I would think probably more rare and valuable left stock. As mentioned above, almost all you see are g***ers.
Ditto to that. I just saw a restored one at a gas station in town the other day and made the same remark.
I don't know what year the three are, but none were g***er style. Only the one looked like a driver, but I could be wrong. I'll try to muster the stones to knock on the front door of that skeery house soon. If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll keep you updated. In this economy, they might be up for sale.
Interesting the number of "don't hotrod it" responses, considering where we are. I know it definitely won't be turned into a 'g***er'. It might get a more interesting engine than the stock 4 banger, but probably not much else. It does need some bodywork, so it'll get resprayed at some point, unfortunately. I'll keep ya posted.
Check around, restored Henry Js are worth nothing. I've seen easily 25-30K for a good modified build (including selling mine in 06). G***er style is one very cool way to build a J, but not the only one. You can chop it and slam it and drop in a big block, basically build a head turner that you can drive anywhere and maybe run a quarter mile now and then. Guys, cool it on the restoration talk - this is a hot rod site.
Here are more Henry J's as G***ers and street rods: http://www.marsh-racing.com/willys28.htm http://www.marsh-racing.com/Mark%20Mahorney-Allstate.htm
Yep, I'd be advising restoration too ... at least externally. Can't be too many good originals left. Sure, this is a hot rod site, but that covers a whole lot of different interpretations of the term .... which leads us to radically differing personal opinions. Personally, I wouldn't walk across the street to look at a "g***er" anything! As far as "slamming" it, WTF's up with all that? Seems like everything has to be sitting on the ground to be kewl. **** just looks broken to me. Anyway, my rant is over for the moment. Great find, hope you build it however you want and enjoy the hell out of it!
I have a project HJ Check these links: http://henryjpage.homestead.com/TheHenryJpage.html http://kaiserbill.com/
Quote: Personally, I wouldn't walk across the street to look at a "g***er" anything! As far as "slamming" it, WTF's up with all that? Seems like everything has to be sitting on the ground to be kewl. **** just looks broken to me. I was just offering up some options for the guy Stock restored HenryJ = BORING
I side with the guys who say this one's too good not to restore, regardless of resale value. But, hell, I only one vote. You found it -- your decision. The J is such a wierd car (for its time), it's eye-catchingly cool nowadays. They came with a choice of two different engines, and if memory serves me, they were both Willys motors, bought by Henry Kaiser (who, soon, OWNED Willys!). If you need a 226 Super Hurricane core to rebuild and drop in there, I know where there's a '55-'58 W/O wagon in a junkyard here in central Ohio. Incidentally, I think some versions of the Muntz Jet, Kaiser Darrin and Edwards America were built on Henry J ch***is. The cool Darrin sports car, unfortunately, was also cursed with the Henry J engine! Bad timing there, given that the early Corvettes were graduating to SBC V-8s !!! -- Jimi'sHemi291
BTW, yeah, HAMBERS are rodders and customizers, but we we ALL like what works. When a concept jells, you get guys coing up to you and saying, "Now that's cool." If something just doesn't work, well, time to rethink it and head back to the garage. Anyway, THAT is what's cool about the hobby: CAN YOU THINK OF ANY OTHER AREA OF EXPRESSION (OTHER THAN, MAYBE MODERN ART) WHERE YOU SEE SO MUCH ORIGINALITY AND CREATIVITY? Seeing new concepts and ideas rendered in iron and paint is one thing that keeps drawing me back to car shows and rod runs. I love originals, cl***ic rods, new rods & customs . . . there's room for everybody in this hobby, and that is what makes it cool! -- Jimi'sHemi291
http://www.henryjcars.com/henryjlinkpage.html Here's a bunch of Henry J links for ya. I'm working on a 52 and wish it was in as good a shape as yours.
They did sell them through the Sears Catalog under the Allstate name, same car. I work for Allstate, we have one in a museum at out home office in Chicago. Very cool little cars, I have always wanted one. I am not big on g***ers, but that is just my personal preference, we all have our own. It would make a cool little mild custom. There was a red one in a magazine about a year ago, very simple and VERY cool.
Hilborn, offy 6x2 or the 2x4 i shall be given next week.... Take your pick... Make a rat rod outta it, Kevin would!
Now that's a fine looking car, and a pretty good example of what I meant when I said "externally restored". *** end is nice and low, looks cool. Front end is in the gravel, definitely looks broken to me. If ya can't drive it that way, then to me that aspect of it is fake, same as a four barrel hiding under a phony blower casing. Sure, the children all marvel, while the adults probably just shake their heads and chuckle. A while back someone was commenting on another thread that they could "lay frame" on their car with all four tires on 1" blocks! So in effect they could make their own ditch if they wanted, I guess. Seemed to be really thrilled at the accomplishment, and had probably spent beaucoup bucks to achieve it. Again, WTF? Different strokes I guess. It's all good. (Actually that's another ******** statement, but seems like the polite thing to say.)
Well, I don't know about the front bumper lying in the gravel, but the rest of that car looks great. That's probably the sort of style I'm hoping I'll be able to steer my father towards... I hate the term, but resto-rod comes to mind. He tends to get excited about some streetrods, so I'll be working on him to try to avoid the tweed interior and billet I really appreciate all the info and opinions, I'll be posting more photos and asking more dumb questions as things progress.
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