History Earliest Willys Racecars

The #445 version was from 1963. Al Tschida made it all the way to the C/Gas Class Final Round. Finished as runner-up to the Filthy Forty of Charlie Hill (Pork Zartman driver).

 

Oldracer, thanks for filling in the dates on the Al Tschida Willys.

 

Hey, anyone know the date on the Pomona winners circle ....D/G ?

 

Here is another picture of Al's 531. I took this photo at Minnesota Dragway in 1964

 

Nice picture delray57 do you remember ant racing stories of the the Al Tschida Willys or any other Willys racecars during those days

 

Although he didn't race it very long, I'm partial to this Al Tschida WILLYS Coupe. He called the color Candy Apricot.
Of course I'm a little biased.

 

I heard al didn't like the '33 much.....love to see some photos of it in action

 

I recall one story about Al. We were young inexperienced drag racers who had put together a 55 Chevy gasser ( shown in my avatar). We did not know we needed a crash helmet after pulling the car 150 miles to race at Minnesota Dragway. My buddy somehow related our plight to Al. Al offered his helmet to us and we used it. He said he didn't need it because with the tinted windows and with the far back position of the seat the track people couldn't tell if he had a helmet or not.

 

So.....I don't wanna be devils advocate....but 445 car pic has a 64 1/2 mustang in the corner... I'm guessing al didn't get assigned 531 til fall '64..... Researching to restore 531 coupe....trying to find out when he ran 331#

 

My photo of the 531 car at MN Dragways has a September 1964 date on it which would have been when the film was developed. I'm thinking that the race was late summer of 64. Tell us more about the restoration of #531. I always loved watching Al going through the gears.

 

Still in what we call the research & development stage on Al's Indy winning coupe. My uncle Moonie bought the car in the 70's, got it going and drove it on the street. The coupe was red by now, and all the cops were gunning to pull over moonie in that 'lil red coupe since he had been seen terrorizing the streets...so instead of getting her impounded, moonie went home and disassembled her. Moonie sanded her down to the 58 Burma green and had Al verify that it was his old coupe. Al was so cool, moonie offered the coupe to Al for what he had in her, being moonie had a bone stock '38 he had planned on making into a gasser like Al's legendary coupe. But Al said he wasn't into drag racing and declined, but gave moonie a pile of old b/w photos of the car. the coupe is still on the back burner, moonie is building the bone stocker into a gasser now, and coming along nicely.

 

Anyone else find this funny?

Look forward to updates on Tschida's old gasser.

 

Doctor Satan, Thanks for the information on the restoration of Al's car. Keep us posted. I think it's miraculous that both of his coupes have survived after all of these years. I am sure you know that his second coupe was shown in apparently very good unrestored condition at Bowling Green a few weeks ago. I had heard that the first car was in Minnesota. Is that where your uncle is located?

 

Yes, the second coupe is johnnie Z's...he is in Minnesota also.....man he can chop cars, good friend of mine

 

Any more photos of Tschida's cars.....?.....ive only seen the one of the '33, Al campaigned a '55 post, and I think a hardtop '55 as well....

 

Can you post any pictures of Al Tschida's Willys coupe owned by your Uncle Moonie as it is now or maybe over the years since he has owned it?

 

Here is another one to keep things moving. I thinks that this one was sponsored by Howard Johansen of Howards cams during the cam grinder wars. It might have been as an answer to the Isky 5 cycle cam. Does anyone know who owned this one? It looks like it might have been Doug Cook


http://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-0503-1941-stone-woods-cook-willys/



I did a little digging around and found out that it did belong to Doug Cook. This was before he started driving for Stone and Woods

 

Here is another photo of #531. You may have seen it as it came from another thread here on HAMB. The captions are screwed up but you get the idea.

 

Very cool......

 

sorry elgringo....I don't have luck with posting photos...I have a few of the coupe in red on my phone....but can't get 'em on

 

I am posting these pictures for Doctor Satan.

 

A couple from swi66 today in the vintage shots thread.

No info on them

 

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This is Barb Hamilton with "Old blue" she still has the car and had it at the Meltdown Drags a couple weeks back on display at the Gasser Wars Magazine Booth on Sat.

 

KewiKev has a door off this car hanging in his garage I believe. He prob knows all about it.

 

I don't believe this car was Al Tschida's. Recall an earlier thread which stated that this car had an early demise and included a photo of the remains stuffed into a pickup bed. The paint treatment and color are however, close to the Triad/Antelope Speed Shop car.

 

http://barbhamilton37.weebly.com/


http://www.jrthompson.net/barbhamilton.html

 

This was Al Tschida's brother in law's car and Al had a lot to do with building it. This was the same car as the Antilope Valley car