Projects 1938/41 Willys build shots

More Willys info:
The wheelbases changed over the years, 37 to 42.
They got longer...
With mine being a 38 with a 41 front clip I had to extend the front axle a few inches
to correctly fit in the wheel-well.

 

Enjoying the car.
Was over our friend Mike's yesterday to check out his new paint job on his 48 Ford,
his brother Bruno stopped by in his 30 coupe so we spent the whole day bench racing
and telling lies.
Got home in time to see Mike Salinas's first Top Fuel win,
Mike

 

I believe it went from 100" to 104"...please correct me if I'm wrong,
Mick

 

Anybody else have these jackets?
Mid America Willys Club

 

YES...g-willys

 

I KNEW we had something in common!

 

"Parts is parts"
These are from my friend's brother's 33 Willys coupe...

 

My buddy Bill B. has three cars, a 55 Chevy, an Anglia [Thames] and a Nova.
I may have shown these already, don't know,
Mick

 

A few repeats, sorry...

 

I'm through shopping for parts, finally!
This was at the 2007 California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, Ca.
Mick

 

"Easy adjustment for the track."
The idea was to be able to make a rear suspension adjustment at the track by
[having a hole in the flooring sheet metal] reaching over and being able to use
a 1/2" drive ratchet and raise the passenger side of car for the launch.
Can you spot the two bolts above the front of the leaf springs?

 

With the Ladder bars holding rear in place do the spring shackles ever move or do anything? Wonder if needed. Guess not understand rear suspension setup. Yes do see bolts at end of springs. Love your posts

 

Hey Mike, the shackles do move a bit but not enough to allow the tires to hit fender radius.
The quarter elliptic springs help keep the rear end centered.
To tell you the truth, the car rides like an old truck, and that's giving old trucks a bad name.
I knew this going into this suspension, was going to run it in C/G but after all that chasing around
of parts I don't care to race it.
Glad you enjoy the posts, more coming up,
Mick

 

Getting some use out of the car.
A group of friends came here to the house yesterday to go on a burger run.
Other cars met us there.
Another fun day,
Mick

 

Small improvements make a big difference, like this pedestal...sure makes it easier to shift.
No more reaching down, easy installation,various heights.

 

Trial and error.
Bought a headliner from Headliner Mart [not bad].
Had it installed, they did a terrible job so I removed it.
I'll try a round two again one of these days.
Note side view mirror, will elaborate in next post,
Mick

 

Side view mirrors: desperate to have mirrors and not ruin the new paint, I needed something
as a temporary fix. While at Home Depot I spotted some spring loaded door stops.
Bent some round stock to attach them to the cage, threaded them, it worked.
I could fold them in to close the windows, back out when in use.
It worked until my buddies teased me enough to replace 'em, which I did.

 

My buddy Ken followed me to a body shop in Antioch yesterday to have all new SS trim
installed on his steel 40 along with a few other small jobs,
Mick

 

Two Willys following me, did I already post this? Hope not,
Mick

 

To elaborate a bit more:
The center strut unit acts like a pinion snubber to limit the rotation of the axle under load.
It's slotted to allow up and down travel but rigid in the direction of rotational.
The Delrin is a hard plastic and is self lubricating to allow the sliding without squeaks or rattles.

When you get on it the housing torques over and pins against the slot creating a solid mount.
The other solid mounts are the ladder bars so the housing is supported in three places and is solid
under acceleration.
The springs do nothing but hold the car up so the shackles do very little,
Mick

 

HAPPY EASTER,
Mick

 

Running Strange Engineering 35 spline axles, no problems with them...

 

http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/members/NL_Blog/NL_Blog_All_2017-09-06_All_1.html

 

The late Wayne Baker's Willys pickup, before and after shots.
Hope this isn't a repeat, probably ones that I had deleted,
Mick

 

What a shame, been buying parts there since the early 1960s!
https://everythingsouthcity.com/201...hop-closes-march-30th-having-lost-their-lease

 

More on Gotelli's Speed Shop.
My parents bought me two chrome air cleaners from Gotelli's for my 16th birthday
in 1963, that's me in the middle.
That was beginning of many, many purchases there.
Later in 1966 I bought a 365 hp 327 short block there in 1966 for $250
for my Dad's 57 Chevy.
End of an era,
Mick

 

Cool, pictures Mick. 4 speed in that 57?

 

No, Powerglide but that was the plan!
Unfortunately Uncle Sam snatched me up and Pop sold the car when I left.

 

Our friend Ken came over yesterday, he just had all new SS trim installed on his 41 [40] steel Willys coupe. Nice improvement, new ss trim also at the lower portion of the car surrounding the exhaust.
Mick