Willys 1940- 41 gasser

 

 

 

 


 

En plus, c'est un flic à la retraite qui roule avec !  

nless it’s undergone some dramatic metamorphosis, it’s rare for a car to appear twice in a given magazine within, say, 40 years. It’s harder yet for one to return after appearing in a readers’ rides column; in fact, unless a car is under construction when first shown, it’s pretty much unheard of. So you could say it’s a pretty rare occasion that Ray Simpson’s ’41 Willys pickup reappears as-finished in print, especially since hardly a year has passed since its debut as a finished car in the May ’11 Readers’ Rods column.

But this isn’t the pickup’s first curtain call as a hot rod, either. Its most recent creator, Woodburn, Oregon’s Bryce Moilanen, remembers it from the repair shop he worked at in the late ’70s. “My boss was actually a drag racer and that Willys was an old Gasser truck,” he begins.

Though his boss never raced it, “… he always intended to do something with it—you know the old story,” he continues. “So he proceeded to slowly make it into what he called a shop truck.” Only it was the ’80s, the era of the GM subframe and showground cruiser, and he modified the truck to suit.

“I happened to go back to visit him in 2006 and lo and behold there’s that truck sitting in the corner with inches of dust on it,” Moilanen continues. So he inquired. “He hemmed and hawed but he called me a couple days later and I bought it.”


Time isn’t kind to old racers and this one suffered accordingly in the 25 years since they met. “There really wasn’t that much that was salvageable,” Moilanen notes. “He’d already thrown away all the good parts, like the front axle and the original frame. So basically the only thing I really used off the truck was the cab, the doors, and the rear fenders. Through a lot of pictures and Gasser videos I tried to build a car that was exactly what somebody would’ve built in a garage back in the day. You know, the bracketing, the ladder bars—I tried to keep it on that theme.”

It was an inspired decision. Moilanen noticed some things during teardown. “One of the doors was kind of reddish brown and said something about trucking,” he says. That means something to Gasser historians: the Panella Brothers, trucking operators out of Stockton, California, campaigned a number of Gassers in the ’60s, one of them a candy red ’41 Willys pickup in B-Gas. “Someone who was close to [Bob Panella] told me that they couldn’t find the original truck but I could never verify whether or not mine was the same one,” he says. “So I just went with the look. If you ever see the Panella truck you can see the resemblance.”

To create that resemblance he hired race car chassis builder and drag racer Jerry Hill to fabricate a 2x3 perimeter frame. “Jerry was a personal friend of mine for 30 years,” he says. In fact Moilanen, who has a drag-racing history of his own, commissioned him to fabricate components for his various race cars over the years. “He was around in the Gasser days but he was more of a dragster and Funny Car guy. I gave him blueprints of what I wanted and he bent up the framerails for me and did the welding.”

The chassis’ front suspension consists of a Speedway Motors Gasser axle kit, including the company’s straight-tube axle, semi-elliptical springs, plate steering arms, and tie rod. The Speedway draglink connects to a reversed Corvair steering box. The rear suspension boasts a pretty serious piece of hot rod hardware: a Winters Performance quick-change axle. “The ladder bars were custom-made by Jerry and me; they don’t make ’em that long. I’d say they’re closer to 55 inches,” Moilanen notes. QA1 coilover dampers suspend that frame over the axle.


The ’49-54 Chevy passenger-car spindles pinned to the front axle sport Wilwood Engineering’s modern interpretation of brakes popular during the Gasser wars: Airheart discs. Beyond their basic function it’s hardly worth comparing Airheart’s old leaky calipers to the four-pot Dynalite versions on this car, though. Like most quick-changes of the era the rear axle mounts a pair of Ford drums, albeit the latter-day, 11-inch versions.

“One of my close friends who does all of my racing engines, Robin Whitcomb, built the engine,” he notes. He based it on an early-’70s vintage Chevrolet 350 block, which he assembled with a forged crank, a Bullet Racing Cams hydraulic roller, and Manley Performance connecting rods. Dishes in the CP pistons combine with the Dart Iron Eagle Platinum heads’ 64cc chambers to yield an 8:1 static compression ratio, a favorable target for forced induction.

