Throwback BaT Auction for This Willys Jeep Restomod

Best of Both Worlds

Restomods are all the rage these days, and for good reason - combining the timeless style of a vintage vehicle with modern, reliable power is an unbeatable combination. That's certainly true of this amazing 1955 Willys pickup, which garnered an incredible $120,000 at auction when it popped up on Bring a Trailer roughly one year ago.

Photos: Bring a Trailer

New and Old

The old Willys was built by Fueled Toyz of Taber, Alberta, which mated the vintage body with the chassis and driveline from a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. On the outside, it's hard to beat the truck's timeless lines, which are covered in a custom metallic copper paint color. Other notable touches include Poison Spider bumpers and a modified front end to fit the modern engine underhood.

Photos: Bring a Trailer

>>Join the conversation about this Willys Jeep restomod right here in JK-Form.com.

Exterior Mods

Other exterior mods include the addition of door handles and mirrors from a Wrangler, Model A taillights and HID headlights, Rock Slide Engineering power-retractable steps, 12-gauge shotgun shell primer caps on the upper bed rails, and a jerry can mount. The truck rolls on a set of custom 17-inch wheels with Willys hubcaps and 35x12.5-inch Toyo C/T Open Country tires.

Photos: Bring a Trailer

>>Join the conversation about this Willys Jeep restomod right here in JK-Form.com.

Modern Amenities

Peek inside, and you might mistake the cab of this vintage Willys for a newer Wrangler. Cascade Vans and Interiors of Calgary, Alberta handled the stitching, which included refitting the seats, upper console, headliner, and door panels with distressed brown and black leather. There are plenty of amenities present as well, including dual-zone climate control, power windows, and an infotainment system.

Photos: Bring a Trailer

>>Join the conversation about this Willys Jeep restomod right here in JK-Form.com.

More Power

The same goes for the powertrain in the old Willys, which consists of a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 ripped from the donor Wrangler, which has been given a boost with a RIPP supercharger and a custom exhaust with performance mufflers. The blown V6 is backed up by a five-speed automatic transmission, which sends power to all four wheels via a two-speed transfer case.

Photos: Bring a Trailer

>>Join the conversation about this Willys Jeep restomod right here in JK-Form.com.

Ready to Roll

Underneath, the 1955 Willys pickup has been fitted with a 3.5-inch Rock Krawler long-arm kit and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS. The beefed-up truck is ready to go off-road, thanks to an onboard air compressor, and its bed has been treated to a spray-in bed liner in case the new owner wants to haul things back there.

Photos: Bring a Trailer

>>Join the conversation about this Willys Jeep restomod right here in JK-Form.com.

Enduring Appeal

Add it all up, and this restomod Willys pickup is a truly awesome and comprehensive built that likely performs as well as it looks. But that's precisely why people build restomods in the first place - they're quite simply the perfect combination of new and old, and that's why they also have enduring appeal.

Photos: Bring a Trailer

>>Join the conversation about this Willys Jeep restomod right here in JK-Form.com.

To see a list of all the mods done to this CJ and the rest of the awesome pics of it, click here.