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Building A 1960's Willard Battery Case

Discussion in 'Early Jeep Restoration and Research' started by maurywhurt, Mar 24, 2023.

  1. Mar 24, 2023
    maurywhurt

    maurywhurt Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Western North...
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    For years, I've wanted a battery for my '67’s Dauntless engine bay that closely resembles an original from that era. The reproduction automotive batteries currently available are, IMHO, just too expensive to make sense - especially considering that they don't have a good reputation in terms of their longevity.

    Rather than going that route, my first stab at creating a more vintage battery look was to disguise a flat-top Group 24 battery to resemble a 1960's Delco (described in this 2018 post: http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/128802/).

    [​IMG]


    Though many of the OEM components in the Dauntless engine compartment were supplied by GM subsidiary AC (later AC Delco), the original battery used in 1960s CJs was not a GM-produced item. Shortly after finishing the "Delco" mock-up, I learned that the OEM battery brand used in the Willys MB, M38, CJ's and other models was actually Willard.

    My vintage battery mocking-up continued. In the next iteration, using the same Legendary Battery Topper, this time with a set of Willard vent caps and a sticker ordered from Weskcar, I modified the battery to somewhat resemble an early 12-volt Willard.

    [​IMG]


    I had this battery topper and sticker installed for several years, but after gradually making other improvements to the appearance of the engine compartment, the battery just didn't look up to snuff with everything else.

    This started me on a quest to build an external case, or surround, around the battery to make it look more like a real 1960's Willard. In researching what the case should look like, I was only able to find a few good images of Willard batteries from that general time frame:

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    I also came across this rather odd mid-1960s ad featuring a Willard Group 24 battery. Held aloft by disembodied hands, the battery is hovering over an early Jeep Wagoneer that’s chasing some cows. You have to wonder what the advertising people were thinking when they came up with this one - but it’s further evidence that Willard was the OEM battery supplier for Kaiser Jeep.

    [​IMG]


    I believe the original battery installed in my '67 CJ-5, which was built in August of 1966, was likely a Willard SMR-24 (short for Super Master Group 24). So I decided to try to build a battery surround to match the 1960’s Willard as closely as I could.

    I emailed the owner of Weskcar, a very helpful guy in Belgium named Gauthier Bruyr, and asked his thoughts about making a topper to simulate the flat top of the vintage Willard. It turned out he already makes a Group 24 topper that's completely flat. This left the issue of trying to replicate the white & red 3-gang battery caps shown on the 1965 Willard catalog above. Fortunately, Gauthier offered to do the necessary design work and then 3D print a set of caps in ABS to match those on the SMR-24 for a reasonable price, so I took him up on it.

    I cut the ABS panels on a table saw with a zero-clearance blade insert. The external 1/16” haircell sheets and trim parts were bent 90 degrees using a heat gun.

    [​IMG]

    The flat-top Group 24 battery I’m using is made in the USA by East Penn, which currently makes Deka, NAPA, and Duracell batteries, as well as several other brands. The battery's plastic hold-down ledges and handle hooks were in the way of the new case, but were easily removed using a hand saw and a belt sander.

    I’d initially planned to build the case using double-layer panels of 1/8” and 1/16” ABS sheets. However, due to the length and width of the case needing to conform to the topper’s dimensions, and the fact that there was a slight outward curvature on the sides of the battery, I ended up having to use single-layer 1/16" sheets for the side panels of the case. A 1/8" rear panel attaches to the side panels and provides more rigidity. Along with the front panel, the rear panel also acts as a second flange to secure the removable topper, which slips over and around the top of case.

    The reproduction caps were mounted on small circular ABS “pedestals” to simulate the rings around the fill holes on the vintage batteries.

    [​IMG]

    Photoshopping the above images of the original batteries allowed me to create good, high-resolution 2D representations of the raised Willard and SMR-24 lettering. I then had the lettering 3D printed locally out of ABS (including the white top layer, which made painting them unnecessary). The lettering was glued to the haircell-textured front panel.

