History The Planets Align & I Buy a '41 Willys Coupe: Can you help track its racing history?

Sent ya a pm. His last known address is blocks from my shop.

 

Olds and Lasalle, go for it

 

What a great update on its past.
Al.


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Brian,
2 of my Florida buddies/neighbors are X-Drag Racers from the Twin Cities track, I'll talk with them and see if we can come up with anymore information for ya.
Glenn

 

Tried to send a pm but it was full.. I have a phone number for you..


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Sweet deal on all the info coming in, lucky dog

 

That is great that you found the history of your car.

 

Not only did the planets align but also the stars align as well Great history there. It would cool to track down the old photo's and possibly "The Rest of the Story"

Yes sir but trade for a good 394 and punch it out to 418

 

So glad that some history is turning up on the car. It's just a matter of time before the photos start to turn up. Start looking through old Drag Racing weekly magazines from that area for race results. Merry Christmas! Bob

 

Congrats on the news. Lots of history turning up this week.

 

Here's Larry Shipshock's Prefect in 1969 or 1970 at Minnesota Dragways.

Sorry, I don't recall ever seeing his Willys even though I started going to the drag strip in 1957.

 

Bob, that's a great photo...thanks!

The info I have is that the Willys was raced only in the late '50s, and very early '60s. It wasn't a very flashy car, from what I can tell...so it may have been easy to overlook.

 

So, when are you gonna start on it?

 

ditto ! Brian, great news on the history of the car... keep the updates coming... how's the wrist doing Hitchhiker?

 

It's mine and I want it back...lol you are way too lucky! I know its in good hands and I can't wait to see it it running I also like the idea of a blown 392! Wow! Lucky...

 

Great history Brian! The olds was meant to be!

 

Thats awesome, I hope you decide to stick that olds in there

 

The olds would be a great choice also! Either way its a very kool piece I kinda think the car found u?

 

glad u have info on the car--

 

That's fantastic.

So now the big question... how do you build it knowing this info?

Try to restore it?
Go your own way with it?
Some combination of the two?

Tough boat to be in. The historical cars are so awesome, but then what if it's history doesn't jive with what you have had in your head for 20+ years, if you ever were lucky enough to own a Willys coupe?

 

I'm fairly certain that's about to change forever...!

 

I was just thinking the same thing. It would be easy to over restore the car.

 

all in all, pretty cool read,and i dig the car.........

 

Yes sir!
I agree

 

That's AWESOME!!!

 

Brian very nice find. Here is a couple of pages from March 1960 I just happen to be looking at. This car was in TX

 

congrats Brian! when I saw ya on TV I bout fell over. Like you Ive wanted a Willys for a long time! your skills will serve this car well, looking forward to progress

 

I say just build it the way you want and create your own history. Blown Olds has my vote. The cool factor is off the charts with that combo. Can't ya just see it written on the hoodtop" Blown 394 Olds". Gotta nice ring to it.

 

And you can see it in action here.
http://youtu.be/5LaF0P27h9s

 

There was a guy named Henry that had a coupe for sale this past summer, in the MSRA Line Chaser want ads. It was cheap by today's standards, but none of us locally could reach him about the ad, so we didn't know if it was for real, or if it sold, where it went!
Is it the same car??? If so, I saw it about thirty years ago, soon after Henry got it. That was back when they were cheap. Don't know anything about Shipshock, but I will ask a couple people from this area (but I did have a '40 coupe at the Minnesota tracks during the early and mid '60's, coming down on weekends from the Duluth area). None of us from that era ever thought those cars were worth much...boy, were we wrong!!!
I never lost my love for them however, and still have a couple. Life is good!!!
g-willys