A Jeepster for Prom

Hi there- My father bought his 1950 Willys 2 Door Convertible brand new in 1950 or 51. He sold it a year or two later, since he has two little ones and the convertible proved to be impractical. A few years after that, he saw it on a used car lot in Troy, NY and recognized it as his earlier one, since the serial number contained his birthday (I still have that receipt). In the 60’s, he had it customized with wire wheels, a Buick V-8 small block engine, and a whole new two-tone copper colored paint job with matching interior. Sometime in the early 90’s, he sold it to the family friend who worked on it when it was repainted, and in early 2000, he bought it back once again! (Imagine buying the same car three times!!)
My Dad passed away in 2002, and left it to my son, who was only 12 at the time. Recently, as his high school graduation and senior prom approached, he asked if we could get it going in time for Prom. Well… with drum brakes and no seat belts, I was reluctant to put a teenager, his date and another couple into the car. So we went to work! We put a Mustage II kit into the front end (with rack & pinion steering, disc brakes, etc) and installed new seats with harnesses for safety. A little tweaking of the engine (my beloved husband painstakingly emptied the old fluids from the engine so it wouldn’t gum up when we started it after many years of inactivity) and we were all set! What a hit it was with the kids at the prom, and I must admit that it brought a tear to my eye to see my son drive down the driveway in the car that has been a part of my entire life!

Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Mary V. D’Ambrosio

If you would like to share your Willys Jeep Story please send us a line. We ‘d love to meet your Jeep.

Like Us. Facebook

If you are 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!