Have been searching for a month and a half for a 2016 Tank Willys Unlimited w/Manual tranny. Everything about the Willys is what I want/need. I have struck out finding it with half doors and manual tranny. I have come across a Sport with 3.73 front/rear axel ratios, half doors in Tank Green. Only catch is, it's an Auto Transmission. Is it possible to swap that out after I purchase it, or is that a "live with it" permanent thing? It's about $1,200 less than a willys, so price is right. Last problem in all of this, Tank Green was discontinued at the end of 2015...so I can't build one on jeep.com. It will let you select that color, but it's not truly available. What are your thoughts?

 

You might be able to still order one thru a dealer. Jeep.com isn't always the same as dealers fyi.

I would look at different models before different trannys. You can make a willys and better, but tranny swap is a huge endeavor that will cost you more than upgrading a sport to a willys.

 

Or, order the new green on the anniversary edition and option it with the 3.73 and rear limited slip, craigslist buy the rock rails and Rubicon wheels and tires, and black out the grill at home.

I know its a personal thing, but I prefer the automatic for rock crawling. I love my Willys Wheeler automatic.

 

Oh. And no. It's not reasonable to think you can do a swap from automatic to manual. While I'm sure that anything can be done, it would cost thousands, as in multiples.

 

While it won't help get a Manual, I will say that it' isn't tricky to turn a Sport into a Willys Wheeler, it's what I did with my 2014. I found some Rubicon rail take-offs for $100 (you might even find them for around $50) and Rubicon shocks for free in the local Jeep club. I ordered the mats because I like them and had already picked up the JKUS with all the same features as a Willys. I think the only tricky part is the wheels if you care for them... my dealership had some they'd taken off another Willys for an owner than upgraded right out the door so I swapped for bigger tires and those wheels which added an extra $1k... 2 years later I'm not completely convinced that was the smart decision. (I want wheels with better backspacing now.)

 

From what I have read Willys do not have lockers only a LSD in the rear. So I don't think its as easy as you think to make a Will-a-Con. I'm working on my Sport-a-Con getting Eaton E-Lockers soon for front and rear.

 

Thank you for the advice. After careful thought, I am sticking with my current Jk and am going to purchase another when this is paid off. Hopefully by that time, there will be a color I like, and I can build that monster the way I want before rolling it off the lot. I'm not a settler, so I'm going to get what I want...even if it means waiting a year.

 

Well if you wait a year, you also get the options of whatever the final 2017 Wrangler new model ends up like...

 

I was saying you could make a Willys Sport pretty easily. You're correct about the LSD... it's what the WW has but its easy to get in the Sport.