Hot Rods 37-39 willys owners help please

Hi I have a 38 willys pickup which I will be building but will have lots of questions so I thought I'd start this thread so I could could come back to ask them as I need to no things

I want to no how the hood catch works I have the scripted handle on the hood and 2 other pieces but I have no idea how they mount to the front of the fenders or if I have right parts or if something is missing. Any help would great fully received

Thanks
Luke

 

Luke, I don't have one that I could show you, but it is a type of a hook and latch mechanism...I may have a couple parts that I could photograph and it might better explain...but it may take a day or two to locate them. You also could make a better latch system with a volkswagon type (The VW bug)
g-willys

 

Thanks for your reply g-willys I would appreciate a pic please but the Vw bug latch sounds like it could be a better solution only question I have is do you mean the front or the rear don't really no beetles that well
Thanks again
Luke

 

I belive it is on the front, but I'll check on that too. You still might want to use that Willys T handle to lift the hood.
That should also be able to be fabricated , as it originally bolted to the under side of the 37-38 hood..The VW hood latch can be activated by a cable that could go from the latch, along the inner fender panel to just underneath your dash. By the way the 37-38-and model 48 we pretty much identical, with few differences. One major difference...the 37 hood had 2 hinges to lift the hood (like today's cars.)...the other two years Model 38 & 48 have that center cowl piano hinge on the hood.

g-willys

 

3 from eBay that list as Super Beetle

 

I did some work on a Shark nose 39 for a guy and he brought me a repro assembly manual. That would be my first stop in finding out all of the items on your project.

 

Luke,
I have some pictures for you ...they show sort of what a '38 latch hook up looks like (anthough I couldn't find the part that is from an actual Willys.)..what you see is too big, but the Willys T handle does hook together like it shows. Also shown is the VW latch assembly (minus a couple parts, but the other pictures show how I mounted one on my '39 coupe...has worked great for 20 years, and I am sure you could adapt it to the '38 hood and front fender assembly

 

Rfraze thanks for the pics

Southcross2631 I bought a parts list as I'm used to 40s military ford parts lists that have exploded diagrams of everything in them but the willys one is useless it's literally a list of numbers with a very poor description and cost me a fortune to buy and have shipped to me in the uk. I will be keeping my eyes pealed for a shop manual though

G-willys thank you very much those pics give me everything I need to no now. The willys latch is pretty useless isn't it I didn't realise it was just a hook. I have a few things to play with now and where you have your secondary latch I may try and make something up to use the willys t bar to open that.

Right next question what fuel tanks are 37-41 willys truck owners using ? I don't have anything at all just the 2 angle cross members in the chassis. I'd like to use something that's off the shelf and stock looking not really into aluminium.
Thanks
Luke

 

Luke...that will be a quick answer... The 41-48 ford gas tank from 'TANKS', is almost a drop in, and holds 16 plus gallons. I have put in 2 or 3 of the poly tanks, and they hold up well, but you need a bit more tail pipe clearance.
Tanks... has a steel tank now, for the 41-48 ford as well, for a bit more$. It looks like it might even fit a bit easier.
Next question...lol... p.s. Willys had the fill on the passenger side, but it can work on either side by rotating the tank
g-willys There is one in the truck pictured below, even fit with a shortened box Ran across some better pictures of how I did my hood latch ...will send later

 

Your hood is a bit differen't shape than the '39, but you should be able to make something that will fit.
I built in a bit of room for tweaking any adjustment...hardest part was sitting in an empt engine compartment, and having my wife open and close the hood to get the correct angle for the spring loaded PIN to hit the latch at the correct angle...good luck g-willys

 

Thanks again g-willys your a wealth of knowledge . Mine isn't even out of the starting block it's a fairly big project been molested in the past was sat on a s10 chassis when it came to the uk so had a lot of metal removed with a plasma cutter now on an original frame. I have a lot of work but hoping to get all the parts together and the knowledge before I get started
Here's a pic from when I collected it a few months back


Luke

 

cool project, I recently picked up a '40, I need to find a front end for it though.

 

I have a stock 37 if you still want hood latch shots. They work well and are very secure. JW

 

26 T Ford RPU
Post them so he can see an actual one. I ran one on a '38 sedan , and didn't hae a problem either, but I know some guys have...and if you don't have a very good one, it is tough to find parts. Sometimes the spring can be a problem I know that the '39 one had som problems, and I didnt have one for my '39 so I put in the VW...no problems in 40 K miles. I think the Willys that are in your country survived better than the ones over here...lots of salt used on the roads over here. g-willys

 

Luke, Looks like a decent start to your project...sheet metal looks decent, as does the cab and doors. Rear fender on this side looks great, and you have most of the panels below the box. Truck will look more like a truck with running boards...you can make some decent ones, but the stock ones on the pickup had a diamond raised surface, and those are very hard to find. What is that on the fender that extends out from the head light pod?
g-willys

