440: Here are a few shots of my 1961 Willys Utility Wagon which I have had since 1962. When I heard that the Pan American highway between Mexico and Guatemala was completed, my friend and I decided to try to drive to Columbia in my Willys. We had to stop below the Panama Canal because the Darien gap turned out to be impassable.
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Bill Peet
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
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!
Great adventure. I love these stories. I used to live in Panama in the 1980’s and went down to the Darien Gap on jeep runs. It is the end of the road (if you can call it a road) unless you take a boat around the swamp. In 1995 I bought an old mail jeep at auction and drove it from Seattle to the Panama Canal avoiding the the Pan-American highway whenever possible by going along the Caribbean coast. Jeeps are more than transportation, they are a lifestyle.
What an adventure of a lifetime. No shame in not making it all the way. I’d imagine only one in a hundred thousand Jeep owners ever made such an adventurous journey even that far. And your photos were fantastic. Do you have any posted on the web. If so, where can we see them? You have our admiration, best regards, Don and Martha Kinney-San Diego, CA
In 1961 my dad bought a brand new wagon like yours from Corby Motors in Central Falls RI for $3200. We used it surf fishing on Cape Cod. My mother called it the Hen Cart as she was not quite as thrilled as my dad and I. The only option available at the time was a $45 am radio.
You could have done it. Jeeps ? can go anywhere. Attach a winch and get back to it!