History Earliest Willys Racecars

Saw the "owie" on the roof and was going to ask, but followed the first link and found out.

Great back story!

 

No info on this one but it still has the vent Windows or wind wings, something often seen on early cars

 

Flintstone's Cart, Roy Beggs, Selma California

 

Man, this is a cool thread, thanks ElGringo!

More please!!!!!

 

KS Tiger Pittman from Mineral Wells Texas, and John Edwards, 1959 KS also drove the Swindler II for Stone and Woods. From the book Gasser Wars, KS ran this Willys as early as 1958 with a blown Olds engine that belonged to Gene Adams.

 

I wonder if this could be the same 40 Willys from Jimmy's quote. They are both 1940 Deluxe with the whisker trim on the hood.

 

Here is some more clarification on these 2 cars taken from this thread.


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...n-montgomery-32-3w.873097/page-4#post-9643850

The Road Dusters 33 Willys is the 2nd car from the left

 

Johnny Loper, Phoenix Arizona Ole Hoss

 

This is a GREAT "tread"..... haven't been of the HAMB or as a matter of fact "any" Internet forums or even Facebook for quite a LONG time. This thread should help to get me back into the routine.

 

Flathead Powered, Jack Shafer Red Bluff California, G Gas

 

The Graham Cracker?



Here is another shot of it later on.

 

Gran-Ma, owned by Phil Parker featured in the 1959 Movie Ingenuity In Action.

 

That shot of Wayne's Willys Pu, would be from 1963 with the Olds engine of Bill Lewis. In '61/'62 Wayne ran a 180 degree Norden Crank Flathead in F/G. His buddy Lloyd Clemans also supplied his blown/flathead out of his 'T' Sedan in the truck, before Wayne combined efforts with Jack Coonrod in '64.
They switched to Chrysler, but stayed with the Hydro trans, before building the coupe.

 

Thanks for the Information Marty.

 

See the dragster behind the Willys Pick Up; that's Jim Green's B/D, sponsored by B Boy Auto Parts in Lake City, Wa. Jim still has the dragster, after locating it some years back and rebuilding it. He attends the nostalgia events and cackle fests with the little dragster, and usually with the Assassin FED Fueler. That would be Jim Green of the Green Elephant Funny Car fame. I am Butch/56sedanmdelivery.

 

That is a cool dragster and he is lucky to have been able to buy it back and run it again. Thanks for the information 56sedandeivery

 

Pork Zartman being interviewed by the Wide World of Sports. First time they ever televised a drag race.

 

It isn't on the track but this picture is so cool. K.S.'s car being loaded on the ship to go over seas to race.

 

The photo dated April of 1959 is indeed when it was owned by the Grist Bros.

 

Thanks for The correction on the Grist Brothers. I got the 1960 purchase date from the Grist Brothers website. So much time has passed that memories can get fuzzy. I want to get the facts right and get this information out while we still can.

 

I started going to the local drag races in the late '50s when it cost a Dollar for admission and was fascinated by the variety of classes and cars. Seemingly identical cars would be in different classes and I asked questions until I found people that would explain it all. The love affair has never ended and looking at the old pictures brings back a lot of memories. There were always a lot of the Willys coupes with engines ranging from near stock Flatheads to blown Olds and Chryslers. I know the subject is Willys but there were also a lot of Studebakers in the ranks.

 

Here Is My dad with his 40 Willys coupe in Texas. It's just a little late for this thread. He built it from a stock body that he paid $200 for and complained about having to pay so much for it. He had previously bought a 41 Willys coupe for $50 and had sold it for $250.

Him and his brother built his 40 with a 327 and a Muncie 4 speed. At one point they ran a Rochester Fuel injection on it and would shift it at 7200rpms and even though it was built to gas rules they only ran it on the street before he sold it.

 

Do you know what year the Filthy Forty was built and do you know any stories about its early early history.

Also what can you tell us about the early history of the first 33 Willys coupe of KS Pittman and how it came to be ?

 

Here is another Texas Willys for you. Don Govro B Gas Speed Specialists from Austin Texas



http://www.motoraustin.com/buzz/topic.aspx?topic-id=133

 

I don't know anything about this one but it looks like an early lakes car. They must have removed the fenders to save weight and streamline for top speed.

 

Don't know anything about this one. It says B Gas, Donovan Automation on the side. The pictures were taken at the Nationals in Indy

 

Color shot of Phil Parkers Willys

 

Hello Elgringo,
To answer your question, neither one of these cars was among the earliest group of Willys gassers, but they both evolved from the very early 60's.
The Hill-Zartman Filthy Forty was a bone stocker when purchased by Charlie Hill in 1961. He paid $400. for it and drove it from McSherrystown, Pa. to his home in Columbia, Pa. The car was built in a back alley garage behind the family home and hit the track in early 1962.
Very early photo 1962:

Another from 1962:

From 1963:



The S&S Racing 1933 Willys was purchased in 1963 by Chuck Stolze, owner of the S&S Parts Company in Virginia. K.S. Pittman partnered with Stolze to run this car in 1964-65, which included the Inaugural British Drag Racing Festival in the photo shown earlier being loaded on the SS Untied States. It was fitted with a blown 420" Zueschel Chrysler. Originally it was owned by Jim Clinton from Ohio, and run under the Bachs Body Shop banner in 1962 and 1963 with a blown small block Chevy. Before that is a little unclear but it was also probably built in the 1961 time frame.

 

Thanks for posting Oldracer. These first hand stories and pictures are exactly what I was hoping for with this thread. They weren't the earliest but still early enough. Those were both legendary Willys gassers and it's a shame that neither one survived.

 

Here is a little more on the Bach's Body Shop Willys