UPDATE: apparently, this one is up for sale
This nice looking truck is a Willys body and look adapted to a 2014 JK Chassis. No doubt it cost a few bucks to assemble. The result sure looks nice. Note that the whole truck had to be widened.
See all the pics here: https://www.quadratec.com/c/blog/brothers-challenge
Some of the stats:
- 1955 Willys Truck mounted on 2014 JK chassis
- 118” wheelbase
- 4800 pounds
- 3.6 Pentastar with RIPP Supercharger
- Automatic transmission
- 440 hp at crank
- Dual exhaust with catalytic converters.
- Fuel 17” wheels
- Toyo Open Country C/T 35” tires
- 3.5” Rock Krawler Long arm lift kit
PHOTO CREDIT: Quadratec.com
Read through the appraisal and seems like a pretty impressive build although I did chuckle when the appraiser listed the truck as a 1955 Jeep CJ3B Four Wheel Drive Pickup. I wish jeep would have done something like this when they produced the current gladiator.
I must admire this time consuming , money intensive build, this is the stuff dreams are made of, but how many of us have the time and most importantly, THE MONEY. Don’t get me wrong, I am not envious, but with a lifetime of dreaming, how many of us could achieve this goal, or is it necessary? Money becomes your God, and to me, that is not the path to follow in life.
I ask you all to give this some thought, given this is a stature in life many of us will never achieve, what is the point in pursuing it?
I for one am happy with my low budget driveway fixer upper Willys Jeeps, pride in ownership is not valued in terms of money. My philosophical thought of the day.
Truck is for sale on Bring a
trailer auction site.
Joe: Agreed, though I imagine the complexity of modern safety demands and collision dynamics preclude this type of design.
Mike: I’ve told my kids to follow their bliss, but be mindful of money …. With these type of builds, it’s probably best to know the whole story. For example, for the builder, this might have been pocket change, but perhaps the shop that built it needed the business, so he was throwing them some business? There are other possible scenarios, too, that might explain more about the “whys” behind this creation.
I grew up in and drove my father’s fixer upper CJ-5 for years. It was a rattle can black and gold colored (not truly sure what the paint scheme was supposed to me) vehicle built to be safe (heavy full cage), not pretty. The installation of a pinto engine ensured it flew at the speed of a turtle. Still, I drove that all over and had plenty of fun in it. So, I’m in agreement that a low budget jeep can provide plenty of memories and fun. My very first jeep was a Flattie with a patched together body and frame. I used it for college transportation, until I dropped out, tore it apart, and built my race/trail/street jeep with nickels, dimes, spare parts, and creativity (my spring plates were railroad tie plates hand cut with a hacksaw with large bolts welded on for the shocks).
Dave,
Thanks for the encouraging words, glad I’m not the only one who sees life from this perspective.
Beuriful machine ! The talent it takes to build this truck is amazing; congratulatios to the professional builders. A joy to look at and admire.
Mike,
For what it is worth, no one chasing money would start a vintage jeep website and run it for a decade, lol.
I chased money during the 00s and built over $10m in paper value in multiple companies (web, pay-day-loan, coffee shop) that I co-founded. Unfortunately, that all went up in smoke during the Great Recession. I am thankful that now, through plain luck, I no longer have to chase money.
– Dave
Nice build. Sure there are a few trim pieces that could be swapped out to taste, but very well-done.
In reading through the comments on the links, it sounds like it’s being sold as the cab is too small to drive comfortably. This truck is screaming out for a cab-extension as more than a few folks have done to their Willys trucks. If any eWillys readers want to see build threads of the extended cab trucks, head on over to OldWillysForum.com.
Dave,
Reality and the “Powers that be” have way of bringing us back down to earth, those things in life we value most, that being vintage Willys Jeeps. The old saying, “with age comes wisdom” is true, one of life’s mighty lessons.
Dave, your work is valued, and I speak for all of us who keep in touch on the EWILLYS website.
Sold for $120,000.