# Bought my husband an old Willys...



## sarahdodgegeek (Jul 25, 2013)

My husband, Andydodgegeek, is turning 40 this year. I started out last fall working on having a special saw built for him through Mastermind, which went over spectacularly. But when this deal came up, I had to add to the pile - I mean hell, you only turn 40 once, eh? 

It all started this morning, when I was painting a local community center and I get a text.."you got some extra money laying around?" Good lord, I thought.. No money in the budget for another chainsaw right now. But curiosity got the better of me, so i asked what for. Well turns out it wasn't a chainsaw. (1st time for everything) 

When Mr. Dodgegeek was just a young pup, his neighbor / friend of his had an only Willys Jeep. This was the jeep that made him like jeeps. Well, his friend passed away back in 2010 and he often wondered what happened to that old jeep. While looking at craiglist this morning, he spotted it. When I got home, we scraped together every piece of foldin' money we had in the house. (I was eyeing up the change jar) It wasn't enough. But we hopped in the old Dodge and headed over anyway, in the hopes of talking the feller out of it for a less than askin price. 

We spent over an hour talking to the guy - helluva nice guy, big time into the history of vehicles and a true car lover. After hearing about all the childhood stories, and seeing the passion Andy had for it, he not only took less, he insisted on us leaving with enough money to go out for a good ole broasted chicken dinner at the Brass Rail (chicken is "world famous", ya know)

So, Happy Birthday again, babe...:msp_wub:
(Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon - It's not over yet - his birthday ain't till next week!:msp_unsure

Here's a couple pics. I'm sure he'll post more after he drools over it more tomorrow!


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## Hedgerow (Jul 26, 2013)

Will that thing make it all the way to Arkansas???

Nice find you guys...


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## dieselfitter (Jul 26, 2013)

I don't recall seeing many with a hard top like that. Are the hard tops kinda rare? Better than 9 months out of the year, I would rather have hard top. I used to have a 1951 Willys truck. I really like the way those old Jeeps look. It is amazing where they will go without getting stuck. DF


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## mga (Jul 26, 2013)

it's got nice tires.

is that dual exhaust pipes i see?


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## Blazin (Jul 26, 2013)

Nice! 

Dauntless 225???


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## sarahdodgegeek (Jul 26, 2013)

Hedgerow said:


> Will that thing make it all the way to Arkansas???
> 
> Nice find you guys...



Maybe.. if he leaves tonight :msp_w00t:


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## sarahdodgegeek (Jul 26, 2013)

I'll let Andy give you all the particulars, he's got the whole background history.it is not bone stock though.:cool2:


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## WKEND LUMBERJAK (Jul 26, 2013)

Hedgerow said:


> Will that thing make it all the way to Arkansas???
> 
> Nice find you guys...



If it will Andy won't be able to walk standing up straight for a few hours. :msp_biggrin::msp_biggrin:


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## buzz sawyer (Jul 26, 2013)

I love it - had one exactly like that in high school! Hurricane 4 engine - just the right size. First gear wasn't syncronized and you had two levers for the transfer case - engage and range. Should have never sold it. There was a hill outside our school we had to walk down to get to the athletic field. In a "hold my beer and watch this" moment, to everone's surprise I drove the jeep down that hill...and then back up again. 

Starter button was on the floor as was the headlight high beam switch. The latter cause a problem for me when they moved the high beam switches to the turn signal lever. For a while, every time I switched to high beams I'd get my foot caught in the steering wheel. :hmm3grin2orange:

The Dauntless (Buick) 225 v6 didn't come out until about '69. We had one of those too. it had some early emission controls - air injection reaction. It failed early on and that thing would blow mufflers apart with the backfire, not to mention hearing loss. 

Give me the one in the photo any day.


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 26, 2013)

Yes it is sweet!!! My neighbor put a 289 Ford v8 in it back in the late 70's/ early 80's. He also did the spring over back then. This thing looks the same as when I saw it way back when. It still has the same tires on it. I will take a bunch of pics of it after work and try to post them tonight. I am so excited.


