~~~ Why are Willys used for most of the old gassers?? ~~~

they suited the gas class rules of the day, 58 to 60 and because of their small size, lightwieght and short wheelbase which aided the weight transfer, but the most important reason is that foreign cars were not eligible for gas class racing. the willys was the only american manufactured car to meet these requirements.
foreign cars like anglias and austins were not eligible untill 62 or 63 when they relaxed the wheelbase rules.

 

yes, you make a mold off the car, and then the parts come out the same demension, not bigger as posted, though they could sure wind thicker to the inside.

race thickness parts are much lighter in glass than steel.

as to why they were used, id have to say they did the job and were cheap. basic hyundai of the day. ive heard accounts of 20 dollar willys back in the late 60s.


skull

 

When the Willys were box stock they weighed in around 2000 lbs. Where the other American cars were around 800 lbs more. By the time you installed the modern drive train and beefed up the chassis, bigger wheels and tires and roll bars etc in a Willys, they were still less than the weight of a stock Ford. Did I mention the Willys looked bitchin?

 

I don't know about the history and all that, but I will agree Willys cars are cool.

Maybe I'm predisposed to liking them though.....

 

Here's a pic a buddy of mine sent me......

 

Sombody post a pic of an stock one, My 47 year old buddy has loved the 41 Willys gasser for years-had never seen an original one until a year ago-couldn`t believe his eyes when he saw it. He almost didn`t recognize it.Tthey come stock with 4-cylinders in them.They even had a model called Speedway-They also had a regional model called the Californian-

 

The popularity of the Willys makes me happy. Between dirt track racers and moonshine runners, plenty of 40 Ford Coupes were totaled. Just makes mine more valuable and they are getting harder to find these days

 

Here is a stock 41.

 

Thank you.

 

Part of it too was they were cheap, initial price was less and at them time they did not hold their value as much as the "bigger name" brands ... not so much now !!!

 

Here's another stocker! DD

 

I never remember them being cheap.In 62, it was about $800 for a good roller. They had a high center of gravity;this aided weight transfer.They were light weight.Their wheel base was just right for running a supercharger. Then the after market people entered the scene with fiberglass front caps, doors etc.This intensified the demand.
In the early sixties we ran a 33.The previous owner had won the nationals with it in 62.It weighed one ton.The hood,doors,running boards etc were glass.Windows were plexiglass. I don'tthing the 33-36's were real aerodynamic but the all looked bitchin'. don't ever remember seeing one as a street rod.

 

Very informative thread, I always wondered why folks used Willy's and Henry J's, never knew they were that much lighter than say a similar year Ford or Chevy.

 

As much as I love Willys gassers, I've been waiting to see a Willys Kustom. Like a tail dragger/ lead sled, whatever. I think they've got great lines that would work great for that type of styling. Is it just me? Am I bein blasphemous? think about it... Chopped about 3-4 inches, flush fit skirts, molded/filled fenders, frenched headlights/tail lights/ liscense plate, nose/deck, ass draggin stance... Maybe it's just me? Oh well.