History The Planets Align & I Buy a '41 Willys Coupe: Can you help track its racing history?

Awesome.

 

Cool find. The drilled rear support looks cool. Congrats.

 

Wow, Awesome Willys, thats my dream car, Congrats. The way the holes are laid out and drilled in your Willys seems like it might of been someone with a aviation or machinest background. I have a front axle out of a 48 Ford that was in a 51 Henry J Gasser I drug out of my dads buddys junkyard in 1983, in central Florida, the car had originated out of Bristol Tn. The front bones were split and piecut and bent just like yours are, I mean they look identical. Must of been a popular way to do them back then. What a BadAss Willys you have, Very Cool!!!

 

wow that car is awesome congrats

 

Very cool car, can't wait to see this build, we all know it is going to be fantastic!

 

Brian, That's awesome ! Great find on a great Willys !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thats some gravity youve got there.
uckin fawesome!

 

Congrats on the score! It looks perfect compared to most coupes found! I see a showdown in the future between you and kiwi kev!!

 

Fantastic man, what a great score.

I hope you at least consider a big Olds too. I'm a Mopar guy and have three Hemis in the garage, but there were a lot of very successful cars running blown and/or injected Olds engines throughout the 60s.

Of course all the really fast guys eventually went to Chryslers by about '64.... (SWC, Mazmanian, Hugh Tucker, etc)

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

Awesome! Congrats on the find! Can't wait to see the build.

 

Oh man, most of us don't have your skill and would be happy with a car you'd be hard pressed to fix.
You get one that is pretty complete, not hacked up and is showing original paint!?!
Gotta see where this one goes!

 

Lucky dog, Gives me hope that I might stumble across a steel Willys one day. I looked at a fiberglass one a couple of years ago but what a pile. Hope you find the history on it. I bet the hamb will turn something up.

 

Wow .... what a sweet find.

 

Great Score!!

 

Congrats! I've admired your previous builds and can't wait to follow your Willys here on the HAMB.

 

If you think it had a 371/394 Olds why not put one in back in it.....

Of course it's a shameless plug for myself but.......
Here's a period looking 394 Olds that would have been in that Willys

And I've got plenty more parts to build more like this.....

Tony

 

Bass,
I was born, raised, and raced here in Minnesota since the early 60's, but I have never seen that coupe before. Got my coupe (40) in 1960, and raced from '63-'67. I do have friends who raced earlier, and I'll ask if anyone remembers the car. It does have some distinctive markings with those holes drilled everywhere...it almost looks like he had access to a punch. The front axle might be a good clue, as few people around here with Willys ever changed to a transverse spring axle. Did know of a Willys coupe in a bone yard, but never saw it. It looks like original blue paint, but I've never been a fan of those seal beam add on headlights. Perhaps you can find out the region of our state that it came from. Back then however, the only two decent strips were in the Twin Cities area, so it probably was from this area. Nice find! Decent price?...or off the wall? You'll have a little work on that back panel, but with today's parts available that piece is easy to find. Rest of the body looks straight. All the holes, the single spring front axle, and no fiber glass could mean it was one of the early ones, before lots of fiberglass parts were being produced (60-61, or before) Keep us all posted on your progress!!!
g-willys

 

Awesome! Can't wait to see the build thread on this gem.

 

lee kay in orange county will be the best man for your metal.

 

Looks like a perfect candidate for a 394 BBO.





I'm envious!!!!!!!!!

 

G, that's good info...I bet this is the car from the bone yard you heard about. The guy I bought it from said it came from in or around St. Paul. I had to pay a substantial amount of money for the car, but I felt the price was fair and the car was worth it. I did get an extra Sedan tail panel that I think I can cut up to fix the damage.

I'm in agreement with you that the car almost certainly had to be run prior to '60 or '61. If you get any leads from your friends in the area, please let me know!

 

congrats!!!! my dream too!!!

 

Tony, that is a great looking engine! I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of a blown early Olds, but I must admit that a blown 392 was my first thought after I agreed to buy the car. I have a good '56 324 Olds, but I'd just about have to do a 371 or 394 in this one if I went early Olds. I have a pretty stout roller cam for my 324, and I'm pretty sure it would also fit a 371. I'd need to find a blower manifold.

However, I've also already got a 392, a ridiculous roller cam for it, a low rise Weiand blower manifold, and the list goes on.

I'll give it some more thought. I do like Olds Rockets, and there's a precedence with the early Stone, Woods, Cook car.

 

Wow! Nice find

 

No worries Bass.... I've got blower manifolds also!!
Besides Hemis have been done to death in those cars... Lol

Tony

 

Like I said a couple days ago Brian, your the king We all know you will give this car the best home out of any of us.

BTW, I had a mid 50's Willy's 4x4 pickup that had a ROSS steering box that looked a lot like that.

 

Bass I will be looking in the background of all the old drag-racing photos ,I hope to find your coupe lurking in the shadows ! I have a '40 coupe with no name or history . Good luck & what a great score !

 

Congrats, can't wait to see it done

 

Congrats Bass, there is a wishful purchase from my childhood.
Will be watching closely.. Subscribed..