UPDATE 2: This sold for $430.
UPDATE: This is a real Willys Overland Panel Van and likely the last one around. Thanks to Glenn & Colin for identifying this.
Notes from emails:
The script on the front is the same as the 46-49 Willys station wagon tailgate script.
In 1950 Willys Overland lost the rights to use the full name, so they had to switch to Willys.
Willys 2WD trucks had column shifts from 1947 until end of 2WD production and this van sits on a 2WD Willys truck chassis, so mechanically, it would be like a Willys truck or Willys 2WD station wagon. The truck chassis had a wider track at the rear and a longer wheelbase that the station wagon, but same Jeep engine and transmission.
Seller info: “EXTREMELY RARE WALK IN METRO VAN-I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER ONE LIKE IT-IN FACT, I NEVER KNEW THAT WILLY’S MADE THIS TYPE OF TRUCK. THERE IS NO TITLE NOR ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION, I CAN ONLY GUESS THE YEAR TO BE LATE 50’S TO MID 60’S. LOTS OF RUST, SOME BROKEN GLASS, MISSING THE BACK DOORS, SIDE DOORS THERE BUT RUSTED BADLY, FRAME IS BADLY RUSTED. NO MOTOR, TRANS, WHEELS BUT THE ROOF IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE WITH NO HOLES. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THIS IS A RUSTY PIECE OF HISTORY WITH THE EXTERIOR IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. THE REALLY COOL PART IS THAT THE WHEELBASE IS 119″ CENTER TO CENTER BY 57” WIDE TO AXEL BACK PLATE. LATE MODEL CHEV OR FORD 4X4 HAS APPROXIMATELY THE SAME DIMINSIONS. THE WHEEL OPENINGS ARE PRETTY WIDE OPEN SO IT CAN EASILY CHEAT AN INCH OR TWO EITHER WAY. I WANTED TO MAKE THIS SWITCH AND HAVE A ONE OF A KIND TRUCK THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE BUT HAVE NEITHER THE TIME NOR MONEY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. I AM SURE SOMEONE HAS BOTH AND HAVE OFFERED THIS ON A “NO RESERVE” BASIS. KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS NOT A ROLLING ASSEMBLY AND MUST BE PLACED ON A TRAILER OR ROLL BACK TO BE MOVED. I HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO GET A FEW OVERALL PICS BUT I THINK THEY SAY IT ALL. IT’S A PROJECT BUT IT’S WAY COOL AND DEFINETLY A ONE OF A KIND FIND. I HAVE LIMITED INFORMATION BUT CAN BE REACHED AT 717 329 8882 AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW.”
Kinda looks like a chevy van with a willys script on it
I was wondering whether someone just attached the script as well.
I say someone badged it as so. I dont think they would of placed the badges in that location. It kinda looks European.
I looked at a 1939 Willys Van for sale in Southern California many years before the internet and photo ads. It was very similar to this one, but I don’t remember what the front grill looked like. I was hoping it was actually a Sedan Delivery, but it was a van like this one so I had to pass on it. It was powered by a 4 cyl. engine.
I wonder what year this van is? If it were late 50’s, it would be made by Willys Motors, Inc, not Willys-Overland. So it must be a pre-war vehicle. The script looks very similar to the rear lettering on a ’49/’50 Station Wagon.
**Steve E.**
Anyone ever see a FC van?
blog.hemmings.com/index.php/page/2/?s=surrender
Anyone ever see a FC van?
blog.hemmings.com/index.php/page/2/?s=surrender
blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/02/22/wayback-with-the-fc-jeep-van/
Brett: Here is one for you
http://www.thefcconnection.com/john_edwardsson_swedish_fc_van.htm
OK Boys, I knew I had the Sales Folder if I could find it. I’ve sent it to Dave. No date on the folder, but suspect about ’47-’48 built on a 2WD Willys Pickup chassis not at the Toledo Plant. Mfg. by Plaza Motors, Inc. Englewood, NJ and was Willys-Overland Factory Approved. On the folder you can just barely see the Willys and Overland scripts just as on the one for sale. I’ll contact the owner and get him the info also. glennstin
The steering wheel and gearshift mechanism as seen on ebay photos appear to be late 40s early 50s Willys, but without further identification, I can’t tell. I have a listing of the Willys vehicles made from after WWII up into the mid 60s and for 1951, it lists an FJ model with serial number 451 GC,beginning with 10001, but showing no production numbers. For 1953, it lists FJ 453GC2 with serial numbers starting with 10001 and ending with 10065 for a total of 65 vehicles. For 1954, it shows FJ 454GC2 10001 through 10012 for a total of 12 vehicles. Unfortunately, there are no photos to go along with what these trucks were, but they are listed several years before the FJ3 and FJ3A FleetVans. But the numbers suggest a very low production vehicle, of which this may be one. More ID photos of the entire vehicle need to be taken to help ID it. It isn’t an FC Van, though. The script on the front is the same as the 46-49 Willys station wagon tailgate script.
