like this in the Pacific and Europe were common. They( Toledo) made an astonishing one per minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for like 4 years turning out Jeeps. The ones not left behind were dumped at sea coming home, for reasons I don’t fully understand, but a buddy of mine said, his dad personally shoved Jeeps, trucks, tanks, guns, you name it, into the ocean coming back.
And another thing, there never was the “$50 dollar Jeep packed in cosmoline” you may have wondered about. I read, all the $50 dollars did was get you a list of upcoming army surplus auctions, where you could buy a Jeep in a crate, but not $50 bucks.
http://www.offroaders.com/blog/graveyard-of-jeeps/
And, along with the Willys MBs produced in Toledo (about 373K), note that Ford produced about 277K GPWs at multiple plants around the country during WWII.
Wait! Where’s the padded dash, 5mph bumpers, seat belts, roll bar…and the list goes on and on.
Back when a Jeep was a JEEP!
The chrome trim around the headlights are a no-no to authenticity. The last thing you would want, other than a big bullseye on its top, is bling to alert the enemy to your presence. That said, the jeep presents well and probably has seen a lot of time with WWII reenactors.
The original Jeep’s purpose was reliabilty and the ability to leap bomb craters. More about it here, if you’re interested. BTW, if you’re a German trying to pass for an American general, choose where you want to seat wisely. https://rememberroad.com/what/jeep/is-todays-jeep-still-a-jeep-the-1991-jeep-wrangler-doesnt-forget-1941-jeep-mb-war-vet-ancestor-thats-good-and-bad/
The issue of authenticity (i.e. the chrome trim ring) is moot as this wasn’t a military jeep. It has received OD-like paint and reproduction canvas seats and top. Looks nice, but should probably be thought of as—to use a term from the muscle car hobby—a “tribute” jeep.
Actually, I agree with NHDave, the chrome grill is okay, as long as it retains the original look. It’s when, if you look at mine on the ’87 YJ coming up, it had a grill covering with little holes, and hid the signature “7 slot” grill. Well, that was the 1st thing to come off, as that grill, is a trademark of Jeep, it’s the 1st thing one sees identifying it as a Jeep and is still used today.
This isn’t a WW2 jeep, its a 1950; so chrome is good.
After the war my dad and my uncle who were farmers and ranchers bought 80 tons of navy surplus. Included in that lot for seven 1942 Willys jeeps based out of Bremerton Washington. All of us kids on the ranch learned to drive in that jeep My dad would put gas in it and tell us not to run over any sprinkler pipe,it was indestructible it was passed down to me and, shame on me I got hard up for money and sold it for 400 bucks, I think about that jeep two or three times a week I shot my first buck out of the passenger seat in that jeep my cousin used to make it backfire and the girls walking on the sidewalk with scream! We would laugh at tool down the street.
I don’t get the big prices for a Bronco. This is a great bargain if compared to early Broncos.
I had the honor of driving a ’48 civilian Jeep from a suburb to a business near downtown, a drive that normally would take about 20 min. It was well over an hour in the Jeep lol. I was grateful to get out of it once I arrived at my destination lol.
It would be fun to take to a VERY local car show, maybe go cruise the lakefront, but I wouldn’t ever want to do that drive again in it lol.