Weiand’s version of GMC’s venerable 6-71 series supercharger creates the engine’s artificial atmosphere. Moilanen crowned it with a pair of Holley 1850-series carburetors that he modified for boost reference. A pair of Offenhauser rocker covers modified with 90-degree Moon breathers flanks that induction system. When capped, the collectors at the ends of the S&S fenderwell headers below those covers feed Hushpower mufflers behind the doorsills.

The engine feeds a TH350 transmission. But this is no ordinary 350. “It’s a TH350 case but it’s all 400 internals: a 400 sprag, heavy-duty clutches, and so forth,” he says. “I’m a drag racer and I run the same transmission in my race cars.” The 3,500-rpm-stall Hughes converter lets the engine spin hard and makes the pickup launch even harder.


“The cowl was cut off right at the windshield and they had the throttle pedal on the passenger side,” Moilanen observes. To make the pickup more streetable he had Hill fabricate a new cowl. To make it plain driveable he had him build the floors as well. Naturally Hill built the three-point cage, too.

“The bed, I made that myself,” Moilanen adds. “The rear fenders are factory Willys fenders but I radiused them to fit the tires.” He also used the Willys stake pockets.

Racers dispensed with Willys front sheetmetal groups for fiberglass, making original pieces exceedingly uncommon. But this one is rare in that way, too: though it came with a fiberglass nose it now has a tin one. “It’s all handmade,” Moilanen reveals. “A guy out of California rolled that front end and it’s an exact match. This guy supposedly did only two sets because, as he explained to me, ‘I can’t charge enough.’

“You know, my painter definitely underbid that one, too,” he adds, chuckling. Rene Crunelle, Customs by RC in Hillsboro, straightened the panels and applied the single-stage polyurethane PPG.

Though now a street pickup, its cab’s innards are just about as simple as any race car. In fact, the seats came from Summit Racing. “They’re actually fiberglass racing buckets that I had to cut down to make look more period correct,” he says. Beaverton Auto Upholstery trimmed them in black vinyl pleats and the floor in black nylon carpet. The Grant 502-series Classic Cruisin’ steering wheel mounts to a Flaming River steering column in classic race fashion: with a quick-release hub.

The truck’s completion was bittersweet according to Moilanen. “Jerry had cancer,” he says. “He was actually going through chemo when he was helping me. He got to see the truck when it was finally done but not too long after that he died.” In fact, this was the last car he helped build.


In fact it wasn’t long after that when the siren’s call of another race car inspired Moilanen to market the pickup. “I found it on eBay,” Ray observes (just to set the record straight, it was an error and not Ray’s doing in the May ’11 issue that credited him for the pickup’s construction). In fact, the only contribution he’s made beyond maintaining the car was switching the rear wheels. “I put on a set of original Halibrands that I’ve toted around for 40 years,” he says. “I bought ’em in 1969 right from Halibrand for $250.” For the record, that’s the same as paying $1,567.34 today. “That’s why I’ve dragged ’em around for so long.”

It might be pretty rare for a car to feature a second time, unchanged, within such a short time. And it’s just as rare that an old race car from drag racing’s golden age survives to tell its tale. But that’s nothing compared to how rare it is for one to go back together so completely bitchin’. We’re confident that it’s worth our repeat performance.

Ray Simpson

Portland, Oregon

1941 Willys Pickup

Rod & Custom Feature Car
Article original: http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/featuredvehicles/1211rc_1941_willys_pickup/viewall.html

