Hot Rods The Ultimate Willys Gasser Thread

Southern Wisconsin car. This steel Willys is amazing!! Has great 1960's racing history. It's full of great parts.

 

Getting ready for battle…

 

Is this Junior Thompson before it got lettered?

 

Yes I’m pretty sure that it is.

QUOTE="loveoftiki, post: 14464369, member: 22387"]Getting ready for battle…
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I was thinking that or maybe the Capitol Speed Shop Willys.

 

@Speed Gems, compare at the wheels and the scoop in the pictures.

 

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Junior Thompson late 1960 early 1961. Lions Dragstrip pits

Hello,

The photos are of Junior Thompson and no other. The Willys Coupe was a So Cal legend for many years after his record setting 1941 Studebaker sedan. But, in late 1960 early 1961, he no longer used the heavy 41 Studebaker sedan for competition as the weight was a limiting factor. Even though it beat most competitors in the Gas Coupe and Sedan class. It was competitive until the changeover was made to the Willys Coupe.
The real 1959 sound of the centrifugal supercharged SBC motor and shifting...

3475 lbs down to 2100 or 2400 lbs should make a difference and it did...


Jnaki

He ran the Willys Coupe from 1961 to 65+, held a bunch of C/Gas and then B/Gas Class records. Then things got strange in the Gas Coupe and Sedan classes, even for Jr. Thompson. No more Willys coupes…

But, at Lion's Dragstip, he was still setting records in the B/Gas class...

 

@jnaki, that Studebaker Sedan was very fast for its day and it’s fun to watch when he shifts it. Here is another picture that I believe to be the Jr Thompson Willys. The rear wheels match the other photos.

 

Hey EG71,

Yes, nice photos of that time period. They saw the next phase of the Gas Coupe and Sedan class. With their skill and knowledge, that 41 Willys Coupe became another B/Gas record holder. In late 1960, they had the 41 Willys Coupe hitting top speeds and low e.t. around So Cal. Isky cam had an ad in a late 1960 advertisement showcasing the Willys Coupe.

My brother and I were still in the phasing out period during the 1961 and on years of Westcoast drag racing. The changes made to those 41 Willys coupes were to make them go faster. Our Willys was getting into the next phase at the end of the 1960 summer.
1960
We had already ordered two port Hilborn Injectors, 10 wide M&H slicks, and Halibrand Mag Wheels to fit all around. Those parts were sitting in our Los Angeles friend’s warehouse ready for us to pick up. It was to be our faster phase and surprise for the trip back to the 1960 U.S. Nationals in Detroit. The week of August 13 put a stop to that future phase.

Jnaki
Things were changing fast in the fall/winter of 1960-early 61.

By the time Jr. Thompson’s change over came around, others were doing the same. Doug Cook also did not race his 1937 Chevy, instead got a 41 Willys. But, the quickness in the driver’s reaction is the same in both cases. So, the weight savings does play a big part of speed. Let alone new technology.
prior to SWC

 

I really like this one. Show and go

 

@Speed Gems, Is that the Stone Woods and Cook, Dark Horse before it was lettered? Correction, I should have said Black Widow.

 

Yep!

 

I thought that the Dark Horse was a 33, and this is the Swindler A, Black Widow?

 

You are correct

 

Thanks for the correction. Now that I think more about it you are both correct.