162 Any restorer of Jeep wagons or trucks knows that rust is usually a big problem. Part of the reason is that rust-retardant materials and spray applications of that era were not as robust as they are today.
Another problem is that Willys (and Kaiser) often tried to avoid the expense of tooling up for large stampings and instead used a series of smaller stamping and then weld them together. For example, they made a fender in two or three parts and welded them together. Although it looks fine when new, the first rust to show on a Jeep is usually wherever those welded parts meet because moisture seeps into and on the unprotected metal and starts the cycle of corrosion.
163 From 1947 to 1964, Willys offered a variety of special-bodied Jeep wagons and trucks. A buyer could order a cargo box for the back of the pickup or a service body fitted with various lockable storage compartments. Rack bodies and stake bodies were also offered. From 1955 to at least 1961 a special Cargo Personnel Carrier vehicle was available, with an open cab and 10-passenger personnel carrier body fitted with sideways-facing seats.
164 The first Jeep to wear the “Commando” name wasn’t the 1967 Jeepster; it was a factory-built fire truck on the Willys truck chassis. Featuring an open cab (the factory simply cut the roof off), it was fitted with a 500 gallon-per-minute pumper along with a heat exchanger to keep the engine cool while sitting stationary at fires. These vehicles were produced in small numbers from 1955 to about 1961.
165 Jeep also offered two distinct ambulance models based on the senior models. The first was a conversion of the standard panel delivery truck, with litters and medical supplies fitted into the rear area, and a rooftop vent installed to keep things cool inside. The second version was fitted with a much larger custom body produced by Mil-Ner that featured a raised roof and much more interior space.
166 One special version of the Willys wagon was the Hy-Rail produced from about 1949 to 1957 by Fairmont Railway Motors (the company is now known as Harsco Rail with vehicles sold under the Hy-Rail name). It was fitted with special steel wheels to enable it to be driven on railroad tracks by maintenance crews. The body was really special: It was converted to four doors! It’s not known how many were produced, but the company is still in business.
167 Another interesting Jeep variation is the 1954–1955 Economy Delivery, a stand/drive delivery truck of the type used by bakeries, florists, and package delivery companies. The Willys Jeep Economy Delivery was powered by the 72-hp Hurricane 4-cylinder engine, and it featured a large, tall, and roomy body built by an unknown outside vender.
168 Countless other variations of the Willys Jeep wagons were built around the world. A 1955 US-market catalog illustrates two types of truck/wrecker that were offered in the truck line, either of which used the standard Willys truck bed rather than a special platform, which was an important money-saving feature.
169 The Willys Jeep FC-170 was one tough truck even in standard form, boasting a 7,000-pound GVW and a curb weight of 3,490, meaning it could carry just over 3,500 pounds of cargo. And it could be ordered beefed up to haul even heavier loads.
170 How’s this for the ultimate Willys truck option: an integrated backhoe. The factory offered it, and with it, a Jeep truck could easily dig a 12-foot hole. The digger was able to swing 160 degrees and offered load buckets up to 36 inches wide. The backhoe weighed 2,250 pounds, so it must have slowed the truck considerably. The trucks were fitted with beefed-up cooling systems to handle the heavy work. These vehicles are rarely seen today, but some have survived in the hands of dedicated Jeep collectors.
171 If you look closely at the cabs on Jeep Forward Control trucks, you notice that some of them have rear quarter windows and some don’t; the panels just aft of the doors are plain sheet metal. Those quarter windows are part of the Deluxe Cab option, which also included dual sun visors, armrests on both doors, cowl trim, foam rubber seats, a cigarette lighter, and front panel kick pads. The Custom Cab option was a popular choice, so you see more FC trucks with it than without.
172 Forward Control trucks offered several body/chassis options including a stripped chassis, with full drivetrain and steering but no body whatsoever, so a buyer could order a special body for it. One step up from that was a chassis and cowl option, which included the cowl, an instrument panel, and a windshield, but no body. A closed cab and chassis were also available. It’s not known how many were produced.
173 For 1958, Jeep introduced a new version of the two-wheel-drive passenger station wagon that played off the name of the television show Maverick, which Willys Motors sponsored. The Jeep Maverick Special was a two-wheel-drive Willys station wagon with a special two-tone paint job and some extra chrome trim, greatly upgraded interior trim, the 4-cylinder Hurricane engine, and a new semi-elliptic leaf-spring suspension system that was said to provide a much smoother ride. To improve handling, a front stabilizer bar was standard, as were four Captive-Air tires (and no spare tire).
The Maverick Special was priced at a bargain $1,895. Although most books say that the Jeep Maverick first appeared in 1959, it actually debuted in 1958 and was continued with minor changes in 1959.
The 1958 Maverick Special was a two-wheel-drive Jeep station wagon powered by the F-head 4-cylinder engine and fitted with nice interior trim. Note the smooth, high-dome roof panel.
174 The 1959 Jeep Maverick Special differs from the 1958 version mainly in the roof panel, which is flatter and ribbed on the 1959, versus tall and rounded on the earlier model. The base price was increased, to $1,995, although even then it still remained the lowest-priced full-size family station wagon on the market.
175 The Jeep Maverick name was dropped after 1959, but the series/model designation was continued in a series of stylish two-wheel-drive wagons that are identified by their attractive “missile” side trim and two-tone paint, along with fancy interior trim. Although the factory referred to them simply as the “two-wheel-drive station wagon,” collectors today refer to these wagon as the “later Mavericks.”
By 1960, what had been the Maverick Special was now simply the station wagon. The exterior trim was new, and the roof panel by now had been replaced with a flatter one with roof strengthening “bows” stamped in.
176 In 1960, Jeep introduced an interesting new model called the Jeep Traveler, which was a Willys station wagon body fitted with a conventional front seat and two sideways-facing rear bench seats. Interior trim was in the Traveler was plain, and a sideways-opening rear door was fitted. Aimed at hotels, resorts, and anyone else who needed to transport a number of guests to and from the train station, these unique vehicles were produced through 1964.
Engine and Drivetrain
177 The Willys Jeep station wagons and trucks never offered a fully automatic transmission, so don’t bother looking for one. A conventional 3-speed manual transmission was standard equipment, along with overdrive. When looking to buy a vintage Jeep wagon or truck, always try to find one with overdrive so you can drive the vehicle on the highway. It still won’t be quite fast enough for today’s crazy traffic, but at least you’ll have a fighting chance.
178 The engine used in the original senior Jeeps of 1946–1947 was the 134.2-ci Go-Devil 4-cylinder engine rated at 63 hp. To say that the senior Jeep was underpowered would be generous, but thankfully the national highway system hadn’t been built yet, so average cruising speeds were still rather low. These vehicles today should probably not be taken on a major highway unless they have overdrive.
179 In late 1947, Willys introduced an L-head 6-cylinder engine for the two-wheel-drive wagons and panel trucks. The engine displaced 148.5 ci and produced just