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## Work Saw Collector (Jul 26, 2013)

andydodgegeek said:


> Yes it is sweet!!! My neighbor put a 289 Ford v8 in it back in the late 70's/ early 80's. He also did the spring over back then. This thing looks the same as when I saw it way back when. It still has the same tires on it. I will take a bunch of pics of it after work and try to post them tonight. I am so excited.



Is there a cool paint job in the future, or leave it rustic as is?


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 26, 2013)

Work Saw Collector said:


> Is there a cool paint job in the future, or leave it rustic as is?



The cool paint job is on it.I just couldn't change it, its too cool the way it is. Big thing is to get operational brakes, it didn't have working brakes when I was a kid and they've never been fixed. I will get them taken care of.


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## Work Saw Collector (Jul 26, 2013)

andydodgegeek said:


> The cool paint job is on it.I just couldn't change it, its too cool the way it is. Big thing is to get operational brakes, it didn't have working brakes when I was a kid and they've never been fixed. I will get them taken care of.



I'm good with that, it does look kool. I was just asking some folks want new paint.

Edit: I love to paint just not very good at it yet.


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## Trx250r180 (Jul 26, 2013)

that's the first flat fender iv'e seen with a hard top and doors


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 26, 2013)

Trx250r180 said:


> that's the first flat fender iv'e seen with a hard top and doors



The cab was built by Willys, it was a firemans special. I never saw another like it.


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## LegDeLimber (Jul 28, 2013)

andydodgegeek said:


> The cab was built by Willys, it was a firemans special. I never saw another like it.


Are the side pocket looking things for axe or other implements of destruction?

can't tell from the angle of pics but how much clearance do the exhaust and the axle have?
interesting to see full run of pipe.
Way back when, around here you never saw a v8 swap with anything but headers (usually leaking)
dumped into side pipes or just a set of "cherry bombs" hanging from a coat hanger.
- -
you guys seem to be good to/for each other!


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## hanniedog (Jul 28, 2013)

With that metal top I bet it makes for loud ride.


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 28, 2013)

LegDeLimber said:


> Are the side pocket looking things for axe or other implements of destruction?
> 
> can't tell from the angle of pics but how much clearance do the exhaust and the axle have?
> interesting to see full run of pipe.
> ...



Yup, the side pockets were for axe's and picks. The exhaust on it right now is going to get replaced. The guy I bought it from slapped it on all hillbilly like to take it to a car show and enter it into a "rap" contest. It is really bad. It still has stock exhaust manifolds. The drivers side is flipped upside-down. I will take some pics and post them up, it looks quite goofy.


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 28, 2013)

hanniedog said:


> With that metal top I bet it makes for loud ride.



For sure, there will be no conversations while driving.


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## Guido Salvage (Jul 28, 2013)

andydodgegeek said:


> For sure, there will be no conversations while driving.



Ideal wife hauler...


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## Guido Salvage (Jul 28, 2013)

My brother still has a '47 CJ2-A that he bought about 1977, I had a '62 4x4 Willys wagon while in college. I could lift the 134 CID flathead 4 right out of the engine compartment.


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 28, 2013)

Here are some more pics of the Willy's. First one is under the hood, 289 ford, check out that exhaust.








UGLY exhaust












Check out that overload leaf spring pack


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 28, 2013)

Check out the wheels. They have farmer welded centers in. These are the same rims and tires that were on when I saw it when I was a young boy.








I like how the shocks are held on with cotter pins.








One of my favorite parts, check out the door knob on the passenger door.








A pic inside the cab


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 28, 2013)

Thats all I got for now. I changed the engine oil and the lube in both front and rear differentials this weekend. I need to replace the waterpump soon, its leaking bad.


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## dozerdan (Jul 29, 2013)

buzz sawyer said:


> The Dauntless (Buick) 225 v6 didn't come out until about '69. We had one of those too. it had some early emission controls - air injection reaction. It failed early on and that thing would blow mufflers apart with the backfire, not to mention hearing loss.



Jeep started using the Buick 225 in 1965 in the CJ5 and the CJ6. 

Later
Dan


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## little possum (Jul 30, 2013)

popcorn!


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## sarahdodgegeek (Jul 30, 2013)

Guido Salvage said:


> Ideal wife hauler...



