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Uncommon Motors

When ordinary just won't do

1953 Willys Hemi Station Wagon Restomod

May 1, 2017 by Paul Crowe

1953 Willy Station Wagon Restomod with Hemi Power
1953 Willy Station Wagon Restomod with Hemi Power

Now that Dodge Power Wagon prices have gone out of sight (top end restomods in the $250,000 range), this Willys wagon might be an alternative for the vintage SUV crowd. It started out as a rusty and neglected Washington state forest service vehicle and was turned into this completely restored beauty with Hemi power.

6.1 Liter SRT8 Hemi replaces the stock 4 banger
6.1 Liter SRT8 Hemi replaces the stock 4 banger

The work was done on a surprisingly low budget with the use of a lot of creative bartering and lots of personal labor. The original 4WD drivetrain was tossed and a salvage yard S-10 front clip with Belltech 2-inch drop spindles and an Explorer 8.8 rearend complete with stock leaves and sway bar was completely refurbished and installed. The builder, graphic designer Tavis Highlander, found his engine and transmission when he was finishing a design assignment with Mopar Performance. He suggested payment in the form of a 6.1 liter Hemi and T-56 six speed, and they agreed! Fun stuff!

Clean and comfortable interior replaces the spartan original
Clean and comfortable interior replaces the spartan original

Working with his Dad, they did the custom fabrication of replacement panels, sand blasting, powder coating of old parts and the chassis and to top it off, he even painted the project himself. It’s been featured in Hot Rod and Truck Trend and oh, by the way, this was his first rebuild, wow!

This would look good in almost any garage, heck it would look good in mine.

You can also check out Tavis’ design work at Highlander Concept Rendering

Filed Under: American Tagged With: 1950s, Hemi, restomod, Willys

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Previously on Uncommon Motors

1943 Kettenkrad

1943 Kettenkrad Totally Restored – the WW2 Motorcycle With Tracks

J.P. Morgan Jr's private 1925 Pullman railcar

JP Morgan’s Private Pullman Railcar

Classic 1959 Porsche Diesel Tractor

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