    I was able to re-create the Willard date decal for the top of the battery as well, which helped complete the effect. Note that in the above images of original SMR-24's, some of the date decals were turned to face backwards, but others show them facing frontwards, which is how mine is applied. The month & year circles were punched out to reflect my CJ's build date.

    [​IMG]


    Here's the finished case. It's not a precise reproduction of the mid-1960’s Willard, but it’s close (and much better than my earlier battery mock-ups).

    [​IMG]

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    This is the first time I’ve built something using ABS plastic, and I have to say that I enjoyed working with it. That said, it took me WAY longer to make this case than I would ever have anticipated (as is typical of most of my projects) - but it is a great material.
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2023
  2. Mar 24, 2023
    Beach66Bum

    Beach66Bum 1966 Tuxedo Park Mark IV 2024 Sponsor

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    Absolutely incredible Maury!! Looks so so good! Enjoy every single one of your detailed write-ups :)
    You’ve been such a help with my Jeep! cheers my friend :beer:
     
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  3. Mar 24, 2023
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Hills of NH
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    Do they have a Jeep category for Concours d'Elegance?
     
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  4. Mar 24, 2023
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    Very cool! Is the battery you have a Gel battery?
     
  5. Mar 24, 2023
    maurywhurt

    maurywhurt Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Hey Glenn, No, it's just a heavy-duty Group 24 lead-acid battery (800 cold cranking amps). One of the issues when using a topper with pre-formed terminal holes is that a battery has to be found that works with that particular layout, unless the holes in the topper can be enlarged or re-drilled.

    The East Penn-manufactured Deka / NAPA / Duracell / Etc. batteries happen to fit this topper well. I've had very good luck with these batteries - in fact, the Duracell battery I bought 5 years ago is the same one I built this case around, though given its age, I also have a spare one recently purchased as a backup. Both are kept plugged into BatteryMinders when not on the road.

    Good question about a gel battery. There may be one that would likewise fit the topper, I don't know.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2023
  6. Mar 25, 2023
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

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    That is an amazing engine bay.
     
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  7. Mar 25, 2023
    maurywhurt

    maurywhurt Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Thanks very much, Doug. It didn't always look like it does now. Here's a photo of the same engine compartment I took back in 2013, prior to the engine rebuild and frame-off:

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Mar 25, 2023
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

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    Heck, that picture looks better than mine :lol:
     
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  9. Mar 25, 2023
    Beach66Bum

    Beach66Bum 1966 Tuxedo Park Mark IV 2024 Sponsor

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    Don’t think I ever saw a before pic Maury!
     
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  10. Mar 25, 2023
    maurywhurt

    maurywhurt Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I don’t think I’ve seen what your engine bay looks like yet either, Roy. Make sure to get some “before” photos before you restore it!
     
  11. Mar 25, 2023
    Beach66Bum

    Beach66Bum 1966 Tuxedo Park Mark IV 2024 Sponsor

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    Be lots of time before I do, lol! Your original was still a lot nicer though.
     
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  12. Jul 15, 2023
    Rustman

    Rustman Member

    Charles Town, WV
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    Holy smokes that is impressive! And I can say that with some authority as my business partner, my wife and myself do some of that work for 6-Volt batteries for MBs and GPWs.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    This has a 6V Optima inside it.

    Matt
     
  13. Jul 16, 2023
    Twin2

    Twin2 not him 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    it's been a long time since
    I heard battery topper (y)
    back in the JC Whitney days
     
  14. Jul 16, 2023
    maurywhurt

    maurywhurt Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Thanks very much, Matt - and that is quite a compliment coming from someone who produces the beautiful battery cases that you do!

    Maury
     
  15. Sep 6, 2023
    oblvnnwtnjhn

    oblvnnwtnjhn Member

    North Alabama
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    Maury, your attention to detail is further proof that whoever paid the almost $30k for the early CJ last year on BaT WAY overpaid as it was a smattering of KW parts and not factory correct.
     
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