Ahem.... :amazed:


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## DSS (Jul 30, 2013)

Take them bias plys over to the firewood forum and sell them to Spidey. If he put them on his wifes mini van he could tow an aircraft carrier. 

Cool Jeep.


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## Fifelaker (Jul 30, 2013)

DSS said:


> Take them bias plys over to the firewood forum and sell them to Spidey. If he put them on his wifes mini van he could tow an aircraft carrier down a snowmobile trail.
> 
> Cool Jeep.



Fixed. And a neat looking piece of history.


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## Adirondackstihl (Jul 30, 2013)

I love me some Jeeps :msp_thumbup:


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## little possum (Jul 30, 2013)

sweet rig! And a even awesomer wife, you lucked up pal!


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 30, 2013)

little possum said:


> sweet rig! And a even awesomer wife, you lucked up pal!



For sure, it is a sweet rig.




























AHHHH!!!! Yeah the wife is a good'un too.:smile2:


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## sarahdodgegeek (Jul 30, 2013)

andydodgegeek said:


> For sure, it is a sweet rig
> 
> 
> 
> ...



:msp_wub::msp_wub::msp_wub::msp_wub:


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## sarahdodgegeek (Jul 30, 2013)

little possum said:


> sweet rig! And a even awesomer wife, you lucked up pal!



I like this guy. He can stay. :msp_w00t:


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## KenJax Tree (Jul 30, 2013)

andydodgegeek said:


> For sure, it is a sweet rig.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Andy its a good thing i scrolled down farther to read the rest, for a second i thought you were gonna be sleeping in that thing.


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## andydodgegeek (Jul 30, 2013)

KenJax Tree said:


> Andy its a good thing i scrolled down farther to read the rest, for a second i thought you were gonna be sleeping in that thing.



I would wake up sore but its so cool I would sleep in it.:smile2:


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## DSS (Aug 1, 2013)

andydodgegeek said:


> I would wake up sore but its so cool I would sleep in it.:smile2:



Prolly wouldn't be the first time you woke up sore and stuff.


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## sarahdodgegeek (Aug 1, 2013)

DSS said:


> Prolly wouldn't be the first time you woke up sore and stuff.



specially at his age.


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## jerrycmorrow (Aug 1, 2013)

good score guys. used to have an old L head overlander. totally rebuilt the engine (one of those someone removed the head and parked in the barn jobs). had to sell it for a much needed cash infusion. one of those - wish i hadn't - deals. good on yas.


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## DSS (Aug 1, 2013)

sarahdodgegeek said:


> specially at his age.



And with his ass. 

:monkey:


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## sarahdodgegeek (Aug 1, 2013)

DSS said:


> And with his ass.
> 
> :monkey:



amen to that.


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## jra1100 (Aug 6, 2013)

Andy, couldn't tell from the pics, but is there room to move the seat back a bit, or is the rear wheel well in the way? I've had to move a few seats in my day. Now that I'm over 60 I don't think that I'm 6'3 any more, but when they made the old jeep's they must not have known that there were people over 5'10. Had one that I drove for a summer, and man was that thing hard on the knees if you hit a big bump. Great score and better story. JR


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## andydodgegeek (Aug 6, 2013)

jra1100 said:


> Andy, couldn't tell from the pics, but is there room to move the seat back a bit, or is the rear wheel well in the way? I've had to move a few seats in my day. Now that I'm over 60 I don't think that I'm 6'3 any more, but when they made the old jeep's they must not have known that there were people over 5'10. Had one that I drove for a summer, and man was that thing hard on the knees if you hit a big bump. Great score and better story. JR



Yeah, I'm gonna have to modify the wheel wells a bit to move the seat back. I googled more leg room in a willys and apparently I'm not the only guy over 5' tall that wants to enjoy an old willys.


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## Hedgerow (Aug 6, 2013)

andydodgegeek said:


> Yeah, I'm gonna have to modify the wheel wells a bit to move the seat back. I googled more leg room in a willys and apparently I'm not the only guy over 5' tall that wants to enjoy an old willys.



Well, when you get that figured out, you can tell me how to get more leg room on the old JD Gator...
:amazed:


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