If anyone is close to this location in PA, maybe it is worth a drive over to figure out what this is.
Colin in Phoenix
Way to go , Glenn! Willys 2WD trucks had column shifts from 1947 until end of 2WD production and this van sits on a 2WD Willys truck chassis, so mechanically, it would be like a Willys truck or Willys 2WD station wagon. The truck chassis had a wider track at the rear and a longer wheelbase that the station wagon, but same Jeep engine and transmission.
I’ll be the new owner.
Is the bolt pattern on the truck (and this van) 5×5.5?
I love stepvans…didn’t know I might be getting the last one of it’s kind.
Congrats MIke,
The bolt pattern of a Willys truck should be 5×5.5 (unless someone sticks custom axles under it). Looking at the size of the hub on the bottom picture shown above, I would guess that it could be 5×5.5, but couldn’t swear to it.
– Dave
DITTOS Mike, So happy you are on board with this discussion on one of the most active Willys sites us Willys Nuts have to play on, eWillys. Please keep us in the loop on this, especially regarding VIN or any other production evidence you uncover. Enjoy your piece of Willys History.
I’ll do my best to document this vehicle. Any documentation given the previous owner as far as any “sales sheets” would be of great value to me. 440-415-6672 or michaelwaynenellis@yahoo.com
I mean scans or photocopies, of course…
Congratulations, Mike. It would be awesome to see your Willys commercial van at the FC roundup in March. It’s not a Jeep, but it’s definitely a predecessor to the Fleetvan series vehicles and would be a hit with the crowd. Keep us posted on anything you learn about this vehicle. Did you ever determine what year it was made? What city are you in?
**Steve E.**
Mike-
Congratulations on your purchase. If the truck still has an engine, preferably a Willys Jeep engine, pleae try to find the engine number. On a 4 cylinder Willys Jeep engine, the number is located on a boss at the front of the cylinder head, just above the water pump. It should have 5 or 6 numbers preceded by a number and or a letter or both.. Normally 2 wheel drive Willys trucks had an enfgine number that began with 2T XXXXXX. That engine number may have been used to title the truck way back in the 40s. I think Glenn and I figure the truck was built between about 47-49, since Willys came out with the 2WD trucks in 1947. Let us know what you learn.
Colin
Hello Steve,
I’m in Geneva, OH
(1 hour east of Cleveland)
Hi Mike, Ohio is quite a ways from Arizona to tow it to the FC Roundup. It’s so rare to have a vehicle like your new van. I wonder if they had a better chance to survive being so close to Toledo. For all the obvious reasons, it sure draws a lot of curiosity and interest. I don’t think that would change and we all would be interested in keeping up with your project.
**Steve E.**
Hi Mike-
Steve E. has a good suggestion about the FC Roundup in Phoenix in the spring, but even if you can’t do that, a trip to the Midwest Jeep gathering in Jefferson City, Missouri in mid September might be a worthwhile trip. Even if you can’t trailer it there, take a lot of photos and try to meet up with Craig Brockhaus (FCconnection.com) who lives in Defiance, Mo. He is a really good guy and has a lot of resource info on Willys trucks. So does Jesse Ybarra, here in Phoenix who hosts the FC Roundup. Jesse has several of the later FJ3A Jeep mail trucks. Jesse’s wife is pretty ill right now and Jesse has a lot on his plate, so contacting Craig might be your best bet. I’ll try to come up with the date of the Jeep show in Jeff. City, usually in mid Sept.
Mike-
The Midwest Willys Reunion is to be held in Jefferson City, MO, Sept. 16, 17 and 18. IF you google Midwest Willys Reunion, you should come up with the home page, then click on the tailgate that says Fall Reunion and it will give you details.
we have an original 1940 Willys package delivery van. It fits on the same chassis as the sedan or coupe .
the interior of the package part is 60″X60″ and is 86″ ground to top.
We are in the state of Oregon If you would like to see some pictures- please sent us an email.
Bud & Lyn
Hi Bud & Lyn,
I’d enjoy getting some pics and sharing them with readers. You can email them to d@ewillys.com.
