7 Comments on “Year? Flattie Gold Country, CA **SOLD**”

1. Jeff Mello October 18, 2018 at 10:38 am

   I just bought this Jeep 10/13/18 $4700 from this seller in Grass Valley CA. He said he hadn’t owned it long and didn’t know much about it but alot of old school guys in his area “knew” the Jeep . I would like find out as much as I can I anyone knows about it and knows who built the body please pt me in touch.

   What I know; its registered as a ’42 but it’s built on what looks like a late ’60s CJ-5 chassis and running gear based on the stock mounts for the Buick Odd fire 225 V6, steel bolt in floor pan T-86 3 speed with single shifter Dana18, 44 rear and 27 front. There is a frame tag on the inner driver side horn that once I can read it I bet will be to a 60s CJ5. It has PS with a Jeep (maybe YJ or ’80/’90s Cherokee tilt column.
   Some suspension stuff has been replaced recently like the U-bolts but there is not a rock scratch on anything underneath, not even the low hanging e-brake on the t-case, which is amazing this close to the Rubicon trail. It has a custom aluminum gas tank up under the bed, and seems to have had some sort of Rubicon rack attached to the two pieces of thick angle aluminum on the tailgate. It also has holes in 2 triangle patterns in the bed that seem too far forward to be a rear seat. The big round tube bumpers are plumbed with fittings probably for air but it has no compressor. The running boards/ steps, bumpers and roll bar all appear to be made of plumbing pipe and elbows and the roll bar is wrapped in plumbing tape. It has high back seats out of either a 240 Z or Porsche. It runs and drives nicely considering it’s age.

   The body, fenders, hood, grill are all alum, home made and seem to be one off. I have never seen one with round inner fender wells. I haven’t measured yet but it appears to measure the same as a stock body, the windshield frame is OEM steel and it appears to have had a soft top and doors at one point.
   It’s done nicely but not as high of quality as an Aqualu. It’s surprisingly perfectly straight not a ding in it anywhere yet it has been driven for many years since built as it has several flex cracks in various places mostly on the welds.

   Any info would be helpful and if you have an opinion on what I should do with it please share it. I have plenty of rock crawlers, race jeeps, keeper Jeeps, and projects but I had to have this.
   Thanks,
   Jeff
2. David Eilers Post authorOctober 18, 2018 at 3:21 pm

   Hi Jeff,

   It sounds like an interesting build. I’ve added a note at the top of the post to make a comment if someone has additional history. Made an old-time from an area jeep club would know more? http://gv4w.com

   Good luck!

   – Dave
3. Jeff Mello November 11, 2018 at 6:36 pm

   Update 11//11/18
   With no glove box my wife was clipping our new registration to the under side of the dash and discovered an old owner had done the same. The Willys was owned by (the late) Richard Moore in Santa Clara, CA circa 1998. I was able to get a hold of his widow (a very nice lady) and shared a few pictures of the jeep with her, she said her husband was not the builder and that the jeep looked just like it does today during their tenure as owners, and was sold in Santa Clara.
   The hunt continues.
   Jeff
4. David Eilers Post authorNovember 11, 2018 at 6:39 pm

   Some great sleuthing!
5. Corey August 3, 2020 at 8:50 am

   Jeff Mello how did this build turn out? I’d like to do one just like it…….. or buy yours if you ever got tired of it.
6. Jeff August 3, 2020 at 11:37 am

   Corey,
   I drove it for a few days, it does 75 straight down the lane on the freeway and wants an OD the only noise was my wife screeming to slow down
   Like most builds around here they do more sitting in cobwebs than progress. I have collected a few parts and done some research and have a plan. When it all happens who knows. As with the dozen or so other Jeeps and Broncos in my yard always a work in progress none of them seem to get done all at once. I decided against the polished Aluminum Buick 300 with twin turbos my buddy has. I’m trying not to go overboard on this one and keep it simple and yes someday I will sell it. I have too many “keeper Jeeps” as it is.
   My plan is to drop it down on some fat tires on all 4 corners and use it as a hot rod. Sort of like the rat rod jeeps but not slammed so low and I want a clean aluminum theme not rat/ rust. And I’ll keep it 4wd too, I’m a purest.
   So far I have gotten rid of most of the parts that came from the plumbing section and cleaned and scotch brighted the Body and swapped out the steering wheel for a leather wrapped aluminum one with red stitching and a Willys emblem.
   I have procured a 3B windshield for a chop top look and have cool 30’s ford taillights to recess into the back to get rid of the ugly Cj-7 ones.
   I have aluminum square stock for simple aluminum bumpers, a mini keg, Bitchen alum battery box, alum radiator, and 4 12′ wide Mickey Thomson beadlock wheels.
   I have my eye on some bomber seats with diamond tuck and red stitching and a buddy had a slab of 1/2′ aluminum that I would like to mill an MB grill out of since I found out the VIN is for a ’42 MB.

   I think I stole it and the guy didn’t know what he had. With the parts I have in stock for it I would sell at about $11 right now. From experience once I finish the look it it’ll go for 15 easy.
   Thanks,
   Jeff
7. David Eilers Post authorAugust 3, 2020 at 11:41 am

   Thanks for the update Jeff!