GASSER MAGAZINE

p h o t o s b y t r e n t s h e r r i l l
THE BODY:
I wanted suicide doors so the entire doorframe needed to be cut out, redesigned and reinforced. That
meant I needed to have the locks relocated. It took months to make the tilt front end work, get the rear
fender wells radiused and the body straightened and smooth. Inside, I wanted a cleaner looking dash
so we fabricated a new one. I wanted to be able to race in Nostalgia classes so an eight-point cage was
installed and five-point harnesses attached.
The car’s late owner had wanted to paint the car Candy Apple Red like ‘Big John’ Mazmanian’s
Willys. I went with a color ‘Big John’ might not have liked but one he would have recognized when it
was in the opposite lane: Stone, Woods & Cook blue.
THE INTERIOR:
Take a look at the blue Stone, Woods & Cook Willys. It was a race car but the interior could have been
out of a street rod. Their interior was white and blue but I wanted mine to be all-white. I went with a
classic, no frills, clean 2” tuck & roll look. Staying true to the era, I chose a black carpet. I did get creative
and built my own console and shifter housing. In the trunk I put the fuel cell between the rear frame
rails so I would have room for chairs, coolers, etc. when I went to car shows. The trunk’s upholstery
matches the interior.