Oldest Willys truck in existance?

[scoutingranch]

The title could have been written several ways but I made it simple. Yes I know Willys made trucks before 1947.
A rather in depth discussion on this truck on another website. Yes, there are modifications ruining the originality but that can be corrected. Number 4 ???? from 1947?
If this has been posted here already then sorry for that.

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/d/fullerton-1947-willys-pickup-2wd/7162276786.html

[bmorgil]

That looks like a tempting one to try to put back together. Pretty clean looking California truck. I wonder about that serial number. #4 wow.

[scoutingranch]

Welp, some of the truck/wagon all knowing think this may have been first few hours of production. 90 minutes from the casa but 10K is not in the realm of reason. Considering what it would take to restore it to correctness.

[gmwillys]

It's a matter of opinion on the worth. In mine, $10,000 would be a starting point, but only after a thorough inspection. The method of my madness would be to look at the amount of panels that are original, and still serviceable. The tailgate brings a pretty penny to purchase. If you hail from the Midwest, then you'll have every bit of $10,000 in panels, donors, labor, body work and paint. The mechanical parts are the easier items to procure. I would start my bid at $6,000 and go from there, if the door doesn't get slammed in my face.

[LarrBeard]

OMG!

If there is a nameplate on it to set the provenance, it should be 2T10004. This is only about the third or fourth 2WD truck I've heard of that "might" be older than my '48. Since it is a 2WD, putting it back to original would not involve putting a transfer case and front differential back under it- steering and shift box might be an issue and there is no telling what else might have been "new and improved".

*** I didn't see the nameplate until after I wrote the paragraph above - every so often I guess correctly! Note the Max Vehicle Weight on the plate; 5300 pounds with 7.00 x 16 tires. The truck weighs 3200 pounds empty. The 1947 2WD Jeep Truck was a one-ton truck - the equivalent of a big F-250 today. *****

Look at the panel on the front of the bed, it has the same W-O stamp as the tailgate. That didn't last long, it was gone by '48.

And, this would have been one of the first post-war trucks, probably built in July of 1946 for the 1947 model year. I cry to see one of these that has been modified like this

[LarrBeard]

The good news is that the doors, floors and panels didn't change over the years (fenders, hood and grill did change though). You can use station wagon floors to patch a truck - (I did). I can hang a '63 door on the '48 and the hinges mate up and the door fits. Even the little beauty stiffener ridges are the same.

His tailgate is perfect - and it reinforces an opinion I have that on the early trucks, the W-O wasn't painted a contrasting color - it was body color. The escutcheon plates on the hood are the proper "Jeep Truck" plates even though they have been painted black over the original chrome.

I just want to take that baby in my arms and make it well again.

[LarrBeard]

BMorgil - There's the truck you've been waiting for ...

We could be the Bobbsey twins!

[scoutingranch]

Just to add a little bait to the hook. A local Willys Jeep guy and his dad (also Willys) live in the area. The guy went to see pops but also visited the truck. He stated the firewall has not been cut for the install of the V8. There is a little rust in the corner of a door and a wood panel was covering the stamped cross piece above the windshield. The early trucks had round and later going to oval? Right? Here is the chat:
https://www.oldwillysforum.com/forum/index.php?threads/interesting-1947-in-socal.18580/

Also this here in San Diego. "when it rains...bla bla bal"
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/san-diego-1957-willys-pickup/7168972655.html

[bmorgil]

BMorgil - There's the truck you've been waiting for ...

We could be the Bobbsey twins!

Oh man......... Its a cutie!

[gmwillys]

I hear the wheels turning. Bmorgil and LarrBeard with matching trucks.... That would be great to see!

[bmorgil]

Mine would be older, that just wouldn't work given LarrBeards "Senior" status. (Not his Military Senior Chief Status, the older guy status)

[okiemark]

What makes me think a person of Oriental nature wrote that description.