1949 Willys Has No Issues at Moab

Perfect Mashup

Chances are, you've probably wondered what a modern day Willys Jeep might look like. Heck, we know we think about it pretty often. And now we've got somewhat of an answer, thanks to this innovative 1949 Willys/2006 Jeep Wrangler mashup recently featured at Four Wheeler.

Photos Courtesy of Four Wheeler.

Modified Dream

Granted, if Jeep was to bring back the Willys nameplate, factory-built examples probably wouldn't come packing 42-inch tires or a 360 V8 from the factory. But you get the idea.

Photos Courtesy of Four Wheeler.

>>Join the conversation about this 1949 Willys Jeep mashup right here in JK-Forum.com.

Best Yet

Throw some one-ton axles on a modern boxed frame, and you've got a Willys that is far more capable than its predecessors. The owner/builder of this wild rig, Chris Durham, is no stranger to building crazy Jeeps. But this might be his best one yet.

Photos Courtesy of Four Wheeler.

>>Join the conversation about this 1949 Willys Jeep mashup right here in JK-Forum.com.

TJ Plus

Most of that experience comes from TJ-based builds, so it's no surprise that this Willys uses parts from that generation. With a small bed out back and classic sheetmetal up front, it's way cooler than any TJ could hope to be, however.

Photos Courtesy of Four Wheeler.

>>Join the conversation about this 1949 Willys Jeep mashup right here in JK-Forum.com.

It Takes Two

The build started out as nothing more than a rusty Willys body and a TJ frame. Grafting the two together required a good bit of fabrication, but the end result is rather seamless.

Photos Courtesy of Four Wheeler.

>>Join the conversation about this 1949 Willys Jeep mashup right here in JK-Forum.com.

Fully Custom

Quite a bit of work went into making the suspension of this Jeep hybrid hardcore. There's a 3-link setup up front, Zone springs, and custom control arms, to name a few. 

Photos Courtesy of Four Wheeler.

>>Join the conversation about this 1949 Willys Jeep mashup right here in JK-Forum.com.

Modern Power

The fuel-injected V8 was sourced from a 2000 Dodge R/T and offers up plenty of reliable power. And with headers and dual exhaust, we're guessing it sounds pretty darn good, too.

Photos Courtesy of Four Wheeler.

>>Join the conversation about this 1949 Willys Jeep mashup right here in JK-Forum.com.

Modern Day Willys

Inside, this Jeep mashup is pretty much all TJ. It's surrounded by a roll cage, which is obviously necessary given how this old Willys/Jeep is driven. This thing was built to handle any kind of trail, obviously. But more than that, it's made us want a modern-day Willys even more!

Photos Courtesy of Four Wheeler.

>>Join the conversation about this 1949 Willys Jeep mashup right here in JK-Forum.com.

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