Projects Gene (Moonlighter) Cromer's A/G Willys Resurrection

It was great seeing Gene today at J.Ed Horton's B-B-Q. It has probably been over 40 years. One of the main topics there was the restoration of his Willys. There were many other geezers present who remember seeing it run.

 

It was great to meet you Frank maybe we will see more of each other in the future. I had to leave Horton's around 3 o clock I had some where else to go but I had a blast. I'm glad every body is into this rebuild that's what will help keep us going. Keep cheering us on

 

We are waiting and ready to see some pictures or video whenever you have them to share with us all.
I'm excited for you guys, this is so cool.

 

I hope Darren get the pix's and video ready soon I want to see them also. Get on it Darren I'm going into DT's

 

Glad I finally got to met you Quain,,HRP

 

I enjoyed our visit Wish we would have had more time but I had to leave after the crackle car hope to see you again soon. Maybe you can come to our gasser race November 17 at Greer Cromer will be there and several other of our hero's.

 

i'm coming up there. i want to meet yall.

 

Come on we'll do some gasser talking, remind me that we have talked on here.

 

i'm the guy that lettered marty's hundly and boggs car.

 

Sorry for the dealy folks but life is crazy on my end right now. Anyway, here is a link to a video of Quain, and some of Gene's family, bringing the Moonlighter body out of storage. Be patient with me, I've got more to come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7rizys2TH4&list=UUOU7Ju_FGqx2el7GGr2ppVg&index=1&feature=plcp

Daron

 

Thank's Darren it was worth the wait. Looking forward to the other pix's and video's. It sure was good to see Gene's family and friend's there helping and supporting this project. That was Gene Cromer him self taking pix's as the body was coming out of the building.

 

i'll be following this one.

 

Here's a few shots from that day. More to come later.
Daron

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Good job as always with the pix's Darren. That last pix is classic with Gene and his wife Ruth looking at the moonlighter

 

It took awhile but I finally found the pictures I thought I had. This was Shuffletown in '67 when Tom Ferrell booked in a match race between Fred Hurst's 426 Hemi powered Willys vs Gene Cromer's SOHC 427 powered Willys. I remember the place being packed and these pictures back it up. How's this for cheering on the resurrection Quain?

 

Gene has a ton of cool stories to tell. Here is a link to him telling one of those stories.
Daron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQxmDxuQkig&list=UUOU7Ju_FGqx2el7GGr2ppVg&index=1&feature=plcp

 

Both car's in the finals with one driver that's just too cool. Gene has a lot of cool stories I could set and listen to them all day.

 

Cromer is at my shop with the moonlighter today, work should start monday

 

Gene got the Moonlighter to me Monday not much work has got done untill today. I made a road trip with Cromer to pick up some parts that Bogan Renfroe of the Cat Skinner willys gasser from the 60s donated to gene.

 

Another pix of it

 

In the shop with a string down the center to square up off of. Over the years the chassis has gotten bent from all the punishment it has had. I dropped plumb bobs from the points that I knew were square and then ran the string so I could straighten it as much as I could with out hurting the history. I also used it to square the body on the chassis.

 

Here is a sheet metal filler for the wheel tub to rivet to. All this stuff was lost over the years so we are going off of Gene's memory and what few pix's we can find.

 

Another angle of the new filler and a good shot of the original chassis and shock mounts.

 

Quain,,good seeing and watching you run last Saturday,I know Gene is getting pretty pumped up about the Moonlighter being restored. HRP

 

Thank's Hot Rod Wish I would have had more time to hang out with ya'll but I was wide open Sat. I think Gene is ready to make that first pass since 1970 or so in it.

 

Right side wheel well ruffed in. The originals are long gone I used the old rivet holes and the cut out as clues as to the way they were shaped when made in the 60s.

 

Another angle

 

From the tire side

 

It's so great to see Restoration has begun, excellant work Quain.

 

Man! what a thread! .....I'm in!