Is it all original

[AA Martinez]

Hello everyone, Thanks for allowing me to your club for starts,  Now i have recently found a 1953 willys aero eagle 2 door hardtop and it seems to be original although i do have some concerns on the front grill it does have title and all serial numbers and plates are all in tact, all glass is there all chrome and emblems, missing three hub caps, and two knobs off dash, one small rust hole near rear wheel smaller then a dime, then some surface rust on body most of the paint is still on car black in color top is white, but looks as if it was black at one time but faded out. engine does turn over all original parts seem to be there as well as wiring, pretty brittle though.. interior was all there as well but tops of seat were sunburned and window was left down for twenty years and rain snow got in so, floor board on driver side got weak some rust holes mostly surface through out cab floor did pull old flooring insulation and rubber matting out and headliner as well it was filled with mice droppings, now front grill is not the single tube style with the "W" in the center, its the 1955 style i guess so my question is did this car come stock like this or not?  and before i do anything else besides clean it up is there parts available for these cars? its a beautiful car and would love to put back on the road , i would just like to do it right and with proper parts. so if anyone can help it would be very much appreciated.  thanks "Class of 53".

[joefrazer]

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Post one or two and we'll let you know if your find is original. Parts are available, some more easily than others.

[AA Martinez]

[AA Martinez]

Here is a few photos of 1953 willys aero eagle hope there clear enough and i can post more if needed.

[AA Martinez]

This car also has the six cylinder super hurricane model number -W6L-, with the three speed transmission I'm thinking, shifter on column, there is a knob next to ignition missing, any idea what that was?   thanks again..

[joefrazer]

Your car is a 1953 that has had a 1955 grille assembly added. Looks like a good builder! One thing to look for is rot in the underbody. Willys Aeros are unibody cars, meaning the body and frame are one assembly. Look for rot where the transmission cross member attaches as well as at all spring mounts. Floor braces also rust so look for that too. If it's just the basic floor board that has rust, that can be repaired.

[AA Martinez]

OK well thanks for that info, and yes i looked over this car pretty well so far and it looks solid other then surface rust really no cancer areas, so now do you have an idea on what the value might be on this car and some ideas on where to find an original grill and are floor pans available or is it just repair work
thats gonna have to be done, just hours ago i got it started woohoo!

[Aeroman]

Also 1955 front bumper guards. No shot of the rear, so I cannot confirm rear bumper or guards. Definitely the 1953 Eagle dash (1952 is the same except it has a script saying "WILLYS" just below the radio speaker grille). Headlight rings may not be 1953 AeroWillys - they look just a little too big.
New sheet metal is not available for this car - either cut out good metal from a donor car or fabricate.
SuperHurricane W6L sounds like the Kaiser 226 that someone has added. It should be an F-head 161.
Show pic of missing knob please, so I can ID it.
Vinyl seats look correct and door panels are correct, but the grey inserts on the seats are incorrect.
What are your codes on the firewall plate and I can tell you what color the car should be and what kind of interior trim you should have. Go to the Aero website listed below my name for more info and to register the car.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Can you send the info off the two main identification tags?  One is the door post serial number (with prefix that verifies model year and series), the other is the firewall plate that has paint number, trim number and body serial number. 

Photos of the engine compartment and a full show of the rear and side would also be nice.

Rick (aeroman) is correct about sheet metal being hard to come by as NOS, as it is for the great majority of cars 60 or so years old regardless of make.

Be advised that the Forum is NOT the KFOCI itself.  You can join on line or if this is a problem for you, please advise so someone can get you a membership application.    You should also be on the lookout for the factory Shop Manual, and parts book.   The parts book is a somewhat thick green cover document, the shop manual should cover the 1953 685 series passenger cars (685 was also used to designate station wagons but that's a separate document).

[AA Martinez]

Ok here is a little more information on the 53 Willys,  Style No. 685A-HTS looks like S at the end little scuffed on that point, Body No. 47766, Trim No. that area is not stamped at all. Paint No. 80. that was all from firewall plate.  doorjamb plate 653-MC1 10001-17018.  Now the Engine is silver in color, has flat head that reads willys super hurricane, manifold off to the left if looking from front of engine. And will get few more photos here soon, and once again this is all good info and is very much appreciated thank the both of you very much.

[AA Martinez]

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[Aeroman]

Those floorboards actually look pretty good. Blast 'em and prime and paint them, maybe even POR-15 them.
The trunk lid hinges, taillights and bumper guards are all 1953. The trunk lid is missing the Aero Eagle script that should be above the big "W".
The red vinyl is correct for that car, but the grey/brown inserts are replacements.
Paint code 80 is raven black - you have a somewhat rare monotone Eagle. Most Eagles had the roof a different color than the body.
685A-HTS means 685 is the F-head six cylinder, 161 cubic inches. The "A" means the car is a 1953 (no "A" would mean a 1952, "B" is 1954 and "C" is 1955), HTS = hard top sedan, meaning no "B" pillar - a true hardtop, therefore 1953 Aero Eagle (all Eagles that year had the F-head or "Hurricane" engine). Yours has the Super Hurricane which is the Kaiser 226 flathead. Someone has transplanted that engine into your car.
The door jamb plate should read 653-MC1 1xxxxx, where the x's are the sequential numbering of the car, the serial number, the VIN. The number you gave (10001-17018) is the complete range of possible numbers, yours will be one of the numbers within that sequence.
I hope that helps and I still owe you a phone call, I did get your message the other day, sorry about the late delay.

[AA Martinez]

Thanks Aeroman, of course this helps i had no knowledge of these very good looking cars didn't even know Willys made a car, although my father certainly remembered them he told me some fella had one years ago, and come weekends they would load up and take that Willys car up to some high lakes here in colorado, and my after said they would just crawl up mountain roads,  and can understand that with the clearance alone then the original tires and wheels were perfect for that type of driving, still had two original size tires and rims seem to be good and there is five total rims, Question why do you think the trim No. was left blank,  and i do have all three body emblems two that are "WILLYS" and one "AEROEAGLE" and the other missing knob off dash i figured is the windshield wiper knob.  well i am gonna go get some more photos, and did peek around and this car does have very limited rust , no the next thing is where do i find front shocks? rear seems i can find but front don't know, and tires what is the best fit for a stock stance,   do i leave as close to original or do i go towards the streetrod look thats where i am stuck with now. I'm just excited either way,  and the phone call my mistake i did later see your more of a computer guy so i apologize but fill free to call anytime,  and hope I'm using this forum in the right way and what a great thing it is i hope to a member for a long time to come, and always have my eyes open looking for cars,jeeps, trucks, stuff!....
 

[Aeroman]

Original tires were 6.40 X 15 bias ply tires. These are reproduced as Firestones or Goodriches, available thru Coker Tire and many others. Anything wider will probably rub on the inside of the tie rod end, so be careful if you are going to use a wider tire or a radial.
I do not know why the trim code was left blank, but sometimes the stamping of the trim numbers is very light, so look real close.
Willys started as Overland in 1903. John North Willys bought the company in 1908(?) and built cars and trucks until World War II. From about 1911 to 1921 or so, Willys was second in sales and production in the USA only to Ford. They got the Jeep contract in WWII and made Jeep-based products post-war until the Aero was introduced in 1952. Aeros were discontinued in 1955 and the tooling was shipped to Brazil and built there from 1960 until 1972, although face-lifted in 1963. There you go - Willys in a nutshell.
Join KFOCI, a great source for parts and camaraderie. Besides, these folks actually know what Willys Aeros were!

[AA Martinez]

Well sounds like thats what i shall do, i will join KFOCI and go about it that way thanks for the help.