History 1933 - 1936 Willys, picture thread

Australian body parts are not interchangeable with the US bodies. I have an Australian body 33 willys that I am making into a US 5w coupe. I have imported lots of parts from the US to find they don't fit eg. Garnish moulds Australian sedan front doors are 1in longer. Also I have an very early 33 body from holdens that has normal opening doors but Holdens used 33 Chevrolet hinges so when you use original US hinges the doors don't open as the top and bottom pins don't aline.

 

I believe US Willys 77 bodies use 1932 Ford Commercial pick up truck hinges. The very early 1933 Australian closed Willys used a US style windshield with rounded corners top and bottom. Later ones look to be like 1933-34 Ford Coupe windshields with square bottom corners. There are so many differences between the two that I am not surprised that nothing interchanges. Thanks for setting the record straight bbwillys

 

Weasel, bbwillys,
Thanks to both of you, as you have filled in some long missing gaps for me.
I got my 1st Willys in 1960...a 40 coupe...and drove it home. When I bought that first car, I didn't even know they were available in Australia. After a 'raise my family' time period, I got back into buying Willys in 1979. Believe it or not they were still hard to find, but they were out there. Wish I had the foresight of what they are worth today, because I walked by many, many cars from '79 to '85 that I thought were over priced (in the 3-4 thousand range). Found 5 coupes for less than that and bought them all. Robbed the best parts (a deck lid here, a door there, etc) and put together the coupe I currently drive, and sold the rest (the last one 2 years ago). Couldn't believe how the prices kept climbing. With a partner and his newly found coupe, we began to buy any Willys cars we could afford, mostly sedans, some pickups, and about 4-5 of the early cars, and bought and sold until a couple of years ago. Similar to Waldon, we had as many as 15-20 at one time, parted them out, and helped many guys build their cars. Saw my first Aussie car at Abe Suderman's in the early '90's, and it was then that I became facinated with the different body styles available. I knew that they were built differently, but this clears up for me...why! Am currently building my first and only early car ('36 sedan) and learning more all the time.
I am probably getting too old to build another, but an early roadster would tempt me. Have a buddy close by who is doing a 35 roadster...neat!
Any ways thanks guys, and keep the pictures and info coming. I enjoy the "still learning" part.
g-willys

 

That Willys called Badsisters that was to be built by Mopar. Is that Bill that use to share the shop with Mike Gomez and the the 56 Chevy sedan delivery drag car named LA BAMBA? I had a shop right around the corner from them down the Canal area in the early 70's thru 78. Mopar taght me how to tig weld back then. He built a real neat Thames panel gasser I also remember.

 

A few from the Gasser Reunion.

 

Some More. It was a great event. Car count & spectator turnout a little low but the weather forecast wasn't good. I'm know Beaver Bob & Ernest will make it much bigger for next year.

 

Thanks for posting those shots. I've been patiently awaiting for someone to post pics from Beaver Springs. I haven't seen much yet anywhere on the web. The internet spoils us. We get used to instant results, and when we have to wait, it seems like forever. (lol)

 

My own 33 willys custom 1/25th scale started out as a 33 willys panel delivery!


By profleetline at 2011-01-20

By profleetline at 2011-01-20

 

Here's a rare family Willys for Father's Day - a 1933 Tourer....

 

that it very cool!

 

Sports coupe....

 

1936 Holden bodied Willys project....

 

Rare Aussie 1933 roadster body....

 

that yours?

 

Nope, but this is mine (posted earlier in this thread). I have owned this for a number of years....

 

New England Dragway pics 1966 , 1967

 

We Lost "Bob Chipper" R.I.P.


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=606709

 

It's been quiet here for a while - here's a US bodied 1936 sedan factory RHD from South Africa....

 

Factory RHD 1933 sedan. Like the 1933 Australian Willys whose chassis originated in the US, these RHD cars predated the 1934 Model 77 by being fitted with wire wheels from the North American Willys factories a year before they became standard on US domestic production....

 

Here's what appears to be another Willys anomaly. When first asked if this was a facvtory pickup I hesitatetd because of the steel rear roof section on the cab and the rounded corners of the rear window. But them I had photos of another one like this sent to me and I am beginning to believe that maybe the export models were slightly different. The roof line is correct for a factory pickup - common with the from of the panel van and different from the coupe and sedan. The bed does not appear to be original. Yet another Willys mystery?

 

And then I find another one with the same style cab some detail photos showing the structure of the interior - this one being hot rodded....

 

Finally for today a period shot taken in 1939 in Lusaka in the former Northern Rhodesia after a 1000 mile trip ....

 

Weasel,
Great Pics...I have been hoping for some sedan pictures...post more if you have them. Any hint as to the wiper set up that shows up in the pickup picture?
Neat grille in that other pickup...I had a billet one made up just like that, which I still have and it looks like a '33 grille in a 35-36 shell. There is a picture of it in one of the old West Coast club mags, or an old gasser gossip...I have them all...I'll take a look for it.
g-willys

 

Here is a '33 tourer I bought in 1979, from Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1979. It had been "uted" but came with a nice '33 roadster back half. I have owned over 700 old cars since 1957, and this is the only one I regret selling. I was broke, as usual!

 

Here is a factory ute I found in central Victoria, in the spring of 1977. It was showing 36K miles on it and had most of its original finish under all of the barn paint. I stopped at this guy's farm several times and was never able to find anyone home. Too bad as it would have been a neat piece. I heard later some guy named "Keith White" ended up with it.

 

The ute pictured above looks to have been fabricated from a Tourer or roadster. I have seen several that have been "uteified" probably during WW II due to rationing and commercails getting more fuel allowance. I sold my 1933 ute project last year which had correct bedsides....

 

I have seen that grille on other Willys - maybe an aftermarket replacement? Here it is on a 1936 sedan which looks like it is in Sweden judging by the license plates....