Vehicle Description
It's time to think outside the box! This killer pickup, founded on
original, 1941 Willys steel, was custom-built for the gearhead who
loves the style of modern street rodding, but thinks red, yellow
and black coupes are just a bit too ordinary. As it sits, this
Willys, a magazine-featured national award winner, is primed for
the show. And thanks to the popularity of the truck's fuel injected
502/3-speed drivetrain, it fulfills the dream of having a
completely unique custom with solid reliability and jaw-dropping
athleticism. If you're looking for a cool old hot rod to parade up
and down Main Street, you've found your next classic!
BODYWORK/TRIM
This stunning, one-of-a-kind pickup, nicknamed "Excessive" by its
original builders, is the product of a 6.5-year, $400K restoration
that was completed by Rickardsville, Iowa's Avalon Body Shop. And,
based on appearance, the truck's original, 1941 steel was certainly
a clean canvas before its radical transformation started. That's
right, everything you see here is solid steel that's been tweaked,
massaged and polished into an award-winning head turner. How
award-winning, you ask? Well, in 2004, the truck was a Ridler Great
8 Finalist, the same year it was featured in Custom Classic Trucks
Magazine. In 2006, it was featured in Kit Car Magazine, and stole
the cover of Northern Rodder Magazine. In 2008, it was featured in
a Street Rods calendar. And it's also been a Goodguys Truck of the
Year - Early finalist. As you can tell from our high resolution
photography, this authentic Willys's incredible reboot resulted in
a unique profile that's been sprayed in spectacular PPG Pearl
Orange 2-stage. One look down that profile reveals high quality
workmanship that, thanks to St. Donatus, Iowa's Merle Berg, is
top-notch in virtually every way. A close investigation of the
truck's classy panels reveals even surfaces that are free of
ripples and major imperfections. And today, in its fully sorted
state, this Willys is a banner showpiece that celebrates the fusion
of America's greatest pre-war design with some of the coolest
customization your money can buy!
It seems Willys street rods are the ultimate kings of clean.
Finding a well-done Willys that has tons of trim is almost as hard
as finding a modern pop singer that actually plays an instrument.
The only difference is: stripped down Willys are actually cool. At
the front of this first class custom, an original, re-chromed
grille rides between dual-mode headlights and a stainless-trimmed,
1-piece hood that's complete with a small cowl. At the center of
the truck, a stainless-trimmed cab hangs tinted glass and a flush
Center High Mount Stop Lamp inside shaved doors, capped wipers and
shaved drip rails. At the back of the truck, a custom-fabricated
bed floats a battery, fuel tank and hidden storage between hidden
fasteners, custom wheel tubs and re-shaped fenders that were
cribbed from a 1937 Chevy. And at the back of that bed, a
functional, scratch-built tailgate reflects frenched '39 Ford
taillights and a custom roll pan that was formed on an English
Wheel.
ENGINE
Built to go just as well as it shows, this Willys 502 cubic inch GM
Performance Parts big block utilizes quality Street & Performance
tuned port injection to create a stout 510 horsepower! At the top
of the world class mill, a chromed, Ramjet-branded air cleaner
funnels oxygen in to a chromed Ramjet intake that's decked in
polished fluid lines and a polished throttle linkage. At the base
of that intake, polished heads anchor chromed, Ramjet-branded valve
covers between custom long-tube headers and a full array of chrome
breathers. At the back of those heads, a traditional points
distributor sequences fire through beefy Taylor plug wires. At the
front of those wires, a polished serpentine drive spins a chrome
alternator opposite a chrome, Pearl Orange-detailed AC compressor.
Cooling is provided by a polished Edelbrock water pump, which is
aligned behind a large electric puller fan, a custom Griffin
radiator and polished coolant tubes. The Pearl Orange mill rolls in
a glossy, color-keyed engine bay that's finished with custom motor
mounts and a custom firewall. And, naturally, that clean frame
highlights a sea of first rate hardware that includes trick
dipsticks, a chrome hood latch, polished freeze plugs and quality
Ron Francis wiring.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
Take a look under this cool classic's custom floors and you'll find
a custom tube chassis that prefers to divide its time between
cruising down Main Street and posing on the show floor. Behind
Chevy's legendary big block, a dressed Turbo-Hydramatic 400
3-speed, built by Shift Point Transmission Specialists of Kieler,
Wisconsin, twists a narrowed and smoothed Currie 9-inch. That
drivetrain rolls in smoothed, 2x4 tubing, which is perched on Aldan
Eagle coil-overs, a polished Art Morrison front-clip and a polished
4-bar rear-clip. Turns come courtesy of manual rack-and-pinion
steering. Stops are provided when a smoothed and painted Corvette
master cylinder jolts four polished calipers via painted steel
lines. The aforementioned headers feed a custom exhaust system
that, like those headers, was constructed by Custom Craft Inc. of
Midland, Arkansas. Torque meets the pavement through stylish Mickey
Thompson blades, which spin 26x8.00R18 Mickey Thompson Sportsman
S/Rs in front of 31x18.00R20 Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/Rs. And
everything, from this hot rod's polished oil pan and polished and
color-keyed starter to its braided fluid lines and custom Rock
Valley fuel tank, is clean, lean and ready to roll.
INTERIOR
Pop the truck's doors and you'll find an inviting interior that was
installed by McFalls Auto Trim of Iowa City, Iowa. A custom-built
seat, lined in leather and suede, is firm, provides good support
and positions occupants surprisingly low. In front of that seat, a
small Lokar shifter and polished emergency brake cap Charcoal wool
carpet that's protected by piped and color-keyed floor mats. At the
sides of that carpet, chrome-trimmed door panels front modern power
windows. At the front of those panels, an original steel dash has
been professionally modified to accept Vintage Air climate control
and a full array of tasteful Auto Meter gauges. Above that dash, a
layered headliner frames a custom Merle Berg console, which centers
modern Kenwood audio behind a polished mirror. And in front of the
driver, a polished and half-wrapped steering wheel laps a polished,
tilting column that's mounted above polished, billet pedals.
OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESSORIES
An extremely detailed book of build photos
A copy of the truck's Winter, 2004 Custom Classic Trucks Magazine
feature
A copy of the truck's January, 2006 Kit Car Magazine feature
A copy of the truck's May, 2006 Northern Rodder Magazine cover
feature
A copy of the truck's feature in the 2008 Street Rods Calendar
The truck's Goodguys Truck of the Year - Early Finalist
certificate
Two embroidered baseball caps
This rare and equally cool Willys combines top-notch craftsmanship
with a roster of proven performance hardware that's ready to hit
the road today. And if you're the kind of gearhead who likes to
buck fashion trends, especially at traditional street rod
gatherings, it's the main ingredient needed to spice up your summer
outings!
SUMMARY
The beneficiary of a 6.5-year, $400K build that was completed in
2004
Ridler Great 8 Finalist / Goodguys Truck of the Year - Early
Finalist / Featured in m...for more information please contact the
seller.