Vehicle Description
1941 Willys Coupe
The 1941-1942 Willys Americar was an ordinary but well-built
compact passenger car produced under the presidency of Joseph W.
Frazer, (later of Kaiser-Frazer), and engineered by Barney Roos.
The L-head four-cylinder engine and ladder chassis were
conventional, while the sharp-nosed body styling owed a little to
previous Hudson's and Nashs.
Straying from its original design, but still in keeping with the
theme, we have a gasser version with a fiberglass body and updated
chassis, albeit in project form. This blank slate is ready for you
to put in a massive V8 and a custom interior befitting your taste.
Fire up the garage heater and get the coffee brewing, it's time to
build a gasser!
Please note, this vehicle is sold on a BILL OF SALE ONLY***
Exterior
The entire body is fiberglass from Bad Ass Rods is all in very nice
condition and has been finished in gray primer throughout. Starting
up front are the insets in the fiberglass for the teardrop
headlights and are flanking thetraditional Willys pointy beaked
hood. Nothing has been trimmed out or finish fitted on the body, so
that falls into your capable hands to get the gaps and panel
alignment laser straight. The back of this car has a beautiful line
as it forms the split oval rear window and curvaceous trunk line.
Inside those massive exaggerated but still tastefully shaped
fenders are 14 and 15-inch Centerline wheels that present with some
tarnishing and dirt but should clean up nicely. The rear wheels are
wrapped by giant 29x12.50R15 radials, and the fronts by
185/65R14's.
Interior
A swing of the doors and we are met with a blank canvas of an
interior. Simple plywood for the partial flooring and red
fiberglass for the dash backer. This leaves the frame and rear axle
exposed presently, but you won't keep it that way for long, will
you? A highly polished Ididit steering column that is equipped with
a tilt wheel has been installed and is mounted to square stock
tubing that runs across the fiberglass. No flooring has been
installed in the trunk and we note an insert that will cover the
inside of the tires and become the rear firewall.
Drivetrain
Lifting off the lightweight beaked fiberglass hood leaves us
viewing an empty engine bay, but does give a clear shot of the
suspension. Our consignor states that the present setup will
accommodatea small or big block Chevrolet V8 with a TH350
automatic, but with using a motor plate, various other combinations
can be installed. A Ford 9" rear axle is in the back with 31 spline
Strange axles.
Undercarriage
Basic and to the point at the present time with a Steve's Pro-Metal
chassis in square tube format. Up front is a Speedway Mustang II
style independent coil spring suspension and a rack and pinion
steering arrangement. In the back we see ladder bars with coil over
shocks. We note disc brakes have been installed in the front, but
the rear stopping power is open to your imagination.
With original steel body cars being priced to the moon and then
some this is a wallet friendly way to get into the Willys gasser
game. Yes, you'll have to turn some wrenches and make some
decisions on the build, but at the end of it all you'll have
something you can call your own and proudly display at shows or
wipe up the competition on the 1/4 mile. Just do me a favor,
promise me the first ride when it's finished...
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
