Just got myself a new project.. it's a hotrod, but not of the variety you normally see on here. This is 1962 Willys Station Wagon 4x4 with an early small block chevy that I haven't ID't yet and a late 1950 Ramsey PTO winch, so the car has 3 transmissions, 4 shifters and 3 drive shafts with a total of 7 U joints!!! I'm going to just get this driving right and then use it around the house for parts hauling and on the ranch for off road use, so nothing fancy. Just will allow me to get rid of my late model 4x4 truck and 1968 F250. The guy I bought this from didn't know anything about cars, he just bought it a few years ago and drove it around his ranch, didn't even change the fluids in anything. The car smokes bad when just started, takes forever to warm up and uses lot's of gas, according to him that was because it was old and all chevys are cold natured. So first I get under it to check it out, someone had cut the hard fuel line and put an inline electric pump in, without flaring the tube ends, so when you turn on the pump (not needed to run it) the gas is pushed out around the tube and fuel line.. I guess it doesn't use that much gas, first problem solved. PCV=PVC right?, check on the engine, low on oil, probably hasn't been changed in a while, no breather on the valve covers, just PCV hoses from both valve covers directly into the manifold vacuum... that doesn't seem right, check the PCV valves, they are not, they are just pieces of 90 degree PVC pipe with heater hose directly to manifold vacuum.. I guess that solves the oil use and smoking problem. Cold natured? maybe the wooden fan shroud should have given me a hint that someone didn't really think before they build, the engine never really gets to operating temp but the owner told me he was always afraid the old engine would overheat in the west Texas summers, so he build the fan shroud, I guess he also removed the thermostat to make it flow more coolant. Another problem solved. Probably won't be updating this much, but I thought you all may enjoy some of the quality farm engineering on this great 4x4.
I've found that there's always a surprise or two waiting with any new project. No matter how honest the p.o. is, sometimes there's stuff there that even he didn't know about. Everyone has their different ideas about what's acceptable too, I've redone a lot of bodywork that was supposedly already "done" too.
I'd like to see pics of at least the shroud...I live near vt and have seen wooden bumpers, even a wooden fender on an old subaru but never a shroud
What are you saying about Vermont, that maybe it's the place where "woodchucks" make things of wood! "how much wood could a woodchuck chuck", etc! (From an ex-Vermonter) lol My sister and her boyfriend drove a 49 Chevrolet Army ambulance from Vermont to Guatemala back in the 70's. When they got to Washington, D.C. they lost their brakes, they continued on to Alabama w/o brakes on the interstates! When they needed to stop they just turn off the igition and coasted to a stop while in gear. Someone had replaced the brake lines with copper tubing and it was just hanging under the truck unattached to the chassis, they flexed until they broke. I worked for a week to get them road-ready, installed a new master cyl. and lines, a heater, window seals, extra generator, carb, and starter. They made it down through Mexico to Guatemala, and then all the way back to Calif. with no problems.
Pictures as requested.. this thing is fun to drive, don't think it will have trouble with any type of terrain I'm planning to go through.
The guy I bought it from didn't make any modifications on this car, he knew he didn't know enough to work on it, these are all changes from a previous owner. I always expect surprises, but in this case, I was very very happy, instead of an old tired SBC that needs a rebuild I seem to have an engine that's in decent shape, ready to do work for many hours (off road the miles don't count ;-) Just ordered all the suspension bushings and a new brake system for it, that should solve a lot of the wandering when driving and acute 90 degree right turns when stopping.
I had a 60 model (picked up for free), they are very interesting since alot of people have done some strange stuff to get by without spending any $$$. Pm me if you want a good contact for a guy in the DFW area with alot of willys/jeep stuff. Guy has alot of cool parts and info., knows the old stuff. Reasonable prices. Good luck
People might get the wrong impression about the PO if he comes up in conversation and you say "I met that guy once and he gave me the willy's"
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