1941 Willys Gasser numerous award winner and featured on the Gasser Reunion calendar. $12,000 show me rods, body titled as 1941.  396 big block chevy 4 bolt main block, 8:1 compression, forged blower pistons, alum-a-coat fender well headers with full 3" custom exhaust, aluminum radiator.  Car never runs over 180 degrees.  Freshly rebuilt with only 200 miles an a completely new built Weiand 671 supercharger, 10% under-driven for street use. Dual 600 CFM Edlebrock carbs. Motor was professionally done from carbs to oil pan by Pro-Formance specialties in Rochester N.Y.  Transmission is a new Tremec TKO 5 speed with aluminum flywheel.  Lakewood bulletproof bell housing and Hurst shifter, custom drive shaft.  Ladder bar suspension with coil overs, Ford rear end with finned aluminum E/T cover.  Car has professionally built custom rectangular tube frame.  Front end is a Speedway tube front straight axle with disc brakes.  New 5 spoke polished aluminum E/T wheels. 15X5 front with 165/80/15 Diamondback tires. Rear wheels are Mickey Thompson Sportsmans 29 x 1800R/15LT. A pair of slicks with inner tubes go with the car as well. Exterior paint is Banzai Blue that is outstanding.  All lettering is gold leaf vinyl that is easily removed.  Interior is custom pleated in white with bucket seats, tilt steering wheel and power window and doors.

Inspiration Stone, Woods & Cook  

Très belle, en tous cas !

Out of Florida Fiberglass 1941 Willys w/Suicide doors

Out of Florida Rectangular steel welded frame

Straight front axle

9” Ford 411 gears

Clear Missouri Title


454 Chevy 8.5 compression ratio crane roller rockers the guy who built the engine was in Colorado Springs and was supposed to give me a list of parts used, but that never happened. Just that the compression ratio was 8.5 and it’s a 4 bolt main 454.

Edelbrock twin carbs

8-71 Weiand Blower, very little boost

Nitrous which has never had gas in it

15 gallon aluminum fuel tank

Fender headers w/supertrapps


400 Turbo w/scatter shield

Straight tube front axle

Wilwood Disc Brakes all around

Evans antifreeze runs hot but never boils over

New FSR Aluminum radiator our of Memphis


Vega Steering box

MSD ignition

30” tilt column

Weld wheels

Specialty power windows

Rocky remote entry


EZ wiring

Auto meters

A.R.T roll bars

Wheelie Bars


Super Traps.

Hilborn style air scoop.

Summit Racing 400 Transmission

MSD ignition.

Competition Engineering Wheel-e-Bars.

EZ wiring.

Tilt column Weld Racing Wheels.

Crane Full Roller Rockers.

Specialty Power windows.

Auto Meter Speedo.

Auto Meter Pro-Lite.

GM30HD Torque converter.

GM Brake calipers

SS Braided radiator hose.

Line Lock.

Nitrous Bottle.

Electric Fuel Pump.

Edelbrock carbs.

Aluminum Radiator.

Willwood Disc Brakes

Valiant Keyless entry.

BBC Fender well headers.

1940 Willys Pickup Truck, steel extended cab, fiberglass tilt front end

>Old Drag Truck from the 1960's from the St. Louis area

>1957 Chrysler 354 HEMI engine

>new pistons, valves, valve springs, runs strong!


>old school vintage accessories- finned valve covers/ valley cover/ hood scoop/ Mallory distributor

>rebuilt MOPAR 727 automatic transmission

>1960's Pontiac-Olds 4:10 geared spool rear

>straight tube axle, slicks, driveshaft loop, cut-outs, roll cage

>garage kept

>clear PA title

Fun vehicle! Go Nostalgia racing or put lights in it and make a wicked street rod!

Bestial !!!!

1941 Willy's Coupe Gasser (Bad Attitude) built by well known engine builder and drag racer Gene Fulton and friends with a lot of late night hours spent on the car, the car just came out in this months issue of Hot Rod Magazine with a very good description and some history on Gene himself. If you have ever wanted first glass Gasser this is one to consider everything on the car is new from front to rear, have you ever wanted to go to the Hot Rod Reunion or the Melt Down Drags and race well here is a turn key car that is ready. Here is just a little info on the car, 421 C.I. Dart block, callies crank, bullet roller cam, CFE Aluminum heads with titanium valves, ( Edelbrock 94s carburators, diamond pistons, G-Force four speed trans with a Boninfante Racing bellhousing, clutch, and flywheel, the car has 905 HP at 8500 RPM,

