Photo: Gateway Classic Cars
For most of us adults, the name Willys is only a memory from another generation. The brand belonging to Willys–Overland Motors died out long before most of us were born, so the only way to experience it today is through history books and custom builds.
Over the course of its life, Willys has been responsible for bringing to life a bunch of heavyweight names in the industry. After all, it was Willys that gave birth to the Army Jeep that would later become a civilian hit, but it is also responsible for the birth of the Americar, a platform so cherished by the custom industry today.
Made from 1937 to 1942, the Americar is so lovable that it almost always manages to surprise when given a proper custom job. We’ve seen that over the past year or so, with these cars popping up at various auctions across the nation, and most of the time selling for big bucks.
Most of those builds though are based on the coupe Americar. But Willys also made the model as a two-door pickup, and this body style can be equally as impressive when redone right.
Case in point the 1941 Americar pickup we have in the gallery above. Now selling through a specialized website, it is a ground-up rebuild that ended in one of the most stunning recreations of the original.
Wrapped in glossy PPG black paint, the pickup can barely hide the engine under the hood. That’s a 350ci (5.7-liters) V8 sourced from a 1977 Chevy Corvette, tied to a 4-speed automatic transmission and a Chevy S10 rear end. On top of the engine, and partially visible through the hood, are an Edelbrock carburetor and a BDS blower.
As an ode to Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and his legacy, the build hides in strategic places representations of the infamous Rat Fink. And whereas some of them are easy to spot, there's one that requires quite a lot of effort to be seen.
The cool-looking pickup is a proven piece of engineering, having been driven for about 10,000 miles (16,000 km) since completion. It now sells complete with full documentation of receipts and restoration photos for $51,500.
Made from 1937 to 1942, the Americar is so lovable that it almost always manages to surprise when given a proper custom job. We’ve seen that over the past year or so, with these cars popping up at various auctions across the nation, and most of the time selling for big bucks.
Most of those builds though are based on the coupe Americar. But Willys also made the model as a two-door pickup, and this body style can be equally as impressive when redone right.
Case in point the 1941 Americar pickup we have in the gallery above. Now selling through a specialized website, it is a ground-up rebuild that ended in one of the most stunning recreations of the original.
Wrapped in glossy PPG black paint, the pickup can barely hide the engine under the hood. That’s a 350ci (5.7-liters) V8 sourced from a 1977 Chevy Corvette, tied to a 4-speed automatic transmission and a Chevy S10 rear end. On top of the engine, and partially visible through the hood, are an Edelbrock carburetor and a BDS blower.
As an ode to Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and his legacy, the build hides in strategic places representations of the infamous Rat Fink. And whereas some of them are easy to spot, there's one that requires quite a lot of effort to be seen.
The cool-looking pickup is a proven piece of engineering, having been driven for about 10,000 miles (16,000 km) since completion. It now sells complete with full documentation of receipts and restoration photos for $51,500.
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