So I'm 27 now, almost 28 and about 15 years ago I had one of those moments every car guy dreams of. The old man was always into cars and I was just as addicted then as I am now. Anyways... before gas was outrageous we used to cruise the country side and dad and I would look for hidden treasures in barns, sheds, or resting out in the fields. Well as we were driving on the outskirts on Johnstown, PA (about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh) out of the corner of my eye I see a blue 40/41 Willys coupe just sitting next to a shed with weeds growing up the sides. I ask dad if he sees it and he says, "no". I convince him that he needs to turn around immediately and check it out. So we turn around in the next clearing, head back and sure enough there it is... faded blue paint, straight axle, old rusty Cragars, glass front end, and either a big block Caddy or Olds engine (I forget now). Well to make a long story short the car was not for sale at the time. Well as soon as I was old enough to get my license I drove back there myself to see if it was still there and you can obviously guess the answer to that... NO. Anyways... being a car guy, I always wondered what happened to that car. I'm positive that the car isn't in the same location as it was 15 years ago because that family has moved away. I don't remember how hard my dad tried to buy that car, but I wish I would be given another opportunity like that today when I have my own money! Is this car in someones garage now looking to be brought back on the road? Has it already been restored and terrorizing the streets? Or do I still have the chance to find this hidden gem!?
Well I certainly can't answer any of your questions. it could be that is wasn't ment to be. Unless that one was majic I would probably look for another there wasn't a lot of difference between one willys coupe and another.
We picked this up in New Hampshire last summer. I don't think the car was ever in P.A. It sat here for 20 years. Gasser Girl
I normally only lurk and don't post on the HAMB because my Son is a member here and since it is the only forum he frequents I leave him have his space without the old man embarassing him. Also, don't take offense at my RR user name, I don't build rats, but used that name so I could lurk without him finding out I was here. But I thought I could shed some light on what possibly may be the same Willys. In about 1969 I lived in that area ( Donora, Pa) and was building a 32 Ford roadster pickup. I was about 24 at the time. A kid kept hanging around my garage while I was working and he kept telling me he knew of a junkyard where there were "tons of old cars, just like mine." I kept discounting what he was saying as he was only about 12 and didn't know much about cars, so I figured he just thought they were old cars, but were actually not. He kept telling me this story, so one day when I had some time we jumped in my car and drove to this "old car junkyard". It was in Johnstown, Pa. When we got there we had to climb through a hole in a wooden fence because the junkyard had been closed for a lot of years. What we found was exactly what the kid had described...........lots of cars from the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's, just sitting there as if time had stopped. We looked around at all the cars for a while and then he told me there were more in the building. We got in and there were a lot more cars sitting there, and since that was over 40 years ago I forget what all they were. However, I distinctly remember one car, a 40-ish Willys coupe, ex drag car. I was blue, and I think had a primered flip front end on it. Typical gasser stance with mags, slicks, and no engine. But I was building my 32 with an Olds engine and remember one sitting near the Willys, so that might have been the engine for it. We left, and a year or so later I was curious and drove back to that spot and everything was gone.............the cars, the building, all leveled. I spoke to a guy who lived next door and he told me the owner of the yard had died some time before and his kids sold off the property. He told me they brought in flat bed trailer truck after flat bed trailer truck and for a week hauled off cars to be crushed. I still get sick thinking about it. But the point is, if that is the same gasser someone may have realized the value of it and sold it independantly. I hope so, and hope it still survives. It seems possible as the locale and description seem very similar. Now I have to sneak out of here before I'm detected. Don
Great story, Don. Sad one though. Just another reason why we should always follow up on a lead about "old cars" even if we doubt the veracity of the info or the credibility of the person. Hope at least that Willys survived. I suppose we can forgive you the user name you've chosen......Don.
I take it you're talking about this car? Lots more photos from the same yard here: http://www.ozrodders.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=24486&hilit=jesus
HYPORX... actually I'm not, but I'm pretty sure I know where that one is too. Do you know the owner? If it's the same car I'm thinking of, I would love to see that guys property... tons of old tin sitting around.
Hey travj31, Yeppers,I know how you feel? I saw a derelict Stude truck sitting,made a deal for it and the Hyndman flood proceeded to turn it into surfboards and it was gone. PM sent...
Sorry for the slight delay... There's a great story and tons of photos from this yard here: http://www.ozrodders.com/forum/viewt...86&hilit=jesus
The Jalopy Journal
