Willys Jeep buyer's guide

Overview

The Willys Jeep line (1946–65 in this span) is the civilian life of the wartime legend: the CJ (Civilian Jeep) series from the CJ-2A through the CJ-3A/3B to the long-running CJ-5 (1955, under Kaiser from 1953), plus the Willys wagons and pickups (the "Jeep Station Wagon" of 1946 — arguably the first all-steel SUV — and the Jeep Truck), the Jeepster phaeton (1948–51) and the forward-control FC trucks (1957–65). These are utility classics: simple, infinitely repairable, and valued on originality and completeness of their workaday hardware rather than shine. The CJ-5's 30-year run (continuing under Kaiser and AMC beyond this span) makes it the volume classic; the Jeepster and the FC are the character collectibles.

Generations and year breaks

1946–1953 — the flatfender CJs and the wagon/truck launch

• The CJ-2A (1945–49) — the wartime Jeep civilised with a tailgate and side-mounted spare; the CJ-3A (1949–53) with its one-piece windscreen.
• The Wagon (1946) and Truck (1947) built the SUV/pickup line on the same hardware; the Jeepster (1948–50) was the sporty phaeton — the charmer of the family.
• Engines: the L-head "Go Devil" four (to the 3A) and the F-head "Hurricane" (from 1950 in the wagons/trucks and the CJ-3B).

1953–1965 — the Kaiser years: CJ-3B, CJ-5 and FC

• The CJ-3B's high hood cleared the F-head; the CJ-5 (1955) — the M38A1's civilian twin — set the Jeep shape for three decades.
• The CJ-6 (1956, the long-wheelbase CJ-5) and the forward-control FC-150/170 trucks (1957) broadened the working line.
• The Dauntless V6 (Buick's 225, from 1966 — just beyond this span's close — transformed the CJ-5; the span here ends with the F-head cars and the wagons' final forms).

Engines and options that matter

• L-head 134 (Go Devil) — the flatfender cars' flathead: slow, simple, eternal.
• F-head 134 (Hurricane) — the overhead-inlet evolution; the CJ-3B/early CJ-5 standard.
• The sixes (226 Super Hurricane, in wagons/trucks) — the bigger Willys engine of the wagon line.
• PTOs, winches, the Koenig and Ramsey hardware, hardtops and the agricultural options are the Willys value language — a CJ with its correct PTO equipment is worth more to its market than a shiny one without.

What to check before buying

• Rust and repairs: Jeep tubs rot at the hat channels under the floor, the rear floor, the tool box and the tailgate area; military-pattern repairs and fifty years of farm welding are the norm. The frame (especially the front horns and the rear crossmember) decides the purchase on a working Jeep.
• Originality in the details: the correct seats, the data plates (dash-mounted, with the serial), the PTO and governor hardware — the Willys market pays for the working specification.
• Engine identity: the serial number (on the frame's front horn and the dash plate) matches the car to its year and model; the engine number is stamped on the block's pad — many Jeeps run later engines, priced accordingly.
• Drivetrain: the T-90 gearbox, Dana 18 transfer case and the axle set are shared, supported hardware; whines and jumping out of second gear are the known T-90 tells.
• Wagons and trucks: the same checks scaled up, plus the wagon's roof and rear doors and the FC's cab-over rust and engine access.
• Parts: the early-Jeep aftermarket is one of the best in the hobby (reproduction tubs exist); NOS Willys hardware is a market of its own.