{"id":4328,"date":"2021-12-21T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2021-12-21T08:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shinola.com\/our-stories\/?p=4328"},"modified":"2021-12-22T14:23:53","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T14:23:53","slug":"zach-fox-and-the-art-of-jeep-willys-maintenance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourstories.shinola.com\/our-stories\/zach-fox-and-the-art-of-jeep-willys-maintenance\/","title":{"rendered":"Zach Fox and The Art of Jeep Willys Maintenance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
There are people we meet along the way who are just raw enough to convince us that if we fully followed our hearts, we\u2019d land in a pretty damn good place. These people are our passion mentors, bleeding earnestness and oozing authenticity.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Round here, Zach Fox is that guy. A product designer raised near Ann Arbor and trained in Detroit, Fox was one of Shinola\u2019s first interns, joining the cause before a single watch was sold, and before a single dollar was earned. Over the years, his designs have spanned the gamut \u2014 from the thoughtful packaging of the company\u2019s first chronograph to the bespoke furnishings of Shinola\u2019s physical stores. Bicycle concepts, production clocks, and the brand\u2019s beloved power-supply items all have a piece of Zach in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fox is as meticulous as he is creative, sweating over the spacing between stitches of yarn running through a beanie or blanket. He knows how to hold something up to the light to get the proper perspective; knows how to measure something for the hundredth time. Zach Fox puts the craft in American Craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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If you\u2019re lucky, you\u2019ll run into Fox in the basement of Shinola\u2019s headquarters sometime. This is where the brand\u2019s beloved 1961 Jeep Willys pickup is parked. The Emerald-colored classic resembles a grandfather\u2019s ancient tool box. It\u2019s weathered, robust, and capable. The latches may stick and the hinges may creak, but it\u2019s as good as anything that\u2019s coming out of today\u2019s factories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The truck has served as a sort of mascot for Shinola since it was purchased in 2013. Zach Fox serves as its caretaker.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Fact is, Fox is at home in a vehicle of this vintage. A car enthusiast who grew up with \u201cGrease\u201d on repeat and \u201cHappy Days\u201d on the TV, Fox is a bad-ass version of Wally Clever mated to a silky-smooth version of The Fonz. His Buddy Holly eyeglasses are distinctive, his pompadour hairstyle is pure Elvis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Willys he protects plays a supporting role in Shinola\u2019s efforts to tell its brand story. Recently, Fox and team flat-bedded the vehicle to a local Christmas tree farm for a catalog photo shoot. Years earlier, the truck\u2019s keys were misplaced and the Willys had somewhere to be. Fox, relying on years of experience, executed a quick ignition-switch replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a recent Friday morning, before driving the vehicle a mile-and-a-half to Shinola\u2019s flagship Canfield store, Fox checked the Willys\u2019 vitals, then wiped down the sheet metal and chrome. Spark plugs? Check. Oil levels? Check. Tires? Probably could use some air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once he\u2019s content, his feet take charge of the accelerator and clutch. The T-90 three-speed manual poised in neutral, Fox gives it a few cranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The \u201cSuper Hurricane\u201d six-cylinder engine gurgles for a moment, before roaring back to life. The truck is hefty \u2013 weighing 3,000 pounds \u2013 but its girth doesn\u2019t prevent the body and bench seat from slightly jigging along with the melodious vrum-vrum-vrum of the motor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sitting in the cab while Zach is at the helm. We\u2019re eager to accelerate but the Jeep Willys is 60 years old. It needs to warm up before hitting the field. So we talk about the wonderful machine we find ourselves in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shinola\u2019s Willys truck is one of the millions of Jeeps to come out of Toledo since Willys-Overland Motors (Jeep\u2019s once-upon-a-time owner) bought a manufacturing complex near the banks of the Maumee River more than a century ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pickup\u2019s design dates back to the 1940s. It is the epitome of rugged, with Jeep copy writers selling this vehicle with a cache of predictable slogans, ranging from \u201cAction packed newcomer to the light 4×4 truck field,\u201d to \u201cAll truck, all over.\u201d A post-WWII print ad declared \u201cYou can\u2019t stop bad weather, but weather that stops others won\u2019t stop this truck!