This 1944 Willys MB was first seen in about 2000 when I was asked by the owner to get the vehicle in running driving condition. The MB was wearing a coat of tan civilian paint over its original olive drab. There was an oil change tag in the glove box dated 1965, it did not appear that the vehicle had much use since. Overall the vehicle still retained about 95% of its original parts. A new carb, tune up, tires was about all it needed. I told the owner if he ever wanted to let it go, give me a call. About five years later the call came in. A few phone calls back and forth and we struck a deal, the MB was mine! When I saw it again, the owner had repainted the MB woodland green in the years he had it. I gave it a fresh coat of 34052 and new canvas.
The 1951 Willys Truck was obtained from a long time friend who was downsizing his collection, he obtained the vehicle in 2003 and had stored it since. The vehicle was last registered in Nebraska in 1976. It needed a new windshield and a few mechanical parts here and there. The truck is the more scarce 2WD model. The vehicle has never been repainted or modified in any way. Although there is surface rust. There is no rust through. The truck is solid and will remain un-restored.
Both vehicles are mechanically sound, licensed fully insured and driven regularly. One of my sons said it best, “Every time we drive them it’s a parade, every time we park em it’s a car show”.
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Mark Niedbalski
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Looking for, Willys Jeep Parts, Willys Jeep replacement parts, Willys Jeep body parts and much more for your 1941-1971 Willys vehicle, you have come to the right place!
Your truck is more interesting than you might think.
Willys-Overland made some strange vehicles as they used up left over parts and a lot of parts that fit one place got used elsewhere by folks over the years.
Your truck has the pointy grille that was introduced in 1950 and the vee-fenders that were introduced in 1951. That makes the 1951 model year claim pretty solid.
But – the thing that makes your truck very interesting is that it is a 2 WD truck. Why? By all accounts and records, the last 2 WD trucks were built in 1950 with S/N 27787 closing the 2 WD line. (What is your truck’s S/N)? 2 WD truck S/N 27787 would have had a pointy grille, but unless the Willys-Overland folks were mixing parts on the line (not at all unheard of back then) the vee-fenders should not have been on a 2 WD truck. Or, records could have just been fouled up – again, not at all uncommon.
The First Rule of Jeep is “What you see is what you have. Don’t believe what you read or what someone told you until you verify it yourself”. The Second Rule of Jeep is “Never say Willys-Overland would never have ________________ “. (Maybe put 1951 fenders on a late 1950 truck and called it a 1951 when it went out the door?) Both Rules might be in play here.
Come on over to the Forum and post some more pictures of the until now undiscovered 1951 2 WD Truck! We’d like to see more about it. We may have opened another page of W-O history!
OH, by the way – Very Nice MB!
Your truck is more interesting than you might think.
Willys-Overland made some strange vehicles as they used up left over parts and a lot of parts that fit one place got used elsewhere by folks over the years.
Your truck has the pointy grille that was introduced in 1950 and the vee-fenders that were introduced in 1951. That makes the 1951 model year claim pretty solid.
But – the thing that makes your truck very interesting is that it is a 2 WD truck. Why? By all accounts and records, the last 2 WD trucks were built in 1950 with S/N 27787 closing the 2 WD line. (What is your truck’s S/N)? 2 WD truck S/N 27787 would have had a pointy grille, but unless the Willys-Overland folks were mixing parts on the line (not at all unheard of back then) the vee-fenders should not have been on a 2 WD truck. Or, records could have just been fouled up – again, not at all uncommon.
The First Rule of Jeep is “What you see is what you have. Don’t believe what you read or what someone told you until you verify it yourself”. The Second Rule of Jeep is “Never say Willys-Overland would never have ________________ “. (Maybe put 1951 fenders on a late 1950 truck and called it a 1951 when it went out the door?) Both Rules might be in play here.
Come on over to the Forum and post some more pictures of the until now undiscovered 1951 2 WD Truck! We’d like to see more about it. We may have opened another page of W-O history!
OH, by the way – Very Nice MB!
Thanks,
The serial number on the original data plate is stamped SN# 451-DC1 11747
All of the fenders, body panels, misc parts etc are matching in paint patina, ageing, weathering etc. By all accounts everything about the truck appears to have been this way since it left the WILLYS factory and aged this way over the years.
Thanks,
The serial number on the original data plate is stamped SN# 451-DC1 11747
All of the fenders, body panels, misc parts etc are matching in paint patina, ageing, weathering etc. By all accounts everything about the truck appears to have been this way since it left the WILLYS factory and aged this way over the years.
That’s a really fine MB. I am so envious over having a 1945 MB that needs a lot of work but, I can’t find anyone qualified to do the work in the Phoenix area. I can’t do it myself anymore due to medical limitations. Boy what I wouldn’t give to get it in the same same shape as your ’44.
Any Willys qualified in Phoenix interested?
