Register now to get rid of these ads!

Rarest car ever made into a gasser? Steel Willys

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by oldebob, Jan 18, 2009.

  1. oldebob
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 782

    oldebob
    Member
    from Spokane WA

    Was reading the Homeyer's Willys thread. That reminded me of this.These pictures were taken in 1963 at Englishtown NJ. This A Gasser is one of three '41 Willys convertibles built by the factory. This particular car was bought new off the stand at the New York Auto Show. Pearl Harbor brought a stop to any plans to produce these. The engine is Chry Hemi, the unusual chain drive blower setup is a B52 bomber air starter motor running backwards. Car was run by Keck / DeCell. These days they do feel kind of bad making it a gasser but they couldn't find a coupe at the time. I wonder what ever happened to it?
     

    Attached Files:

  2. DocWatson
    Joined: Mar 24, 2006
    Posts: 10,273

    DocWatson
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    They only made three in the US! WOW! I know a guy that has a factory convertible here in Oz, he has been building it for close to twenty years now!
    But the gasser is cool and I love the blower!
    Doc.
     
    bowlingball, VANDENPLAS and Deuces like this.
  3. DualQuad55
    Joined: Mar 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,382

    DualQuad55
    Member
    from NH

    Three were built in the U.S.

    There were many more built in Oz.
    Years back I had most of a 33-36 Oz roadster body(Willys). It was in need of everything. I should have kept it, but a new house and bills said something had to go.
    The 40-41 style cars from Oz were actually roadsters as opposed to Convertables. I remember helping put the side curtains on one at NSRA nationals back in the late '80s in a suprise rain shower.
     
    LOU WELLS likes this.
  4. oldebob
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 782

    oldebob
    Member
    from Spokane WA

    This ties in with the new Willys thread tonite. So thought I'd bump it up again. This one was a factory produced car.
     
    Deuces likes this.

  5. Dirtynails
    Joined: Jan 31, 2009
    Posts: 843

    Dirtynails
    Member
    from garage

    Most of the OZ cars ended up in the USA so if you see one look close at the steering position. I have an old mate who sent lots over there and in the 1980's Randall Hodgson bought every one he could find. My mate reckons they drive like a jeep with a party frock on.:D
     
  6. ol gasser
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 333

    ol gasser
    Member
    from here

    Why feel bad. The car did what it was MADE TO DO. bETTER THAN BEING A GARAGE KING OR A TRAILER QUEEN . Cars were made to be driven,not to be investments
     
  7. GlenC
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 757

    GlenC
    Member

    Doc, I think there's only about 5 left downunder these days too. I had a lead on one in the 80's, which went to someone else in Sydney. It had sat in a shed in Sydney since the 60's, right next to what became Ron Tabone's 40 coupe (the dusky pink one). The bloke who owned that roadster bought another one, and to make his 'more rare and valuable' he took everything he wanted off the second one then scrapped the main body. Miserable bastard.

    Cheers, Glen.
     
    Deuces likes this.
  8. alsancle
    Joined: Nov 30, 2005
    Posts: 1,572

    alsancle
    Member

    I disagree. When a car has history you shouldn't screw with it. All those Willy's coupes that got made into gassers had no history at the time so that was cool. Once they got raced they acquired their own history. The Convs are different as there was only 3. I feel the same way about vintage Willys gassers being turned into pro-street cars - lost history for a fad.
     
    Deuces likes this.
  9. Weasel
    Joined: Dec 30, 2007
    Posts: 6,698

    Weasel
    Member

    I absolutely agree with Alsancle, but back then these were just old cars - not collector cars and i doubt if anyone bothered to check to see if what they had was rare or not.

    Here's another rare Willys and luckily of the reputed five made in 1940 and five made in 1941, only one has been rodded. This one is stock as a rock.

    But somebody did race a 1947 Olds woodie gasser at Lions in '68/'69.

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]




    [​IMG]
     
    Lone Star Mopar, vtx1800 and catdad49 like this.
  10. Django
    Joined: Nov 15, 2002
    Posts: 10,198

    Django
    Member
    from Chicago

    Wow. A Willys cabriolet. I had no idea. The Willys woodie is cool too!
     
  11. alsancle
    Joined: Nov 30, 2005
    Posts: 1,572

    alsancle
    Member

  12. oldebob
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 782

    oldebob
    Member
    from Spokane WA

  13. GlenC
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 757

    GlenC
    Member

    I'm sure I read somewhere that Willys woodie is an aftermarket body built on a factory chassis and cowl, not an actual 'factory' production item. Considering Willys place in the US car market, that would make sense.

    Cheers, Glen.
     
  14. alsancle
    Joined: Nov 30, 2005
    Posts: 1,572

    alsancle
    Member

    Is that the only picture you have of it? Any other history or story around it would be great.
     
