Thread: guy with the 41 Willys

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Hi everyone,
I guess it is customary to sign in and blow some gas about your self.LOL
I've been in hot rodding since about 57-58 probably, never really grew up still don't have a "real" job....not even a job. I worked in a hot rod shop for about 7 years, drag raced semi pro and pro for 17 years, actually made some $$$ racing, I became a tool maker and worked in a variety of metal shops, put my TIG welding experience to work for a few years, decided to go back to engineering school, became a mechanical engineer now up to senior engineer. I've been known to make things work the easy way ie design it right the first time as well as by force ie redesign it right.
I build and fly giant scale warbirds..."ww 2 blue planes" hense the name bentwings. There has been a Corsair in my house since I was 5 years old (still have that picture). Also have a giant scale p-51 with full scale functioning exhaust.
I am currently working on a 41 Willys coupe with a 350 sbc identical to an Edelbrock performer rpm motor 420 hp and turbo 350. The body is from Antique and Collectable and is totally flawless. It is pro street with 31 inch Hoosier pro street radials and Center line Convo pro wheels rear and Goodrich T/A radial on Convo Pro front. tube A arms GM steering, alum radiator, 9 inch Ford, (narrowed by me with my new narrowing kit. I can narrow any rear end now). 31 spline axels, 11 disc front 11 in drums rear. There is a lot more but that is enough for here. I've done everything on the car except cut and respline the axels. I have my own TIG welder so everthing is TIG welded.
I have piles of questions and I can answer a few if y'all can put up with my humor. LOL

bentwings

Gotta love an F4U! Welcome aboard.

Welcome bentwings. Got any pics., Sounds like some "kewl" machinery.

We are all very proper here..... no funny stuff..








Yea, right. He He HE

Welcome to the club bentwings. Thats one of the more individual names here.

Welcome bentwings, put up some pics for us to gander at

welcome , we all love willys , i have neve heard of antique and collectables ? where are they located ? i have built a few willys , and use dennis taylor bodies , i have 2 in my shop now .
what kind class did you race ?

My hot rod is a 41 Willys body by Antique and Collectable. If you read Streetrodder their ad looks like a south sea beach with a 32 coupe in it. Their bodies are a masterpiece. A friend came over who also has a Willys from somewhere and he asked how I got rid of all the mold flash and how I shined it all up. I said I used soap and water to wash it and a soft towel. This is the way it came. He said oh c...p what did I doo??
I got their bare pro street frame also. It's ok but I would like to do a few things differently next time around. It fits perfectly however.
I added the tube front end and 11 in Must brakes pretty easy. Setting the caster and camber was a bit of a challenge but it is ok now. The motor dropped right on the mounts and I made my own trans mount. I narrowed and sectioned the trans hump so there is a lot of foot room now.
power windows are electa glide which fit very nicely with the offset motor.
I have almost brand new 02 Cavalier seats. Dark Gray look like they were made for Willys
I did a 9 in Ford truck rear end. never again. The shocks are kinda sea legged for now. The frame could have been 2-4 in wider in the rear and the 4 link would have fit much better. As it is, it will run parallel link for the street and have 2 sets of holes to adjust for the track. These should be near optimum so it will be ok. takes about 10 minutes to set it up either way. I also have blind fasterners in the fenders and front end so I can remove everything by myself. This is a huge plus when you want to change tires or work on the motor or rear end. Again about 10 min.
I'm with in about 2000 of having it on the street but with out a real job it will have to wait for a bit I guess.
I posted a pic last night but I thnk the admin deleted it as it was huge. I forgot to check the size before posting. I'll try and get some later.
bentwings

I for got to talk about the old drag race days. I started with a 54 Olds in '60. I ran into another guy who had exactly the same car but 3.9 gear. He would beat me every time time slip for time slip. We became life long friends. I eventually learned that if I tuned what I had perfectly, drove perfectly and got a good start I could force him to make a mistake and I would win. And I did many times. I won a lot and lost a few with this car. I eventually got into blown gas dragster Top Gas and ran in a circuit out of KC. When Top Gas was closed down by NHRA I went to Top Fuel Funny car. I got paid to have fun here. Afer a few years the Alcohol FC came to life and I got into them. We never realy had all of the best stuff so we had to make what we had run as well as possible. We hardly ever beat ourselves. Infact we only lost one round due to breakage. We put on a good show and ran with the some of the good dogs. had a few fires and launched a couple blowers in the lites. Finally it wasn't fun any more and we retired. never looked back. I now am into street rods and have a small shop I'm just starting. I do TIG welding, engineering, fix hot rods, build hot rods, fix model airplanes (get paid a little) make custom parts you name it. I ask a lot of questions..not bashfull and no ego. I try to make it right the first time..If I don't like it you don't pay for it.
Being a transplanted yankee in the south I have had to learn to fight the civil war (we still do ya know) every day and most of all drive and own trucks. My buddys have been after me for a long time to get a truck. Finally I said ok but it's going to be a truck not a car that thinks it is a truck or a truck that thinks it is a car. Enter 99 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad cab dualie diesel 5 spd 4.1 gears (posi) 2wd, black, with chrome brush guard and black mud flaps. I will say it is one haulin' truck. I love it. I can easily take up 4 parking places at the shoping center, don't complain if you want to walk into my mirrors...they won't move if you do..LOL, its noisy (sounds like motzart to me) the neighbors bring out he garbae when I come by, the mirrors are so wide it won't fit inthe garage, I use all 9 feet 6 on the road, get 20 mpg on cheaper fuel, don't have to wait at the gas pump, can pull anthing even bent bumpers off Fords. Sometime in the future I will probably restore a mid 80's chev crew cab and put my cummins turbo diesel in it as it will long out live the dodge body One thing that won't happen and that is to let my sons drive it. Last year a couple of farm boys at the HS got into it over trucks and hooked their dads's diesels Ford and Chev back to back with log chains and dragged each other around the school parking lot untill the cops came.

Originally posted by bentwings
Last year a couple of farm boys at the HS got into it over trucks and hooked their dads's diesels Ford and Chev back to back with log chains and dragged each other around the school parking lot untill the cops came.

Time to bring out the redneck jokes again!?!?

Welcome bentwings My dad flew P-51 and P-47 in WW2 and have flow with him a few times in the 60's. Alot of fun. He let me fly his bi-plane and I almost went for my lisence but more important things came up now to old and eyesite not what it use to be. Your 41 willys sounds like a winner and hope to see some pictures posted when you get a chance.

I'm sure your dad would like to see our "Hurry Home Honey" P-51 flown by LT Peterson. I'll do my best ot try to post something. My entire fleet is now tied up for repairs. My driveway looks like a general repair shop. I have to put a l;ift pump inthe dodge diesel tonight for sure no mater what.

later bentwings

Bentwing welcome, welcome welcome

Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
Time to bring out the redneck jokes again!?!?

Uncle Bob we never tell red kneck jokes you know that there all true this pic is from a speed dating epesoid in montana