No bitching whatsoever from my end, just tried to inject a reference point into the discussion in my first post. I buy into the bosses' attitude about arguing on the internet, so I won't. Since I can't afford to compensate you for your pain and suffering; I will just remove my OT posts. Have a great day!
Here is a 40 sedan. This one is still running today. It ran with the SouthEast Gassers at a track in Alabama a few weeks ago and is still the way that it was.
[QUOTelgringo71, post: 11601233, member: 126056"]Thanks for your post. I had heard about the Willys that was found in the hanger but never knew which one that it was. I wish that we had some early information on the history of the Graham Cracker. It looks like an early car.[/QUOTE] Just checked the story on the Graham Cracker. Ken stated that the car was built in 1958 and raced in El Paso. Last raced in 1967 then parked where it ended up being stored in the hanger. Raced with a injected sbc 301 with a B&M.
Thanks for everyone's updates on this thread. Good stuff Could this be Mike Kuhl from St Louis Missouri? Just a guess based on the name on the door and the fact that Mike Kuhl raced a 38 Willys. The car has drip rails so it's probably s 38 unless someone changed the front end or it could be a 39 model 48.
Take a close look at the racers and makes of their cars and engines at the Nationals in 1956 in Kansas City. There is a Willys in here. It's George Gillmore from Denton Texas running a 38 Willys with a 54 Chrysler engine. I have looked all over for the Official Program for 1955 Nationals in Great Bend but have never been able to find it.
Vinnie Tarantola ran this all steel 40 Willys sedan with a blown and injected nailhead Buick circa 1962. Then he put a SBC and a glass nose on it and proceeded to win Indy several times and hold the record in C/GS for a long time. It also used one of his own hydro's. Pat
That's a good one here are a few more shots of WeeWilly. I have read that Vitar was the big Hydro builder on the East Coast kind of like B&M was on the West Coast
1930 and 1931 winners at Pikes peak. Championship 2002 Butch Hardman 1977 Butch Hardman 12:53.000 2003 John Guynn 1978 Butch Hardman 12:53.000 2005 John Guynn 1996 Ream Racer Upright Sprint 12:27.660 2006 Butch Hardman 1976 Hardman 13:43.995 Super Stock Car 1927 William P. Bentrup Stutz Stock Car 21:59.300 DR 1928 Wade Morton Auburn Stock Car 21:45.400 DR 1929 Glen Shultz Studebaker B 21:43.600 DR 1930 Light W.F. Shepherd Willys 6 24:18.200 DR 1930 Heavy Ed Philips Cord 29:18.400 1931 W.F. Shepherd Willys 6 25:09.500 1932 Chet Miller Essex- Terraplane 21:20.900 DR 1933 AI Miller Essex- Terraplane 19:55.500 DR 1934 Bus Hammond Ford V-8 19:25.700 DR 1956 Jerry Unser, Jr. Chevrolet 16:08.000 DR 1957 Jerry Unser, Jr. Ford 15:39.200 DR 1958 Nick Sanborn Jr. Pontiac 15:49.700 1959 Nick Sanborn Jr. Pontiac 15:45.200 1960 Louie J. Unser Pontiac 15:36.600 DR 1961 Louie J. Unser Chevrolet 15:06.000 DR 1962 Curtis Turner Ford 14:55.500 DR 1963 Parnelli Jones Mercury 14:17.400 DR 1964 Parnelli Jones Mercury 13:52.200 DR 1965 Nick Sanborn Jr. 1964 Plymouth 14:17.700 1966 Nick Sanborn Jr. Toronado 14:30.600 1967 Bill Daniels Chevrolet 14:56.000 1968 Nick Sanborn Jr. Olds Toronado 14:23.600 1969 Bobby Unser Bardahl Ford 13:40.050 DR 1970 Frank Peterson 1969 Toronado 14:46.800 1971 Ak Miller 1970 Mustang 14:18.600 1972 Bob Silvers Camaro 13:45.900 1973 Ralph Bruning 1971 Chevy 350 13:42.800 1974 Bobby Unser Dodge Dart 13:13.600 DR 1975 Ted Foltz 1973 Chevy 427 13:19.100 1976 Ralph Bruning Camaro 350 13:13.900 1977 Ralph Bruning 1976 Camaro 354 13:17.800 1978 Larry Carnes Chevrolet Camaro 13:06.100 DR 1979 Ralph Bruning 1977 Chevy 350 13:08.700 1980 Joel Newcomer Chevrolet Monza 12:57.330 DR 1981 Leonard Vahsholtz Ford Fairmont 12:55.110 DR 1982 Ralph Bruning Chevrolet Monza 12:50.280 DR 1983 Leonard Vahsholtz 1981 Ford Faimont 12:50.330 1984 Larry Carnes Pontiac Trans-Am 12:47.350 DR 1985 Roger Mears Chevrolet Camaro 12:21.540 DR 1986 Leonard Vahsholtz Data Tel Ford Thunderbird 12:15.490 DR 1987 Leonard Vahsholtz Ford T-Bird 12:58.550 1988 Ralph Bruning Buick 12:40.240 1989 Leonard Vahsholtz Thunderbird 12:23.310 1990 Leonard Vahsholtz Ford Probe 12:35.900 1991 Ralph Bruning 1990 Buick 12:26.340 1992 Ralph Bruning Buick 12:21.420
It's "Coney Island Ralph Landolfi" and partner. This is the same coupe Ralph had through the early to mid 60's. Pat
Jason, I don't have any pics of Woody Parker, but he fit in the pretty early days as a Willys nut. I remember a pic of him in a 3 car race somewhere in Central or Nor Cal. He was a great guy who continued racing with a Bonneville Willys sedan driven by his partner Gary Thacker and spent his later years driving a blown SBC powered light blue sedan around southern Oregon. RIP Woody.
Rob, I couldn't find any pictures of the Woody Parker Willys but I think that there is footage of it in the Gasser Files Video by the Jackson Brothers
Stone Woods and Pitmann Swindler ll In 1962 ? Doug Cook took over the driving duties after KS Pitmann left. There is a lot of information available on this one.
Aww geez. Every time I see pics of the early SWC car it sends me back - waay back. My Dad would drop me and a buddy off at Lions on Saturday morning and come get us that night. If I was lucky, SWC would be there along with a bunch of other Willys, Fiats and dragsters. Loved Lions chili dogs. That custom grille was an acquired taste but sure identified the car from the grandstands. I never noticed before, the rear wheels are 6 lug but it isn't the floater truck rear end like some used. I have a set of wheels just like theirs from back in the gasser days but my rears are 5 lug. These pics make me want to put them on my Austin.
The early original Barris front end with the "custom" exhaust tube grille is in a private museum in California
Yep, the owner of the original front end has a nice collection of Willys cars and parts that he has accumulated over decades and he has other cars too. Here is a picture of the front end today.
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