Willys pictures from 2013 Willys America Open House and BBQ

scramboleer

scramboleer

Super Moderator
Staff member
All-Star
Aug 16, 2011
12,681
San Francisco, California
First Name
Dan
Willys Model
  1. Wagon
Willys Year:
  1. 1964
Good morning all,

We had another great caravan on Saturday to the Willys America Open House and BBQ in western Sonoma County, a few hours north of San Francisco. Here are a few pictures to start. Thanks to Jim Russell for organizing and leading the caravan. at 9 AM, we met up at the northern overlook of the Golden Gate Bridge. The typical fog obstructed many views, but you could see the bridge and city skyline:







This 2wd early wagon was really sweet:


We then set off along Highway 101 to the next checkpoint.



Coincidentally, a few other car enthusiasts cruised by on a club tour (hint, they didn't belong to the local Toyota Prius club):





We exited 101 in Petaluma to meet up with Willys folks from Sonoma and Sacramento Valleys:





We met up in the McDonald's parking lot in Petaluma with a ton of other Willys, including this amazing FC170:




 
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Did I tell you how awesome that FC was? Check it out:









The other Willys were cool too. This truck had a sweet old winch:




Finally it was time to get off the busy 101 and turn onto the backroad known as Highway 116:

 
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So I brought up the rear of the caravan in my black Scrambler. It was a great sight to see all of the Willys winding through the vineyards and forests of Sonoma County:




Numerous others joined in their more modern vehicles (including me):



Highway 116 joins up with River Road in the bustling town of Guerneville (pronouced "Gearn-ville"):









The highway continues west out toward Fort Ross, one of the southernmost Russian settlements, before we turned off on Cazadero Road.
 
Just prior to the turnoff to Cazadero, there is a straight stretch with a pull-out that makes for a great photo-op:















This '51 wagon had an interesting second tank inlet, but the new owner didn't know much about it:






The photo op ended, and we set off again, fewer than 10 miles from our goal and awaiting BBQ lunch at Willys America in Cazadero.

 
Around noon-fifteen, we approached Cazadero:





And joined the myriad civilian Willys and military rigs already there:



























There were more CJs this year:



 
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Willys America has done some major improvements to their facilities in the past year. Willys America had all but moved out of their former space seen in the background here (the building with "hardware" lettering on it.


The former logging mill/pole barn now housed their workshop and Willys Museum (more to come on that later).











The row of wagons includes Mavericks, a Traveller, a few Parkway Conversions, and two Deliveries:







Here you can see two Parkway Conversions and a sweet old firetruck:


Here are a few Traveller-specific shots of the light-green 2wd Traveller showing:

1. The back rear step:


2. The right-side sideways jumpseat and flattened wheel well:


3. The left-side jumpseat (note how it's shorter than the right seat to leave room for the spare mounted behind the driver on the interior)


I really love this early wagons painted to look like woodies:

 
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A lot of the Willys America unique collection of Willys and recent work on customers' Willys could be seen inside and outside of the museum/former saw mill:















Willys America is working on numerous rigs including this Jeepster:



This chassis:


This truck:


And this CJ3B:

 
Thanks Brian. The real kudos go to Jim Russell (in the root beer metallic wagon) who organizes/leads the caravan each year, and Willys America for hosting it. Here are a few more pictures:







A restoration in-process:







Here's one of the original Willys America shop:



And who won the award for the furthest distanced traveled? That goes to Ben who drove his lowered burgundy wagon (with a killer-sounding 383) nearly 1,000 miles round-trip from far northeastern California to San Jose to Cazadero and back! You can see Ben's wagon here in the foreground:



Hope more of you can make it next year. It's simply outstanding to see and hear some many old Willys on the road.
 
Awesome report Dan! Thanks for posting. Now where's my calendar for next year...

Pete
 
Super photo thread, really enjoyed it. All those Willys in one place and only two deliveries. Are the deliveries really that scarce?
 
Hi Chuckles,

If my math is right and the production numbers in the KW catalog are correct, then it looks like deliveries were about 11% of total wagon/delivery production from 1946-1961. Granted most Willys back in the day worked hard and lived a hard life; jury's out on whether the day-to-day life of an urban delivery vehicle in NYC or Chicago was harder on a rig than the life of a USFS 4x4 wagon in Colorado. Sometimes it's a wonder that any sheetmetal survived.

Cheers,


Scramboleer
 
Great pixs hope to join in the cruise next year. I will drive my 48 wagon from LA. Willys AMERICA did a nice change I was there two years ago. stay safe
 
Just got back from the show myself. It was well worth the trek out there. They did a heck of a job putting this thing on. There were alot of really nice vehicles that showed up.
In talking with Paul, it sounds like next year will be even better. He has alot more to display on the museum side of the shop.
Dan, I apologize, I probably met you there, but didn't put two and two together to realize that was you from this board.
BTW, I'm very flattered my Jeep-like Impala rental car made the cut in some of the caravan pictures...:)

Bill
 
Hi Bill,

We must have passed in the night, err day. I had to leave right after the BBQ lunch and head back, but I put in a good word to the crowd admiring your 2014 Holy Toledo calendars. Bummer to have missed you, but next time!

Cheers,


Scramboleer
 
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