Early expedition vehicle - nice article

[bluejeep]

http://nautiloid.net/51willys/me_article/index.html

 

[viatierra]

Some things never change... custom tire carrier, on board shower. Very cool.

 

[kellymoe]

Very cool. I had a 1959 Willys Overland Wagon for a few years. Wish I still had it, but then again there are about 5-6 trucks I wish I still had

 

[Rhode Trip]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting.

 

[fisher205]

A friend of mine knew a guy in the 60's that would work construction in the Dakota's in the summer then head to the Baja in an old Jeep wagon that had a cot, a wood stove, and a Coleman cooler that he would spend the winter there with. This reminded me of the story. A gut definitly ahead of his time.

 

[shahram]

"Shower draws from 16 gallon gas tank".. they just don't build people as tough as they used to, that's for sure. I admit I'm a sissy who has to be pampered with water to get clean, rather than gasoline like Gramps used in his day.

HAHAHA!!!

"What do ya mean it's burning? It ain't burning, it's working!"

 

[KMR]

That is great to see, doesn't seem like that much has changed.

"Your buggy can cost as little as $500. Or it can cost $5,000. But cost is not important. The only thing that matters is that it runs when you want it to run, that it can haul your deer from a mountain or your strippers from the surf. If it does these things, and you can eat, sleep and travel in it, then your in business."
:sombrero:

 

[adventureduo]

Thanks for making my Thursday. Great read.

 

[Ironduff]

That was an outstanding read... And it brought back memories. Circa 1973, I had a '66 Scout 800 that I almost traded on a lo-miles '54 USN surplus Willys wagon. I think it had been used as an airfield radio carrier... it was haze grey with a white top, and had a call-sign painted in large black letters & numbers on the roof. But even with the six cylinder flat-head, it was just plain geared too low & slow. IIRC, max was 55-60, and even that was at the price of hellacious screaming noises. Since I was commuting a fair distance, and it would have been my only ride, I had to pass on it.

Of course, that was before I had more than a vague understanding of the math behind taller tires & gearing, let alone the variety of gear sets and add-on OD's that would have been available even back then.

Thanks for touching off the memories... It also reminded me of a 'real' civvie Power Wagon with an original hemi that I test drove from the same lot....

Jim H.