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Seeing top-notch street rods come through our RK Motors Charlotte showroom never gets old. But when we get a custom car thats constructed around a cohesive theme, we know were seeing something special and we ALWAYS take the time to appreciate every little detail of its build. After all, it not like were talking about some horribly named, extravagantly colored paint and body package thats as offensive as it is intriguing; were talking about a car that was planned, researched, tweaked and detailed from its inception to be so true to an idea or time period that youll need an expert to deny its authenticity. Built to be as close to an all-steel 60s weekend warrior as possible, this classic 1941 Willys Coupe is a great example of what happens when a stack of original Willys parts, hundreds of hours of correct build techniques and a roster of precisely modeled replica pieces are combined into a world class showpiece thats one of the most true to form fiberglass cars weve ever seen. If youre a discerning street rod buyer whos ready to go big and drop jaws, weve got just the car youve been looking for!
Parked at the front of our colorful showroom in all its subdued red glory, this awesome Willys is one of those cars that takes multiple looks to truly appreciate. Sure its cool; but in the world of modern street rodding, seeing a cool Willys is predictable. And you bet its nice, but in the age of 21st century build techniques, seeing a super nice Willys is expected. Whats not predictable or expected is finding a build where an owner has gone the extra mile, and then some, to both honor what the car originally was and re-create an atmosphere from a specific era in the cars history. That subdued red paint, which is actually a very dynamic factory Ford color that goes by the name Strawberry Metallic, was sprayed on one section at a time and then covered with three layers of clearcoat to ensure both quality and durability. Those carefully formed sections have been detailed to the point that no raw fiberglass is visible from any angle of the car. And that straight and smooth fiberglass was molded, laminated and accessorized to replicate an original Willys as exactly as possible. Today, with roughly 100 miles on its complete build, this one-of-a-kind street rod sits as a fully-sorted throwback to exactly what made these cars so admired and so unforgettable.
The idea was to create a car that looked, performed and drove exactly like a 60s-era racer; and naturally, a concept so specific and so scrutinized could only be achieved with a pile of top notch Willys parts and hours of skilled labor. At the front of the car a familiar chrome grille, which received 80 hours of work prior to being re-chromed, is centered between an authentic chrome bumper and original, red-detailed headlights that come complete with modified reflectors and halogen turn signal bulbs. At the sides of that grille, correctly modeled fiberglass fenders feature correctly ribbed wheel wells. And above that grille a fiberglass hood, which was fabricated out of four pieces to be an exact copy of Willys original steel piece, features authentic stainless trim that terminates at a pristine Americar branded hood ornament. At the top of the car new greenhouse glass, which is cleared by power stainless wipers, rides between labor-intensive, bonded steel drip rails, a custom fabricated, fully-functional hood vent and correct chrome mirrors. Behind that glass, correctly modeled rear fenders hang authentic stainless trim above two more correctly ribbed wheel wells. And just below that glass, lightweight fiberglass doors hang authentic stainless trim between restored door handles and precisely replicated bear claw hinges. At the back of the car, a manual trunk lid centers a pristine chrome tag light above a restored chrome handle. At the edges of that trunk, correct halogen tail lights are bright and fade-free. And at the base of that trunk, an Americar branded bumper perfectly complements spotless stainless exhaust tips. Theres no mistaking a Willys coupe, but as you can tell, this one has an identity all its own thanks to excellent workmanship and a careful attention to detail.
Somewhere along the line, street rodding deities handed down a decree that all Willys must have the largest engines their builders can find. Fortunately, the owner of this car doesnt spend time at the altar of hot rod voodoo and appropriately sourced a 1969 Corvette mill instead. Now, before you start mumbling about outdated technology, bear in mind this isnt just any old small block Chevy. Its a high quality pavement pounder that was fine-tuned to 388 horsepower and 396 ft./lb. of torque by the experts at Maryland Performance in Fredericksburg, Maryland. At the top of the bright red 355, a polished Hilborn electronic fuel injection system mixes air from eight chrome velocity stacks with a steady stream of dino juice that surges through a Mallory regulator, a liquid-filled Marshall gauge and carefully bent stainless lines. At the back of that Hilborn system, youll find an aftermarket points distributor which shoots sparks through custom loomed MSD Super Conductor plug wires. At the sides of that Hilborn system, factory Chevrolet heads hide a Comp cam, Scat connecting rods, TRW forged pistons and roller rocker arms beneath Moon filler caps and chrome Corvette valve covers. At the front of the engine, a custom, speed drilled alternator bracket hangs a chrome Powermaster alternator between a full set of braided hoses, a full set of chrome pulleys and a red detailed flex fan. And at the sides of the engine, traditional fenderwell headers funnel spent gases into a ceramic coated true dual exhaust system thats complete with straight-out side dumps. Aesthetically, the cars tight engine bay is a virtually flawless piece of street rod art which features a correctly duplicated firewall, a correctly formed steel inner nose piece and a correct chrome replica hood prop thats been speed drilled as if it were 1969. And the small blocks workmanship is first-rate with details like completely hidden wiring, early canvas-style wire loom, a custom fabricated throttle system, and a manual oil pressure gauge reinforcing the fact that someone put a whole lot of thought into its build.
That storied small block engine is backed by a proven Borg Warner T10 4-speed transmission which spins power through an awesome checkered driveshaft to a familiar Ford nine inch rear end and stout 3.50 gears. Holding that fully-detailed drivetrain off the ground is an authentic Willys frame that has been boxed, equipped with a new, original-look X-brace, and bolted to the cars fiberglass body via steel mounts that are patterned after original equipment. At the front of that frame an original straight axle, which has been chromed, drilled and shackled to old school leaf springs, hangs a Vega steering box between chrome suspension components and brand new bushings; and at the back of the frame, custom fabricated ladder bars combine with a smooth silver axle and two more leaf springs to provide drag strip worthy launches. That suspension, which has been lowered as much as those stock pieces would allow, bolts up to GM power front disc and Ford rear drum brakes that utilize a dual diaphragm, floor-mounted booster, a vacuum pump and a vacuum reservoir to turn high speeds into drama-free stops ...For more information please call the seller. 
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STOCK/INV. NUMBER:
133113
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