1952 Willys 4x4 Pickup Truck

First, thanks to Blevisay for letting me post this, because I'm gonna need help from you guys on this one for sure. He said he'd move it if it generates enough interest. It's a 52 pickup that's pretty much all original. It's missing the motor and radiator. It has a T-90/D18 and a really funky looking rear end! I have a 225 and a 231 with the bellhousings and adapters to the T-90. That's kinda why I bought it, because I have the parts to get it running. What I don't have are unlimited funds and a lot of room to work on it. So, it's at a buddy's right now who has 1 1/4 acres in the desert. The truck isn't pretty and was definitely used the way it was meant to be used. I don't mind--I'm not into show trucks. This truck has a 118" wheelbase and what I'd really like to do at some point is swap the body onto a mid/late 70's Ford 4x4 shortbed chassis (same wheelbase). But for now, I'd like to just get it running and tool around the backroads with a big grin on my face!:driving:

 

Which engine did it have originally?

 

Your weird looking rear axle is a Timken. Fairly stout axle in its day but pretty much obsolete now.

 

The guy I got it from said it had a 4 cylinder--don't know if it would've been a flathead or OHV. I imagine that Timken axle is geared really low. Which prompts my first stupid question: if I decide to replace that axle and keep the D18, is it possible to go with a centered differential? The drive shaft is pretty long, which might keep the u-joint angles acceptable??...is this feasible? I have pretty good access to Ford 9" truck axles is why I ask.

 

A wagoneer chassis is a good swap candidate.

 

It would have been a F-head four with that axle, in that year. The same as Early CJ5. Flatheads were prior to 1950. (No OHV's in jeep four cylinder.) And the Timken "clamshell" axle indeed is very low ratio, for the 4 cylinder. Later straight-six cylinder trucks had higher ratios.

These are great, very tough trucks as built. They will haul TONS and get around in very tight spots much better than larger newer trucks. And stiil be around long after a modern truck frame has rusted away.

You are lucky to have a really good body (-- with complete bed and tailgate in good shape - take care of those! ) This is a rare original - I would try to replace the original powerplant, and not hot rod it.

 

You can run the 18 transfer case and a centered differential on a long wheelbase vehicle like your pickup.

 

Oh, and keep those exterior door latches oiled up. The "trigger" is pot metal and very fragile, they will break if forced and are hard to find.

 

Are the F-Head 4's hard to find? How well would it power the truck?

 

Quick local search turned up this: http://mohave.craigslist.org/pts/3456067507.html

 

I agree, rare in such nice shape.

 

The flatheads and flat grills ran mid year 1950.
The Timken carried 5.38 gears

 

I like it... Of course I'm biased though cause I have one too.

 

Son-in-law is running a D-20 with off-set D-44 in his CJ6. All my research prior to install said not to exceed 9-10 degree angle on the drive shaft and we measured 9 1/2 degree so went with it. He has been running it over a year now and no problems or vibrations even at 70 mph. YMMV.

 

I want one of these. Love to have an old willys truck. It looks in great shape. I agree with not hot rodding it. If I needed to repower, I would do an upgrade to a more modern engine. Maybe something like a 3.8 v6? Or a driveline out of an XJ.

 

Plenty of discussion on the power of an F head here and on 3B Page. I'm going to guess the pickups weighed at least 500 lbs more than a CJ so it isn't going to be something you want to put a lot of freeway miles on. On the flip side, any of the straight sixs that came in those do pretty good on the road-good enough to make very good use of an overdrive.

 

F-head will do just fine around town and crawling off-road, move any amount of weight, but won't burn any rubber. On the highway 50mph is about all you will want to do, but I once drove one almost 400 miles in a day - in four inches of fresh snow.

F-heads are very common, should be easy to find and drop in.

 

My preference would be to put it back to original. I expect that's original paint, and it has failed/worn through on the roof (most sun damage there). I wonder if the white stuff on the sides is rattle-cam primer that was an attempt to stop surface rust, or? If so, I would try a little lacquer thinner to see if it will come off. If you can get the patina to look natural, tha's a desirable look now. Keep it under cover in Nevada and it won't progress much at all. Careful - these old cars used lacquer paints, and the original paint may come off.

Pat Ganahl's book has a chapter about patching-in old original paint: http://www.amazon.com/How-Paint-You...52&sr=1-1&keywords=paint+your+car+on+a+budget

Your location may be a little too remote, but old cars, especially in "natural" condition are sometimes rented out as movie props. Get it to run and drive reliably, and that might be an option. Visually, it's very appealing as-is.

 

Thanks for all your input.I've given this a lot of thought and I've decided that in order to succeed with this project, I should outline a plan based on what I want for a finished product and stick to it. So here is what I want: to build a really cool, reliable, adequately powered truck that can safely keep up with freeway traffic without breaking the bank. Luckily, the "really cool" part's already done! As some of you have suggested, I plan to keep the look of the truck the way it is now. That'll help keep the budget down too. To get the power I want, again with the budget in mind, I'll use one of the Buick V6's I already have. As far as reliability is concerned, I think that's where a good evaluation of these engines needs to be done. The last thing I want is to get this truck running, but not running well. And as for safely cruising the freeways and dealing with city traffic, I think 3 upgrades are in order: axles, brakes and steering. So, here's the plan:

1. Evaluate the engines. Install or make repairs then install.

2. Locate freeway friendly axles, with front disc brakes.

3. Modernize the steering with a Saginaw setup.

Given that the engine is the single most important component IMO, I'm seriously considering hauling one of them off to a machine shop to be gone through by the pros. Someday I'd like to disassemble/reassemble an engine but, I know my limitations and at my level of experience, I may get bogged down with that and never finish the project. As for axles, the guy I bought the truck from also has a 1979 Cherokee that I may be able to buy for $300-400. It's got good sheet metal to sell and recoup the money. I believe that would be front and rear Dana 44's with front disc brakes. They are supposed to have 3.54 or 3.55 gears. Perfect for cruising. I'm not sure about the track width, but I will be out there Saturday with a tape measure. Again, thanks for your help and I hope to get lots more advice here. This really is pretty much a novice build, so I'm trying to keep it all as simple as I can while achieving my goals. I want to concentrate on those three things: engine, axles and steering.

 

I got a friend of mine who did a complete rebuilt of a 1964.

http://www.quebec4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81111

it's in french but if you got question this guy know a lot about those truck.