Projects Looking for any history on this 1933 Willys Coupe.

Chuck Finders son is out there somewhere - he's got quite a lot of pictures of Chuck's cars - in fact I owe him one of the car when it ran for Hirschfields Speed Shop - Chuck lived in Bellflower, CA in the mid 60s - and I think had something to do with Ron Bizio's Willys pickup - they all ran at Lions. It's hard for me to imagine that it's been 50 years or so - feels like yesterday.

 

Dang George That thing is slick! Figures the one time i'm not trolling e-bay (week at the beach) for more junk is when you put your coupe up for sale! Dig that Willys man! Good score.

 

http://www.chuckfinders.com/

 

hey Jason!The 33 Ford coupe was for sale on here and social media..Nobody stateside wanted it so shes going to Germany. Sad to see her go but this Willys surely fills the void in my soul! The last pic I took of it before it left.

 

I must bave been slacking! I never saw it! That willys though is bad ass! I saved that last pic you just posted. Might have to blow that up and frame it for the shop. Inspiration for our dilapidated 3 window!

 

So now I'm thinking: To chop it or not to chop?

 

Chop it hard.

 

great to see the history of this car! I would not chop it. Steel-unchopped is fairly rare. Buy a glass one if you want chopped.

 

33 Willys always look good chopped, at 6'4" wouldn't be a good option for me. Your results might vary!

 

Don't chop it! Looks great the way it is!

 

Chop it and then put some of these on the front. It would be the Hardest looking 33 Willys around! Found this pic here on the HAMB.

 

Cool Willys, Man I remember seeing that episode with those cars, and bikes, he had a bunch of cool stuff. I guess the guy passed and the wife is selling off his collection? Don't chop it, my vote

 

I agree,unchopped Willys coupes are fairly rare because they look so bad ass chopped!..I'm on the fence about cutting it..I like em both ways!

 

Yeah Jason,I'd love a set of kidney beans on the front but they are made of unobtainium! I've been looking at the aluminum repops because I can't swallow 5K for 2 wheels..Love the magnesium Halibrands on it but I decided to try the Cragar route just to see how it looks..

 

Nice! I dig the Cragars! IF you ever decide to unload the Halibrands from this they would make a nice match for the 12 spoke Mag spindle mounts I have for the T drag car a buddy and I are collecting for.

 

and the aluminum ones are nice, I'll be picking up a set of Circle racing ones around Christmas for the front of my 51 Chevy. I buy my own Christmas presents....

 

Sorry to see the coupe go ( moment of silence), but that Willys is pissah, ( and after all you are a Drag
Racer so it's a perfect fit). Cool that you're digging up the history too. Great story.

 

If your on the fence on chopping it I'd wait awhile. Once you cut you can't go back! OK, guess you could but a lot of work to.

 

Another vote for no chop- George, you're a big guy, enjoy the room!

 

It is a very nice "cool" Willys.....
My vote (does not count for squat) do not chop it.
This will piss off a lot of people but...... Chopped Tops nowadays are like fake Tits, they are everywhere!
Uncut, Tall and Proud, it really cannot get better than than that......

 

Yes but just like fake tits, when done right, a chop always looks good...when done right. and fake tits are great, as long as the last guy paid for them!

 

I knew I would catch shit for that.... I really like uncut roof lines, but I totally understand the "Lovers of the Chop"

 

Thanks Mike! It was sad to see the chopped 33 Ford go but I'm building an "AV8" roadster for the next trad hotrod events next season.I'm a traditional Hotrodder as well as a drag racer.I can do both!.

 

I'm 6'2" and could live with it..Low roofs don't bother me at all..The 33 Ford had 5-1/2" out of the roof and I drove that one quite a bit..

You make a good point..Chopped top Willys are common..Just like chopped 34 Ford 3 window coupes with mild chops..They are so commonplace they all look like fiberglass cars!..When the roof is full height there's no mistaking it for a glass car!

 

Just to throw a little gas on the fire-- I am in favor of the old wheels. I've always loved Cragers, but that car ( IMO) looks much cooler with the un-shiny originals on it. Your avatar picture is the balls.

 

Ha ha! I like them old magnesiums on the back too..But I hate these spindle mount looking fakes on the front!! I'd rather have REAL 12 spoke magnesium fronts with no friggin front brakes over these. The Cragars aren't for this car so they will be coming off when I find suitable front magnesium wheels. Either kidney beans or sprints..I saw a bunch at Hershey last year,hoping to score a pair this year.

 

In honor of Metalmans help finding out the history on the Willys,I decided its only right to run one of his shops decals on the car..Thanks pal! It ties in with the cars' Albuquerque lineage.

 

The Willys floor pan was just a truck floor that Chuck had. It ends just behind the seats. It is also where the VIN number that is on the title of the car came from. If memory serves the VIN plate is under the carpet by the driver's seat. You can probably see the original rivets from underneath if you have trouble locating it.
The wheel tubs were built from scratch, by me, from steel sheet and gas-and-stick-welded together. Took FOREVER to do that without warping them.

 

The more I look at this car the more I think it shouldn't be chopped. it Really looks good, and I hate yellow on cars, but man this just looks right. The dark oxidized Mags look killer against the bright paint!

 

Chopping a car like this (to me) really screws up the proportions that were spot-on from the factory. Besides, As others have said, having a stock body car these days is what really stands out.

- em