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This weather-beater is an assemblage of original parts and customized upgrades. Perhaps the most noticeable is the addition of wood cabinetry in the bed, which allows the Willys to double as a display for Shinola products when it is parked outside a store or stationed at an event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Originally, Willys instrument panels were spartan, carrying only a manual-choke knob, a multifunction speedometer, a wiper dial and a light switch. Over the decades, more gauges have been added to this specific version \u2013 including Phantom instruments measuring voltage, water temperature, and time of day. At some point, temperature controls and air vents were installed. A 1990s-era Pioneer radio is tucked in the glovebox; RockFord Fosgard speakers are hidden under the dash above the footwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other modifications include a piano-themed two-tone bench, a simple dome light, and a skinny driver\u2019s side aluminum antennae. A one-of-a-kind black vanity plate with an orange Shinola lightning bolt adorns an aftermarket black steel grille guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The 1961 model year was one of the last ones for the Willys truck. The 1960s marked the launch of the Gladiator pickup, a vehicle that significantly modernized the Jeep portfolio. This makes the Jeep Willys a testament to the high automotive-design era that turned automotive designers Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell, and Edmund Anderson into gods. Chrome was expected, sex appeal was standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Willys\u2019 vital organs are shielded by an eight-slot grille, iconic round headlamps, and curvaceous fenders that flare outward. Passengers look through a split-windshield, like those fitted on a classic Oldsmobile Six or Ford Fairlane. Chrome treatments, including windshield wiper brackets and a swooshing accent strip, garnish the body. A majestic \u201cW\u201d serves as the brand\u2019s logo, which sits atop the grille in the center of the hood\u2019s ledge, and also in the center of the steering wheel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Four chunky all-season tires, designed for light-truck use, are wrapped around painted white steel wheels. A spare one rests on a running board behind the driver\u2019s side of the cabin. The front cap is fitted with a manual locking hub, essential for transferring from two-wheel to four-wheel drive. An additional shifter inside the cabin is also part of the two- to four-wheeling transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Fox steps into the gas, the vehicle springs to life. Its top speed is no more than 55 miles an hour, but even a crawl puts a smile on both our faces. I laugh \u2013 and pray a little \u2013 as Zach maneuvers this vintage machine, built before automatic steering systems that make tight turns a relative breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fox isn\u2019t phased. He started working on automobiles at a young age. His father taught him bodywork, paint, welding, sheet metal forming, and fabrication. Over the years, he amassed a love for cruising, lowriders, four-wheel drive trucks and off-roaders. His first few vehicles included a 1972 Nova, a 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, and a 1953 Chevy pickup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, his garage includes a \u201959 Impala, a \u201940 Ford, and a \u201850 Chevy Panel Truck. On the day we met, Fox was driving his 1987 Chevrolet K20 pickup. As with his other vehicles, Fox has made requisite upgrades and modifications on this truck. Recently, he replaced the motor with a 350-cubic inch GM Performance Parts crate engine, which makes 330 horsepower and a beautiful growl. Fox also pulled out the original automatic transmission and slotted in a four-speed manual transmission. Why move to a stick shift on a daily driver?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted to go as analog as possible,\u201d he says. For anyone who knows Shinola, that statement is entirely on brand.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are people we meet along the way who are just raw enough to convince us that if we fully followed our hearts, we\u2019d land in a pretty damn good place. These people are our passion mentors, bleeding earnestness and oozing authenticity. Round here, Zach Fox is that guy. A product designer raised near Ann […]<\/p>\n
Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":4345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[119],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nZach Fox and The Art of Jeep Willys Maintenance - Our Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ourstories.shinola.com\/our-stories\/zach-fox-and-the-art-of-jeep-willys-maintenance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Zach Fox and The Art of Jeep Willys Maintenance - Our Stories\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are people we meet along the way who are just raw enough to convince us that if we fully followed our hearts, we\u2019d land in a pretty damn good place. 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