The vehicle is a 1959 Willys Jeep Station Wagon originally owned by a lawyer in Lewiston, sold to my Uncle’s friend, Dr Bob Coburn, then to my Uncle who traded with a friend for a fireplace insert and bought by me. We are getting close to the primer stage for the little bit of Idaho I have been working on. Well to clarify, that I have been watching a guy restore. This is how I am dealing with not being able to sit on the lakeshore for over a year.
The restoration began last Fall. The body was lifted off the frame to rebuild the floor boards (thankfully Idaho Highways rarely used salt so they body/frame are in great shape). Restoration is being done to be as original as ‘sensible’. Yes I am getting to know Mum and Pop parts shops in the US Midwest, finding out how much it cost to rebuild a vintage radiator and I even found the ‘Jeep Ranch’ in Montana definitely on my tour list, and a special thanks to the folks at kaiserwillys.com.
The one upgrade we have made is disc front brakes. One of my strongest memories of the Willys is stopping at the top of the Mica Hill and us kids being told to get in my Uncle’s friend’s car. The friend and previous owner, Bob Coburn, advised my Uncle to, ‘throw the emergency brake and run into the shoulder if there is a problem.’.
When Bob Coburn heard I had the Willys he told me that there was a noise in the transmission when he sold it to my Uncle and he didn’t think it had ever been addressed. I doubt it is a surprise to any of you when I say I am not a mechanical guy, somehow the mechanic knew this right away. He has limited my ‘hands on’ contribution to picking the paint colours, original blue with an off white top.
Like many of you, Idaho has always had a near mythical presence in my life, thanks to my Uncle’s unconditional generosity. So it wasn’t a total surprise when I saw a 1959 Idaho license plate on the wall of the the local radiator shop where my radiator was rebuilt. I was told there was no way the owner would part with it.
I was amazed, when the owner, after seeing shots of the ‘59 Willys, insisted on my taking the plate. Yes it is an original 1959 Idaho plate with the plate numbers ‘1959’. A delightful find but not completely surprising! Right now I am looking at the logistics of driving to the Lake thinking it would be fun to tow my tiny wood boat to the boat show in August.
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – David Youngson
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How much did it cost to redo the radiator
How much did it cost to redo the radiator
That combo will be an awesome sight!
That combo will be an awesome sight!
Hi David,
Great looking Willys and the boat is not at all bad either.
Bob
Hi David,
Great looking Willys and the boat is not at all bad either.
Bob
A vintage boat behind a vintage Jeep – a perfect combination.
Nice work!
A vintage boat behind a vintage Jeep – a perfect combination.
Nice work!
Excellent. We are supposed to restore them, not destroy them. I live and drive Jeep’s and trucks in Switzerland, lots of mountains. So this is how we handle the hillside. Watt ever gears you pick up wen your going up hill you downshift before you go down the other side. Please remember that you are never to slow down the hill. You are never to slow around a curve. If you observe these rules you will make it home. I look forward to seeing the Jeep finished and running. Keep going it will pay. Regards S. D.
Excellent. We are supposed to restore them, not destroy them. I live and drive Jeep’s and trucks in Switzerland, lots of mountains. So this is how we handle the hillside. Watt ever gears you pick up wen your going up hill you downshift before you go down the other side. Please remember that you are never to slow down the hill. You are never to slow around a curve. If you observe these rules you will make it home. I look forward to seeing the Jeep finished and running. Keep going it will pay. Regards S. D.
Great story. I have a similar one as well, i.e; my 1949 Willy Station Wagon 4×4 I found in amazing original but tired condition. I bought it about a year ago & jumped into it. Mine was initially bought & maintained & lived in Southern Arizona, lucky no rust or wreaked issues found on it. Anyway, I too have put a lot of time & money into my Willys. I do agree the brakes just plan suck. I have replaced everything possible in parts from Kaiser/Willys and found why so many old Willys were wreaked. My next plan is to go with the front disc brake kit offered & so needed. Otherwise- totally stock running gear and now I know why so many old timers changed over to SBC engines . . . mine is so slow, 45 MPH max. I had a restored 1930 Ford Model A pickup previously, well driving my old Willys reminds of that. Cute but completely inadequate driving with todays traffic. However, taking it for a spin & using 4×4 to tank around on old desert dirt roads outback it does works well. Keep at it Dave & best of luck to you on your ’59 Willys.
Great story. I have a similar one as well, i.e; my 1949 Willy Station Wagon 4×4 I found in amazing original but tired condition. I bought it about a year ago & jumped into it. Mine was initially bought & maintained & lived in Southern Arizona, lucky no rust or wreaked issues found on it. Anyway, I too have put a lot of time & money into my Willys. I do agree the brakes just plan suck. I have replaced everything possible in parts from Kaiser/Willys and found why so many old Willys were wreaked. My next plan is to go with the front disc brake kit offered & so needed. Otherwise- totally stock running gear and now I know why so many old timers changed over to SBC engines . . . mine is so slow, 45 MPH max. I had a restored 1930 Ford Model A pickup previously, well driving my old Willys reminds of that. Cute but completely inadequate driving with todays traffic. However, taking it for a spin & using 4×4 to tank around on old desert dirt roads outback it does works well. Keep at it Dave & best of luck to you on your ’59 Willys.
The Jeep is all well and good. A nice project. But what is up with the boat?
Hull doesn’t look familiar. But it looks like a Johnson outboard. Are you a member of AOMCI or ACBS? you should look into them if you have this to tow around.
Terrestrial or aquatic, any old machinery is fun machinery.
The Jeep is all well and good. A nice project. But what is up with the boat?
Hull doesn’t look familiar. But it looks like a Johnson outboard. Are you a member of AOMCI or ACBS? you should look into them if you have this to tow around.
Terrestrial or aquatic, any old machinery is fun machinery.
A 3B plate, too! (Benewah County)…how about that! A perfect fit for the CDA area. Congrats!