History A moment of history...Teixeira Willys

Here is the car in 1965 and note the grille.

 

40 years later here I am with legendary pinstriper Neil Averill holding the original grille up to the Willys. Neil was the man that did the original artwork and lettering on the Willys in 1964.

 

Too cool . Did it give you goose bumbs ?

 

Goose bumps...If you only knew...strange thing is I remember the car at Raisin City Dragway in 1967 when I was eight years old. Now I am part of the team restoration 40 years later.

 

The older I get the worse they are. I love seeing old stuff like that up close . Thanks for posting.

 

A HAMBer found the Willys and is saving it after the clown he bought it from was starting to make a billet clad streetrod. Hooray for another HAMB member saving a piece of Drag Racing history. More to come.

 

awsome!

 

I don't do this often, but I voted 5 stars on this thread.

 

I had no idea you were invovled with the restoration. I take it that this photo was taken much later than the other one. Which paint scheme will be used in the restored version?

 

Some will not realise the importance of this, but I know the majority of HAMBers will especially yourself and I thank you. For the respect of the owner I will only be giving a few heads up on this project.

 

This will be the car. Teixeira 3.

 

Afraid to ask, but, what or who is Teixeira?

 

Fred Teixeira was a raisin farmer in Fresno, CA. He was an early day drag racer and in 1964 he started to build a Willys Drag Car and little did he know became 4 time NHRA B/G Champion.

 

Later paint job maybe 1968 still on the fender.

 

Neil Averill and Fred Teixeira whom has been a driving force in information and remembrance to help restore the Willys. Neil also did the panel paint job in the previous photo.

 

She is a beauty nude.

 

Great to see another one saved. It would be a shame for it to have become another billetclad clown car. I hope you'll keep us up as the resto progresses. Very cool that Fred is involved with it. Thanks for posting this. Mike

 

Very cool , I have a picture in an old Hot Rod magazine with Fred racing The Hummer Anglia , ( small B&W but captioned ) we'll have to get em together when they are done, I'm starting on a resto of the Hummer after the Father's Day Show.

 

Steve that is unreal and I know that will be very possible. I would love to see that photo.

 

Yes!!!!!! That Rules...

Keep me posted on filming stuff,,,,

 

Skip, any chance we will see it at the CHRR?

 

Hard to answer but I know that is the goal.

 

Just another Willys Gasser fan saying best of luck with the restoration of this Historic machine!

 

This is from Gassermadness, it became this....





Good work saving this one from a similar future
Cant wait to see it done, will it hit the Track again???

I am Sorry I subjected you all to this abomination

 

I agree whole heartedly! Oh. Forgive them father of speed, for they know not what they do! Thank you for saveing another "lost sheep"from the evil of pastel paint and billet!

 

That is my car which I have up for sale. I absolutely agree with the comments on the 'downgrade'. However it does not have any billet except the inside door handles and armrests - the wheels are Halibrands. The worst thing of all is that this street rod-i-zation was performed by an East Coast Hall of Fame drag racer - can you believe that?

Believe you me the car was a lot worse when I got it, and at least it is a genuine '40 coupe - not a plastic fake. I had planned to return the car to it's former incarnation, but business and too many other projects made it only sensible to allow someone else to do what I simply do not have the time to do. This is the ex Team Jack Merkel/"Wild" Bill Boer B/G Willys and still has its,'glass rear fenders and deck lid from back in the day - the rest is original steel. I have had contact from Joe Kelly, son of the original chassis builder Larry Kelly and someone else who knew the car well and was the push car driver for the Jack Merkel/Ray Kobel C/GAS car.

I am truly sorry guys that you have to endure this, but it can be reinstated to its former glory and absolutely should be. PM me if you are interested in this car. I have many parts that will allow a race restoration including a complete original 1940 Willys chassis. It will be at the L.A. Roadster Show in the preferred parking.

Here are some more photos:

 

Ok, I'll bite. Where's the billet?

 

I guess I was a little late on the draw. I think Jack Olcott was the man that originally built the blue and white car. Here's another car he did. He also founded the East Coast Gassers Association, so I don't think you can put pigeon hole him as a gold chainer.
Larry T

http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/communi...m&albumid=9980131284498&ownerid=9990104369702

Too get back on topic, Fred Teixeira always had beautiful, high dollar racecars. Everything from Altereds to Corvettes. It'd be worth posting pictures of his other cars.
Larry T

 

Which makes it all the more amazing that he did what he did to the Bill Boer coupe, knowing full well it's history.

 

Awesome!

Keep us posted as much as you can!

Sam.