A Tale of 2 Tailgates

Over the weekend, Drew & I picked up a number of parts for our project. A gas tank, front springs and a few seat frames. All good stuff, but the real important purchase was an original "Willys" Tailgate with no rust holes.

Virtually an impossible find in the Northeast, but we found this one after 2 years of searching eBay, craigslist, and Willys forums.

I am very excited we finally found a good looking tailgate, now if I can find a fender like this we will be all set. The project is coming together.

I took this picture because I thought it was a great contrast. A 1960 or older "Willys" tailgate compared to a 2008 Ford "Super Duty" Tailgate.

The only similarity is that they are both stamped. Other than that, the size, weight and even technology are vastly different. The Ford has a camera, built in stairs and locking mechanism. The Willy is a simple steel tailgate, no thrills other than the hard to find "Willys" stamp.

Anyhow looking forward to cleaning this up and getting it ready for painting. Should be done by the end of the summer.