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1947 Jeep Hot Rod Looks like It's Just Escaped from Under an Elephant's Behind

For most people, there aren't that many ways you can modify a 1947 Jeep Willys. After all, that's a vehicle that has served in the army, is renowned for its no-frills, no-nonsense looks and its go-anywhere ability.
Ultra-low Jeep Willys conversion 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
So it's not exactly a prime candidate for a luxury limousine now, is it? Nor would it be the first choice for someone looking to build a sports car. But that's just the kind of conservative thinking that we all can be guilty of when confronted with the chance of restoring an iconic car. In reality? You're free to do whatever the hell you want with any car you please. As long as it's yours, of course.

The owner of this 1947 Jeep Willys - well, what's left of it - certainly didn't let other people's expectations get in the way of the transformation he had in mind for the venerable off-roader, so he turned it into an open-top hot (rat?) rod. And as if that weren't enough, he gave the new vehicle a ground clearance that is more of a philosophical idea than an actual thing.

The resulting car looks like a Jeep that's been saved two seconds too late from the car press. Its tub is literally one inch away from the road surface and you get the feeling that there are times when it actually skids off it. It looks great, no doubt about it, but it all begs a question: why bother with the intricate suspension system when the car clearly doesn't need it? If it travels for more than half an inch... well, we all know what will happen.

Lowrider limbo contests is where this car feels at home, and with some minor modifications - removing the air filter and tilting the windshield forward - its highest points become the top of the military tires. Hell, it'll go places a cockroach would have troubles fitting in.

It's got a riveted raw aluminum body, a custom frame (obviously), and an AMC 401 engine that sits out in the open well behind the front wheels. It's the kind of radical vehicle that makes Caterhams seem pampering, and it's definitely not something you'd expect to come out of a Jeep Willys. Which is half of what makes it so great.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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