1956 Willys Pickup Hot Rod Rat Rod AutoX/Track Day Beater Project?

So I'm not really even sure where to begin with this, but figured I needed to post it somewhere, if nothing else to keep track of it for my own records. Late this summer I decided that I was tired with not having a play toy car and was itching to build something again (other than my ambulance camper project). Since we've instituted a 1 for 1 rule where something has to go if something new comes in I made the decision to finish the RallyX season and then put the rally-probe out to pasture.

I initially thought I wanted to build a track day car, something like a fox body Mustang that would be cheap and durable. The thing is though, I've owned plenty of Mustangs and I was ready for something different, with a little more character. A few more weeks of cruising the internet in the wee hours of the night and I had made up my mind: a hot rod truck that could be flogged on the autox course or even at the occasional track day. The recipe: late model full frame chassis or used stock car chassis, a rough pickup body, a roll cage, and a V8, what could go wrong?

Needless to say a few weeks later I was on travel for work and I made a major detour to see this:

Judging by the pic on the trailer, you may have surmised that it was already in my yard. You'd be correct... You also may notice a crap-ton of bondo in one corner, for whatever reason the previous owner thought he'd try his hand a sculpting, but didn't get past slathering on an entire 5lb bucket of filler where the door had at one point been opened too far... That'll get sanded back off soon enough.

Plans are to go short, low, and fenderless. Minimal body work for the time being, focus on driveability and speed, and the best part is I have a lot left in the budget to potentially get this to the $2013.

Liberated the body from the chassis, keeping it sketchy as usual...

It was serendipitous that I took a random route home a couple weeks later because I otherwise would not have stumbled upon this, a beat up former VEPCO S10 with no straight body panels and a trashed trans, PERFECT.

Much better after stripping/washing.

Mocked up the placement of everything. The cab will get channeled down over the frame soon.

I really wanted to do a SBC since I've never done one, but the complete lack of readily available 5 speeds and an abundance of SBF's that I keep accumulating some how through trades and parting out cars led to this 302 being placed in the frame for a fit check. Pop lending a hand getting the angle set right.

Yep it fits, time to tack in some quick and dirty motor mounts.

And chop the frame in half to shorten the wheel base.

That's about it for now. Frame is almost ready to go back together and I picked up a bunch of parts for the front suspension that I'll go ahead and install before setting the cab back on.

Some inspirational photos and photo-chops of the direction I'm heading in.

I have a fondness for the Willys PU

I be impressed

schwing !

Unfortunately for the picture to work in real life the tires would have to be 30"+ (Which makes it likely that I'll have a performance set and a cruising set) and the location of the steering box precludes the tires from sticking that far out in front of the grill. I still should be able to creatively push the body back quite a bit though.

It'd be a lot easier to get the right "look" if I went with a traditional frame and solid dropped front axle, but I really want the IFS handling and there's a crap ton of cheap S10 suspension parts out there.

Clifford perfomance has a bunch of Jeep stuff. Interesting critter on their catalog.

http://www.cliffordperformance.net/

CLynn85 wrote:

This is all kinds of hawt.

I love this idea.

I like this a lot. My GF wants an old pickup with modern bits and this is almost what I'd do. (I'd probably go for a newer 4 cylinder, and less track rat but that doesn't mean I don't like this!)

CLynn85 wrote:

I didn't like this idea until I saw this picture.

I have one of these that my dad built. 54 on a 1994 AWD blazer chasssis but basically the same idea. It's pretty awesome but currently needs a Fuel pump and then will live in my garage. I'm seriously considering finding a wagon body and making a 4door a la the current Quad/Double cab "compact" pickups so I can haul my family with it.

93EXCivic wrote:

CLynn85 wrote:

This is all kinds of hawt. I love this idea.

Does anyone have any info about this particular truck? It looks amazing.

the ones that look the best like that are the older ones with the curvy roofs. the newer ones with the flat roofs are not as cool.

how much did you pay for yours? they still trade for more coin than rusted beat up pieces of E36 M3 are worth, around here.

