1949 Willys Jeepster

phaeton

Lightning 6

Clear

Gasoline

1949 Willys Jeepster. Willys made this car from 1948 to 1952, and only 19,000 originals were made. So it's rare. From its trim, we've guessed that it was produced at the end of the model year. Some of its trim appears to match the 1950 model. Willys made a habit of overlapping with parts from the previous and next model.This one was purchased from oblivion in coastal Georgia, where it had been driven on the beach and put away wet too many times. So the "restoration" was more of a rescue. It's a good amateur restoration.The car was completely disassembled -- as in, every removable piece -- and reconditioned down to the last detail. New floor was installed. Badly rusted lower body pieces were replaced with Bondo reinforced with perforated aluminum. Old rusted metal was cut away.All wear parts -- brakes, brake lines, rubber, clutch, tires, top, upholstery -- are new. Seatbelts (not part of the original package) have been installed to make it family-friendly (like, you can safely take grandchildren for a ride without their mother going completely mental).Engine -- it's the small flathead six -- was completely disassembled and gone over.The car has been converted to 12 volts. Previous owner had installed an alternator, so we stuck with that. Has a modern radio, electric wipers (but make no mistake: This is a fair-weather vehicle without windows, other than the windshield and side vent windows. You can add removable plastic/canvas window inserts, but they're hardly worth the trouble.)It's not a perfect restoration by any stretch of the imagination; the original condition of the car hardly lent itself to a concours goal. Still, the car looks great, drives great, and attracts a lot of attention on the road. It has even picked up a couple of trophies at local shows. (Mostly because it's unusual and doesn't fit in the categories that attract the most competition.)