Thread: 41 Willys Gasser project

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I hope this of some interest. It will be a 60's style Gasser

Due to the high cost of Willys replacement parts I will be using a mesh grill which will save me a bundle and i will fabricate expensive items like the door handles etc myself.

I recently finally got my first body out of my 1941 Willys moulds, Its taken 2 years to finally be able to produce a first class body, the moulds were taken off an american body but that wasn't completely right so a lot of work has gone into the mould to correct what was wrong.

The doors and trunklid are made as seperate panels as its much easier to hinge and latch the inner skin and add the window winder mechanisms and then bond the out skin in place when all is done


Here's the first body out




































I needed to have a rolling body and frame for display at next years shows so this was just the excuse i needed to start putting something together


Parts list so far is

GRP 41 Willys bodyshell
1948-58 FX3 Taxi chassis
Cadillac 500ci engine/TH400 auto
9" Ford axle
4.5" original Ansen slot mags (front) 5 x 4.75" pattern
8.5" original Ansen slot mags (rear) 5 x 4.75" pattern


I will be starting with an 1948-1958 Austin FX3 Taxi chassis, its pretty much perfect except for one small mod to the wheelbase which currently is 110" and will be shortened to 102" by sectioning the frame in the centre, I went with the FX3 frame as it came up at the right time and the right price, is already boxed, and is actually quite old looking and quite pleasing to the eye, It will also save me a lot of time

The chassis is currently being media blasted and i hope to get it back in a few days when i will get it on the chassis table and check for squareness.

Heres a couple of small pics









I will be using the front I beam axle and springs but not the steering box as this will be LHD , A Land Rover RHD box looks like it will do the job nicely or maybe Vega cross steering.
The rear axle is not being used either so will be using a narrowed 9". The Taxi axle actually looked like a Westminster axle although i can't be sure.

The front beam is forged and doesn't look unlike the original Willys axle to honest, Its quite a nice looking thing with just a few lumps and bumps that can be ground off. I will also be drilling it.
The front semi elliptics should cope with the added weight of the V8 Cadillac 500 i'm using as its a little further back than the 2.5 oil burner, If its a problem its easy to add leaves or get the springs uprated.

Frontend width appears to be ideal at 57-59" measured from centre of tyre to centre of the other tyre, this one is 58.5", this puts the tyre on my 4.5" Ansens in the centre of the crown of the front fender.










I'm gonna deal with the front axle first, This is a near perfect width at 50" between the kingpins, The stock rod operated brake obviously had to go along with the spindles, the spindles could be modified to accept other brakes/hubs but i found with a simple mod and spacer 37-41 early Ford spindles will fit a treat and allow the fitting of either 40 Ford or F100 drum brakes or if you wish a 11" GM brake kit.

The main mod is with the kingpins, on the FX3 axle the kingpins measure 0.875" the Early ford measure 0.811", The mod will be to drill out the axle boss to 1" and then ream to accept a sleeve to take it down to the ford kingpin size.











There is also a difference in the axle boss thickness, The FX3 is 2.152" whereas the Ford spindles are 2.914", A spacer approx .250" will take up the extra space and if fitted below the axle boss will give a little extra lift to the frontend











The kingpin angle is the same on both so we got pretty lucky there








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Looks great!

I gave away a set of molds years ago. I had picked them up to make some fenders, to repair a wrecked Super Gas car.

Kinda wish I had them back, but had no place to keep them, and did not want to be in the 'glass biz full time. :-(

Keep the pictures coming! :-)

Good go Steve, looks like a decent start. That taxi chassis has the right sense about it, and that axle is going to look very good when cleaned up in your normal style. I'm expecting full metal polish.....

Only one counter comment.............................................'40 GRILLE!!!!
('41-2's are okay, but the '40 has more character, even in mesh)

Cheers Bob, the axle is gonna get drilled and chromed, can't have a gasser without a chrome axle & springs

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Good go Steve, looks like a decent start. That taxi chassis has the right sense about it, and that axle is going to look very good when cleaned up in your normal style. I'm expecting full metal polish.....

Only one counter comment.............................................'40 GRILLE!!!!
('41-2's are okay, but the '40 has more character, even in mesh)

Great project already, I'll be following.

Pat

Looks like a really clean set of molds, Steve! Know what ya mean on tuning up the molds, got a set of Merc molds that need a complete overhaul--but that's a long ugly story that I won't even get into here!!!!

Dave i was lucky as the laminator that made the moulds did all the work, He did a very good job.
I've actually sold 3 bodies now so have my initial investment back at last.
hotrodders are funny people as i had a couple of people call to see what the price was, and when i told them the said they wouldn't bother coming to see as they was too cheap

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Looks like a really clean set of molds, Steve! Know what ya mean on tuning up the molds, got a set of Merc molds that need a complete overhaul--but that's a long ugly story that I won't even get into here!!!!

