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Willys

engine of the day

Willys Go Devil: Engine Of Democracy!

It's been a while since we had a Workhorse Engine of the Day; the problem with that series was that many great engines don't quite rate "workhorse" status (whatever that is) and we kept getting all bogged down in debates over whether a given engine really belonged. But we love great engines, regardless of equine semblance, so we're coming back at you with a new/improved series with an edgy, highly original name: Engine of the Day! Today we're looking at a flathead four-banger that did more to crush Nazism than any engine (with the possible exception of the V-2 diesel in the T-34 tank): the Willys L134 Go Devil! Thanks to BrandonValentine (and others) for the suggestion. [Wikipedia]

choose your eternity

PCH, Double The Hell Edition: Pair-O-Willys or Benz-Pontiac Combo Platter?

With the '69 Citröen ID19 carrying the French to victory over their British rivals in the PCH Superpower Rematch, I can see we'll need to have some more elimination rounds to see whether France or Britain shall be crushed beneath the weight of proudly display the oil-spraying, parts-shedding PCH Superpower Trophy. Today's challenge, however, is a return to a fine PCH tradition with no nationalistic overtones: Two-For-One Hell Projects!
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autorama

1941 Willys Coupe

Hot rodders best be careful, or the once lusted after 1941 Willys Coupe will be the next '32 Ford of the rodding world. We know they've got a nice stout shape and wear fat racing slicks with a certain style few other cars can, but as often as we see them, you'd think they never went out of production. This particular '41Coupe is under the stewardship of Joseph Mouton Jr. who hails from New Orleans. After overlooking the massively supercharged 502 V8 mill, the car has got some real nice details throughout.

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commenter of the day

Commenter of the Day: Out-of-Biz Marquee Edition

Remember Pan Am and TWA? Yeah, neither do I. But I do remember that for a time I thought I could impress girls by quoting Shakespeare from memory, specifically Macbeth. Anytime someone would mention the temporal nature of existence, which was a disturbingly common theme amongst girls that would agree to date me, I'd trot out those famous lines: "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Creeps in this pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time. And all our yesterday's have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle. Life's but a walking shadow." This all transitions very well into today's COTD. More »

down on the street bonus edition

Way-Out Willys Gave 'em All a Treat In Hyannis, MA

A day without a Johnny Otis reference is like a day without sunshine. And, speaking of days without sunshine, how about Hyannis, Massachusetts, in the wintertime? That's where sharp-eyed reader UDMan spotted these two seriously cool Willys machines. After checking out the gallery, make the jump to hear what UDMan has to say about these cars.


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commenter of the day

Commenter Of The Day

Today was a close day. Lots of contenders vying for the temporary throne, but alas there can only be one. First runner up goes to the very handsome witty and difficult to type PETEJäYHAWK™ for his his double entendre interpretation of some PCH quotes:
"I am sure of one thing - the kind of trim one can get with a rusty '59 El Camino is not the type of trim I'm into."
Can I get a ha ha? But that's not quite enough to win. Thanks to ECNIV for the nomination... More »

down on the street

1956 Willys Jeep Station Wagon

I'm pretty sure this Willys station wagon is a '56, based on the helpful info at the CJ-3B page, which states that the three-bar grille with the middle bar close to the top was used only in that year. Even if it's not a '56, it's almost certainly from the 1950s, so I'm at least close. Willys experts, now is your moment to shine! Tell us what you know about this fine vehicle. More »

something we learned today

John North Willys, Automotive Pioneer

We once had a French roommate into hot rods and sportbikes. Given that he'd become an American citizen whose nation of birth had been liberated by men driving vehicles manufactured by a company founded and shepherded by one John North Willys, we always thought his prediliction toward referring to the company as "Willis" was oddly, well, French. But it turns out that he was actually correct all along, which is one of the myriad things we learned today from an interesting piece about the man whose most lasting legacies are the Gasser and the Jeep. More »

retro

More Brazilian Willys Action: '66 Aero Hoonage


I couldn't reach my Brazilian friend for a Portuguese-to-English translation of Senhor Hoon's opening statement, but I'm pretty sure it goes something along the lines of "Hey, watch this, y'all!" Granted, it's fairly tame hoonage, but it's a Willys Aero doing it, dammit! None of your fancy seat belts, disc brakes, or crumple zones here- just late-40s technology between hoon and tragedy. More »

retro

The Girl From Itamaraty: Willys Limo, Brazilian Style

Willys is mostly known for its iconic Willys MB (aka WW2 Jeep), but the company made a car from 1951 through 1955: the Aero-Willys. When Kaiser acquired Willys-Overland and decided to ditch cars in favor of hotter-selling Jeeps, the Aero's tooling ended up in Brazil, where production continued well into the 1970s. The Aero's design continued to evolve, and by the mid-60s there was a limousine version rolling off the assembly line: the mighty Willys Itamaraty (to muddle the car's ancestry even further, Ford had purchased Willys do Brasil by that point). So the AMC Javelin is second cousin to a Brazilian limo and related to Farrah Fawcett's '75 Cougar by marriage... ah, the American Motors family tree has many branches. More »

commentary

What Kind of Talisman is Jeep, Anyway?

What if Jeep is just bad juju? The iconic American brand has soldiered on through ownership by Willys-Overland, Kaiser, AMC and now Chrysler. What do its three previous owners have in common? They're all dead! Jeep's the carrot on a stick in any deal to sell Chrysler Group. Jeep will love you and leave you for dead as it lures in its next victim. It could possibly be known as the black widow of American automotive brands. Shall we advise a stern caveat emptor to any potential Jeep suitors? We shall. More »

novelties

Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue: Coop Goes Model-Crazy

A certain Mister Cooper indulged his Gasser fantasies lately in molded-plastic form, whipping up a '63 Pontiac Tempest, a '37 Chevy, and a Ford Cammer-powered Willys panel truck. Now and then, a sophisticated man of the arts and letters likes to take a break from dosing himself with cadmium, settle down at the desk and huff Duco for a few hours. You know, the simple pleasures. More »

retro

Flattery'll Get You Somewhere, A Jeepamino Will Get You Further

The Forward Control Jeeps were built from 1956 until 1964, which actually puts them ahead of the El Camino in the truckcar sweepstakes. Although it's debatable whether the FC is actually a true Camino, based as it was on a light-truck chassis rather than on a car frame or unibody, reader Mark's tale of how he went to great lengths — and strained his relationship with his soon-to-be wife — to snap these photos for us while on holiday in Indy swayed us. Click through for his tale. More »