1963 Willys Station Wagon
The Willys Jeep Station Wagon was introduced by Willys-Overland in 1946, the same year in which it introduced the Universal CJ Series. Arguably the first sport utility vehicle in the world to gain mass appeal, the Willys Station Wagon lineup had much to offer, with four wheel drive, easy maintenance, ample space for its passengers, and safety beyond what other "woodies", (wood-bodied station wagons), offered at the time. By comparison, the success of the Willys Station Wagon overshadowed that of many other models offered by Willys-Overland from 1946-1964. In 1946, James D. Mooney, president and board chairman of Willys-Overland Motors, announced the "introduction of a new jeep station wagon" describing it as a "people's car." Indeed, the new 2WD, all steel station wagon boasted easy maintenance, safety and a seven passenger capacity. Powered by the Go-Devil flathead, four cylinder engine, the 463 model was designed to compete with the "real" wood wagons manufactured by Detroit's Big Three.
For consignment, a 1963 Willys 4x4 station wagon with 86,785 non-verifiable miles on the odometer, looking trail ready and downright snappy with its 2 tone paint scheme. Purely utilitarian when they were made, today vintage Willys fit right in with the classic SUV fervor that surrounds Broncos, International Harvesters, Range Rovers, and others. Straight metal body panels and basic interiors seems to be the theme, and this one is a stunning example.
Exterior
Painted in an earthy tutone duo of Parkway Green and Champagne with black wheels, this Willys has immediate presence. Leading with the V shaped vertical ribbed grille that sports a trio of horizontal chrome trim bars dividing up the upright Parkway Green round bars, round chrome rimmed headlights flanking left and right, and small turn signal lights just below. It has a bit more flair than the standard Jeep, but you can tell where that gets its roots. On the bottom is a simple curved bumper which frames the lowers of squared off front fenders that end just below the doors. And speaking of these fenders, they are bathed in more Parkway Green, which also covers the hood and upper middle of the squared off body. More green surrounds the split windshield which is at the back end of the rounded over hood and just above champagne takes over the rounded roof line that covers the cab. More champagne steel takes over the lowers of the doors and rear fender and is highlighted by a polished stainless steel trim spear. In back a Willys badged chrome bumper is just below the tutone and chrome trimmed tailgate and chrome trimmed squared off tail lights on the upper sides of the rear fenders. 15-inch black steel wheels include locking hubs in the front to comply with the 4-wheel drive badge on the side. A few scratches, nicks, and cracks are noted in the paint, but minor in relation to the good coverage.
Interior
Simple tan panels are framed by body colored metal on each door and consist of low nap textured cloth on the uppers, smooth vinyl on the lowers and plenty of chrome for the cranks and actuators. A bench seat spans the width and is covered with a tan cloth coat and smooth tan vinyl bolsters. The lovely black Willys steering wheel with finger grooves on the two spokes has been wrapped with a leatherette surround for the rim. Dash central houses the factory gauges, all surrounded by a body colored metal dash along with some knobs and pulls and heater controls just below. On the tan carpeted floor, we find the gear shifter and dual range selector shifters. Tan visors meet a tan cloth headliner above, all looking very nice.
Drivetrain
A SOHC 230ci Tornado inline 6 cylinder is under the high hood, rated at 135 horsepower and is fed fuel via a 2-barrel carburetor. The mode of sending power to the wheels is a Borg Warner T90 3-speed manual transmission tied to a Dana 18 transfer case. The front gears consist of a Dana 25 axle and turning the back tires is a Dana 44 axle. Drum brakes are old school standard here, and the engine bay is clean with lots of free space and room to work.
Undercarriage
Generally driver quality underneath with typical occurrences of surface rust and some pitting. The single exhaust runs next to the driveshaft, finds the muffler, then exits into the atmosphere through tailpipe that exit on the right of the rear bumper. Leaf springs make up the suspension front and rear. While it's up on the lift, we note the bottoms of the door remain solid, much like the rest of the undercarriage
Drive-Ability
As an old school SUV groupie, it is my pleasure to take this knobby tired old Willys for a ride. The 6 cylinder cranks to life and sends us around the test loops high in the perch and with generally good visibility all around, though wanting more from that smaller rear window. It whines along in Jeep like eminence and delivers a solid ride with adequate power and braking. We'd love to test it off road, but that's not in our job description. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
This truck gives off vibes. Kentucky woods. Sierra Nevada mountains. New England small town. In other words, it's got character for miles and evokes a different feeling in everyone. A feeling that's explicitly American, purely vintage, and beyond cool. Call the mall today. Ask for Willys sales, not service.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
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