As we built the ‘36 Willys pickup, we chipped away at its sedan cousin, and it became its own little green monster.
We took a different approach than the truck as we walked the line between classy street rod & hot rod with an attitude. Its only prerequisites were to use vintage magnesium wheels and engine/transmission combo that our client provided, No problem.
What started as a side project alongside a ‘36 Willys pickup quickly evolved into a distinct creation of its own—a bold and refined hot rod with a personality to match. Balancing the fine line between a classy street rod and an aggressive hot rod, this build showcases meticulous chassis modifications, custom fabrication, and a striking paint and interior combination. Every element, from the heavily reworked body to the carefully engineered suspension and powertrain, was crafted with precision and purpose. Join us for an in-depth look at the process behind bringing this unique Willys sedan to life.
As we built the ‘36 Willys pickup, we chipped away at its sedan cousin, and it became its own little green monster.
We took a different approach than the truck as we walked the line between classy street rod & hot rod with an attitude. Its only prerequisites were to use vintage magnesium wheels and the engine/transmission combo that our client provided. No problem. Based on its cartoonish rake and chop, it seemed natural to set it up with “big and littles.” We began by straightening the original bent and twisted chassis, squaring it up, filling all the original and unnecessary holes, and completely boxing it. The width of the chassis at the back half was narrowed to make ample room for the 10” wide slicks. We made sure to keep the tires as close to the wheel openings as possible in the rear and to match the tire diameter to pay homage to the nostalgic gassers of the day with cut-out fender openings. The front of the chassis was left stock with the parallel leaf springs but was slammed down with a custom axle. We had a custom 8” dropped tube axle fabricated to get it super-low. We also engineered strut bars on the top back side of the axle to stabilize the axle at high speeds as well as gusset it to the spring perches. All of the hard work paid off, this system worked out very well, and the car handles great without any speed wobble or bump steer issues. The chassis was completed with round tubing to locate the ladder bar pickup locations and hold the transmission in place. This tubing also adds additional torsional rigidity to the frame.
When it came time to dive into the bodywork, we began by fabricating all new floors from front to back and new larger wheel tubes. We modified the original spare tire well cover and welded it directly into the body and fabricated a faux hubcap with its center that doubles as the gas fill. We only cut 1” out of the front windshield pillar to get the heavily raked chop look. The center of the original roof was really flat in the center and bulbous in the rear, and the drip rails were unsightly from the factory, so we redesigned the entire roof by building a large buck and stitching together all the new panels. The largest modification that was made to the car was the removal of the B-pillar entirely and building it into the rear door itself. This allowed complete unobstructed access to the car when getting in and out. This means the rear doors were completely reengineered. While we were at it, a safety push button was added in conjunction with the operation of the front doors to keep the rear doors safely shut.
The engine is a mighty 241 Baby Hemi fed by 3/2 barrel Demon carburetors backed by a Torque Flight 727 transmission. Surprisingly, we were able to leave the original firewall intact and in its original location. Using a remote mount water pump allowed us the additional room up front for the C&R custom fabricated radiator. We wanted a classic look for the engine, so we went with vapor blasting to maintain a fresh, raw cast aluminum finish with multiple speed equipment castings.
We also made custom running boards with fiberglass inserts to recess the running board material that is wrapped in perforated leather rather than traditional rubber. The front fender transition was brought down to meet the running board more like a ’34 Ford does. The front chin panel was shaped from scratch and blended into the fenders for a more streamlined appearance than the original did. We decided to keep the original hood top and sides and improved the fit and finish. We CNC machined the headlight bezels and original horn covers and modified those with Ford running lamp lenses and LED lights to function as turn signals. We custom cut a new grille insert out of stainless like the original. We had all the bright work nickel plated and brushed specific areas of the nickel for accents. We designed and machined a custom center waterfall dash emblem that plays off the original door handle design and blends with the gauge design details. We located some vintage green glass lenses to use as the turn signal indicators underneath the row of classic gauges.
“Gangrene” by the vehicle’s owner, and it has stuck. The goal was to create a color that had the look as if it could have come on a ‘30s car from the factory, but we also wanted it to look like it could be a color from the ‘60s, so we added just the right amount of gold pearl before the clear coat was applied. The dark green accent was a custom-mixed metallic green that highlights the spare tire wall and the belt molding wrapping around the bronze-tinted glass. The wheels were painted to resemble a traditional magnesium Dow finish.
The interior flaunts lots of custom-made components, including front & rear seats and upholstery panels, all wrapped in off-white Italian leather. A custom three-spoked Willys steering wheel was machined and painted to match the dash color. One of the most noticeable features of this elegant interior is the one-piece fitted headliner with its wild floral pattern that simply works with this fun and colorful little hot rod.
Since this vehicle’s completion, it has been enjoyed by driving it on multiple car show tours, including The Gathering at the Roc in 2022, when it was picked for a very special Eric Black Design Integrity Award. The other awards that this car has been treated to are great, however, that one in particular is near and dear to our hearts.
