Features 1937 to 1942 Willys Picture Thread

Nope they're both 40's , one has been peeled apart a bit so there's no drip rail on it at the moment . The other is nearly untouched and it does have the drip rail still .
I've noticed Weezel gets the same Tin Hunt Pics as I do because of the timming of some of those posts . Do you know Kevin well ?

 

Have known and contacted Kevin over the years, but never met. Can honestly say I read every tin hunt he sends, but only save the Willys pics. Until this latest batch he hadn't sent very many that had willys in recent months. He is like clock work with his pictures. If you don't get any, he's probably at a hockey game with his kids. We have that in common too...been involved in hockey for 50 years...g-willys
Couldn't tell on the picture if the drip rail was gone on the far one...nice delivery too!

 

here it is before I got at it then , you can see the drip rail . Apparently a guy named Shorty in WA turned it into a 39 back in the 70's. They say he was into 39's and he sold off most of the 40 stuff ( Randy B knows who bought most of that 40 stuff for a project Coupe that was built in the 80's I think ) . My Coupe shell had a 39 cowl / dash etc spliced into it and it was a wierd splice too , that lid was also a 39 lid but I have put a 40 inner structure into it now . I have sat the Coupe shell back onto a 40 cowl and pan but haven't got around to permanently mating them . Long story to that old Coupe sitting down by a river in a place called Cement WA I beleive ................. apparently it sat ther for a loooooong time from part of the 60's to part of the 70's and endured a few floods too . It's dry where it sits now though !

 

did Lee Kay build those decklid frames?

 

What's the difference in the deck lid inner structure between 39 and 40? The 1937 and some early 38's had a different inner structure but after that they all were the same, am I wrong?

 

More from Columbus 2007.

 

Hi guys,
We're in Seattle, Wa. Love this thread! I have a friend that built a '41 Coupe in 1966. He still has it in his garage after all these years. Car looks like it was painted yesterday (Blk Lacquer) Has a Jackson Injected SB 327, Muncie 4Sp, and Pont rear with Magnesium 11x16 (Big Window) Halibrands & 4.5x15 Fenton Gyros on Front.. Took it out of storage in the mid 80's to make a pass after jetting it on Alcohol. Broke an axle then put it back in storage and is still sitting there.. I try to get him to bring it out again, but with no success.

 

Hey guy,s thanks for the kind words ,means alot . It was stuck on side the garage with about 6 feet front and back room with 26 inches on each side to build it . Got it in rough shape end of 98. Piddled on and off in between my other projects... Got a severe back accident in 07 and t- boned me and my way of livin. Motors been sittin since mid 90,s got it cranked and movin still got some bugs yet will post some more pics !!! Awesome site !!! Glad to be in it would luv to run it but i think my racing days are over for now ...

 

Yes , Lee Kay built those inner structures and I am real happy with the parts , he also built my rocker panels and Troy @ Rollands built me a 37 Willys ash tray . These guys are artists !
The basic difference is the lateral support piece on the inner , roads of the day killed the earlier versions . These too lol but not quite as badly .

Here's a pic of those new 40 rockers .

 

The lateral support you speak of was the same all years except as I said 1937 and some of 1938. 1939 to 1942 were the same. I have had several over the years and have studied all years for differences.

 

I'm sure you have a picture of the front, the car looks much better in person.

 

Local car here in Dayton Ohio.

 

This coupe was in a local paper for sale all original for 25 grand, the new owner turned it into this gasser. The red paint was already on the car. I took these pics 2007 Goodguys Columbus.

 

I have a buddy with a stock 39 and his lid is the slim inner and my two are not , his isn't the only 39 that I know of like that and thats pretty much all I can go on but I do know that I will go with whatever Weezel says is so ! In my opinion while watching from behind the scenes ............. Guido knows all ! Maybe this is a good opprotunity to grab some pic evidence so we all know when we're shoppin swap meets this spring ?

 

that Coupe from Dayton has some attitude !

 

Maybe some guys who have original steel lids will chime in on this, I have found so many small differences over the years that hardly anybody knows and I have a lot more to learn. I am no expert by no means and if you know Willys then you also know they used different parts on the same years. I have pictures of original 38's and 39's with the new style lids on them but all 37's had the early lids. Thats why I figured they used up the 37 style on the early 38's and never looked back. They also changed the coupe rear window garnish moldings in 1938, the 37's were right and left and when they made the change the two sides interchanged. The windshield molding was also changed from 37 to 38. The list goes on and on, its all fun for me to learn this stuff.

