The engine is the 161 cubic inch flathead six and it runs great, no smoke. It has an overdrive transmission. The clutch is not "grabby" and shifts easily. The upholstery is very nice (see photos) and the floors look very solid although they might have been replaced at some point. I had the bumpers and beauty bars rechromed and they are still show quality. The rear bumper has the correct "Willys Overland" logo on it. All emblems and exterior trim is correct and intact so you won't have to go chasing parts. The tail lights are the correct NACO type with glass lenses. The doors and tail gate lock properly. It has a genuine Willys Overland logo heater.
It has been converted to 12 volt system with an alternator and electric wipers. All gauges work except the gas gauge is erratic at times. Probably a bad ground. Speedometer and odometer do not work. Mileage shown is 69994 but the actual mileage is unknown.
Now as to the boo-boos:
- There is still some rust repair needed. The worst part is the inner hinge assembly that the lower tailgate pivots on. See photo. This should be repaired before the tail gate is lowered/raised too often or risk further damage. The bottom of the doors are rusted also; I added a photo of the right door bottom which is worse than the left side. However, the doors shut solidly with a nice "thunk" and nobody would notice the rust when doors were closed. There is also more minor rust where the bottom of the front fenders meet the body (very typical) and check the photo of the lower tail gate.
- The paint varies from very nice to poor, depending on the area. It's OK for a driver.
- The overdrive does work but it won't "kick down" out of o/d when reducing speed from highway to city driving. It's supposed to automatically shift down into direct drive at about 23 mph. I have replaced the solenoid and kickdown switch. Further troubleshooting is needed.
- The heater motor does work but I disconnected the heater because it had the wrong switch in the dash. It caused the wires to the switch to heat up.
- There is no jack.
- It steers harder to the left than to the right. I don't know why; I see no evidence of accident damage underneath. It does steer straight and true out on the road.
- There is a "clunk" noise from the rear when going around sharp corners. Could be a wheel bearing or - worst case - a problem in the differential. I've driven it this way for three years so I don't think failure is imminent.
I have listed the items that I feel might be an issue to a prospective bidder. You can still drive this wagon daily with confidence that it is reliable; at least, it has been for me. Keep in mind that this is a 66 year old vehicle so don't expect it to drive like your Toyota. The license plates and dash compass are not included with the vehicle.
This is a NO RESERVE auction so bid like you intend to be the winning bidder. Please do your homework and research the shipping cost before bidding. If you are the winning bidder you are obligated and expected to follow through on your purchase. No bids accepted from persons with less than three feedbacks unless they contact me with their address and phone number before bidding. I reserve the right to cancel any bid from someone who has an unfavorable feedback rating.
Successful bidder to pay $500 non-refundable deposit via PayPal within 48 hours of purchase. Balance is to be paid in cash, bank cashiers check or bank-to-bank money transfer (preferred) within 7 days of purchase. If paying by bank cashiers check I will retain title and vehicle until the check clears both buyer's bank and my bank. This could take two weeks or more. I am adding these conditions because of previous experience. Buyer must pick up vehicle within 30 days of purchase.
E-mail me with any questions. I am not interested in any trades. Thanks for looking!
On Aug-26-16 at 13:16:37 PDT, seller added the following information:
I forgot to mention that there is no headliner.