This is going to be GOOD!! As you have seen from the interest Dave's 57 gasser has generated, everyone loves gassers..........and I am right at the top of the list. This thread and Dave's gasser thread will be the first things I will be looking for when I log on.

But there MUST be more than one Steve in England..........no one man can have this many projects going at one time and be running a business building cars too. Have they perfected cloning over there?

Don

I wish the could clone me Don, then i could get more done !!!

The Willys has to be a rolling advert by March as our biggest swapmeet of the year is on, I've never traded at any shows before as i like my weekends to myself but this year i have a good mate thats offered to man the stall for me for free !!! to good an offer to pass up

This project may be slow as i need to finish up my 26T before i can get serious with the Willys.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

This is going to be GOOD!! As you have seen from the interest Dave's 57 gasser has generated, everyone loves gassers..........and I am right at the top of the list. This thread and Dave's gasser thread will be the first things I will be looking for when I log on.

But there MUST be more than one Steve in England..........no one man can have this many projects going at one time and be running a business building cars too. Have they perfected cloning over there?

Don

Got the chassis back blasted and took it to my mates workshop who stores my chassis jig for me (its to huge for my shop), The bugger had a half built frame on it so will have to wait

Seeing as i was somewhat stumped on the frame i decided to sort the various bits out on the front axle, The shock mount holes are tapered 3 degrees.








I turned up some tapered bungs with 1/2" holes to suit the shocks i have already.








These are pressed into the tapered holes and are really tight so don't need anything else.











There are some eared brackets cast in the axle for some sort of jacking system so were not needed, I will keep the upper ear as i may fit an anti roll bar and they are just in the right place.









Next i dealt with the kingpin size difference, The existing holes were bored out to 1" and a sleeve spun in the lathe with a 1" OD and 13/16" ID, These were then linished to be a press fit into the axle and then the holes was reamed to 0.815.












While the pillar drill was warm i decided to drill a few lightening holes in the axle, First i had to make a simple jig to hold the axle as the I beam sides are different widths so the axle won't lay flat on the table.








The jig was clamped to the table and a steel block wedge was put under the other side to keep it steady.

All had gone well with drilling the holes until i got up to the 1/2" drill, then the steel became incredibly hard and was taking the edge of the drills in seconds, after sharpening the bits several times i resorted to using carbide drills and these chewed through it much better, I don't know why it suddenly got so hard, anyone know ???

The holes were taken out to 3/4"

Lookin' good Steve!!! Sure does slow a project down when you have to interrupt it to do customer work.... Same thing is going to be happening here this week......Bummer

Yes Dave but i have to eat The best laid plans never seem to work out right

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Lookin' good Steve!!! Sure does slow a project down when you have to interrupt it to do customer work.... Same thing is going to be happening here this week......Bummer

It's nice (for us) that you take the time to snap detailed pictures all along the way. I know it can be a pain to lay down your tools, wipe your hands clean, and then take a picture, but it is really informative and enjoyable for us. Thanks for doing that.

Glad to see you are getting deposits on bodies.


Don

Its no problem really Don, I'm glad you like the pics and i'm not boring you.

I just wish i could find more time for this project, working on it is awkward too as its in a lockup at the end of the road as my shop is jammed full, If i have to work on it i go get it and do the welding on my front drive, hence why its all Mig welded and not Tig.
This one won't have much in the way of detail as i'm looking for the look of the Willys in the film Hotrod, I'm going to paint it probably primer Grey but not shiny, I will use matting agent so its not shiny, Shock horror !!!

To keep the costs sensible i will be using a mesh grille just like in the old days as the stock trim is way too spendy. Although i do have to buy repro headlights, taillights & door handles although i may make the handles as again they ain't cheap !!!
I'm using a lot of bits and pieces i have laying around, I wanted to run drums up front but i have a GM disc kit laying around i removed from a customers car, He didn't want it back so it was free

Things like the steering will be Vega as again i have one spare, steering column i will make as its only a piece of tube and a couple of bearings.

The engine & trans is a 1970 Caddy 500 with TH400 i picked up for $700, It was running in a car so i drove it around the block so i know its all good

I have to make a decision on the rear axle soon as i have a choice between an 8" the right width and complete or a 9" which is the right width but i have no diff or shafts.

Was originally going to run the Taxi rear springs but they are knackered and too stiff really so i will use a pair of coilovers i have hanging on the wall.

I did pick up a new pair of Scat seats with black covers cheap so will be putting these in, I've also pulled a mould of these and hopefully will sell a few

I'm not allowed in the shop on sundays (unless i'm working on Sue's car) so i'm sitting here thinking what i could be doing

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

It's nice (for us) that you take the time to snap detailed pictures all along the way. I know it can be a pain to lay down your tools, wipe your hands clean, and then take a picture, but it is really informative and enjoyable for us. Thanks for doing that.

Glad to see you are getting deposits on bodies.


Don

I have a question somebody here may be able to answer

Apparently this is a 58 Ford grill, does anybody know the diameter of the holes ???