~~~ Why are Willys used for most of the old gassers?? ~~~

Just out of curiosity really, always wondered why the willys (coupes, panel vans, pickups) always seem to have been the most popular basis for makin a *****in g***er?

 

Light weight as compared to other cars at the time was the big reason.

 

Anglias were very popular in the G***er cl***es too for the same reason ... (being light) and they were actually economy cars so the initial purchase price (for a used one) was probably low as well.

 

Light weight for sure, but they weren't the most numerous ones, just the coolest looking ones, which made them the most memorable.
Cheap junkyard prices. They were the unwanted AMC's of their time. They became cool much later.

 

they just look f.......in *****in

 

Because it just doesn't get much cooler than this.

 

The Willys coupe was about the lightest production car out there, and they were available. It only weighed about 2,200-2,500 lbs. The Fords were much heavier

 

There was a story in Atlanta paper of two brothers who restored Willyses. They said they were rarer as the bodies were made of a lighter gauge than other cars of the time. Makes sense for an economy car. Also they were smaller.

 

Need I say More!!! Small, Light weight and very COOL!!!

 

Because I said it would be so........No you dont believe me?
Fine............. See if I care!

(PS, yeah its as everyone has already said.)

Doc.

 

Luvit

 

Don,t forget the Austin A40s.

 

and the Henry J

 

Why?? Because the g***er cl*** wouldn't be complete without them....

 

Everyone seems to be forgetting another key element and that's thier short wheelbase which contributed to the great weight transfer needed to get traction at the start of the quarter mile. That short wheelbase also contributed to the hairy handling on the top end making the breed an exciting show.

Frank

 

........ And because they look cool.

 

Hey, why do you got to go there! And does that mean amc's are going to soon be the most expensive

 

It didn't have much to do with looks or "cool", it had to do with quick. They were light, worked well with the technology of the day and the fact that some of the fast guys were winning with them (monkey see, monkey do). It didn't hurt that they were cheap back then either.
But as has been said, Anglias, Austins, etc. worked in the top cl***es too. And none of them match the number of mid 50's Chevys that were used in the lower cl***es.
Larry T

 

they were a "throw away" vehicle that ended up in the salvage yard, not on a used car lot. Aside from all the physical characteristics that made them desireable, they were just plain cheap to buy in the late 50's/early 60's when the original g***ers were built.

boy, that sure did change!

 

If you have ever worked on a Willys after having worked on other brands, you'll understand that they are cheap tin cans. The sheet metal is lighter gauge than the equivalent 'every day' Fords and Chevys of the era. The stock 1937-42 Willys coupes are about 1000 lbs lighter than a stock 1940 Ford coupe and at 100" to 104" wheelbase (depending on year) they are 8"-12" shorter than the aforementioned Ford. Anglias are even shorter wheelbase and lighter than the Willys and the Topolino and Bantams are the lightest and smallest of all, which is why they were favored as Fuel Altereds.

 

Just been reading a little about the origins of these cars in Robert Post's book High Performance. He does a good job of explaining the Willys' popularity. They were favored for their light weight, aerodynamic shape
and small size, and also because they more closely resembled the "hot rod" look of the earlier Ford bodies. At least more so than a Fiat Topolino or Anglia.

He makes the point also that these models were fairly minimilist in design, kind of like the Chevette of their day. Supposedly, Willys was the last American manufacturer to offer a new car for less than $500. Fifteen or twenty year old examples must have been available for next to nothing. How could a hot rodder resist that?!!

 

Anglia's probably would have been more popular then the Willy's but there was a ban by NHRA for the 90" wheelbase to run supercharged, so the Anglia was too short. After seeing all the AHRA and IHRA Anglia's, NHRA eventually relented

 

This ain't your Father's Willys!! Beyond, light weight, cheap, fast, cool, they just plain look mean on the strip!! They even look cool and mean when they are old and need redone!

 

They were favored for their aerodynamic shape, weight, and size. Did I mention they looked *****in!

 

So,the fibergl*** replicas may be heavier than an original?

 

Luv 'em to death....curious though, has anyone ever built a Willy's taildragger? Zombie did a *****in' rendition of one in Traditional Rod and Kulture Illustrated a couple of issues back. P.S., apologies if I am hijacking this thread.

 

I think the weight would depend on the thickness of the fibergl***. They make race weight parts and street parts. Or carbon fiber if you want to get real trick.
Don't they pull a plug of the original cars and then make the gl*** parts from them?
Larry T

 

I second this.

 

I would have to agree with weight and size.......thin sheetmetal and a light frame.

 

As it is stated----- "and on the eighth day, God created the Willys coupe" !!!!!!!!!!!!!