1941 Willys "Gasser Coupe" all steel sitting on it's original '41 frame. Has a Pontiac rear end w/31 spline strange axles, chrome ladder bars w/coil overs. Two drop outs (one with a 3.91 posi & one with a 4.56 spool-in car now). Has a 999 Mopar HD trans with reverse valve body and 2.75 low gear. Two converters (one 10" modified SMR 3800 stall and a 8" 5300 stall ATI that's in car now).9.99 to 1 340 Mopar-30 over-dynoed 465 hp @ 6600 & 408 ft torq @ 5300. 750 Bigg's carb LD340 intake, Edelbrock alum heads, Comp Cams street/strip solid lifter cam, Eagle rods, SRP lightwt pistons & pins. STD/STD steel 340 crank.Custom built coated headers. MSD lightwt starter. It is a perfect combo. Wizard's alum radiator, MSD ign and Kilduff''s lenco style shifter. Car runs down the road at 190 degrees. Now the really good stuff-all original floor and wheel wells. Original seat (leather covered) original dash, firewall not moved back, just opened up for the 340. Chrome window mouldings. Original package tray with oe supports, original x brace behind seat. I have not installed a headliner I did have the roof lizard lined for a sound deadener and heat barrier-it echoed like a tin can before that. I have bolted on the cherry bombs and I also have 2 sets of tires & rims for the rear. One set with cheater slicks & one with slicks (on car now). The car has been down the 1/8th mile 4x's and down the 1/4 mile 8x's. Goes straight as a string doesn't do wheel stands (the 23lb wt bar on the frt may be helping that) runs 1.45 60 ft and best so far 10.89 @ 119.82 mph. Has polished Wilwood's on the frt & '61 Pontiac drums on rear. Car weighs 2538 w/o driver.

ScottRods Hand-Laid Fiberglass Body
in Metal Flake Green Gel Coat Finish with Floor and Wheel Tubs installed
Full Structural Steel Kit Installed
One-Piece Tilt Front End
Gloss Black Undercoated Floor and One-Piece Front End
Stock Style Doors hung and latched with Bearclaw Latches and Hidden Hinges
Power Window Regulators with Medium Gray DOT Door Glass Installed
Trunk Lid Hinged and Latched with Stock Style Handle
Removable Metallic Green Dashboard Installed
Bolt on Rear Fenders with Radiused Rear Wheel Openings
DOT Glass Kit in Medium Gray (Windshield and Back Glass)
Polished Willys Body Side Trim and Willys Emblems
Willys Polished Outer Door Handles and Inner Door Mechanism attached with Bear Claw Latches
Polished Grill and Polished Trunk Handle
19 Gallon RCI Fuel Tank
1941 Willys Stock Style Headlights with Rings & Lenses
1941 Willys Stock Style Tail Lights
Four-Point Roll Cage
Pro Car Bucket Seats-Race Style
G-Force 5-Way Seat Belts
Radiator Fan and Shroud
Flaming River Polished Tilt Steering Column & Drop and Metallic Green Steering Wheel connected to Vega Steering Box with F.R. Polished Joints and D Shaft
Full Chrome Front End and Rear End Package that includes Axel, Parallel Leaf Springs, Shocks, Cross Steer Rods, Idler Arm and Chrome Ladder Bars on Rear End
Complete Gasser-Style Perimeter Chassis with Driveshaft Safety Loop
30" Ladder Bar Rear Suspension and Coil over Shocks
Wilwood Brake Pedal & Master Cylinder
Wilwood 4-Piston 4-Wheel Disc Brakes
Curry 9-inch Rear-End w/31 Spline Axels
Straight Front Axel

WHEELS & TIRES

Billet Specialties 15 x 14 Rival Rear Wheels
Billet Specialties 15 x 4.5 Rival Front Wheels
33 x 19.5/15 Mickey Thompson Rear Tires
26 x 7.5/15 Mickey Thompson Front Tires