Willys-Overland Jeepster - Boating on the Hudson Articles

The original Willys-Overland Jeepster (“VJ” internally)
was produced from 1948 through 1950, although
some leftover models were sold under the 1951 model
year. After World War II, the Jeep trademark owner,
Willys, believed that the market for the military-type
Jeep would be limited to farmers and foresters, therefore they began producing the “CJ” (or Civilian Jeep) to
fill this growing segment as well as producing the new
Jeep Wagon in 1946, and then the Jeep Truck in 1947.
Realizing a gap in their product line up, Willys developed the Jeepster to crossover from their “utilitarian” type truck vehicles, to the passenger automoile
market. The car was originally only offered with rearwheel drive, thus limiting its appeal to traditional Jeep
customers. While its distinctive boxy styling (created
by industrial designer Brooks Stevens) was a hit with
critics, it did not catch on with the public. Sales were
also limited by sparse advertising and a high price
($1,765). In the end, only 19,132 VJ Jeepsters were pro-
by Joseph Quattrocchi
Willys-Overland Jeepster
photo ©2012 Michael Nelson.
28
June 2012
duced (1948 - 10,326; 1949 - 2,960; 1950 - 5,836).
The 62 horsepower “Go Devil” engine powered the
Jeepster – a 134 cu in (2.2 L) straight-4 also used in
the CJ. A 3-speed manual transmission with optional
overdrive was used, as were drum brakes on all four
wheels. The vehicle’s front end and single transverse
leaf spring suspension were from the Willys Station
Wagon, as was the rear driveline. The flat-topped rear
fenders were copied from the Jeep truck line. So was
the pair of longitudinal rear leaf springs.
The 1948 Jeepster was built on a Willys chassis and
began production with a one-model/one-engine
boatingonthehudson.com
offering. Due to poor marketing, high price and weak
performance sales were low and few were produced. The
following year the VJ-3 was produced. This time there
were two engines offered, - the original 4 cylinder and
the Lightning-equipped six-cylinder. In 1950, there was a
redesigned front end and there were four engines offered
– two 4-bangers and two 6s. The hood and grille also put
the V in VJ in 1950, when the design took on that shape.
The story of this 1949 Willys Jeepster will not surprise
anyone who has purchased a vehicle on eBay. It is more
often than not a bad idea, and this was no exception. The
boatingonthehudson.com
June 2012
29
owner paid $15,000 for this car, including free shipping from the West Coast. The seller, a car dealer in
San Diego, listed the car as “drives great…just jump
in it and drive it away.” When it arrived in Connecticut, the bright yellow paint had hundreds of cracks,
indicating a lot of bondo – which is never a good
sign. Additionally, the car had virtually no brakes
and it was difficult to shift. The interior was in rough
shape and it smelled as if it hadn’t been driven in a
long time. The eBay seller assured the owner that
he would “take care of things” and then began the
Of course, once the paint was removed the mess
under the paint was revealed. Additionally, the
owner decided that if the entire body was going
to be repaired and repainted (the correct “daffodil
yellow”) he might as well re-do the interior, the
top frame and get a new convertible top.
The restoration took almost a year, but the wait
was worth it. Along with its correct daffodil yellow
paint, the Jeepster now features the correct color
interior – burgundy. The top and boot are black
canvas with burgundy piping. The engine was
The
“RIVER ROSE”
Cornetta's
Seafood Restaurant and Marina
SLIPS AVAILABLE
GREAT LOCATION
classic “run around.” The buyer did not realize that
eBay’s warranty on auto sales is only good for 60
days. (I guess the seller did.) So after a few months
of unreturned phone calls, the seller finally told the
buyer he wasn’t going to do anything for him. So,
a few lessons about buying cars on eBay – 1) Don’t
and 2) if you do, you only have 2 months to resolve
any issues, so contact eBay as soon as you believe
the car was misrepresented or you have any other
problems with the transaction.
Notwithstanding the bad buying experience, the
guy owned the car and wanted it to be a nice driver.
He brought it to Wheels of Time for a “paint job.”
tuned, a new clutch installed along with all new
brakes and brake and gas lines. The owner has
driven it to Hyannis and back and the little daffodil Jeepster spends its summers in Nantucket. It
could be worse!
Wheels of Time
2694 Route 199
Pine Plains, NY 2567
(518) 398-7493
www.wheelsoftimeinc.com
www.action-canvas.com
Things are happening on the Newburgh
Water Front with the River Rose! For those
of you wishing to take a scenic ride to Cold
Spring, then spend a few hours, exploring
the shops, restaurants and other enmities of
this beautiful town, and then return on the
River Rose to Newburgh Landing,
A unique new concept is being offered. Call
the River Rose for further details at 845-5621067 A great way to see two of the greatest
treasures of the Hudson River. The Hudson
Highlands by water and the
Village of Cold Spring!
33 years on the edge of the Hudson River
Cornetta’s
Striped Bass
641 Piermont Avenue
Piermont, New York
Contest
May 4,5 & 6
845.359.9852
845.359.0410
cornettas.com
photo ©2012 Michael Nelson.
30
June 2012
boatingonthehudson.com
boatingonthehudson.com
June 2012
31