 According to Paul, the hardest...  According to Paul, the hardest thing about restoring any of these trucks is to find a pickup box that has any usable sheetmetal. Willys America does, however, offer the solution of a new reproduction kit, which creates a flawless pickup bed. Paul used one of those beds and added a 1949 tailgate, which is stamped with the Willys Overland, WO logo. Thats the only change from the stock 1961 configuration, since Dean very much liked the earlier-style WO tailgate. |
 In some ways its hard...  In some ways its hard to believe that such a primitive-looking interior was still in production in 1961, especially when Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge trucks could be ordered with quite spiffy-looking interiors. All you got with the Jeep truck was a rubber mat, a speedo with fuel and temp gauges, light and wiper switches, an ashtray (chrome), and a glovebox. The unlined roof was trimmed with simple, textured-cardboard side panels, as were the doors and kick panels. |
 With the V-8 pulled out, a...  With the V-8 pulled out, a rebuilt L-headed Super Hurricane 226ci six-cylinder engine was installed. In 1961, the Super Hurricane was an option to the base four-cylinder engine. This Jeep was the last generation of American production vehicles to use a nonoverhead valve engine. (In 1963, the trucks final year, the very advanced-for-the-time six-cylinder overhead cam-equipped Tornado was available.) |
 Though not correct for the...  Though not correct for the year, the WO tailgate with its 4 Wheel Drive logo looks cool as it is. |
In the history of the American auto industry there have been few automobiles that have had as long a production life as the Jeep and some of its derivatives. The basic Jeep still exists as a production vehicle, virtually unchanged in context from its roots at American Bantam in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 1940.
The same can be said to some extent for the Jeep truck. The truck was introduced in 1947 and used an assortment of stock parts and a new body, and it remained in production along with the station wagon until 1963. During those years, its ruggedness made it a family favorite among farmers, hunters, and those in the construction industry. Very little changed in its basic construction, styling, or engineering during the 17 production years.
In mid 1950, a new grille splashed across the nose and there were several engine changes. A one-piece windshield came along in late 1960. Sold in both two- and four-wheel-drive versions, it was quite amazing how many folks loved these rugged work wagons, and in recent years there has been an enormous growth in interest in these Jeeps. It seems most of the interest stems from a family history of ownership or from the vehicle’s reputation as a reliable work truck. Such is the attraction for Dean Soiland who purchased this 1961 20 years ago from his friend John to use at his rock quarry. During their high school years, they shared the truck as their cruiser and parts-chaser. It was that thread of history that weaved through his younger years and created a strong bond between Dean and the Willys.
A few years ago, Dean asked Paul Barry at Willys America in Cazadero, California, to restore the truck for use as a promotional machine for his quarry. He wanted it mostly original and usable as a daily driver. When Paul got the truck, it was fitted with a Chrysler 318 V-8, but he’d been charged with restoring the truck to showroom-new condition and removing the V-8. The truck body needed quite a lot of minor restoration, but basically it was sound and in good shape. However, the bed was another story.
The Spicer transfer case with two levers mounted in the floor, swings power out to a Spicer 25 front axle and a Spicer 53 rear axle. Both axles have 4.88 gearsets. Built on a conventional 118-inch wheelbase chassis with Ross steering, multileaf springs, single action tube shock absorbers, drum brakes and 16-inch steel wheels capped with LT235/85 R16 mud and snow tires, the Jeep truck was nearly as simple as a Model T Ford.
The Jeep also features a matching side-mount spare on the bed. The Jeep was painted its original colors of Harvest Wheat and Glacier White by Ron Wheeler, and the tailgate was trimmed with the beautiful 4 Wheel Drive logo, which is not model-correct but looks very cool on this 1961.
Attached to the Super Hurricane six-cylinder engine is a T-90 three-speed floor-shifted manual transmission, which in turn uses a Warn All-Range Overdrive and a two-speed Spicer 18 transfer case.
The Jeep truck was a very practical setup and its basic nature surely helped make it the do-the-job work truck it was known to be.
From each and every angle, this old work truck looks like a brand-new unit that's ready for showroom delivery. As you can imagine, Dean is well pleased with the restoration. When he's out and about in his new/old company work truck, he gets plenty of admiring glances and has met tons of folks who once had one "just like it" in their families.