Well...........kinda but not really! Figured I'd start a new thread. Lots of pics, I hope the mods don't ream me! You guys know the story but if not here it is............ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=486280&showall=1 Just got back from a weekend at Sharon's during which time I unearthed the Willys. Now, educated estimates please on the possible value of this ride. Sharon has been talking to people and has in her head $65,000. Personally, I think that's pushing it (but I've been wrong before - ie: the '34 Ford truck I thought was too high at $500!) I'd appreciate educated input on a selling price. Also, prices on the individual sheet metal parts she wants to sell seperate. 3 front fenders, hood and center section. Now on to the car! 1940 Willys. The grille and center section are '41. Completely rebuilt 396 with maybe 40 miles on it. 350? automatic. Looks like stock front suspension with some chrome pieces. Olds rear w/5.13's and ladder bars. Interior pretty much done except for carpeting and headliner. Both a stock gas tank and fuel cell. Complete VintageAir A/C system. All steel body and panels except for the rear fenders which are 'glass. New, top quality paint job. Hasn't been color sanded or rubbed out yet. 3 binders of receipts for every dime that's been spent on it. Lots of construction pics. Registered and insured in the state of California (she's got the 2011 tags). It's an awesome car but has been sitting since mid 2007 when Don passed away. I put in a fresh battery and new Holley electric fuel pump and it fired on the first kick! Runs smooth. Don had put Sta-bil in the fuel cell. Didn't install the front end 'cause it was just me and the wife and I didn't wanna risk screwing up the paint. Anyhow, here are the as promised pics...........what's it worth?! Unassuming garage.............. Opened the door and was greeted by this........... Cleaned out some of the crap, swapped out the pump and battery and rolled it outside for the first time in 4 years............... Gave it a bath and it shined up like a pretty new penney! Here are some of the parts she'll be selling also.............. I've got lots of detail shots of the sheet metal parts too. Let me know what you guys think!
Third brake light and tail lights have to go. Get repro tail lights from Willys Replacement Parts - do not get those awful LED crapola pieces of junk from Technostalgia. Flying W hood ornament is a 1940 piece and looks wrong to me on a 1941 front clip. Rear bumper is a 1941 Willys truck item and may be a repro from WRP. 1940 bumpers are a rounded blade type. Body stainless trim is also 1941 type and has a peak in it. 1940 is thinner and completely rounded. 1940 trim looks better IMHO. The doors are 1941 type with teardrop shaped door handle escutcheons and escutcheon bosses. 1937-1940 were round. There is some crude 1970's work on the car - note floors, firewall with extensive use of flat tin or aluminum and rivets and rear traction bars. Steering appears to be stock and stock type radiator may be insufficient to cool the car in CA heat. Front shocks with lack of shock travel and crude factory type shock mounts are worrisome, but for a gasser it is a great candidate. Needs a proper interior and trunk fitted out. Drum brakes should be replaced with discs for safety's sake - stockers do not stop worth a damn - here speaks the voice of experience. It says to me $60k-$65k 'as is' in today's economy as a running driving licensed car. $10k+ more if the interior is done. My $0.02c Here's a photo of 1940 type body trim and rear bumper blade for comparison:
I look at a car like that and just hope the builder got a chance to drive it alot before his passing. The best part of building them is dreaming about that first drive and then doing it.
How is a car thats been some guys street rod project in the last ten or so years and pulled out of a garage in his back yard a "BARN FIND" ???? So many people dont understand the word "BARN". I was watching TV the other night and this collector guy was talking about how there was this bugati "barn find". So they went over to look at it and it was in this guys 4 car garage next to some other sports cars that had not been driven since the 90's. The cars just had flat tires and dust on them. So because of the dust and flat tires the building some how magicaly changed from being a regular garage to a barn. Nice score anyway, best of luck on your awsome Willys coupe!! Sorry for the rant-
What's the story on this car? I don't think the rear wheelwells were radiused to fit a set of Supertricks. There's about a hundred things "I" would change, but it is cool as hell and probably worth what she's asking.
Thanks for the pics!... And like they say a pic is worth a thousand words! Interesting find, I'am not going to nit pic on wether the bumpers or hood ornament are wrong or the workmanship of the build. It is what it is and it's a TITLED STEEL 1940 WILLYS COUPE! That being said, yes todays economy is soft and it is a buyers market. It really depends on how long she wants to sit on this for her price. If it was nationally advertised she could get her price but it could take some time. For a fast sell anything over 50 large would be good for the seller & buyer!
I don't equate any car as a Barn Find if it has parts on it that are newer than 25 years. The Demon carb on the Willy's is probably less than 5 years old. Now, here is a real barn find. License plates on it are Ohio 1973...and it is in a real barn..on a real farm..
What he said. ^^^^^^^^ Change a few things and drive the hell out of it. '32 Ford stuff has become gold these days, but not like steel Willy's coupes. Unobtainium!
I don't think she's way off at $65,000.00. She might have to throw in all of the spare parts at that price. I saw a glass (nothing original) with a BBC sell for $45,000.00 last year. You can always drop the price if it doesn't sell, but I'll bet it'll sell for pretty close to that. Larry T
if you want it for a decent price get your bucks squared away and wait because this week if anyone pulls loose 50k for that let them have it. looking at vehicles for future investments has to be viewed much different with the current financial crisis that is going on. a little beter than a 401K this week but not by much.
To start, I love all willys. I agree with weasel on his post. 65k may be hard to get right now but it is a steel 40 body and the right buyer is out there. Good luck !
It's a neat car, but are you sure it's steel? Firewall sure looks fiberglass, inside and out. Larry T
dash and c pillars are rear deal 1940, gas filler neck and rear bumper braces exit in the body. this is also real deal.
Sounds good enough to me. Firewall just looked slick and moulded on the outside. And smooth, slick and funny colored for steel on the inside. Larry T
I think this was some cowboys rendition of trying to hack up a steel body and making It look like glass.kinda like them guys who take a rare car and paint It bright purple and add a bright pink stripe down the side to have they're wife Involved In the build.woulda been better off just having the gal go buy some new panties or something.
The coupe is a 40 with a 41 center section and repop headlights, grille, rear bumper and 2 inch wider than stock rear fenders. The center section bare steel looks like the 40 with the center divider broken out. Value in todays market I say 45 grand running with no extra parts.
Cool car but I dont think it qualifies as a "barn find " lol.. But what ever I got a chuckle out of it and I got to see a cool willies .
The 'barn find' moniker was kind of a joke, albeit a bad one! It had only been in the garage for 4 years. I posted the previous thread for explanation. It was an ex-drag car from the 60's. Don had done the best he could to turn it into a street driven hot rod. Everyone has their opinions on how a car should be built. Don built it his way. I spoke to Sharon today and she's still asking $65k although she may take a little less. I relayed all the opinions I got here along with current Willys prices on Ebay and other research I did. My advice to Sharon is to sit and wait. She's in no hurry to sell it and when/if the economy begins to take off, we can list it then. The main thing is I got it running and stored properly. Cleaned up her garage too! She doesn't get many visitors and she was very happy to have us over for a few days. My wife and I had a good time visiting so all in all it was a win/win situation for everybody! I want to thank everyone for their input. We gleaned some valuable information!
I'll give 35k right now. I'll be broke and have a hell of a time getting it to North Carolina, but see if she'll take it? Thanks.
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