Vehicle Description
Beautiful pro-built Willys coupe. Outlaw body, custom chassis. 325
cubic inch HEMI, TH400 with Gear Vendors overdrive, cold A/C,
4-wheel disc brakes, Jaguar IRS, and much more! The way Willys rods
should be built!We love the look of this Willys coupe. Compact and
muscular, it shouldn't be a surprise that these were instant
classics and remained popular with hot rodders for decades after
they were built. This particular coupe was professionally built
several years ago using a high-quality Outlaw body on a custom
chassis. Then it was driven for a few years, racking up about
40,000 miles-a testament to the quality of the build. More recently
it was freshened with a LOT of new work, including paint, interior,
and that wonderful line of stainless trim along the flanks-it makes
the car. The usual styling tricks are there, but there's no denying
the Willys DNA-from the split grille to the rounded greenhouse to
the sloping rear deck, the car screams speed. The paint is Ford
Poppy Red and it's in fantastic condition with a deep gloss,
excellent panel fit, and great attention to detail. There's nothing
radical or unusual, not even a set of pinstripes, so it will look
right decades from now. If you're building a Willys coupe, you
could do worse than to use this one as a template.The interior was
recently refinished using cocoa and caramel leather on a set of
bucket seats from a late-model. A custom center console was
fabricated with built-in cupholders and secondary controls for the
wipers, fuel pump, and fans, while the A/C unit was cleverly
stashed behind the seats so you don't give up any legroom. A tilt
column with a custom leather-wrapped wheel frames a set of VDO
gauges in a custom aluminum panel that kind of mirrors the Willys
'W' logo. There's also a column-mounted tach, an air/fuel ratio
monitor, and an AM/FM/Satellite/Bluetooth stereo system, although
we don't believe you'll ever use it. The A/C system is entirely new
and blows ice cold and you'll be surprised by how civilized this
Willys really is. A custom consolette overhead adds an OEM feel and
there are neat storage pouches in the door panels-an old-fashioned
touch. The surprisingly spacious trunk is fully finished with
custom Willys embroidery on the bulkhead, as well as an upholstered
battery box with built-in battery tender. Nice!A lot of guys go
overboard with their Willys builds, stuffing too much motor under
the hood and making them fussy and tough to drive. Not this one! A
1957 Dodge D500 NASCAR HEMI V8 is a great retro choice that fits
perfectly and delivers enough performance to make it entertaining
but it never gets fussy. The 325 cubic inch mill is fitted with a
set of Ross 8.5:1 pistons, stainless valves, adjustable rockers,
and a balanced bottom end. It wears a pair of 4-barrel carbs up
top, properly tuned so that the engine lights off quickly and idles
nicely, even when it's cold. Electronic ignition certainly helps,
and you'll note that this is definitely built to drive with a giant
Griffin aluminum radiator up front and careful attention to making
sure everything works properly. Service access is decent, which we
can't say about some of the mountain motors we've seen in these
cars, and everyone digs that little HEMI when they see the famous
valve covers. Heck, just check out the hood prop, which was made by
welding a pair of camshafts together-too cool! Underneath there's a
fabricated Outlaw chassis supported by a custom Heidt's A-arm front
suspension, Carrera coil-overs, and rack-and-pinion steering. The
transmission is a GM TH400 3-speed automatic augmented with a Gear
Vendors overdrive unit, so this thing is a fantastic long-distance
cruiser. In back there's a Jaguar independent rear end with Koni
and Aldan shocks, inboard disc brakes and 3.73 gears, making it
quick around town and giving it a surprisingly supple ride. The
exhaust system is simple with glasspack-style mufflers, so it
sounds suitably vintage without being too annoying on the road.
Yes, there are some signs of use, but that also means this thing is
fully sorted, bulletproof reliable, and ready to hit the road at a
moment's notice. The stance is perfect, crouching low over polished
Torque Thrust wheels and staggered 205/60/15 front and 255/60/15
rear performance radials. Documentation is extensive, including
build receipts, Outlaw certificate of authenticity, and manuals for
all the various components that went into the build.We've sold a
number of Willys rods recently, but this one seems to nail the
perfect blend of performance and comfort that most rodders want out
of their cars. It has the right look, a nostalgic powerplant, and
all the modern conveniences that make it easy to live with. Sure,
there are mountain motors that you can stuff in there, but we can
almost guarantee none will make you happy like the little HEMI in
this beautifully built Willys. Call today!NOTE: This car is titled
as a 1940 Willys Coupe.Harwood Motors always recommends and
welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our
inventory prior to purchase.
