That is the 33-36 body but in picture a front fender is visible with the 39 shield shaped headlamp lens opening and in the second picture a front fender shows a 40-41 teardrop shape headlamp opening.
I would really appreciate it if you would provide documented evidence of these production figures. As I stated in my earlier post in this thread, in many years of Willys collecting and researching, I have yet to find any evidence that a panel delivery was actually built in either 1933 or 1934, despite the artist's rendering in the 1933 brochure. While I appreciate and am the first to say that there are no absolutes when dealing with these pre WW II Willys, nobody has yet been able to provide irrefutable evidence or authenticated documented evidence of panel van production prior to the 1935 model year, and I have yet to find any reliable information to contradict my previously posted panel van production figures of 88 for 1935 and 337 for 1936. I am not trying to be pedantic here, but I am curious as to where you get your information as there may be a reliable and authentic source I have not yet come across. I have original factory brochures for the Model 77 for 1933/34/35/36 and the 1933 Model 99 brochure. As far as I am aware any all steel Willys panel van which appear to be of the 1933 (four hood doors per side, or 1934 (4 curved horizontal louvers per hood side) have had a 1933 or 1934 front sheetmetal clip substituted for the later 1935/36 type. This also requires the front spring hangers and springs to be swapped from the earlier 1933/34 models into the later 1935 or 1936 chassis.
This panel van is a late 1936 and belongs to Al Engel in the Bay Area. Very late 1936 production Willys Model 77s (some even carrying over into Jan 1937) were supplied with 1937 type solid wheels (4 bolt pattern) rather than the artillery type Kelsey Hayes wheels typical of 1936 production. The Model 77 pickup truck used the Panel Van roof as the basis of it's body structure rather than the sedan type - that is how you can tell a genuine factory pickup from a cut up sedan.
This again is actually a late 1936 - solid wheels - and I originally posted this and a few other photos on the WOKR Gallery. It belonged to Art Gustafson and I got the photos from him when he offered it to me for sale about 12 years ago. The inner fenderwells are wood boxeed on the 1936 whereas they are metal clad on the 1935 - doubtless something to do with the inside mounted spare wheel on the 1935 vs the under the rear floor exterior mounted spare on the 1936. Note the cut out for the spare wheel on the valance below the rear door on the 1936 model - the 1935 does not have this cut out.
I must have that avatar pic for a screensaver! I won't be able to think about Willys until I do.............
I could do without the first photo posted. Shit like that can cause problems for those of us who browse while at work during lunch/breaks.
I'm trying to answer this entry again, lost it midway through typing the last time. I hate it when that happens! These numbers for production of Willys Panel Deliveries are from page 665 of the following reference; Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks, All Models 1896-1986 John Gunnell, editor, Krause Publications ISBN # 0-87341-091-2 First Printing, 1987 Total Production numbers for All Willys Commercial Vehicles for 1933; 233 units (the book does say that the Panel Delivery WAS introduced in 1933 and the Pick Up Truck for that year, 1933, is even more rare. Therefore, if one believes this research, there were probably less than 200 Panel Deliveries produced that year. The Company was in receivership (bankruptcy) and in 1934 only 25 units were produced making that year even more rare than the 1933 model year. The production numbers for all commercial vehicles for Willys (Pick Ups and Panel Deliveries) for 1935 was 2280 units, 1936 it was 2441. So no matter what year, 1933-1936, or which model you are talking about, Pick Up or Panel Delivery, these things are pretty darn rare! Among several other things I learned from this book is what some companies called a Panel Delivery others called a Sedan Delivery and I think that is the case with the Willys. Before reading this book I always called any commercial vehicle with 2 rear doors a Panel Delivery and anything with 1 rear door a Sedan Delivery. Willys called these little Deliveries with 1 rear door a Panel and I think most hot rodders would call them Sedan Deliveries. Learn something new everyday. Also, in my opinion, and it is only my opinion, if a hot rodder has the ingenuity to locate and install a correct 33-34 dash in a 35-36 Panel Delivery and adds the correct nose clip (metal or fiberglass, after all most of us are building gassers or hot rods!) and the correct windshield mechanism, they can certainly call it a 1933 Delivery in my book. For what its worth. bgaswillys
Several Willys owners are saying to themselves here we go once again trying to keep the facts correct. Having owned 6 early Willys 77 series trucks, plus I have numerous friends here on the West Coast and Canada with Panel Deliveries as well as trucks, there is not one older then 1935. Perhaps the written statement of numbers possible be referring to the chassis and front sheet metal that were shipped to Australia in 1933 where they did produce an unusual looking roadster pickup. 37 years of collecting Willys, parts and literature has to be worth 2 cents.
Get a copy of the reference for yourself and check it out, pretty cheap through Amazon. I've been collecting, trading, admiring, building and reading about Willys for 36 years myself. There is even a more rare one that my best friend and Willys collector here in Idaho has and old time collectors tell him to his face he doesn't have it. He has a 1936 3-window coupe. The main body looks much like the 37-41 coupes (a little smaller) and the front sheet metal is typical 1936. Yes, he did get it from Australia and the production numbers he has been able to track down say they all went to Australia and less than 80 units were built. Between us we have 14 different models (both of us have Deliveries) in various stages of construction. We aren't new to this either. Maybe the reference is wrong, maybe not, it clearly states that the Panel Delivery was introduced in 1933. It would be a good one to check out and have on your collector's book shelf. Again, we are building gassers and rods, does it matter if we build phantoms or not? Rodders do it all the time with Fords and no one balks. So, even if Willys didn't introduce the Panel in 1933 and someone puts a unit together that would be what Willys would have done had they built one in 1933, who cares? Every hot rod and gasser we build is custom afterall. On the lighter side, some our Willys friends claim that all Coupes in 1933-1941 came from the Toledo factory with nose bleed stances and hemis! Gotta see the reference for that one!
Call Rayco Plating in Rigby Idaho, he has a real deal 33 that belonged to Coke. He has some other super rare Willys besides that one too.
FWIW, those Krause books don't always get everything right, I know there are errors in their Pontiac info, and you'd think that a good deal easier to come by.
I'm gonna tend to go with Vintagegasser on this one. Tom Wilford tends to live and breathe this Willys stuff. The question everyone should be asking is,"What is the body styles of the other car noses in the pics"? I spy a 37 or 38 and maybe a 40 or 41. Are they coupes? And is the rest of the Willys stuff in that garage for sale? How the hell are you Tom?
None of the stuff in the garage, including the Delivery, is for sale. There are a lot of us that "live and breathe" this Willys stuff.
Here's one I made an offer on a few years ago and got turned down on. The owner sold it on evilbay less than a year later for less than I offered.
I'm kinda new to the Willys thing but I will say this, Yes the panels are rare regardless of the year. The way I see it, 33,34,35,36 doesn't matter as much as the fact that another panel is out there. If for some reason it is proven to be a 33 than like my sons it would be a shame to do anything but restore. I like hot rods as much as the next guy but something this old and rare would be tough for me to cut up. There are ways to keep the truck original but still look like a hot rod. Not the gasser you want but things like wheels can be changed, Interior can be replaced and chrome can be added without destroying the originality of the vehicle.
There is NO book that gets EVERYTHING right but no one out there on this thread has offered any "official" proof that Willys didn't make a 33 Delivery other than offering the fact that they have been studying this topic a long time. Where's the beef?
Be careful they are full of wood and not too many people (if anyone) is making replacement wood, so pray that some of the original is left to copy. These are two that I did for Chuck Finders years ago when I owned "Willys Wood"
From what I have noticed there is as many delivery's as there are 33-36 pickups just my observations,Dave
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