History WHAT DID YOUR ROD OR CUSTOM PROJECT LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU GOT IT

1960 Lion's Dragstrip

Hello,

When we found the 1940 Willys Coupe in a neighborhood lady’s back yard, we had scoped it out for weeks. I had seen it with my own friends walking to school. It was covered with a tarp, but the round top and sticking out hood was not a Model A. we had purchased a Model A several houses down the block. Those houses had larger backyards, but smaller size interior space. This one was sitting next to a single car garage, covered and weeds all around.

When I told my brother, he drove by several times to make sure it was not another Model A. The lady had stored it under the cover when they quit driving it around. A newer car sat in the single car garage.

This is about as close to the similar 1940 Willys Coupe we found. Our hood was not as rusty. But all of the chrome accessories were still in place and were in excellent condition. It took us a while to get the stock 4 cylinder motor to run, but it was fun chugging down the neighborhood road. So, now, we can start and my brother’s idea of getting the motor to run, first was his idea. He wanted to be able to advertise that it was a “running motor” when we took it out of the old car.

By the time we had prepped the whole body for a coat of red primer paint. It was looking pretty nice. My brother said that we should not worry about finishing the paint and upholstery until we got the car put together and was a running SBC powered coupe. So, after our backyard garage plastic covered tent provided a relatively dust free painting area, we got to work painting the primer and frame.
6 Stromberg carb 283 SBC version in February 1960

Jnaki


Of course, we fielded tons of questions about what color it was going to be after our first and second street cruise to the local speed shop. Then after the nighttime cruise to the local drive-in hang out place, it did make a big hit just driving into the parking area. It was early February and we told ourselves that by the end of summer, we would possibly get it painted and upholstered. Time was on our side and money could still be earned and saved.
The 292 - 671 SBC version completed in late April/early May 1960.

 

Slooooow progress on both.

 

Not that I don't like the T, that Chev is making me smile.

 

when found after sleeping 46 years in a field



After

 

That is sweet!! So it’s back working? Regards, Randy


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Before and after pics. Lots o' money n' work in between....It was in far rustier and generally bad condition than the first photo depicts.

 

before and after

 

I bought this home made woody for the chassis and tossed everything else. Then a buddy of mine sold me an old jalopy racer body.......had to toss everything except the top. Found 33-34 body parts all over the U.S.

 

The Chevy when I dragged it home in 1985. I was 19 and ecstatic. Dad called it "the remains" of a '57.

 

My father and i bid against each other on this one. He wound up buying it and gave it to me a few years later. I did the redo.

 

BT A coupe purchase day way back in 1974 by bt34 posted Jul 3, 2009 at 5:29 AM

DSCF5229-001 by bt34 posted Sep 9, 2020 at 11:33 PM

 

As found, approx 1988, and finished 2000..

 

Great job.
I hope whoever shot all the holes in it lived long enough to find out just how valuable a 32 Ford coupe body is... may they eat their heart out..

 

When I brought the Willys home and today.

 

Dragged home with no engine/trans, 7 inch rear. Now its a turbo sbf 500+ HP with built AOD and 8.8 LSD rear. Next step is building a real bottom end for some real HP. Quarters were rusty anyways, so rather than fight with a mini tub I decided to radius. Fits the style of the car better.

 

Hello,

When someone asks about our Willys Coupe, it would have been a great starting point for any future builds. As we pulled out the burned out Willys Coupe from the chain link fence, thoughts went to rebuilding right away. Everything from the motor back was still in place and still looking good. The interior was all black and only skeleton wires from the bucket seats was left. The Moon 4 bar steering wheel was melted and bent and the glove box door was barely hanging on to it hinges. It was a total wreck. But fixable. The floor was a total mess. It had a huge hole where the floorboard was blasted open with some force. The ground could be seen and the transmission was just sitting there.

The back of the 292 SBC motor could be seen just below and the clutch was missing, as was the two piece legal scattershield. It was sad, but back in my mind, it could be fixable and running again. The front end had a few scratches and the chrome pieces of the two-part grille were still pristine. As a matter of fact, all of the chrome pieces were still pristine. The hood had popped up when it hit the chain link fence. The bumper pushed the chain links forward absorbing most of the damage. But, it was wedged into place and when we saw it close up, it was on fire inside of the cab. So, no second thoughts about how pristine it was, but to put the fire out.

Jnaki

It took a sad reclamation towing on a flatbed trailer back to our friend, Atts Ono’s house. His backyard was wide enough to roll the disabled Willys Coupe as sad as it looked on the flatbed trailer, next to the garage and his pristine 40 Willys build that was going on at the time.

When we got the word from my brother to disassemble the whole Willys Coupe and bring home the remaining parts, it took several days to take apart everything while it sat on the flatbed trailer. The whole time I was wondering why my friend did not want any body parts or chrome pieces from out Willys. It was strange, but the answer was, “Thanks, no, I’m ok with our new parts and build.” We took apart the whole Willys and when the parts were sitting under a canvas tarp, we towed the empty Willys body to the local scrapyard.

Now, we were told that we could just leave the Willys body, fenders and hood just inside of the gate. So, we did as told. After unloading the wrecked shell, I thanked Atts Ono and he mentioned that the reason he did not want any parts of our Willys was that it gave him a bad vibe. So, as we drove away, I wondered who would be driving by looking for a new hot rod build and see this empty shell of a Willys Coupe just sitting inside of the chain link gate at the big scrapyard?

It would have given you guys searching the “woods” looking for a barn find. Well, the barn find was sitting on the gravel ground at the Wilmington scrapyard, waiting to be carried back to the crusher. Pristine as it was in all remaining body parts and accessories. Just an empty shell of its former self, built by two teenage brothers.

 

It Looked Like A Dogs Lunch...

 

My old pile-o-parts 32 from a barn in Culleoka, TN. An old survivor hotrod built by at least three different people. 59AB, 37 trans and rear end, and 34 rear crossmember and x-member.


Now.

 

My 41 shop truck.
No engine or trans, hacked together frame and front and rear suspension.


Now, so far.
330 Desoto, TH350, Bronco 9 inch, Pete&Jake's frame, CE front and rear. Thanks to Barillaro Speed Emporium for the head start.

 

Dang! I used to go through Culleoka every day for a few years, never knew about that.

 

Dang, look at the Goodyear sign just laying there! I hope you got that too.