That’s a really fine MB. I am so envious over having a 1945 MB that needs a lot of work but, I can’t find anyone qualified to do the work in the Phoenix area. I can’t do it myself anymore due to medical limitations. Boy what I wouldn’t give to get it in the same same shape as your ’44.
Any Willys qualified in Phoenix interested?
If you poke around long enough, you can find some information about most anything Jeep – but you have to read closely:
In 1950, the truck became the “473” with the “Hurricane” 4-cyl engine as an option. Like the Station Wagon, the 473 model included a modification to the grille, which now formed a “V” shape in the center, and included the addition of 5 horizontal bars. When this happened, the radiator attachment was changed from the chassis to the nosepiece. Another change in 1950 saw the discontinuation of the two-wheel drive model. In the following year (1951), the 2WD 1-ton and 1/2-ton trucks were also discontinued, leaving only the 4WD models.
From the above excerpt, it appears that the 2WD Station Wagon was discontinued in 1950, but the 2WD Truck wasn’t discontinued until 1951. Serial number lists show 9,338 Model 473 4WD trucks produced and 4,678 Model 478 HT (Half-Ton/2 WD?) built. Is a Model 478 HT the last of the Jeep 2WD Trucks?
But – you have a serial number SN# 451-DC1 11747.
In normal Willys-Overland convention (if there really ever was such a thing) you would have a Model 451-DC1 (no record of what that might be found to date) and probably the 1,747th one built. It’s a Jeep Truck. Not many like it. Get used to turning heads wherever you go. Enjoy it and thanks for the info.
If you poke around long enough, you can find some information about most anything Jeep – but you have to read closely:
In 1950, the truck became the “473” with the “Hurricane” 4-cyl engine as an option. Like the Station Wagon, the 473 model included a modification to the grille, which now formed a “V” shape in the center, and included the addition of 5 horizontal bars. When this happened, the radiator attachment was changed from the chassis to the nosepiece. Another change in 1950 saw the discontinuation of the two-wheel drive model. In the following year (1951), the 2WD 1-ton and 1/2-ton trucks were also discontinued, leaving only the 4WD models.
From the above excerpt, it appears that the 2WD Station Wagon was discontinued in 1950, but the 2WD Truck wasn’t discontinued until 1951. Serial number lists show 9,338 Model 473 4WD trucks produced and 4,678 Model 478 HT (Half-Ton/2 WD?) built. Is a Model 478 HT the last of the Jeep 2WD Trucks?
But – you have a serial number SN# 451-DC1 11747.
In normal Willys-Overland convention (if there really ever was such a thing) you would have a Model 451-DC1 (no record of what that might be found to date) and probably the 1,747th one built. It’s a Jeep Truck. Not many like it. Get used to turning heads wherever you go. Enjoy it and thanks for the info.
I’ve probably beaten this topic to death.
Well, I looked and found one last place to go look for old Willys-Overland and Model lists – which by the way agree with the lists in the KWAS Jeep Hunters Field Guide:
http://www.public.asu.edu/~grover/willys/serial.html
I wanted to find more about the 1951 2WD Truck, SN# 451-DC1 11747
In mid-1950 Willys-Overland changed the truck model designations from the older 4 WD and 2 WD designations to the Model 473. Now, as it turned out all model 473’s were not the same – there were at least six variations of model 473’s. All 1951 model 473 serial numbers had a “451” three digit prefix, with an alpha-numeric suffix, then the serial number. DC1 was the 2WD Half Ton (HT) variant.
Model Serial Start Last
Desigation Prefix Serial Serial
473 HT PU 451-DC1 10001 11070
So, we know that the 1951 2WD pickup really did exist, but by the most reliable lists – the last unit was 11070. But – here we see serial number 11747 still running around alive and well. Go Figure!
I’ve probably beaten this topic to death.
Well, I looked and found one last place to go look for old Willys-Overland and Model lists – which by the way agree with the lists in the KWAS Jeep Hunters Field Guide:
http://www.public.asu.edu/~grover/willys/serial.html
I wanted to find more about the 1951 2WD Truck, SN# 451-DC1 11747
In mid-1950 Willys-Overland changed the truck model designations from the older 4 WD and 2 WD designations to the Model 473. Now, as it turned out all model 473’s were not the same – there were at least six variations of model 473’s. All 1951 model 473 serial numbers had a “451” three digit prefix, with an alpha-numeric suffix, then the serial number. DC1 was the 2WD Half Ton (HT) variant.
Model Serial Start Last
Desigation Prefix Serial Serial
473 HT PU 451-DC1 10001 11070
So, we know that the 1951 2WD pickup really did exist, but by the most reliable lists – the last unit was 11070. But – here we see serial number 11747 still running around alive and well. Go Figure!
Larry,
Thanks that’s some really great information. I registered for the forum a few days ago but still haven’t heard anything back. I have more pictures I can post there.
Larry,
Thanks that’s some really great information. I registered for the forum a few days ago but still haven’t heard anything back. I have more pictures I can post there.