That is the question. I have an old Stone Woods & Cook Willys model kit (1987 reissue) that I have been thinking about building lately and have been looking at lots of pictures online trying to decide which one too build. I bought an old 6 pack of the AMT M&H RACEMASTER slicks but can only find a few pictures of the car with them on it, also which car had the solid aluminum grill? I've seen it on both the black car, from '64 and the light blue car as well.
Like my boss used to say " a tool ain't worth having it it ain't getting used", he said that pretty much about everything. If you ain't using (building) it what's the point of owning it.... ....
@squirrel I didn't want to deal with the chrome on the original kit so I was thinking of building it like this.
Anybody remember what magazine/year this article is from? I have it but want to know where to start looking
Anybody know what's going on with the blower on the first car? I t looks like one has the '58 Ford grill and the other has the solid aluminum grill, but since it's only the front half of the cars I can't tell which is which. 
It looks to me like the supercharger was taken off and the idler pulley is laying on top of the manifold. more than likely as a weight to hold a rag or something to keep dirt out?
I did buy a photo etched grill of Ebay, which I now know comes with the newer kits, but like I say if I did build the kit, I'd probably build it like this.
I'm amazed there isn't a history of the cars documented yet. It should be a book with pictures and recollections. https://www.cartechbooks.com/blogs/techtips/drag-racing-warriors-stone-woods-cook-willys/ https://www.streetmusclemag.com/fea...know-stone-woods-and-cook-1941-willys-gasser/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=904 if you are doing a model, it's probably a good idea to see what has been documented in modelling forums. They tend to dig deep. https://reviews.ipmsusa.org/review/stone-woods-cook-41-willys
There have been many articles written about the history of the car(s), but no book with pictures and no timeline for each car.
Definitely blue, grew up going to the drags with my older brother and Stone, Woods and Cook was blue!
How can you tell if kit is a re-issue? Hate the grill on this version................................
@brigrat The box art on the 1970 version looks way deferent. EDIT: you can buy the photo etched grill online.
I hate the grill so much I will be selling or trading this one off. You would have to redo grill opening and my "building model days" are over!
If, like me, you like the stock oval grill of the Willys than the Elongated opening of this model would have to be dealt with............................
In doing some searching through my old copy of Gasser Wars I didn't even find any mention of SWC until 1961 and then their blown Olds Willys was running B/GS, not A/GS. It wasn't until 1962 that Doug Cook built the 2nd Swindler and it ran 467c.i. blown Olds and A/GS. That car had no chrome in 1962, and had the solid aluminum grille filler. They were Swindler A for the blown Olds, and Swindler B for the B/GS smaller Olds. Surprisingly Swindler A was lighter than Swindler B, and much faster. A the 1963 Winternationals both cars had the '58 Ford grilles in pictures. But in pictures of 1964 Winternationals Swindler A was back with the solid grille filler. Seems SWC couldn't make up their minds, and doubt either grille would be wrong. 1964 unveiled the new Hemi engine for Swindler A and the car was gloss black at the first race with no lettering at all. A month later it was lettered and pictures show the '58 Ford grille again. 1965 the A car was black, and B car was still light blue at Bakersfield. Both with the '58 Ford grilles. In 1966 Swindler A got a dark candy blue paint job. In 1966 Swindler A got a huge rework again. The grille opening became a tiny sit half as tall, fenders got cut off at the bottom to reduce wind drag, headlight removed and just holes left open, and it was painted the lighter blue again. This was the last Willys for SWC and it was strictly a match racer as modifications made it illegal for A/GS. In 1967 SWC unveiled their 1966 Mustang, which was an altered wheelbase, stretched front clip car. Far from anything they'd campaigned before.
Hello, As far as an old model kit, I purchased a model kit of a 58 Impala from a toy store over 50 years ago. It has been involved in plenty of apartment moves, old house moves and currently sits in a nice drawer of our small two car garage. My wife and I used to go to this old toy store in Belmont Shore. They had the best selection of toys and especially old car models. So, I had been looking around for a 58 Chevy Impala model. I wanted to make the last version that I had finished for the real black 58 Impala. Buick Skylark Wire Wheels adapted and modified to look good on Impala. I had Henry’s Machine Shop do the work and it looked rather cool. I had the only 58 Impala in So Cal that had Buick Skylark Wire Wheels, a C&O Stick Hydro and a modified 348 motor that put a solid 290-300 hp to the rear wheels, as shown on a dyno. Then the Skylark Wires were purchased and the hubs and axles were modified. Time for some fast cruising in So Cal. It was a great time for the last rounds of hot rod/drag racing and cruising on the streets before the long grind in college. So, one summer day, my wife and I had a great lunch at Dominico’s Pizza Parlor and wandered around Belmont Shore shops. We (I) purchased the 58 Impala kit and had great plans on getting it together. Well, 50 years later, it is still in wrappers & never opened. It is still in 1967 condition. Back then, my wife did question my purchase of the plastic model. Somehow, she did not know why I still wanted to build model cars. Ha !!! The Impala model kit is still in wrappers, as I am still looking for 1/25 scale Buick Skylark Wire Wheels to make the model into the “custom era” Impala from the 1963 Summer. Once I get those, then the rest will be a concentrated build to the finish. Jnaki This model kit was purchased a couple of years later in the same Belmont Shore toy shop. I wanted to have the lasting memory of our 671 SBC powered 1940 Willys Coupe. There is no specific 1940 Willys model kit, so the closest thing is the 1941 model with the single grille. But, I am looking for the same 1/25 