Ridler Great 8 400K Build Steel Willy Pickup EFI Ramjet 502 V8 TH400 3 Speed A/C

SUMMARY

The beneficiary of a 6.5-year, $400K build that was completed in 2004
Ridler Great 8 Finalist / Goodguys Truck of the Year - Early Finalist / Featured in multiple publications
502 cubic inch GM Performance Parts Ramjet V8 / Street & Performance TPI / 510 horsepower
Turbo-Hydramatic 400 3-speed automatic transmission / Narrowed Currie 9-inch rear axle
Custom leather & suede interior / Vintage Air conditioning / Modern audio
Highly modified all-steel body / PPG Pearl Orange paint
18 and 20-inch Mickey Thompson wheels
Sale includes: Detailed build photos / The truck's magazine features / The truck's Goodguys certificate
Rack-and-pinion steering / Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes
Custom tube chassis / Custom suspension

It's time to think outside the box! This killer pickup, founded on original, 1941 Willys steel, was custom-built for the gearhead who loves the style of modern street rodding, but thinks red, yellow and black coupes are just a bit too ordinary. As it sits, this Willys, a magazine-featured national award winner, is primed for the show. And thanks to the popularity of the truck's fuel injected 502/3-speed drivetrain, it fulfills the dream of having a completely unique custom with solid reliability and jaw-dropping athleticism. If you're looking for a cool old hot rod to parade up and down Main Street, you've found your next classic!

BODYWORK/TRIM

This stunning, one-of-a-kind pickup, nicknamed "Excessive" by its original builders, is the product of a 6.5-year, $400K restoration that was completed by Rickardsville, Iowa's Avalon Body Shop. And, based on appearance, the truck's original, 1941 steel was certainly a clean canvas before its radical transformation started. That's right, everything you see here is solid steel that's been tweaked, massaged and polished into an award-winning head turner. How award-winning, you ask? Well, in 2004, the truck was a Ridler Great 8 Finalist, the same year it was featured in Custom Classic Trucks Magazine. In 2006, it was featured in Kit Car Magazine, and stole the cover of Northern Rodder Magazine. In 2008, it was featured in a Street Rods calendar. And it's also been a Goodguys Truck of the Year - Early finalist. As you can tell from our high resolution photography, this authentic Willys's incredible reboot resulted in a unique profile that's been sprayed in spectacular PPG Pearl Orange 2-stage. One look down that profile reveals high quality workmanship that, thanks to St. Donatus, Iowa's Merle Berg, is top-notch in virtually every way. A close investigation of the truck's classy panels reveals even surfaces that are free of ripples and major imperfections. And today, in its fully sorted state, this Willys is a banner showpiece that celebrates the fusion of America's greatest pre-war design with some of the coolest customization your money can buy!

It seems Willys street rods are the ultimate kings of clean. Finding a well-done Willys that has tons of trim is almost as hard as finding a modern pop singer that actually plays an instrument. The only difference is: stripped down Willys are actually cool. At the front of this first class custom, an original, re-chromed grille rides between dual-mode headlights and a stainless-trimmed, 1-piece hood that's complete with a small cowl. At the center of the truck, a stainless-trimmed cab hangs tinted glass and a flush Center High Mount Stop Lamp inside shaved doors, capped wipers and shaved drip rails. At the back of the truck, a custom-fabricated bed floats a battery, fuel tank and hidden storage between hidden fasteners, custom wheel tubs and re-shaped fenders that were cribbed from a 1937 Chevy. And at the back of that bed, a functional, scratch-built tailgate reflects frenched '39 Ford taillights and a custom roll pan that was formed on an English Wheel.

ENGINE

Built to go just as well as it shows, this Willys 502 cubic inch GM Performance Parts big block utilizes quality Street & Performance tuned port injection to create a stout 510 horsepower! At the top of the world class mill, a chromed, Ramjet-branded air cleaner funnels oxygen in to a chromed Ramjet intake that's decked in polished fluid lines and a polished throttle linkage. At the base of that intake, polished heads anchor chromed, Ramjet-branded valve covers between custom long-tube headers and a full array of chrome breathers. At the back of those heads, a traditional points distributor sequences fire through beefy Taylor plug wires. At the front of those wires, a polished serpentine drive spins a chrome alternator opposite a chrome, Pearl Orange-detailed AC compressor. Cooling is provided by a polished Edelbrock water pump, which is aligned behind a large electric puller fan, a custom Griffin radiator and polished coolant tubes. The Pearl Orange mill rolls in a glossy, color-keyed engine bay that's finished with custom motor mounts and a custom firewall. And, naturally, that clean frame highlights a sea of first rate hardware that includes trick dipsticks, a chrome hood latch, polished freeze plugs and quality Ron Francis wiring.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Take a look under this cool classic's custom floors and you'll find a custom tube chassis that prefers to divide its time between cruising down Main Street and posing on the show floor. Behind Chevy's legendary big block, a dressed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 3-speed, built by Shift Point Transmission Specialists of Kieler, Wisconsin, twists a narrowed and smoothed Currie 9-inch. That drivetrain rolls in smoothed, 2x4 tubing, which is perched on Aldan Eagle coil-overs, a polished Art Morrison front-clip and a polished 4-bar rear-clip. Turns come courtesy of manual rack-and-pinion steering. Stops are provided when a smoothed and painted Corvette master cylinder jolts four polished calipers via painted steel lines. The aforementioned headers feed a custom exhaust system that, like those headers, was constructed by Custom Craft Inc. of Midland, Arkansas. Torque meets the pavement through stylish Mickey Thompson blades, which spin 26x8.00R18 Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/Rs in front of 31x18.00R20 Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/Rs. And everything, from this hot rod's polished oil pan and polished and color-keyed starter to its braided fluid lines and custom Rock Valley fuel tank, is clean, lean and ready to roll.

INTERIOR

Pop the truck's doors and you'll find an inviting interior that was installed by McFalls Auto Trim of Iowa City, Iowa. A custom-built seat, lined in leather and suede, is firm, provides good support and positions occupants surprisingly low. In front of that seat, a small Lokar shifter and polished emergency brake cap Charcoal wool carpet that's protected by piped and color-keyed floor mats. At the sides of that carpet, chrome-trimmed door panels front modern power windows. At the front of those panels, an original steel dash has been professionally modified to accept Vintage Air climate control and a full array of tasteful Auto Meter gauges. Above that dash, a layered headliner frames a custom Merle Berg console, which centers modern Kenwood audio behind a polished mirror. And in front of the driver, a polished and half-wrapped steering wheel laps a polished, tilting column that's mounted above polished, billet pedals.

OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESSORIES

An extremely detailed book of build photos
A copy of the truck's Winter, 2004 Custom Classic Trucks Magazine feature
A copy of the truck's January, 2006 Kit Car Magazine feature
A copy of the truck's May, 2006 Northern Rodder Magazine cover feature
A copy of the truck's feature in the 2008 Street Rods Calendar
The truck's Goodguys Truck of the Year Early Finalist certificate
Two embroidered baseball caps

This rare and equally cool Willys combines top-notch craftsmanship with a roster of proven performance hardware that's ready to hit the road today. And if you're the kind of gearhead who likes to buck fashion trends, especially at traditional street rod gatherings, it's the main ingredient needed to spice up your summer outings!