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History Earliest Willys Racecars

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by elgringo71, Jul 2, 2016.

  1. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
    Member

    Digging back through this thread this is one posted above but it wasn’t identified before

     
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  2. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
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  3. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
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  4. Larry T
    Joined: Nov 24, 2004
    Posts: 7,875

    Larry T
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    Wayne Calvert worked for George Gilmore before he started Calvert Precision Engines.
     
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  5. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
    Member

    That’s good information to know about Wayne Calvert and George Gilmore. That’s one of the earliest Willys race cars that I have seen documentation of.
     
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  6. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
    Member

    A friend sent me these.

    6B1DC461-F161-4929-8A1B-B71BAC14F460.jpeg 2590BF85-3A8A-4814-A369-6F0B4066C0B7.jpeg
     
  7. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
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    Woody Parker and the Little Lemon

    C0A2A849-2BFB-4365-BA01-81734B1FA085.jpeg
    5FA1C2C3-250D-4660-AC4F-0A5551F8368A.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2019
  8. 296ardun
    Joined: Feb 11, 2009
    Posts: 4,673

    296ardun
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  9. 296ardun
    Joined: Feb 11, 2009
    Posts: 4,673

    296ardun
    Member

    benhan wooden.jpg
    This was posted earlier but without an identity. It may be the earliest hot rod Willys, built in '53 and featured in HRM March '54. Ron Benham and Earl Wooden built the car for the lakes and Bonneville, equipping it with a flathead. 30 years later they would partner again with a Crosley sedan, which Ron's son Norm took over. Ron headed the muffler shop at Blair's Speed Shop for years, and was a very good fabricator. I learned a lot from him when I worked there in the early '60s. He passed away a few years ago.
     
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  10. Ron was also the R&D fabricator at Ak Miller's turbo shop before he retired. Ronnie was a good guy.
     
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  11. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
    Member

    Thanks for the help and information @296ardun and @Dean Lowe All this was before my time so I am at a disadvantage. I definitely appreciate getting facts and stories from those that were there. The Benham and Wooden Willys built in 1953 is the earliest one that I have seen documentation for and probably the Earliest that we will find.
     
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  12. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
    Member

    These two were pretty early to from what I could find but later than that one. I stopped posting on this thread because I haven’t run across any new information or pictures of early cars.


     
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  13. So you're Mr. David Sorenson and Admin for the FB group Pre-'55 Period Correct Hot Rods...

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/630364006976008/

    It's a pleasure for me to be a member of the group ... My name is Leandro Melchiorre, I have some photos published about the group ... Maybe some without the relevant information, but I hope some refresh the visual memory of the members and bringing us some comments.

    Sent from my Mi A1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  14. 296ardun
    Joined: Feb 11, 2009
    Posts: 4,673

    296ardun
    Member

    I am, and you are one of the contributors, and we appreciate them...
     
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  15. bschwoeble
    Joined: Oct 20, 2008
    Posts: 1,015

    bschwoeble
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    I think that is Safeway Sandblasting.
     
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  16. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
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    @bschwoeble You are correct. I edited the original post. Thanks for your help
     
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  17. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
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    Here is another picture of The Safeway Sandblasting Willys and the Ardun after it was put in a dragster. Joe Airoso (The Airoso Brothers) was asked to drive the Coupe at one point but he said he was busy enough driving and wrenching on his own Willys Coupe.

    70E12CB8-DEBB-412D-A3C8-C431284A11E6.jpeg 2E45F770-EF22-43D8-93C0-0190F930674D.jpeg
     
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  18. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
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  19. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki



    Hey EG,
    In reading about the Safeway Sandblasting Willys on the Westcoast, something kept nagging at the back of the old brain. Even looking at the red Willys that said Safeway Sandblasting and is known to be driven by Bones Balogh, I still keep thinking there is some earlier history of that Willys Coupe.

    When my brother and I were sitting in the stands or walking around the pits, there was this 40-41 white, Willys coupe that was listed as C/Gas. The lettering on the door was Safeway Sandblasting or something of that nature.

    Doug Cook vs white 41 Willys Coupe C/Gas

    Jnaki
    Could you ask Joe Arioso if the one he was going to drive was a white version of the Safeway Sandblasting Willys?

    upload_2019-6-24_9-25-30.png


    11.920 116.12 Bones Balough Safeway Sandblasting 273 Ardun 41 Willys 18 CGS Long Beach CA Chuck Jones Long Beach CA Chuck Jones
     
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2019
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  20. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
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    @jnaki yes I will ask him and post here if there are any updates. This could have an interesting twist. I am pretty sure that Joe said that they asked him to drive it before Bones started driving it.
     
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  21. Speed Gems
    Joined: Jul 17, 2012
    Posts: 6,433

    Speed Gems
    Member

    If I recall Doug Cook started off driving the red car.
     
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  22. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki




    Hey EG,
    Bone Balogh is a drag racer to the core. He could and did drive most anything that was at Lions back in those days. In the early 60s, he had his Chevy sedan with a 671 SBC, one of the earliest 671 set ups on a small block Chevy. His talents are second to none. Working at Isky and having tons of contacts in the drag racing world is very helpful. But, as we all know his history in drag racing, it stands out as a being a pure drag racer and nice guy.

    Jnaki
    I sort of remember him driving a stock looking Corvette in the early days at Lions, before that Tahitian red modified Corvette we all love. So, anything is possible in those early drag racing days.
     
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  23. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member

  24. elgringo71
    Joined: Oct 2, 2010
    Posts: 3,823

    elgringo71
    Member

    @loudbang that Pickup definitely looks early and the cars in the background are pretty old too. I wish that I knew more about it. Look at the homemade hood scoop and the way that they cut the louvers out of the hood and replaced them with mesh. I bet that it was done to keep it cool. Those models have trouble getting enough air flow to stay cool.
     
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  25. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member

    And the old style hardwall piecrust slicks :) @elgringo71
     
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  26. ttwomotor
    Joined: Jul 26, 2012
    Posts: 727

    ttwomotor
    Member
    from Illinois

    Cor-35.jpg Hope not a repost - this was at Cordova.
     
  27. ttwomotor
    Joined: Jul 26, 2012
    Posts: 727

    ttwomotor
    Member
    from Illinois

  28. ttwomotor
    Joined: Jul 26, 2012
    Posts: 727

    ttwomotor
    Member
    from Illinois

  29. 427 sleeper
    Joined: Mar 8, 2017
    Posts: 2,872

    427 sleeper
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    @ttwomotor, thank you for posting the location of where that photo was taken. That was my dad's car at one time (after Elliott and Snow) and we couldn't put a finger on the track. He said that it looked like Cordova, but wasn't positive, I guess after 55 years, the details get a little fuzzy! LOL!
    Again, thank you!


    P.S. Would you happen to know whatever happened to this car? It's where-abouts, or if it even still exists? I've been searching for it lately and have come up with some good info and stories about dad's Willys, but never a definite answer if it's still around. If it is still around, I'd love to get it back to him, somehow. He said that it's the only car he regrets selling. Any info is appreciated. Thanks, Jedd
     
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  30. ttwomotor
    Joined: Jul 26, 2012
    Posts: 727

    ttwomotor
    Member
    from Illinois

    Wish I could be of more help but don't have any more info - there are a couple of other good pictures floating around the Internet of the car. - this one was taken by my neighbor, many years ago. Hope you can track the car down or find out one way or the other.
     
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