scale 1940 Willys Coupe front end with twin grilles. Presently there are no models with the twin grilles. There is a hard plastic version cast by another modeler, but it is not for me. Why are they still in wrappers? After being called a “hoarder” for storing these away, it is funny that I am still keeping them around for two reasons. I want to finish those two models, but time is slipping away. If and when I find the appropriate parts, then perhaps it will not be a part of the garage drawer hoarding program, but a cool dust catcher sitting on my desk. My brother’s choice of color was to be yellow. Mine at the time was silver. But, the red primer last look of our 40 Willys Coupe is a lasting memory, so, I will break out the red primer spray can one more time. If and when I find the twin grille unit. But, the memory of the last day at Lion’s Dragstrip in August 1960 will probably be the last model made. In memory of the August 1960 elimination runs… Thanks, James... Note: Lion's Dragstrip 1964 “In 1964 the A/GS car was painted black and given a Hemi. It was a terror and set several records. The black car was run for one season, 1964. It was known as the "Black Widow". The car did not get the magazine attention because it was not photogenic in black. Most of the photos you see are B&W…” Thanks... @Joe Troilo In April 1964, the new lighter-weight Willys, informally referred to as Black Widow because of its black paint scheme was fitted with a fiberglass front end as well as various other lightweight components to make the most out of the new rules. Still, the car weighed nearly 1,000 pounds less than Swindler II. on the return road to the tower for the timing slip pickup. I just happened to be at Lion’s Dragstrip in 1964 for the biggest, All Gas Coupe/Sedan Meet. I was invited to film the debut of our friend and fellow Willys builder, Atts Ono. He helped us with our 1940 Willys 671 SBC coupe and now, after years of painstaking work, he was ready to make his own debut. What a meet to make a debut. 1964 Lions SWC single run Every powerful Willys Coupe and/or Sedans/Trucks, made an appearance at Lion’s Dragstrip on that day. These are the only SWC film clips available from that past historic event. So, if and when any model construction begins on those plastic models, at least I will have detailed specs on the Swindler 2 as I was able to see it up close and personal at the grand opening of the original Lion’s Dragstrip museum set up days and event. On opening night in 2017 I was amazed at the interior of the Willys Coupe. Pristine and ready for any encounters on the So Cal dragstrips… It was if time had gone back to the 60s… Mike Cook and friends... a surprise at the end...
I've got about 30 or so kits put back not due to hoarding but waiting for grandsons to get a little bigger. I haven't looked at them in so long I don't even remember what's there. I need to dig them out and start going thru them. My oldest grandson just turned 8 so I'm thinking this coming summer will be his "model building" coming of age year. I used to get real serious when doing models, toothpicks for painting knobs on dashes and wipers. Different colors of thread for plug wires and gas lines. Sand the side trim and emblems off of the trunk and deck lids. Clean the ends of the fenders and "French" the headlights etc. Thin felt for floor mats. Cut pieces of the spruce tree and heat it over open flame and stretch it out to make antennas. Also made custom exhaust out of the trees too. Used straws too to make exhaust. Sand tires so they looked used. On and on, hours into 1 build but never regretted the time I had in them. Then I had 2 or 3 brown paper grocery bags just full of extra parts. Friends would buy those 3 in 1 kits, stock/custom/race, build their kits and then give me the extra parts they didn't use. I always thought I "built" models cars, my friends just "put" them together..... ....
A pic or the ugly frontend on the cover of Gasser Wars Magazine. It appears that it may be chromed ripple pipe. Gary
Hello, When I was roaming around the Original, Lions Dragstrip Museum, I was able to gather a few photos in a rather empty warehouse set up day. As the parts and race cars started arriving, various places in the museum were set aside to display the “goodies.” At the time of the photo, the 1941 Willys Coupe had just been moved to this empty location and had the steering wheel cover to keep the original wheel pristine. Things just need preserving to keep the flame going…!!! Note: The original tubular custom grille front end combination was also on display. The original front end nose clip from the original Willys Coupe “Swindler 2” available as a separate entity. The original hood straps were also sitting there ready for installation. It was on display with a rather rare magazine showing the development of Doug Cook’s history. Anyone with a copy of this magazine? (forgot to take a photo of the cover...) Mike Cook was talking about the build and his part in the recovery. Jnaki Mike Cook and friends... At the grand opening of the original museum floor set up was unique to say the least. The concept was to invite the top racers of the early Lion’s Dragstrip history for a sit down dinner in the huge warehouse. Racers interspersed between or next to industry icons and "famous old drag race cars." The tables were set up all around the center floor area and interspersed between the race cars. A welcome back gathering of sorts… But, two years later, they developed a larger warehouse wing(s) and opened it up to more displays. Gone was the original concept of a historic drag racers gathering… Joe Mailliard Speed Shop was prominent on a lot of drag race cars on the floor. As well as other drag racing displays... If one is building a model or two, the museum is a good place to get details for your own build. YRMV
I want to say someone who was on here, owns the original front end. it was offered for sale when the car was being restored but was too $$$. I could be wrong though.
Screw the box pic, I'd build the candy blue version with the gold lettering. The only version I think of when their name is mentioned and in my opinion the best looking. But I haven't built a model in like 40+ years so my opinion is worth exactly what you just paid for it...
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