51 Willys Build

So, I'm finally going to start a build thread on my 51 Willys. I'm a total newb and this is my first real build of any kind. I've been messing with cars as long as I can remember but I've never done a build before so I'm figuring out a lot of stuff as I go. On top of that, this is a total budget build for now. I got the Willys for my 14th birthday way back when and decided to finally do something with it. I decided on the little Toyota as a donor because the 22r is such a reliable little motor and I got a smokin deal on it. It's an 87 with only 75k miles on it. I sold basically all of the stuff I took off of it and made back all of my buying price plus a bit!

Anyway, the I've been working on this truck for more than a year and a half now an hour at a time once the kid's in bed. It's now drivable so it will take me so I'm starting the thread kinda late. I'll mostly just post a bunch of pics for what I have done so far.

Right now, it's channeled about 4 inches, the bed is shortened about 18 inches and , at least for right now, I'm running fenderless. I still have all the fenders though. The 22r is de-smogged, has a Weber carb, electric fan and fuel pump and short glass pack. I put drop spindles and blocks to get it down 3 inches all around.

I have lots of future plans/day dreams for it but the first on the list for this winter is a chop. It'll be my first so any advice is much appreciated.





Many more pics tomorrow...

cool

[P[P[P

Later

I'll be watchin'

I have loads of pics of the build so far but I will pair them down to a manageable number to link to for now. I can always add specific detail shots if anyone cares. Once I get this up to date, I'll try to add pics as I do things to it. Right now I'm mostly doing little detail stuff which is really fun to work on.

Yota stripped down


Willys stripped down (The whole running gear needed a full rebuild and I didn't want to put that kinda cash into it so I bailed on restoring and went rat. I sold the whole lot as one piece )


The Willys floor cut out


I probably over did my floor frame but better that way than under doing it




I used some uni-strut that I found as scrap for seat mounts since my floor is wood

Dash notch for collumn




I mounted a Speedhut GPS speedo in a beer can




I made a gauge pod out of the old "vintage" plates I had on it before I got real plates for it (I'm still looking for a set of 51 plates for it to replace the new ones that are on it now)


I stripped the yota gas gauge down and stuffed it in one of the overhead slots


I found this vintage style tach from Dolphin that fit exactly in the factory speedo hole which was cool


The floor is barn wood, the vertical sides of the tunnel and door sills are sheeted in beer cans, the top of the tunnel and deck behind the seats are covered in faux alligator


I machined a set of revolver cylinder pedals and pressed milled down 50 cal BMG brass in them. I also used a shotgun butt plate for my gas pedal.

Door panels are cover in alligator too


I made the shifter out of a piece of square tube that a scalloped and out a patina on and the top is a shaker handle from an old Monarch stove.




The bed is shortened about 18 inches I think.

I kept hitting the blinker lever with my knee so I made a new one out of one of my great grandfather's screwdrivers. I have the steering wheel on a quick release so that I can get in and out of the thing. I'm a big guy and its tight in there!








I have the old model A tailights with the "Stop" lenses in them. The blinkers are little bullet lights buried in the bed rails. The bumper is an old oak mining timber and the shotgun was given to me by an old gunsmith friend. It has a blown breech on it! I strapped it to the bumper with strips of body metal that I saved from notching the cab over the frame.


There's still a ton of stuff to do on it but it runs and drives good. I'm pretty smashed up in there when I drive but screw it! It's cool. I'll keep posting as I get more detail stuff done. Then, this winter, it's chop time!

willyD said:

......... Then, this winter, it's chop time!

Click to expand...

Alright, ya just answered my next question! [cl How much are going to go? Check out my build to see what a 6" chop looks like. That raised section of the stock floor serves as the bottom for my seats and I have plenty of head room.......I would probably go 7 or maybe even 8 if I had it to do over, but that's just me.

[P[P[P

Here are a few more pics of her out in the wild from yesterday

I made this hand brake handle out of the lever of an old lever action .3030 that had gone through a house fire. You'd never know what it is but its cool anyway.



Today's project was to make some trim pieces for my door sills to cover up the cut ends of the wood planks. I didn't have old tin to use so I put a patina on the new metal that it did have.







I'll get them put in the truck tonight when I get home.

Sure is a nice looking truck.

I certainly dig this one. I like guns too!

Hey WillyD

I am working thru a 1961/62 Willys truck rebuild as we speak...I am about 10 monthes into mine...

Yours looks super cool for sure...I used to love the old Willys trucks in stock form until I tried to drive one...now I agree with your plan totally...swap all the Willys stuff out from under it and put something more modern underneath it and make it driveable...

So how do like the way yours runs down the street??

There is another website more towards these type of vehicles is www.oldwillysforum.com a great site with lots of info...my build is on there too...welcome from upstate NY...I have a bunch of family in Malta Montana..I love your state for sure...

MikeC

Thanks!

I like the way it drives. It handles pretty well and rides pretty good. It's a bit on the stiff side even though it's just the stock Toyota suspension but that can be changed and it's certainly nothing like a stock Willys! It feels a little better with it lowered I think since the CG is down pretty low. I also have 1 inch backspacing wheels on it since the Toyota was a fair bit narrower than the Willys. That wider stance helps make it feel a little more planted I think. It goes pretty good with the little 4 banger but I always want more power so a V8 is probably in its future in another couple of years. Gotta make it look cool first though It's got manual steering and power disk/drum brakes-stock Toyota for now. Steering feels real good with a 16" wheel. Steers way easier than the stock Willys! Stops good too. The brakes were totally shot in the Willys so...

Here are a few pics of the trim pieces installed and a couple of the tilt lever and hazard switch (both are .3006 brass).

I added a few more details last night. I found some huge fish hooks to use for tailgate hooks and added a bottle opener to my front stake pocket. I need to come up with a cap catch can for it still. I also filler a bunch of the holes in my firewall.

I finally got a shifter boot put together. It's a leather bag that came on a bottle of Aniversario rum (a darn good rum by the way). The trim ring is the original Willys ring.

I also had to re-seal my drip rail. I washed the truck the other day to get the bird crap and such off of it for an upcoming car show I'm take it to and found the it was leaking like crazy. I think, between the ancient caulk in the rail and moving the cab around a bunch during the build, the seem opened.

I found this Fulton Sunshade visor and got a smoking deal on it. It's a real Fulton too not a reproduction. I need to figure out what I'm going to do with the paint on it as someone rattle canned it flat black. I'm thinking of trying to fauxtina it to try to match the truck a bit but I'm not exactly sure yet. What do you guys think?

So it's fall and driving season is about over. I realized that the little 22r, while a great runner, just isn't going to cut it. My dad had a '80 E150 van that is out of commission. He gave me the 351w, c4, and 9 inch out of it. So now I have a lot of work to do again! The 351 has a mild cam in it already and a performer intake. I'm planning on picking up a 600 cfm 4 barrel for it here pretty soon. I'm also planning on fining an 8.8 posi rear end for it since the 9 inch is way too wide for the truck as it sits and an 8.8 has the same lug pattern as what I have now. Should be fun!

cool

neat truck[cl[cl

Later