Anyone know anything about this 1940 Willys sports car?

I bought this thing because I just could not help it. It supposedly came from california in the 50s or 60s. It was in Oklahoma. I let the guy keep the small block installed in it and the wheels. It came with 40 ford 16's. It ran a flathead originally. Rikster????

 

I know I like it!!

 

Cool find! So was it ever painted and finished? What are you plans for it?

-Shiny

 

I have no idea what I am looking at, but I would be willing to bet that it is a custom one off car! Is it titled as a 40 Willys? Its really cool... great score!!

 

Cool!....................'Cept that milkcan velocity stack!

 

that thing is pretty sweet... plans for it?

 

That's bad@ss, I would drive it. Good luck on the rebuild, I would go for a nice aircraft look.

 

I am a Willys collector and dont have any history on it but I know it has been around. I have seen it change hands several times in the last 15 years. I also had a 1941 Willys sports car, they were home made. Popular Mechanics Magazine used to show how to build a sports car from sedans in the early 50's, it was very common just not too many were made from Willys. When the war was over the returning men wanted open sports cars and this was the cheap way to do it. PM me if you need more info or would like pictures of mine.

 

Very interesting. I hope you will post more detailed photos soon! I'd also like to know more about those Popular Mechanics articles, too. Have fun, Gary

 

I always thought the front of the Pontiac Solstices kind of looked like a '40 Willys grill and fenders without the hood. This car kind of takes the resemblance one step farther.

 

Hey Mike, here is your old girl as of yesterday.

 

This thread was posted last week. i think it is the same car and maybe there is some info of use in it for you.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=662794&highlight=split

 

I bought it without the SBC and tranny and milk jug. Also let the guy keep the wheels and it showed up with 16" steelies in it.. Yes ..
I will try to find history on it but if I cant find any it will be time to get out the little pages and start planning. I am going To try to use as many Willys parts as possible. Flathead and 3 speed. Any suggestions?

 

I'm pretty sure that you don't want to use the Willys engine and tranny if that is what you mean by flathead and 3 speed. A ford flatty might be pretty cool in it. I can't imagine that it is real heavy.

 

I meant Ford flathead

 

I guessed you did but this keeps this where someone who may know something can see it.

You are going to avoid the V-8 60? or you are contemplating it? it was used roundy round quite a bit maybe it would be a good choice if you had a good one.

 

I have some vintage Myers heads and a 2 deuce i may run but that would require an 8BA plus I have an 8BA block
But a V8-60 would be killer if I could find a cool one.

 

Mike,
The V-8 60 is WAY to small and underpowered to use, even in midget trim, IMHO. If not the 59B, how about going the early Cad or Hemi route... those were popular motors for 50's specials / sports rods like Kurtis, Allards, Cunningham. Gary

 

I'm diggin it!

 

Yea thats a good idea too.

 

A lot of cars got cut down and turned into "sports cars" in the late 40's and early 50's when the Jags and other European sports cars started showing up and weren't in the budget for the majority of the working class guys at the time. It was also just before the fiberglass bodys started being produced by a lot of different vendors.

I like your plans, honked up flathead V8, and three speed would fit what most guys would have put in one like that at the time. Put a more period correct grill in it and build a hood for it that has a low profile period correct scoop or bump to clear the carbs if needed. Make it look like it was ready to show up at a 1951 sports car event or race.

 

neat!

 

In addition to the PM articles of the day, I believe HMN featured "sport customs" as they are called, in their Special Interest Autos publication. I'll try to find the issue. Often, the original donor roof was used to fabricate the new rear deck section, which may be the case with yours.

 

Popular Mechanics and Popular Science are available to read on google books.
PM is here http://tinyurl.com/6r6mwqt
Scroll down and find an issue


Nick

 

I think I have a magazine either PM or PS or something that has this car in it. I haven't found it yet but I will keep looking through the library. I bet Rikster could tell us what book this car is in if its in one.

 

As a long time Willys collector I absolutely love this car. A Willys L134 with a Hickey aluminum head and Burns 2-1 intake, full flow oil filtration conversion with a T5 trans behind it would make a decent powertrain for this and keep it all Willys. Finished as an original custom with widened 16" Willys wheels and hubcaps this car would certainly turn heads. A supercharged Kaiser 6 or later Willys 6 would also keep it in the family and be throroughly HAMB compliant. Fitting a Ford flathead does not make it cool in my book and does not show out of the box thinking - just too damn 'me too' obvious and unimaginative....

 

I 'borrowed' these pix from a post by Rikster on another thread. This is an old Willys custom along the lines of what I am talking about....

 

This information courtesy of the Roett Collection:

George Duvall of windscreen fame had this Willys Hollywood Roadster drawn and planned to create it as a rolling advertisement for his DuVall cylinder head conversion for Willys and Jeep flathead 4 engines. It was to be based on a 1940 Willys with custom bodywork fitted and the L134 engine fitted with the Duvall overhead valve cross flow cylinder head conversion which included aluminium rocker cover, side plate and inlet manifold.



________ __________
Artificial Intelligence will never beat natural stupidity....

 

Is it using a stock Willy's frame? Could be worth more to restore another car or even for a Fiberglass car?

 

The Rikster old pix that Weasel posted sure looks similar to the car you now own; curves are real similar. Maybe the low fin trunk says it is not same as yours. Both beautiful for sure.
I swear I saw the Rikster car in a small salvage yard in Alamogordo, New Mexico about 20-25 years ago. Would say it was one of the "stops" the car has had in its moving around the country and owners. It was gray prime then and just about the same shape as Rik's pics. Wish I could find the yard print pic I took that day to add here.
The whole genre of "sport customs" are very cool sports cars that are the earliest interpretation of what that could mean before the Euro sports car started invading America.
Whatever you do, keep it authentic to an early '50s build period please.
AND CONGRATULATIONS on owning it.