PEAK PUTTERS

Hey everybody, Im looking at purchasing a willys pickup. I really don't know much about them at all, i want to build it up for off roading and on road use. I want to run 33's and maybe put a v8 in it. Any suggestions about what the drive train should be like?

Welcome!!!

Such an interesting question that is only limited by your budget and imagination.

Some of my favorite Willy's trucks/wagons had Wagoneer Dana 44 axles, Dana 20 Transfer Case, TH400 and a mild 350 Chevy with a ginormous radiator and a bunch of frame reinforcing (I saw a Willy's panel wagon break in half once). . . but seriously, you can do just about anything as long as you start with 1/2 ton or larger running gear.

Welcome. I look forword to hearing about your Willy.

Welcome.

In on the Willy's pickup V8 build thread!

Thanks for all the info! im not sure what that all is, but im going to go look it up!
I found some Scout axles, do you think these would work for it?
http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/pts/2355467496.html

Pretty ballsy going with the 'willys' in the screen name before the buying the rig.

$1200 is waayyyyyy too much for Scout axles. Scout axles are the original 30/44 hybrid. Go with Wagoneer axles they are real 44s.

haha yeah, i have an idea of one i want, i just need to go get it
thanks alot! do you think 4.10 gears are about what i need?

Sounds like I've inherited another project.

We checked out a 53' last weekend, and plan on getting out to look at another one sometime this week if I can get away.

I was thinking along the same line as OG. Dana 44's, some sort of V8 and an auto transmission. I've never done anything like this before, but I have all the tools and most of the skills - should be fun.

benw wrote:Pretty ballsy going with the 'willys' in the screen name before the buying the rig.

Yeah, but you shoulda seen the adrenaline dump afterwords....

benw wrote:$1200 is waayyyyyy too much for Scout axles. Scout axles are the original 30/44 hybrid. Go with Wagoneer axles they are real 44s.

Good to know, I wasn't sure and told him to ask about them.

What Ben said about the Scout axles. And I have a Scout! The Waggy axles, or even Chebby, would be the way to go. A V8 would be cool, but if you're on a budget, I'd sure look at a 4.3 with a 5spd behind it. Some of the pros here will give you good info on gears and anything else. We put 4.30's in Steve's Scout with an AX15, 33's, and it seems to get things done pretty well. OG said Steve both said it drove good at hiway speeds. Most of this is very subjective, and a guy needs to kind of filter things, then decide what may work for you. Good luck with it. I'm sure we'll all be watching, even the misanthrope

Yeah, alot of this stuff is premature - gotta get a willy's body first and then go from there. Looking at the rough ideas should help to figure out costs though - cause right now all I know is that this could get expensive fast.