Projects My Willys Gas Coupe build

looks great ! looking forward to more updates!!!

 

Great start Langy. Way to think out of the box. I think that frame will look perfect under that Willys. Also I love the frame jig. Keep up the good work as usual.

 

Nothing like just jumping in there and getting the backbone taken care of. Looking forward to updates.

 

I know your work first hand, Langy, and I don't care if this is your first Willys as I know it will be first rate I'm sure! Looking to make a trip across the pond for a visit - don't know when as yet but I'll keep you posted when actual dates come available.

 

Thanks mate, I will try not to let you down.

 

I don't have any problem with glass cars at all, over here in england the scene would be fairly small without them, I try and make them look less glass by putting in original details, There are a lot of glass pnels around on the Willys so it might save me some work on this one

 

Thanks for the vibes mate, its appreciated.

 

Good to hear mate, you may like this one.

 

Will post them as i progress but it maybe slow in places as priority is going on my 26T build, cheers.

 

Thanks for the thumbs up mate.

 

Thanks Tinman.

 

That would be brilliant Tom, will be great to see you, I have lots of stuff to show you, any idea when ??? I'm getting excited already !!!
I hope you will find time to stay with us for a few days.

 

cool build

 

Guys i've been thinking about tyres, i've got a set of Ansens 4.5" front and 8.5" or 10" rears, all 15", what sort of sizes did they run back in the old days ???

 

What you have should work really well. The 8.5" rears would have been pretty common in the 60's, the 10" rears more so in the late 60's and early 70's as tires got better and wider.

 

Yep i'm happy with the wheels but it was more the tyre info i was after, any idea's ???

 

I would suggest 8.20 15 for the rear and 5.00 or 5.50 15 for the front.

 

Any particular make Kev, i like your fronts with the whitewall, they are cool.

I have 820 firestones on another of my cars but the actual thread area on an 8" rim looks a little narrow ???

 

Well its like the old days at the moment as i'm having to work on it on the drive, at least the sun is out

Finished the rear part of the centre crossmember & welded on some of the body mounting tabs.








Got the wheels out of the lockup last night and removed the spinners as i won't be using them and found that someone had drilled the wheels to bolt on the spinner plate , Not too much of a problem but i hadn't noticed it before, I will TIG the holes up later, heres one of the 8.5" rears, The radials will be going soon.








Set it all up on the drive to get an idea of height, Its high at the moment but I put 3 x 200lb mates on it earlier and it dropped to a nice height.
The Cadillac 500 is 625lbs but with an aluminium intake & headers is more like 580lbs so not too far off.
Put the steering arms on and I remembered i had made a stainless tierod for someone a whie back and they had never collected it so tried it for fit, It was 3/4" to long so i put it in the lathe and shortened it, Fits a treat now








Hopefully i will get the 9" rear mounted tomorrow evening and the night after get the motor in place.

 

Personally I don't like whitewalls on a gasser. I have seen plenty of old gasser pics where the car had whitewalls but many more without and I think they look alot better without.

My front tires are BF Goodrich, available from Coker. Hurst or M&H would be my choice for the rear.

 

Hi: Well I finally caught one of you foreign guys measuring something in inches .
It happened to be your caliper checking out the spindles !!!! You just got busted by a Yank !!! HA - HA P.S. Keep up the good work.

 

Hi Bryan, I do most of my measuring in inches, i'm not a metric guy really.

 

Your too kind, thanks

 

One of the best posts we have had in a while !!!! This is real "Hot Rod "
building. We will all learn a lot from this build !!!! Keep up the good work and posting.

 

usually I find these builds when it is too late and almost finished. Happy to find this one early! Don't worry about the fitting issues, most of the early glass parts didn't fit that well anyways...I like the direction you are going, like others, can't wait for your updates! The taxi frame and axle are very cool too!

Don

 

Steve - that taxi chassis looks better every time I see it - suprised that you are the first to see the potential - it should be a British Rodding staple. I have confirmed that the later (and very common and cheap) FX4 is the same but modified for IFS.

BTW - I'm pretty sure that your Willys body could be mounted on a 2CV chassis ;-)

 

Never Geoff

 

Thanks Lawman, This has to be a project built from cast off bits and ingenuity as all my money has gone elsewhere

i'm pleased to see it welcomed here, I did wonder about posting it as its a glass car.

 

Thanks Don, I appreciate your comments.

 

Langy, You are so welcome my friend. Good to see people in the "same Boat" as us ref to money!!!!! LOL My next car I hope will be a "Glass" 34 Ford.Keep posting as this is a great site and lots of great Guys and Gals.