 

Just noticed it has 5 stud wheels, looks to maybe have been upgraded at some point.
My 37 is not at home at present but will get those latch pics before Xmas. JW

 

26t ford rpu
Hi thanks for your reply pics would be good if you could please
It has been played with it's got a stock willys front axle with ford spindles and gm hubs and brakes and has speedway gasser springs
The front looks to be stock height in that pic as the front cab mounts have been cut off and the floor has sagged over the chassis and all the inner fenders have been cut out for when a previous owner fitted the cab and box to a s10 chassis
Rear is a ford 9" hence the 5stud

Old relics
Thanks I think so looking forward to getting stuck in although I'm having the chassis and cab floor done for me as that's not my strong point but the body work is. 40 front aren't easy to find in steel from what I can see especially over here as we never had them

G-willys

The things sticking out from the headlight pods is a previous owners attempt at fitting a 7" headlight and its an awefull job the other side doesn't look as bad as it's loaded with bondo

I have the 2 tail sections for below the box these are original ones but have repro ones for the front that bolt to the running boards. I also have a good pair of running boards which require a small amount of work. The cab is very good floor needs replacing along with firewall as it's been chopped and there's some work to do on the dash as that's been cut about but what's there is very good and I've now got the cab mounted where it should be and I've sourced a pair of good inner fenders. Drivers door is need perfect for 79 years old and the passengers door needs the bottom repairing but only the flat piece underneath

It originally came from the us in 2013 from Oregon

Luke

 

Luke,
One good thing about the 37-38 ... it is easier to get decent headlights because the originals were round...no other later Willys were that way, and I think the headlights are an important part of the Willys look. The '39 shark nose, and 40-42 teardrop are hard to get good headlights, because to use the original lenses you get a double prism effect and not a good beam by today's standards if you use original glass. My head lights on my cars are bright, but the light goes everywhere, and not very far down the road (easy to over drive your headlights at night.)You will be able to find decent ones for the 37-38 when the time comes. g-willys
P.S. Be glad to answer any other questions as they come up...bought my first Willys ('40 coupe) in 1960 !
Luke where are you locate?

 

I am in Oxford England.
I think I'm going to use mini headlights as being a British car there available here you can buy a new pair with gaskets and bowls for the equivalent of $40 and they have the correct beam angle for our rhd roads and halogen rather than sealed beam. I'm 32 and this is my first pre war vehicle I have a 1940 and 1943 Canadian build military fords that have 239 mercury flathead v8s and me and my dad have a 42 willys mb jeep and a 43 ford gpw. I've been bought up with diamond Ts gmc 6x6 dodges and chevrolet military stuff so I've done restoration work I started spraying when I was 9 but not done much in the way of custom work. I've also had a fair few modified vws the later water cooled stuff rabbits and so on. Over here willys are pretty scarce I only no of 3 37-39 steel trucks and 1 steel sedan and there's a fair few 40/41 coupes but how many of them are steel I don't no I have never seen a 39 in the flesh
Appreciate your help and thanks again

 

Luke, you could contact 39WILLZ here on the HAMB, he (Wayne) has steel Willys and is in Reading England. JW

 

Good luck with the build look forward to seeing the finished truck on the street 39WILLZ (Wayne) lives in France.

 

Ok, still says England on his profile. JW

 

He does live in France now yes I no wayne already bought a few parts from him. Wayne's coupe is a 37 with a 39 nose I believe but not seen it in the flesh.
Luke

 

Talking head lights on a 37-38 (and 39 model 48), this is my 37 and has had the lights changed back in the 60's. They are English 5 3/4 units I believe. I think they blend well. JW

 

5 & 3/4" headlights are smaller than stock willys opening, but they do look much better than a 7" headlight fitted into the fender pod. With the round headlight, you can find headlight reflectors with a clear lense, and get a much better beam for night driving Stock 37-38 headlite set up. g-willys

 

Got the photos of my hood latch but having trouble loading them, will try later. JW

 

5 3/4 headlights are available but most are from twin light cars like triumph stags and they don't have a separate bezel/trim ring and are either dip or main beam not both. I do have some lights that came with the truck but not sure what there from and may use those but the glass has the wrong beam angle. I've been looking at 6" motor bike headlights but not sure if these can be used although I can't see why not apart from mounting them and there cheap
Luke

 

I have no idea what the bezels and buckets are off on mine, wish I did. Triumph 2500 TC's use 5 3/4 with both beams and are readily available. Still trying to load those latch shot for you. JW

 

Ok got it sorted. JW

 

Looing straight down on the latch bar attached to the front two fender bolts. JW