"Secret Willys Revival" (My chopped '53)

[rainman]

I for one think it looks much better without the drip rail. Much smoother!

 

[cantwell.colton]

I for one think it looks much better without the drip rail. Much smoother!

i agree -- its one of those very subtle differences that most wouldnt be any wiser , and a handful of work at that -- but has a pretty big impact on the overall look of the truck.

 

[skull]

holes & rails



fill in and smooth the holes above the windshield and shave the drip rail, subtle but will make a very positive impact on the overall look.

Later

 

[jfg455]

drip rail looks like it has a bowl cut. lose the drip rail!

 

[Snake Farm]

Thanks guys for the input on the drip rail. I think I'll be shaving it off. Would like to hear any do's and don'ts on the process if anyone has any advice.

 

[Snake Farm]

Picked up a pair (left and right) of old metal exit signs with nice patina. I know it's been done to death but I like the old sign/license plate interiors and I will use these on my door panels with the arrows pointing to the lever handles for the bear claw latches. What do ya think??

To be continued,

Ray

 

[ronnysplymouth]

I like it

 

[Snake Farm]

My work schedule is still pretty much out of control but I do see a little break coming Not much happening except planning [S but I did order some door latches this morning. Ordered the large bear claw w/install kit.....hope they work out okay.

To be continued,

Ray

 

[willierat]

I got rid of my driprails, it makes it more like the late 30s Fords to me. I just cut the roof around the perimeter then started tacking it back on.

 

[redratguy]

53 Willys

Never have seen a chop top willys 4-73. Looks good.

 

[Snake Farm]

Picked up a couple more parts. After buying my nephew an old 'Slingerland' base drum pedal for Christmas to use as a gas pedal on his rat rod pickup, I finally picked up a couple for myself. I'll be using one and probably trading or selling the other..........

....both are cool but it only seems fitting that I use the one on the left

To be continued,

Ray

 

[skull]

pics

please update us, can you post pics of the drip-rail mods ya did thanks,,,,



Later

 

[Snake Farm]

I got rid of my driprails, it makes it more like the late 30s Fords to me. I just cut the roof around the perimeter then started tacking it back on.

...you also cut some off the bottom of your top didn't you Right now I'm planning to go up under the turned up part of the lip and cut it off and then bend the flange of the top down and tack it to the cab[S Hopefully that works for me.

please update us, can you post pics of the drip-rail mods ya did thanks,,,,



Later

Hey Skull, no progress on the drip rail yet other than in 'photoshop' But the more I think about it the more I like it....thanks for talking me into it

 

[Snake Farm]

Got my bear claw latches [cl They are just the cheap ones but I think they'll serve the purpose......gotta be better than a bungee cord around the A-pilar, which will be hard to use anyway once I get a windshield

....the more parts I round up the more excited I get, now if I could just round up some TIME

To be continued,

Ray

 

[skull]

updates

updates, we need updates[P

Later

 

[Tim...Ok]

and the "speed pedal" is too cool

 

[Snake Farm]

and the "speed pedal" is too cool

Thanks Tim, I think it will be a pretty neat feature

updates, we need updates[P

Later

Update coming soon........have a thing or two to get off my chest concerning this project.....just need to figure out how to break the news[S

 

[Snake Farm]

Well, I promised Skull an update but as I mentioned in my last post there's a couple things I need to get off my chest on this build so I thought I'd sneak in here while most everyone is asleep and fess up to a couple things

No. 1 - My old Willys is ROUGH, and by that I mean it was rough when I got it, it got rougher when we chopped it and with my limited skills it is almost certain that it will always be rough. However I'm completely okay with that and will not be deterred by it. As a builder by trade I liken it to building a a nice sturdy barn out of rough sawn lumber.....it will be sturdy, it will function as intended and it will provide safe haven (transportation in this case) for the animals within (that would be me and my passenger, LOL)
The reason I mention this now is that as I've been working on removing the drip rail from the cab I have been snapping some pics and as the work gets more involved and the pics get more close up, it's just a matter of time till someone notices just how rough this thing is, LOL.
So before the progress pics I'll throw out a few closeups of the hulk as it has sat for 25 plus years.

WARNING: Photos are of a graphic nature!

Cab corner rust and rocker panel overlay patch that was never finished

Wavy bent hood

Rusted out back of cab

Beat up cab corner

Beat up fender lip

Big cowl crease from the door being opened up too far

Bent cowl vent

To be continued,

Ray

 

[Snake Farm]

See what I mean.... and now for some damage caused by a couple goofballs that didn't have a clue about how to chop a top...

Nice alignment everywhere you look LOL

Evidently never thought of butting the fillers........everything was done with overlapping patches

But even with all this roughness I still like how these ended up........

Windshield a little under 8"

Side glass 11"

And back glass 3".....to each his own but if I'm going to have a chopped top I gotta have that mail-slot rear window!

So there you have it, my rough Willys!
I believe it was MikeC who made the comment earlier in this thread that this truck is "a piece of pre-rat rod history" and that back when I started it in 1982 there were only two choices when doing a project. Either you did a restoration or a street rod. He's right and part of the reason this project has been abandoned for so long is that it was just too rough to make a decent restoration and WAY too rough to ever be a slicked out street rod so I'm just thankful that this genre of car building that we call "Rat Rodding" came about and made it possible for my Willys to be accepted for what it is......."Rough but Fun"

 

[Snake Farm]

Oh, and my No. 2 confession............I'm really not much of a mechanic and I can't weld worth a hoot but I'm not going to let that stop me
So, my work schedule still isn't letting me have much garage time but I have been banging around some on that pesky drip rail.

I started on the back corner of the passenger side and managed to grind, chisel and gnaw off the lower lip...

Cleaned it up a bit..

Folded it down and realized the top of the cab doesn't line up with the lower section everywhere....

I was originally going to just weld this lap to the lower cab but with already having an offset I decided to cut along where the two meet.....

Welded up some of it.........WARNING: more graphic pics LOL As I said I can't weld worth a hoot and to make matters worse I don't have a bottle for my welder so this is with flux-core wire

But, if you pile up enough weld and grind long enough........

....it does become one piece, and I'm liking the look of the rounded cab!

Thanks Skull for talking me into it, but the cab light holes are staying

To be continued,

Ray