J.Andrew Stepka

 

 

                                                             Wicked Willys

                                                             I tried to the best of my ability to maintain a certain look when these cars ruled the strip. (J.Andrew Stepka)

 

J.Andrew's 1941 Willys was acquired from a guy in Long Island, N.Y. It was turned into a Pro-Street car during its long life but it was a steel body and that was all that mattered to him. The frame was built by The Willys Works in upstate NY, but Andrew had plans to turn this old Pro-streeter into a ground pounding gasser from the glory years of drag racing.

                                            These two photos are dated 1964 and 1966, they were taken at Connecticut Dragway and I was told this was my car. 

 

 Within the first 6-months a reverse restoration of sorts took place, anything modern was removed. Andrew got rid of the 4-link rear suspension, A/C, power seats, power windows, remote door openers and automatic Th-400 trans. The Willys was set-up as a cruiser and only had an open 9-inch ford.  

 

Andrew added 4-wheel disc brakes, roll cage, semi elliptical springs and a 4" dropped axle up front. Out back old-school chrome ladder bars hang the rear-end with coil-over shocks handling the bumps. The 9-inch rear was filled with a 3.89:1 gear set and a Detroit locker.

 

 At the time it had a 468 big-block Chevy, bumping the valves was a Big- Mutha- Thumper cam, and it sucked the go juice through a set of dual quads, while an Autogear M23 4-speed transmission helped transfer the power. Andrew stated he beat on it relentlessly, but he had plans to add more horsepower.

          

 

Over the next few years the car evolved, J.Andrew had his friend Larry Conway from Conway Customs do some Door Art work. 

When he added a tilt fiberglass front-end to make servicing the engine easier it started to look like the gassers he remembered.

Next on the vintage parts list were fenderwell headers, hood scoop and plenty of hand lettered artwork.

                                                                           A round rear bumper & parachute added to the period correct look.

 

Finally the 468 had had enough and dropped a valve, But J.Andrew had a plan. 

 Like all hotrodders, we like to collect parts and after a very long time of collecting parts J.Andrew's collection grew into something special. He now had enough parts and resources to build a killer new power plant for the Willys.

 

He sourced a BMP aluminum block, Brodix heads, JE blower pistons, American made billet steel rods, and a 4-1/4 stroke crank makes it 540 cubes. Up top a Littlefield blower and E-85 boost referenced carb's stand tall.  He was now ready to play mad scientist.

 With help from his best friend Dave Cote from Hilltoppers Speed Shop in Dickson,Tenn., they assembled the motor. 

 

J.Andrew stated that he owes a huge thank you to him as he's known him since 9th grade. What a class act!

 

 

 Thank you, my friend and Brother. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Always on the hunt for vintage parts to complete the project  he found some vintage original Magnesium rims, he found the 16 X 10 Halibrands fairly quickly. But the front runners were an accident, a friend of his in the South East Gassers came across a set of incredibly rare set of Wells foundry, Canadian made magnesium rims. Evidently there were only less than 20 pairs made, so he grabbed them. 

 

 The Willys is now on its way to get a new transmission tunnel fabricated, wiring and radiator mounts made at another buddy's shop, Classical Gas- Rod & Cycle in Georgia. 

 

                             J.Andrew thank's God for good friends, without them dreams don't come true. 

 

 

Thanks J.Andrew for sharing your Willys with us, we look forward to updating this article when the car is done. 

(Photos by courtesy of J.Andrew Stepka 2024)

                                 Update !! 

                   The Willys is back in action !

                         Turn up the volume!