ICMDEER
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 2,997
I know lots of guys on MM are WAY BETTER mechanics and "project pickup" guys than I am. But I have always wanted an old Jeep Willys pickup. When I was a little kid, we had some good friends that had one and we had great times and great hunting memories in that outfit.
I found a 1948 Willys pickup a couple of years ago in a farmer's junkyard. Not original, but the body is decent and the price was ok. Bought it and we went to work on it. It has a short block Chevy V8 - a 283 - and it now runs good. Since the engine wasn't original, we swapped axles with a 1979 Chevy 1/2 ton 4WD pickup. They fit perfectly and we also flipped them to lift it.
New tires, new fan, new brake lines, new shocks, new exhaust, new wiring kit, gaskets, new front drive line (rebuilt on my gunsmith lathe) and I re-did the whole interior. New/used seat, new aluminum diamond plate door and kick panels, new paint, Rhino liner, new hood latches, handles and more. I used over a spool of wire off my little wire feed welder on the body. Then the grinder, Bondo and lots of sanding. Then primer and paint.
It's far from perfect, but it is still fun and I like it. I now need to install the lights, wipers, winch and touch up some paint, especially the "W" on the tail gate. And maybe fix the brakes, but brakes are overrated.
It just needs a big mule deer buck in the back this fall to complete the dream. Fun project that has challenged me in lots of ways.
This might not belong on MM, but it's part of my hunting heritage so thought I'd try it. If having it here causes heartburn, the moderators can delete if inappropriate.
I found a 1948 Willys pickup a couple of years ago in a farmer's junkyard. Not original, but the body is decent and the price was ok. Bought it and we went to work on it. It has a short block Chevy V8 - a 283 - and it now runs good. Since the engine wasn't original, we swapped axles with a 1979 Chevy 1/2 ton 4WD pickup. They fit perfectly and we also flipped them to lift it.
New tires, new fan, new brake lines, new shocks, new exhaust, new wiring kit, gaskets, new front drive line (rebuilt on my gunsmith lathe) and I re-did the whole interior. New/used seat, new aluminum diamond plate door and kick panels, new paint, Rhino liner, new hood latches, handles and more. I used over a spool of wire off my little wire feed welder on the body. Then the grinder, Bondo and lots of sanding. Then primer and paint.
It's far from perfect, but it is still fun and I like it. I now need to install the lights, wipers, winch and touch up some paint, especially the "W" on the tail gate. And maybe fix the brakes, but brakes are overrated.
It just needs a big mule deer buck in the back this fall to complete the dream. Fun project that has challenged me in lots of ways.
This might not belong on MM, but it's part of my hunting heritage so thought I'd try it. If having it here causes heartburn, the moderators can delete if inappropriate.