 

As Ihave said before, there are simply no absolutes when it comes to these Willys and it would be almost impossible to document all the small changes and anomalies. Unless you know for certain that you are dealing with an absolutely unmolested original car, you cannot be sure that something has not been changed over the years. Thanks for the kind words Willyscoupe, but I can assure you I am no expert - just a disciple of the www - weird world of Willys (or should that be wonderful world of Willys?). I learn something new almost every day and I am still on a learning curve with the restoration of my 1940 coupe. There are guys out there who know far more than I ever will. What we really need is for Ron Ladley to contribute to this board. There are a couple of others out there too who have exhaustive knowledge but they are more of the restorer type enthusiasts who have been dealing with Willys for many decades and tend not to be computer savvy. So I post what I know - sometimes I screw up, sometimes I am misinformed and hope to be corrected by others who have direct experience.

As for coupe decklid inners I can only surmise that the change in the inner structure may have taken place around the time when Willys went from the side deck lid mounted license plate light to the center mounted light. Although I would think that by 1939 the running change had been made, there were to distinct models of coupe in 1939: the Model 48 with 100" wheelbase, 1938 type front sheet metal, 48 hp and mechanical brakes with 4 bolt wheels. This is basically a carry over of the 1938 model with some minor detail changes and the new for 1939 Overland with shark nose styling by Amos Northup, 102" wheelbase, 61hp, five lug wheels and hydraulic brakes. The dash was revised with rectangular glove box and driver side blanking plate/lid/door with three stainless trim strips on each, and two central round gauges. The Model 48 rear fenders were of the open style cutout while the Overland had the much more enclosed type fender with rounded inner corners as carried on into 1940. This was visually necessary due to the longer wheelbase, in order to optically center the wheel in the fender. These fenders continued in use through 1940 but the design was modified in 1941 when the wheelbase was lenghtened again and the chassis was modified and widened 2" at the rear. The Overland also had a front bumper which had three strakes either side of the soft center peak. This bumper is specific to this model only and one of the hardest parts to find.

And talking of rear window garnish moldings, the Holden bodied coupes and utes look the same as the US coupes but the garnish moldings are in fact smaller and do not interchange. Since we are on the subject of utes, here are some more photos of a Holden ute sent to me by Kevin Ulry. As those that are on his 'Tin hunt pic of the day list' will testify, Kevin is assiduous and prolific in his output. I have supplied him with some Willys photos for his picture library over the years and corresponded with him on occasion - mainly on the subject of Willys as he has a Willys sedan in build. I don't think he is on the Hamb which is why I post Willys related stuff he sends out for the Willys guys on this board....

 

So on with the photos - note the Holden bodied sedan has a small window in the C pillar - this 'six light' styling is standard for Holden bodied sedans along with a coupe style split rear window....

 

The ute as it stands today, along with Mick's 1937 TJR roadster (side curtains - not wind up windows)....

 

Here are some photos I sent to kevin Ulry a while back of a 1938 Holden ute I had offered to me a few years ago....

 

I saw this car at Magoo's garage in the mid 80s and I still can't stop thinking about it! it is sooo BITCHIN ! I tell everybody that if I ever win the lottery im going to give Kenny a blank check and let him fill in the amount, and I won't care how much!! we need to talk him into driving that car again !! Chris

 

A friends 40, his name is Joe. He bought the car from a guy in Texas around ten years ago. It was raced there with a big block ford, he bought it with no engine. He's going to restore it but the problem is it runs now and he can drive it!!!

 

at the Rod and Custom show today

 

CC Rider Willys.

 

Is this Tony on board ? The HeadHunter is one of the meanest rides ever built ! I watch it on youtube when I need a pick me up ! I love the flake too , badass Coupe Tony O !
Am I right on the owner ?

 

There's a Coupe I played in as a kid in Nanaiom BC , it was in a stack of old cars at the John Gorosh yard by the tracks along side the highway in North Nanaimo . My Grandpa Ben worked at Gulf Oil accross the street so I would wonder over and pretend I was driving a Gasser ! This was the early 70's . The only pic I can find of that is this one that has had a water colour treatment done to it .

 

Willys should have made these!

 

Here's one with a sad story and a sad ending , I would like to bring it home this spring and give it a second chance though .