Frame is back in one piece, could've skipped a week's worth of work if I had bought a SWB chassis donor, oh well, there wasn't one stupid cheap 5 miles from my house like the LWB one was.

Engine mounts are welded in, front suspension work this weekend, then the fun begins, body hacking time!

Oh, and here's another "inspirational" pic, except the frame is sketchy, the front under-slung solid axle is sketchy, and it's missing a slotted grill!

tuna55 wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

CLynn85 wrote:

This is all kinds of hawt. I love this idea.

Does anyone have any info about this particular truck? It looks amazing.

It was on the Kill Billet forums, if I stumble across it again I'll post a link.

andrave wrote: the ones that look the best like that are the older ones with the curvy roofs. the newer ones with the flat roofs are not as cool. how much did you pay for yours? they still trade for more coin than rusted beat up pieces of E36 M3 are worth, around here.

I think all of the Willys era pickups had rounded roofs, some just cut them off and add a flat sheet to make them look more like a traditional rod.

Cost - not much, it was found in a field by the PO who tried restoring it and abandoned hope (too far gone, not enough resources, etc), and I scooped it up for a song.

if you google project drivabeater you will find how to make an s10 stick like glue for challenge money. did it with mine, and ran down spec miatas and spec e30s on track.

key is the ub machine tall ball joint conversion arms.

michael

Okay, yeah, that's pretty cool.

Little pre-Christmas work on the Willys.

Out with the old

In with the new (cheap circle track and S10 parts FTW!)

Body back on, notched some crossmembers underneath, still no where near low enough

That's better, still need to hog a little more out of the back to get it level

At least I can get a feel for ride height/proportions now

thas sick

I approve. I'll be watching this thread.

tuna55 wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

CLynn85 wrote:

This is all kinds of hawt. I love this idea.

Does anyone have any info about this particular truck? It looks amazing.

Found it: http://www.killbillet.com/showthread.php?t=34738 IIRC he bought the truck pre-built then set to re-building it/sprucing it up.

CLynn85 wrote: I think all of the Willys era pickups had rounded roofs, some just cut them off and add a flat sheet to make them look more like a traditional rod. Cost - not much, it was found in a field by the PO who tried restoring it and abandoned hope (too far gone, not enough resources, etc), and I scooped it up for a song.

cool, I've found some total heaps and asked about prices and people still throw out numbers over $750... I'm talking trucks with cracked windshields, locked up power trains, surface rust on everything, and rust holes in the floor my foot fits through... as for the roofs, look at the pictures in this thread again, paying attention to the windshield lines. You'll see what I'm saying.

Are you keeping the steering gear box or going with a rack and pinion?

I don't want to answer for him but its almost inconceivable to me that he would use IFS from the s10 and try to keep a steering box setup.

Using rack and pinion steering alone would sorta justify the work to swap the ifs in.

andrave wrote:

CLynn85 wrote: I think all of the Willys era pickups had rounded roofs, some just cut them off and add a flat sheet to make them look more like a traditional rod. Cost - not much, it was found in a field by the PO who tried restoring it and abandoned hope (too far gone, not enough resources, etc), and I scooped it up for a song.

cool, I've found some total heaps and asked about prices and people still throw out numbers over $750... I'm talking trucks with cracked windshields, locked up power trains, surface rust on everything, and rust holes in the floor my foot fits through... as for the roofs, look at the pictures in this thread again, paying attention to the windshield lines. You'll see what I'm saying.

That's what I've mostly seen around here, I guess the relative rarity drives them up? Dunno, the only redeeming quality on the one I bought was the price. After taking the chassis/drivetrain to the scrapyard along with some parts from the S10 I've almost broken even, and I still have some parts I saved to sell, that'll help with the challenge budget.

The cab on mine had something dropped on it at some point and it was mostly smoothed back out, the windshield channel has a little rust up top where it looks like mice built a residence and then it held moisture for 30 years, and the windshield on the pass side has 3 bullet wounds in it, 2 from one direction and one from the other