The stock Willys bolt pattern, 4 on 4.5" is the same as Datsun Z. The picture shows my old Aero, with Datsun wheels. The other picture is of the modified front suspension parts. Control arms shortened 2", spindle moved up on the upright about 3". Bob
Guys thanks for the compliments. bob3757 I boxed the A frames but kept the stock spindle height. I reversed the trunions and swapped the spindles from side to side so I could go to front steer as I needed room for the Olds. Still has the Willys 4 bolt wheels on the front, 5 bolts in the back as the rear is from an Olds.
Your car still has the clutch pedal, but is it a stick or auto. If it is an auto, then perhaps a slant pan hydro? BTW: I have a 53 Aero Eagle, and it is totally stock with overdrive stick. But I have a 55 Willys 226 Lhead with hydro bolted to it. Some day it will go into the Aero Eagle, and perhaps a Mac blower from a 54 Kaiser Manhattan.
It is a stick. I have a Ram H.D. hydraulic throwout bearing operating the clutch, so far so good. I wanted to run a hydro behind the Olds but my son; who doesn't understand how cool the old hydros were, insisted we put a stick in it. Your 226 with the hydro and supercharger will probably weigh about the same as my Olds with the stick but will sure be one hell of a lot easier to install. Good luck with your project.
Willys Aero's are way cool. Back in the day a fiend of mine had a stock bodied Aero with a 283 three speed. They were cool then are are cool now.
Love the car.. Also have a 52 Aero Eagle, been getting parts together for the upcoming build. If you want to change the front wheel bolt pattern, a good friend of mine (who is an AMC nut) lent me a set of hubs to try. All AMCs had bolt on spindles - just like the Willys Aero had. Have not had the chance, but quick measurements look like the later (70's) AMC spindle is same bolt pattern and have the 5x4.5" wheel pattern, plus they are disc brake. If you have any access to AMCs in your area to check out for fitment, might be a quick & easy swap.. Just my 2cnts.. Hope it helps. Dave
Also have a 52 Aero Eagle, been getting parts together for the upcoming build. If you want to change the front wheel bolt pattern, a good friend of mine (who is an AMC nut) lent me a set of hubs to try. All AMCs had bolt on spindles - just like the Willys Aero had. Have not had the chance, but quick measurements look like the later (70's) AMC spindle is same bolt pattern and have the 5x4.5" wheel pattern, plus they are disc brake. If you have any access to AMCs in your area to check out for fitment, might be a quick & easy swap.. Just my 2cnts.. Hope it helps. Dave[/QUOTE] Thanks for the info Dave. I have also heard that Henry J 5 bolt spindles work though I have not seen one in person so I don't know for sure. As you know the Willys spindles are about the size of a small utility trailer spindle; like every other suspension component on the car not to beefy. I'm running GM 9 1/2 drums on the front. I made backing plates by cutting up the stock ones where they mounted and attached this piece to the stock GM plates which I cut the center out of. I know an AMC guy so I will have to take a spindle over to his place one of these days and compare.
yep...the suspension,brakes, etc. are all pretty light duty (at least by today's standards!) pieces. The one exception might be the original rear end (ring and pinion anyways), as it is a Dana 44 - pretty standard equipment for most manufactures of the time. The axles themself....well.... not too strong! But it sounds like you have gone a different direction anyways. Hope to see more progress soon!...... Let us all know what you find out on the spindle to "upright" bolt pattern. More pics!!.... if available.. Dave
This car is owned by a friend of mine who lives about 5 blocks from me. I also have a 52 that I saw come through the AW in 1966 with a 322 Buick and on a straight axle, flat black paint. I bought the car about 10 years ago and did a prostock frame and re-unibodied it to the frame. We installed a mustang 2 front end and we installed a 350-350. Unfortunately my brother looked at it and said it just wouldn't do; that the car deserved so much more. He has a 392 Hemi in his 1953 Nash Wagon so I went out and bought a 392 hemi; the car sits this way today and down the road I will get back to it. I'm in the middle of two restorations right now so this is taking a back seat. I hope these pictures show up.
this is a nice project. sorry if this has been repeated, but is this project finished? would love to know whar happened with it. Ken
Liked these cars ever since I saw the first one when I was kid in the early 60's. I used to deliver the paper to a house near where one was parked, don't know the details other than remembering it did have "cheater' slicks on it.
The Jalopy Journal