Thanks,
– Dave
The package delivery van is probably based on a similar version that was also used as an ambulance. Somewhere I have a photo of one of those.
I had an old van registered as a Willys Housecar from 1948. Body was on a 2T frame and was modified with a Chevy inline six. Boy do I miss her…I had to leave her in shambles ten years ago.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lrgvanman/sets/72157604163626267/
Larry,
Did it appear the camper portion was original? I see the speedometer reads Willys Overland. Really interesting vehicle. Thanks for sharing!
– Dave
Larry, I’ve found a brochure for this van. It’s a Willys-Overland “StorDor” Body by California Body and Trailer Manufacturers. I believe your old van was either custom ordered or custom altered into a mobile home. I’ll have a post about it on Monday AM.
Thank You, deilers, I am looking forward to seeing that!
I was told that an old man in Moorpark, Ca. had custom built the interior and as seen on the exterior, the most probable “Bakery” in blue and with imagination, “To your door” showed up on the driver’s side through the house paint that is flaking off, suggesting that she was once a bakery delivery van. The previous owner had received it as a joke some time before I got it in 1980. I don’t know if it even exists anymore. She was dependable but scary with the feeling of tipping ever present like the willies you’d get in a CB or MB of, say, 1940’s circa. Larry
I forgot to mention that I had a friend who had a 1947 Ford van similar to this Willys I owned and it had a grill in the bell shape as mine was. Larry
I wonder what the original engine was ? I know of a flathead 6 (Hurricane) with 3 speed tranny not sure of the year but could be gotten really cheap (almost free). been stored inside for a few years. To me even if the year doesn’t match it would be better than a different brand engine.
if interested email me ewhenson@bellsouth.net
That van probably came with the Go-Devil 60 hp 4 cylinder engine. The Willys flathead 6 was introduced in the 2WD deluxe Station Sedan in mid 1948, and was a 148 cubic inch engine with 72 horsepower. It was called the Lightning 6. As far as I know, that engine was never used in any of the trucks, pickups or station wagons other than the 663 Station Sedan. In 1949 it was optional in the Jeepster and standard in the 663 Station Sedan. The Station Sedan was discontinued at the end of 1949. In 1950, the Lightning engine was bored out to 161 cubic inches and was still called the Lightning 6, but it now had 75 horsepower. It was offered in the Jeepster and a few 2wd station wagons for 1950-52, but no trucks. Trucks and 4WD vehicles still used the 4 cylinder F-head, called the Hurricane 4, rated at 73 hp. In 1952, the Lightning 6 was modified with a new cylinder head with the intake valves in the head and the exhaust valves remaining in the block, an F- head design. It had the 161 cubic inches, but was now called the Hurricane 6 rated at 90hp, available in the Willys Aero sedans and the two wheel drive station wagons, but not the trucks. The Lightning 161 engine was also available in the 1952-1954 Henry J vehicles.
After Kaiser bought Willys in 1953, by the introduction of the 1954 Willys models of the Aero sedans, all station wagons and trucks and some Aero Sedans could then get the 226 cubic inch flathead Kaiser (Continental) 6 engine and it was called the Super Hurricane, with 115 horsepower. There was limited availability in 1954 and 1955 to get that engine with a McCullough Supercharger in the Kaiser and Willys lines, rated at 140 horsepower. This engine(non-supercharged) remained in the Willys(Kaiser) station wagon and truck lineup until the new OHC 230 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine was introduced in mid 1962 with some vehicles having that engine into early 1963 production. That engine was in production until American Motors bought Kaiser out in 1970 and then the AMC 6 cylinder and v8 engines were used.
Just a little Willys engine history……….
That StorDor van had the remnants of the “Three on the tree” shifter. The differential was the Timken split housing with 5:38 gearing and a little Chevy 3 speed trans with a no syncromesh 1st and she had a Chevy inline 230 CID six cylinder…she used to cruise at 50 mph! Thanks for that information Colin and thanks to Dave for the sales sheet for identity. I had always wondered if that vehicle was all homemade or what.
I recall as a little kid in the early ’60s in Montrose, CA, that a neighbor had one of these. I don’t remember it saying Willys Overland on the front, but I do remember an ID tag inside, and either being told or seeing the registration that it was a 1940. It was running and driving at the time, and I recall riding in it at least once. Funny…had forgotten about this truck for years until I was commenting about how few pre-war cars were in my neighborhood in the early ’60s, was ticking off those that I remembered, and happened to remember that van. Googled it and found this.
The van in question that started this discussion made a cross country trip on a trailer and has been at Jesse Ybarra’s place in Phoenix for several years now.