1940 Willys C/Gas Coupe, A Resurrected Barn Find!

<strong>Found in Central California, hidden in a Barn for more than 40 years, this resurrected, still under restoration to it's early '60's Gasserglory, this 1940 Willys Coupe, that was at the local cruise night this Friday..........<br><br>The story goes, the owner of the Coupe back then, circa 1965, was in the process of stripping off all of the paint, said screw it, too much work, and coveredit, hence sitting covered up, and forgotten about, for 40 plus years.........<br><br>The drivetrain and undercarriage has been completely redone already, with the rest of the restoration coming in the future. So enjoy the pix, and take a tripback to a time when these cars ruled the NHRA Gas classes...........<br><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0001.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0002.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0004.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0005.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0007.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0008.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0009.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0012.jpg" alt="image"><br><br>Cross-Rammed 327 Small Block Chevy, the "C/Gas" class engine of choice for these Gassers back in the day.........<br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0010.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/68RancheroGT/40%20Willys%20Gasser/100_0011.jpg" alt="image"><br><br>Hope ya enjoyed the trip down Memory Lane, thanx for the look! <img src="http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/happy.gif" alt="image"><br><br><br><br></strong>

<img height="15" src="http://redlinesonlinemessageboard.yuku.com/domain/bypass/images/pacman.gif" width="15" alt="image">Period rubber and rims! Those Willysare soooooooooooooo coooooooooool!<br><p><img height="15" src="http://redlinesonlinemessageboard.yuku.com/domain/bypass/images/pacman.gif" width="15" alt="image"><br></p>

YES. Clearcoat it and leave it!!!! What an awesome Willys...and look at that hood trim...it's still there. And yellow plates, too...<br>edit...my eyes are getting the gasser burn just looking at it!

What a great era for American design.<br>And very few 90 degree lines anywhere on that beauty!<br>

Awesome car and in great condition..

Better than gold.

<p>RLJ,<br><br>Yepp, a no-frills "Hot Rod", every square inch. Can't see like that at the track no more.<br>That must have been really something to see, must of had people all over all day.<br>"Big Pluses" to ya bro all hard work ( like it is a real hurt, lol ) going to &amp; snapping of best socal. has to offer.<br><br>John</p>

That is awesome. Thanks for the story!<br>Pat

What a score IF you could find an all steel Willys the body alone is worth $20 to $25,000!! Finding that he must've been this sort of a heart attack.

<img height="15" src="http://redlinesonlinemessageboard.yuku.com/domain/bypass/images/pacman.gif" width="15" alt="image">Can't stop lookin' at her! HeyJohnny, or someone,..... an old guy I knew who is now at the big car meet in the sky and who was a Hot Rodder back in them days, told me the reason they jacked'em up on front like that, but I can't remember what that was! What is that reason? Weight shift or distribution? I think for some reason he was sayingsomething about having no rear springs but rather an axle welded solidly to the frame for drag racing. Maybe I'm imagining that.<br><p><img height="15" src="http://redlinesonlinemessageboard.yuku.com/domain/bypass/images/pacman.gif" width="15" alt="image"><br></p>

<blockquote> <strong class="quote-title">BlueWagoon wrote:</strong> <hr><img alt="image" src="http://redlinesonlinemessageboard.yuku.com/domain/bypass/images/pacman.gif" width="15" height="15">Can't stop lookin' at her! Hey Johnny, or someone,..... an old guy I knew who is now at the big car meet in the sky and who was a Hot Rodder back in them days, told me the reason they jacked 'em up on front like that, but I can't remember what that was! <strong>What is that reason? Weight shift or distribution?</strong> I think for some reason he was saying something about having no rear springs but rather an axle welded solidly to the frame for drag racing. Maybe I'm imagining that. <br><p><img alt="image" src="http://redlinesonlinemessageboard.yuku.com/domain/bypass/images/pacman.gif" width="15" height="15"><br></p></blockquote><br><br><strong>Quicker weight transfer, to get the power and weight of the car all on the rear wheels, for better traction and faster E.T.'s, on a full rearsuspension, as required by NHRA rules at that time..........</strong> <br><br><strong>Glad you're all enjoying it!<img src="http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/happy.gif" height="15" alt="image"></strong>

<p>this car is seriously badass </p><p>love the old willys gassers </p><p>seems you got the story a bit wrong though----car was just a stocker when bill fowler got it..he added the drivetrain..wasnt a gasser till he built it</p><p>still a badass car..would have been way cooler if it was a real gasser find though </p><p>sometime i will post up a scan of my dad's 41 willy's pickup gasser he had </p><p>maybe i can scare up a pic of the straight axled 66 gto i had back in the 70's </p><p>randy </p>

<strong>I got the story straight from Bill Fowler last Friday, but i guess i didn't hear him right, as i was under the impression that it was an old Gasserwhen it was found in the barn, for he had mentioned that the transmission was painted the colors of the American flag, and that he had left it that way fornostalgia's sake.........<br><br>I'll ask him to clarify this coming Friday.........</strong>

<strong>Too cool! Love it! <img src="http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/tongue.gif" alt="image"><br>I saw the same in light baby blue non-gasser style being driven on the local street about 2 -3 months ago.<br></strong>

<p>cool johnny </p><p>bill would know </p><p>i was just reading some quotes he had about the car </p><p>if it was a gasser when found that would be so cool </p><p>randy</p>

Too damned cool, and I also hope he leaves it just as is!<br><br>By the way, does anyone happen to have a good pic of a dead-stock '40 Willy's Coupe?

<strong>I could very well be wrong Randy, as the excitement over gawking at this car could very well have had my brain clouded when Bill was giving all of usthe low down on the car, and i may have heard it wrong. I should be able to get the straight scoop from him this coming Friday, and report it back here thiscoming weekend........<img src="http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/happy.gif" alt="image"><br><br>G, i've checked some Willys sites, and it's a tuff one, finding a stock Coupe to show, there may not be any stockers left! <img src="http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/laugh.gif" alt="image"></strong>

Not mint - but original ....<br><br><img src="http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/wokr/gallery/wil_98a.jpg" alt="image"><br><br><img src="http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/wokr/gallery/wil_98b.jpg" alt="image"><br><br><br>Mark.

<img height="15" src="http://redlinesonlinemessageboard.yuku.com/domain/bypass/images/pacman.gif" width="15" alt="image">Wow Mark,...that untampered withoriginal looks beauty! I'd want 1 original, and 1 done up!<br><p>Andy<img height="15" src="http://redlinesonlinemessageboard.yuku.com/domain/bypass/images/pacman.gif" width="15" alt="image"><br></p>

<blockquote> <strong><strong>G, i've checked some Willys sites, and it's a tuff one, finding a stock Coupe to show, there may not be any stockers left!</strong></strong></blockquote> I KNOW!!! I couldn't find one either! And thanks for the pic, Mark - what a great car - I wish I could buy a new one!<br><br>

<blockquote> <strong class="quote-title"><strong class="quote-title">groggerbug</strong> wrote:</strong> <hr><blockquote> I KNOW!!! I couldn't find one either! <br></blockquote></blockquote><strong>Because it looks better as a gasser.<br><br>That is is definitely bad ass!</strong> <strong>The patina kinda looks like it was put that way.</strong> (paint marks)<br><br>

<strong>One of my all time favs.....I remember looking at Hot Rod mags in the sixties and digging the Willys coupe and gassers...<img height="20" src="http://www.ezboard.com/image/posticons/pi_cooldude.gif" width="20" alt="image"><br><br><br><br>DON<br></strong>