Projects What is your take on a fibreglass 1941 willys?

Nailed it Kelly! HRP

 

This is the only STOCK one I have ever seen. Seen many original,steel ones,but not stock ones.
Bonneville 2010.

 

Wow! Thanks for the advice and support! I agree with all that have said that the main reason is to have fun and drive the wheels off of it. That is what I do. That is what I am into. I guess that I am definatley heading towards a glass car.

It would be nice to own a real one but. I really can't justify spending the money on that. I am not made of money and never will be and I am ok with that. I honesty have other things that I would spend 80-100K on (education fund for my daughter, paying off the mortgage, you get the idea...) I definately appreciate the ideas and support and ideas on this one fellas.
Jay

 

Jay:
I think you should build a big,nasty,scary Willys....and sell that stinky old Chevy to me....you don't really want a '55 anyway,do you...? lol

Scott



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Is glass really totally out of the scope of a traditional build? Glass bodies go back a long way. Charlie Hills dirty 30 33 Willys is a good example, it was built from a glass Truckster body

 

I think there are 2 metal cars on ebay now n 1 truck. Not so expensive.

My second project is a 34 Dodge (glass). I dont see anything wrong with it, just dont expect to get top dollar if you sell it.

 

Not expensive......yet.
Just wait til bidding closes and see what they go for...

Scott


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This car looked good and was a crowd pleaser. The guy said he drives it almost daily. (Jasper, AL Cruise In October 19th, 2013)

 

That is the struggle right now! lolol
Jay

 

Here's a picture of the plastic car my dad built and races with a 4 speed. Tons of fun and looks the part half the price of metal

 

Last March at the Hot Rod Magazine Anniversary bash at Pomona, our '56 was "pitted" next to the orange Silly Willy Sedan of Don Waldron from Rods West. We were talking about my brothers glass 41, and I mentioned how much car we got compared to what we would have for the same money on a steel car. Don said, "you know Ric, steel is cool, but the truth is, back in the day, if there would have been a glass body available, and it was allowed in our particular class, we would have had one. The fact that these cars cost an average of $575.00 new, makes it pretty hard to swallow what ones worth today. Not everyone isd an ace fabricator/welder, and not everyone has the money to pay one for the work either. I'm just happy you want a Willys, and not a fake GT40 mounted on a Volkswagon pan! Ha ha ha! Ours is an American Sports Car body. Its pretty nice, but this one is thick (1/2"+)Thick. The story is the original builder was building a 40 Ford Gasser. One day he drives his 18 wheeler by a place that has glass Willys bodies sitting outside. He stops, investigates, and buys a body, so ours is mounted on a reinforced 40 Ford frame, iron blown gas 392 Hemi, iron case Super T10, 4.10 geared 9" ford with iron center section, 20 gallon fuel tank, power windows a mild steel cage, and a bench seat. This dude weighs 3620lbs!, with my 185 lb. brother in the seat. The 392 is very mild, .030 over, stock stroke, non ported heads, an old Isky 505 flat tappet, 9.0:1 with a Dyers 671 @ 1.1 and twin 750 Holley's, and it still hauls ass! When you see it, its a 41 Willys, when drive it, its a 41 Willys, and its an absolute blast, hell come out to California and see for yourself. My only complaints.., the original builder left the engine placement a bit forward to calm the wheelies down (it didn't work), but the extra leg room is nice. We really like stock Willys dashes and the glass cars just aren't the same, and on our car the back of the hood needs to be extended back 1 1/2-2" to fit up next to the windshield properly. Other than that, we're very happy with it.

 

I built a fiberglass 41 willys (Atlanta Rods body),traded into it, four or five guys had started on it and gave up, it took about a year to finish it. My intentions were to build a traditional gasser that wouldn't break the bank but that I could take to the dragstrip and yank around. Iwanted a light car that wouldn't take alot of motor to go fastand the glass car fit the bill. Small block chevy, four speed and dana rear . Words can't discribe how much fun Ive had with this car and how much attention it draws at nostalgia events. Ask Don Moyer his opinion on this I think you know mine

 

That sounds like a hoot Ric.Your motor combo is almost exactly what I'm building for my coupe.
What's the rpm range like on that 505?

Scott


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Following up on my earlier suggestion about building a coupe from an low cost original sedan here's one being done in the U.K. from Lee Kay's steel coupe panels....