  15. That Olds woodie belonged to Jeff Courtie. I went to high school with him in SoCal SFV. He bought it in 64/65, drove it stock for a while and then went racin'. I saw it again at a show, maybe in the early 70s. He still owned it. Had a blown Hemi in it at that time. He managed to get that barndoor to go 150 in 10 seconds
    http://www.oldwoodies.com/gallery-weird.htm
     
    283john likes this.
  16. Sauli
    Joined: Jul 16, 2008
    Posts: 499

    Sauli
    Member

    Amen to THAT...:)
     
  17. ssaza25
    Joined: Jun 20, 2010
    Posts: 1,762

    ssaza25
    Member
    from arizona

    I was going thru some of the older willys threads and came onto this one. Many years ago, there was a 41 conv. here in Phoenix,[Eddies used cars at 32nd street and Washington.]. The car was for sale in Hemming motor news prior to Phoenix. The car was from PA. It was an old gasser. Had a greasy 392 Hemi,[intake was missing], American magnesium rims. The top bows were on the car.The car was very rough. Looked like it had been setting out in the snow for years. You did not have to open the hood to see the ground.I checked the car over very closely. Almost all of the paint was gone on the car. The lead seams could be seen. Above the trunk there were 2 lead seams, not in the same location as a coupe. The drivers door did not have any patch work at the front and rear top as if the coupe door was used.The pass. side door did have repairs as if a coupe door was used. The guy who bought the car paid $9000 for the car. At that time, that was a lot of money. He did nothing with the car and sold it later.Do not know where it went to.
     
  18. oldebob
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 782

    oldebob
    Member
    from Spokane WA

    I missed this reply when posted. Keck/Decell were from Philipsburg NJ, right on the PA border. The guy they sold it to back then was going to restore it. Guess it never happened. Wonder what happened to the manifold and blower setup? Thanks for the info , I,ll pass it on.
     
  19. ssaza25
    Joined: Jun 20, 2010
    Posts: 1,762

    ssaza25
    Member
    from arizona

    I found the add that was in the autotrader with a picture.
     

    Attached Files:

  20. There was a 41 convertable for sale in an ad in the unique cars mag over here in Oz just recently, can't remember the price but from memory it was pretty bloody resonable.
     
  21. bauschracing
    Joined: Mar 31, 2011
    Posts: 64

    bauschracing
    Member

    There is a willys conv. at FDR's Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. My best friend said that if it were a coupe, he would steal it and make a gasser out of it. I guess he needs to read this and they need more guards at the museum.
    Mike
     
  22. ME.GASSER
    Joined: Sep 18, 2007
    Posts: 3,627

    ME.GASSER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I was also thinking of this car when i saw this thread. It's a beautiful car.
     
  23. Randy in Oklahoma
    Joined: Sep 18, 2008
    Posts: 301

    Randy in Oklahoma
    Member
    from Oklahoma


    Ok, I will bite.

    What is the difference between a roadster and a convertible?
     
    jetnow1 likes this.
  24. mashed
    Joined: Oct 15, 2011
    Posts: 1,473

    mashed
    Member
    from 4077th

    ^^^^^^^^^^^Roll down windows in the doors.
     
  25. 33HEMI
    Joined: Jan 16, 2007
    Posts: 465

    33HEMI
    Member

    Some Topless photos.

    42b.jpg

    42c.jpg

    1939OverlandModel39Tourer_HoldenBodied_Australia.jpg

    1940-willys-flood-sport-tourer.jpg

    AEarlyTimes%20057_jpg.jpg

    dc513a.jpg

    Wil_86a.jpg
     
    Deuces likes this.
  26. 327Eric
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,116

    327Eric
    Member

    If I remember correctly there was a cowl section with the windshield frame floating around the Nor-cal swap meets about 15 years ago. I thought it was for one of the woodies. It was grey.
     
  27. oldebob
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 782

    oldebob
    Member
    from Spokane WA

    Thats it for sure! I think last time it ran was '66. It looks pretty tough now. JP&Dee was John P Keck & Lloyd DeCell. That Aircraft starter turned into a blower ate up a few hemis but they were later very sucsessful building and running crossflow 300in Ford 6's in altered and gas classes. I got a PM tha the car is now back on the east coast again in Conn.
     
  28. ssaza25
    Joined: Jun 20, 2010
    Posts: 1,762

    ssaza25
    Member
    from arizona

    Not a gasser but very rare 33 Willys Roadster
     

    Attached Files:

    Deuces likes this.
  29. 3day
    Joined: Apr 15, 2009
    Posts: 354

    3day
    Member
    from UK

    1940 WILLYS Ragtop Roadster 440 currently for sale in Australia if this advert is still current:

    http://bit.ly/QX5WYm
     
  30. 3day
    Joined: Apr 15, 2009
    Posts: 354

    3day
    Member
    from UK

    picture didn't upload. try again
     

    Attached Files:

    Deuces likes this.

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.