Jeep Forward Control (FC-150, FC-170)
Shown to dealers on 29 November 1956 and sold from that December as a 1957 model, the FC-150 put a cab-over body and a 78-inch box on an 81-inch CJ-5 chassis with the Hurricane four. The FC-170 followed in 1957 with a wheelbase of about 103.5 inches, a 108-inch bed, and the Super Hurricane six, and a dual-rear-wheel version came in 1959. The first FC-150s, on the narrow CJ-5 track, were criticized as unstable, so the track was widened for 1958. Willys sold 9,738 in 1957, the best year, after which demand faded; just over 30,000 were built in all before Kaiser Jeep let the line run out in 1965.
Engines
| Engine | Power | Torque | Fuel | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willys F-134 Hurricane F-head I4 (FC-150) An FC-specific rating was not found; the Hurricane was rated 72 to 75 hp in this period. |
— | — | Gasoline | 1957 to 1965 |
| Super Hurricane 226 L-head I6 (FC-170) FC Connection figure (105 hp at 3,600 rpm, 190 lb-ft at 1,400 rpm); JeepTech lists 115 hp for 226s built from 1954 to 1958. |
105 hp (78 kW) | 190 lb-ft (258 N·m) | Gasoline | 1957 to 1965 |
| Cerlist 3-cylinder two-stroke diesel (military) Used only in the M676 to M679 military FC-170s. |
85 hp (63 kW) | — | Diesel | 1964 to 1965 |
Transmissions
- 3-speed manual (Borg-Warner T-90) (1957 to 1965)
- 4-speed manual (Borg-Warner T-98) (1958 to 1965)
Sizes and weights
| Measure | Size |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 81–103.5 in2,057–2,629 mm |
| Length | 147.5–181.5 in3,747–4,610 mm |
A range covers the body styles and trims of this generation.
Trims and editions
- FC-150
- FC-170
- FC-170 DRW (dual rear wheels)
Worth knowing
- The FC-150 carried a six-foot (78-inch) box yet was shorter overall than a Nash Metropolitan.
- The SAE called the 1958 trucks' one-to-one ratio of curb weight to payload the best among domestic light commercial vehicles of the day.
- Outside suppliers built fire engines, dump trucks, wreckers, airport vehicles, and rail-riding crew trucks on FC chassis.
- For the Navy and Marines, Kaiser built an estimated 400 to 700 militarized FC-170s with a Cerlist diesel, 24-volt electrics, and limited-slip axles, mostly M677 crew cabs.
- Mahindra in India built FC trucks until 1999, and VIASA in Spain built cab-forward Jeep trucks until 1985.
- Bigger FC-180 and FC-190 models and a V8 option were shown only on paper in 1957 and 1958.
Year by year, newest first
- Output wound down to nothing during the year.
- Mahindra began building the FC-150 in India.
- Kaiser won a contract for militarized FC-170s (M676 to M679) for the Navy and Marine Corps.
- About 1,119 civilian FC-170s were built, according to notes found by Jim Allen.
- Willys Motors was renamed Kaiser Jeep Corporation.
- Factory records show about 1,300 FC-150s and 2,370 FC-170s built, about 320 of them duallies.
- Factory records show about 1,925 FC-150s and 3,000 FC-170s built.
- The engine cover between the seats was enlarged for better airflow from the grille.
- A dual-rear-wheel FC-170 was added, with a gross weight rating of up to 9,000 lb.
- The FC-150's track was widened from 48 to 57 in after complaints that the narrow CJ-5 track made it unstable.
- The T-98 four-speed manual became available, and the updates met Willys's goal of payload equal to curb weight.
- The FC-150 went on sale on 12 December 1956 as a 1957 model; the longer FC-170 with the Super Hurricane six followed in 1957.
- Best year of the run, with 9,738 sold.
Notes
Treated as one generation covering the FC-150 and FC-170, since they were built side by side, not one after the other. First_year is 1957 because the trucks were sold as 1957 models (Wikipedia's infobox says production began in 1956; its text says the line ended in 1964). The FC-170 wheelbase is given as 103 in (Wikipedia), 103.5 in (cj3b.info), and 103 5/8 in (FC Connection). Wikipedia says FC-150 sales were 1,546 in 1959 and 4,925 in 1960, while Norton Young's calendar-year factory list shows about 3,050 and 1,925 built. Kaiser-era production records are largely lost. Per FC Connection the FC-170 had a 7,000 lb GVW, a 3,490 lb curb weight, and a height of about 79.4 in; the dually was rated 8,000 or 9,000 lb. Wikipedia dates the T-98 four-speed to 1958, while cj3b.info lists it for the FC-170 from its 1957 launch. Width and other dimensions were not confirmed.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Jeep_Forward_Control
- cj3b.info /Siblings/FC.html
- thefcconnection.com /history_&_general_information.htm
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/models/fc/
- cj3b.info /WOfigures.html
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/engine/factory/hurricane226/