 

You know it has to be expensive if no one will quote a price.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

Pulls hard to 6500. At 1.1 on the blower its pretty zesty, and its got stock rods, so were already pushing it I think. It sounds really good though, you'd swear it had a decent size roller in it.

 

That's perfect Ric.I was planning to run around 8.5:1 static comp,and make the bulk of my power with boost,by running the blower straight up.
Looks like I was on the right track!

Scott


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55gasserkid, I like most of the other guys think you should build what you want that fits within the ( Hobby ) budget. You ask for opinions. Here is my take. Anybody that brings up the Fiberglass versus Steel is real subject will fall into one of two spots. (1) Does not have a car, steel or Fiberglass or (2) is a jerk & a bore. I will probably not get this Mark Twain quote perfect but you will get the basic thought anyway. " Twenty years from now you will talk more about what you didn't do much more than what you have done". When you get your Fiberglass Willys project started do a build thread and share it with us. Take care and be safe.

 

This Willys sure looks like a lot of fun to me. The right paint( or primer),maybe a set of steel repro door hinges, cut the rear fender openings larger, and it'd be hard to tell from the "real thing". I'm building a 32 glass 5W that I wish was steel, but I'll build the whole car for less than the cost of a decent body at todays prices. And Willys prices have gone crazy.

 

I couldn't agree with you more.



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That Willys looks good!
I have some steel cars, and trucks, and always thought that Glass just was not real enough.
My wife found an ad for a Glass 32 3 window and told me to go look at it.
Turned out to be a very nice build, not quite HAMB friendly but the fun driving it is VERY real!
I now have a broader horizon on what might be a real nice and fun car to have and to drive.
What ever you decide, good luck with it.
Oh, and if the 55 comes up for sale, please PM me.

 

I'd don't really have a horse in this race but wanna be an ass and throw my two cents in....

To anti-glass folks....
Is a fiberglass body any less "real" than a steel body that was so rusted, dented, and full of bullet holes that the builder had to remake everything except that one corner of the b-pillar?

Just a thought that popped in my head while reading some of the posts in this thread.

I'm very happy that the OP is doing as he wishes.

 

I was going to make the same comment yesterday,when I saw the sedan to coupe conversion,while I think that's neat how is that any better than a glass car?I watched a willys go on it's roof at Englishtown and slide for a while about 7 - 10 years ago, don't remember if it was glass or steel but if it was glass it's a lot easier to put back together, and with every removable part glass anyway what difference does it really make.

 

Tailpan area is hopelessly inaccurate on this one as are most of the glass bodies and the molded in quarter panels to rockers, the too sharply peaked front fenders and the generic dash are always a dead giveaway. Best one is from Ronnie Sandifer at Hillside Street Rods but it's $14k. Now you add the cost of the frame and all the other parts you are going to need - trim grille, headlights, door handles etc. Then of course you have to title it - special construction usually has several hoops to jump through and maybe the steel sedan conversion where you get everything in the deal and no titling hassles is not such a bad idea. And try selling a glass car versus selling a steel car. All I am saying is that you make your own choice but there are options and consider what you save going in you may well lose getting out....

 

I wasn't at all knocking the steel conversion, I think it's great if you want a steel car to be able to get something like that,but by the time you find a decent sedan (they're not that cheap ) and buy that clip, and then do it, you are still talking a small fortune.What does that rear clip go for? If you want a steel car that sure is a good option,but for me I am building a gasser that I may take out 4 or 5 times a year I'll work with what I have.

 

hi i have a steel willys car.the fiberglass willys look bigger than.the rear steel ones.my car need work.but its a steel one.my car picts are in my profile.

 

For someone who "don't give a rats ass who approves.", you sure spend a lot of time defending glass.

 

So true when you look at it like that! Thanks man.
Jay

 

Will do man! I have been thinking about selling over the last 24 hours to fund my willys project.
Jay

 

I have seen No issue's with selling the Glass cars and trucks we build , In fact I think you would be surprised at the amount of Glass Willys we have built this year alone and have four more on the schedule booked into next year, Everyone we build is to the customers dream of how he wants the car, If he wants the stock body lines in it and the tail panel to look original we would do it for them, It's childs play when it comes to glass to make those changes ,We have stretched them, widened them and chopped em ,you name it we've probably done it, And to this day I have never had anyone ask me about making the tailpan like the original or adding a false rocker bottom.

If I thought it would help the look of the car and help market more of them I would have added the lines to the molds a long time ago.

Scott