1922 Willys Overland Model 4A Touring

Description

Selling a 1922 Willys Overland Touring Model 4A that I acquired recently. I tend to favor 1940's-1960's GM classics, but when I saw this prewar beauty sitting on jack stands in a garage I had to bring it home. I wanted to bring it back to life as best I could. I read numerous articles about the company roots, it's evolution into bigger companies and their legacy. These classics are admired all around the world. There is even an organization, Willys-Overland-Knight-Registry or WOKR, that keeps historical data on these vehicles, its owners and active online forums. They are a Godsend when you're looking for answers about these cars and how to articles.
Getting back to this particular car, I found this car locally in Connecticut. It belonged to a friend of mine, who inherited it from his father. He didn't know very much about the car and just reminisced about driving it around town until several years ago. He said that his father owned it for at least 7 years, but wasn't quite sure how long to be exact. He advised me that the starter was removed some time ago and that was the last time it had been on the road. Obviously, I couldn't hear the car start, but trusting the word of my friend and considering that the engine spun freely with the crank I bought it! The Overland is currently registered to him here in Connecticut, so it's being sold with a Bill of Sale considering CT is a NO TITLE state for classics.
I had the car towed home and I detailed the car completely in order to see what I was working with. I read several articles on the WOKR.org website. It's fascinating to look for information on classic cars, it's like a mystery that you have to solve and sometimes you dwell into too much information until the late hours of the night. I found some information on where I could locate the vehicle Serial Number, 235271, which is stamped on a placard on the driver's side of the seat frame. Then Ibrowsed through a WOKR 1990 Membership and Vehicle Roster that came with the car and matched the serial number to a previous owner of the vehicle, Barbara & George Parmelee of Bethlehem Connecticut. They owned the car prior to my friend's dad, but at least I know that this Willys Overland has been in Connecticut for the last 28 years.
Getting back to the physical aspects of this car, it appears solid. The car,which is red brick in color, has some bubbling on the lower body panels (under the doors), a bit of exposed rust and a repair that has peeled off at the left (driver's side) rear inner fender adjacent to the rear of the car. The doors are super solid all around. The frame and undercarriage look very clean. The frame and body brackets are bright and free of rust. I have a short video of the undercarriage that I can send to a serious bidder. There is no question that this car was refurbished at one point, but I don't have any documentation of when and how much work was done. It appears that the body was taken off during restoration due to lack of overspray and how clean the undercarriage is.
The motor, a stock 4 cylinder looks to be intact besides the lack of a starter. Luckily, I located the old starter underneath the front seat while cleaning the interior (what a relief). I was impressed with the littlemotor, there weren't any loose birds nest wirings or broken components. The transmission consists of a manual 3 speed. I do know that the mechanical brake (E-brake) works.
The interior looks very presentable, there is some wear showing on the seat seems. The seats, door/rear side panels and protective floor mats are all there. I know that there is a collector rolling his eyes at the GM floor covers, but they serve a purpose. The dash looks sharp with the minimal amount of gauges. My friend did mention that he remembers that the odometer would NOT mark the mileage when driving around town.
The tires, which were off the ground when I found it look good. I do not know how old they are, so I would caution doing a thorough inspection before any serious driving for safety reasons. The wheels spin freely and what an amazing turning radius these cars have. I pushed it into my garage with my 11 year old son at the helm. The wood spokes are faded, but look very strong. The steering rods, connectors and rods are not sloppy at all.
The electrical wiring looks good, doesn't look like mice had a field day chewing them up. I have not checked the status of the 6 Volt battery.
The windshield is in great condition, everything is in working order. I can't imagine driving in the rain and manually operating the wiper at the same time, the good old days.
I have the convertible top brackets and an older top, which will obviously beincluded with the car.
All the information provided above is my overall opinion of this car, please feel free to inspect the car in person and or send a third party inspection company to make sure you're getting what you paid for. The car is being sold as is, I will try to get the starter bench tested and if I'm lucky enough to find a local starter rebuilder I will probably have it redone. I still would like to hear this old girl stutter back to life. In the meantime, the auction is on!
As for the auction details, this is a private person to person transaction. I'm NOT a dealer, I just appreciate classic cars. There is a $1,000 deposit due upon winning. The winning bidder is responsible for all shipping arrangements and costs.The car will not be released until I receive full payment in cash, Paypal or bank wire. Iwill be available to assist the transporter at any time of the day. I can safely store the car in my residential garage if you want to save money waiting for a transporter or need to save up for shipping as long as the car is completely paid off. I don't want my wife getting accustomed to an open garage bay. I will send the winner the Bill of Sale while we wait.
Considering the fact that these Overlands are appreciated all around the world, I will accept bids outside the United States. I never do because of past scam attempts, but as long as the monies are paid in full we can conduct business.
Again, this is a very classic Willys Overland that can be a parade cruiser with minimal work or a great candidate for a better than factory restoration. Please take into consideration that these Overlands don't come up for sale very often, so bid to win! Most importantly, feel free to contact me on my cell phone, (203)521-7 eight 5 eight, if you have any questions or just want to share some wisdom about these antiques.
Thanks,
Louie