1962 Willys Wagon Wins AMSOIL Trophy

 

The Endless Summer Cruisin’ car show (Oct. 6-9, 2016 in Ocean City, Md.) was a spectacular event for many reasons, one of which was the opportunity to meet car enthusiast Greg Wantz. Greg and his 1962 Willys Wagon, equipped with an F4-134 engine, won the six-foot-tall AMSOIL trophy, meaning his vehicle stood out to us the most. We tracked down Greg and got the story behind his sweet ride.

 

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Jeep

What makes this car special to you?

The wagon was my grandfather’s car. As a kid, I loved to sit in it and pretend to drive. I was in high school in 1979 when my grandfather passed on. My grandmother willed it to me and it’s been a part of my life ever since.

My plan is to, of course, keep these two vehicles [including his 1974 Jeep J10 pickup] and eventually give them to my son and daughter to have once I pass on. They have to stay in the family.

What modifications have been made?

I got it repainted in 1987 by a local body shop as he had it for six months to get the work completed. He totally stripped everything and repainted it with a richer paint compared to what it had originally, using either the same or a similar shade. The back wrap-around bumper, which is in three sections, was shipped out and re-chromed a few years afterward. The engine is original with 68,000 miles, and one day I may be inspired to remove it and clean and reseal it to repair some minor oil leaks. The interior seats were reupholstered a few years later by a local shop in Westminster using the same fabric. They also re-did the headliner as well as the front-floor rubber. I did remove the back-floor wooden struts and re-varnished them, but again, one day I am going to have the floor repainted and redo the wooden struts. I do the minor repairs myself, but when it comes to major engine work or body painting, I leave that to the professionals.

Tell us about Endless Summer Cruisin’

The Endless Summer Cruisin car show is fabulous, and we have been a participant since 2007. About four years ago, I received a trophy from a local restaurant; it was my first award for this show. I really appreciate the award from AMSOIL in 2016, and I might add that your trophy was bigger.

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Greg Wantz claims the AMSOIL trophy for his ’62 Willys Wagon.

Do you have any other vehicles?

I also have a 1974 Jeep J10 pickup. I purchased it from my great aunt – my grandmother’s sister – who lived across the street from me. It’s been repainted with the original color as well. It’s a pretty neat story.

I know my grandfather would be so proud to know that I am continuing to show his vehicle off and that it is in such great shape. He sure loved to drive it.

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