Features 1937 to 1942 Willys Picture Thread

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Weasel:
Fine 1939 Overland - note the '39 Overland sedan only tail lights. These are impossible to find....

I had a set on my shelves for years, glass was excellent, bezels were savable, but not great. Offered them to a guy locally for a 39 he was building that had the lower tail lights. His wife did not like them, so I got them back, and sold them last fall to some one else, and you are right, he had been looking for a while. I got them off of a '39 sedan that I robbed the front fenders for my coupe.
g-willys

 

CC Rider ! A neat car from the past...a couple of feature stories in Rod Magazines.
G-willys

 

Swc

 

More SWC

 

[Re: 1937 to 1942 Willys Picture Thread...From Start to Finish...for many of these cars!!!
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Originally out of Eau Claire Wisconsin...note the slight chop

 

G-Willys, I take it that's a before and after. Pretty cool. In about '67 I found Graham in similar condition at an abandoned house. My Dad just couldn't understand why I wanted it. By the time I convinced him to go look at it with me it was gone, always wondered where.

 

Wayne Arteaga is no longer with us but if you ever met him consider yourself lucky. You couldn't hope to meet a nicer guy! He was Willys crazy even before most of us were born.

Here is his 38 sedan the day he drug it home in 1960. It was orange and black.



Here is the blown Olds' he stuffed in it....



Here it is racing in B/Altered class with 25% engine setback and hammertone blue paint.....



Next came this 39 coupe gasser with Olds' power....









Coupe evolved with 'glass '41 nose and blown Chrysler power...







In the 80's it evolved back to the street with Pinto power...

 

Kev:

that Willys in the last photo is just gorgeous. Thanks for the photos

 

noboD
G-Willys, I take it that's a before and after. Pretty cool. In about '67 I found Graham in similar condition at an abandoned house. My Dad just couldn't understand why I wanted it. By the time I convinced him to go look at it with me it was gone, always wondered where.
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Sorry to say the two ('39's) are not related, but it gives you an idea of many of the before and afters of recent years, when cars we walked right by years ago, are all that is left now! People are doing fantastic work to bring these cars to life again. My present coupe is great before and after, but I'll have to get some of the before pictures scanned to go with the after pictures I have. I'll work on it. There are several great examples of before and after, so if anyone has them...please post. Most of the original gassers we see here, were pretty decent cars when they were turned into race cars...my original coupe was a daily driver in 1960 before we tore into it. The more recent ones however, we in many cases, very rough, and some of those metal magicians out there performed what I call miracles, to get these cars to look so beautiful.
g-willys

 

Kiwi Kev,
You are right on, as Wayne Arteaga was a gem of a guy. I met him around 1990, and he gave me some advise on '39 Willys hoods, as one he had on his pickup came loose and wrapped around to put a good sized dent in the roof of his pickup. He said to figure out a latch that won't come loose, so I did...so far! By the way, if you have a picture of his rear engine wheel standing pickup...post it. Saw it at Indy in the early 90's...quite a thrill...with that Toronado front wheel drive put in the rear of that truck. I know you probably have a ton more pictures to post, and without a scanner, I am running out...so keep it up!
G-willys

 

A couple more of Wayne's coupe.....





Wayne built this 40 pickup with 39 front end and Olds' Toronado engine and trans axle out back....





His 42 truck (winter driver) with 39 front end. Buick V6 power. Bright colors make for safer winter driving.









Wayne and Berni's daughter Chris is a Willys diehard also....

 

Before and after....

 

Here's another great photo by Dave Davis. This is Paul Bath's car at Columbus. It was his favorite picture of the car. Paul was another one of those great guys that we had recently met and lost too soon. We hear this car may be for sale in the spring.

 

Heres a few pics of my pickup at the Wolrd Gasser Championships 1994 at Bandimere Speedway also Bob Beazers Tin Indian, and Vic Youngs Bad News.
Grasso coupe at Scribner in the early 1980s{thanks vicki Hennings for those pics}

 

Wow Dave Have not been on your thread it has grown I did not know that Waynes Willys had Delta parts on it ya learn something new everyday

Trouble

( Looking for Delta parts )

 

Nice pictures. Love the paint job on that coupe

 

I think this picture captures the kid in all of us...

 

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Car Is totally bitchin looking kevin.great job on adding the trim back on the car they look more like glass If they dont have the trim.

 

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Wonder Why Arteaga made the Willys stock again with a 4 banger? I remember an article in either Car Craft or Hot Rod about his wicked freakin Olds pwd rear engined Willys truck yeeears ago.

 

Dave McCauley,
A question I don't have the answer to...do you think the Aussie cars put that opera window in ahead of Willys Motors? Did the 41-42 models include it because the Aussie successfully introduced it through their body co. modifications? Photo's show it in place(in Austrailia) before the 41 models ever existed. Same question with the Hump Trunk?
G-willys

 

I cannot honestly answer that question, maybe Weasel can. What I can say is that if you have ever driven a coupe or pre 41 sedan they have a very big blind spot, this extra window in the sedans cured this issue. I don't like the look of the extra window.

 

Dave,
Yes, the coupe wouldn't look right with a window there. Split rear doesn't help the sight either. Those of us who love 'em, will adapt and be more cautious. Have close to 50 K behind the wheel of my 2 coupes, and have had an experience or two(+)with not seeing what is along side of me! Best sight lines were in my '41 pickup...look over your shoulder and you could see most everything. I could get used to an early roadster, or a well done 37-41 convert! By default, the same question goes to Weasel!
G-willys

 

The blind spot the coupes have is a real problem when you have a chopped top. The rear windows are practically useless. With the exception of making your run down the track, it is hard to do anything without having an extra set of eyes. That's the first thing I had to explain to anyone who was helping me at the track or anywhere else for that matter. Still before I would race any other car I would just quit first.

 

Dave this 40 sedan is Vinnie Tarentola (Vitar Hydros) he rented space from Jack Merkel in Ridgewood Queens NY. This car at the time had a blown nailhead buick before he switched to a SBC. Held the C/GS record for a while. The car was sold and up to 30 years ago was a street rod owned by Lou DiDonato of LI. Vinnie is no longer with us but is remembered by many in the NE as an inovator with transmissions and an excellent head man. I just bought one of his Hydros this weekend thats what was in my MG when it last raced. Thanks for posting the picture there are not many pictures around.

Pat

 

Far be it from me to second guess influences on Willys designs, but remember Willys 1933-36 coupes were five window - the only exceptions being in Australia where conversely the coupes were 3 window - Sport coupe from 1933 thru 1935 and then hardtop coupe in 1936. See the 1933-36 Willys picture thread for photos I have posted. T.J. Richards (TJR) in South Australia built both a 5 window coupe and a 5 window ute in 1937 (as well as a roadster and a phaeton - Tourer). The coupe and roadster both were rumbleseat cars.

As for the blind spot on the 1937-42 US coupes, the problem is compounded by messing with the firewall. Once you move that back and remove the rear parcel shelf, the drivers head sits right in the blind panel area, which is why I have just reinstated a stock firewall in my '40 coupe and the seating is almost in the stock position. Now I have a wonderfully comfortable seating position and better than most Willys coupe sideways visibility, plus I can stretch my legs out. The car is unbelievably ergonomic - for a Willys coupe that is and yet I still have room for a badass engine without having to cut any holes in the hood.

I posted these TJR 5 window coupe photos earlier in this now an amazing 53 wonderful pages thread, but to save you having to search for it here it is again: