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I have owned the same hot rod since 1973. It is a 1939 Willys coupe with an Australian dicky seat body. I bought it with my first pay packet. For a princely sum of $30 I was the proud owner of a rust bucket that no-one else wanted. My mate Frank the Plank, who was building a ‘33 Ford roadster, towed it a whole half mile to the hot rod club shed, where I was to fix it up and rod it over the next seven years. My 1939 Willys coupe in 1982.Why wouldn’t any one want a Willys Coupe located so close? Back then, if you knew where they were, you could get a much better condition vehicle to start a hot rod project with. These whereabouts of these treasures were kept secret from newcomers like myself. The other reason why no one wanted it, was because it wasn’t a Ford. The only hot rods in the early seventies were pre-1940 Fords.After persisting with the Willys I have become a martyr of the non-Ford cause for over three decades and regularly push the cause in the my club’s “Klaxon” magazine.Of course, non Fords are common place these days and Willys are keenly sought after.When first rebuilt the Willys had a 283 CID Chev engine with a Powerglide auto gearbox and 1961 Chev differential.The motor was stock except for triple carbies sitting on an Edelbrock manifold. Suspension was standard with a mid 1930’s Dodge front axle that gave the “gasser: drag racing look. The front brakes were discs from an HQ model Holden, an Australian General Motors product. This gave the same wheel bolt pattern as the Chev drum brakes on the rear. The interior was fitted out with a full set of Smiths gauges and home made shifter. The steering box was from a Ford Transit van, used in a push-pull fashion on the pitman arm. This was a popular local setup back then. The front axle and idea for the steering box came from a local hot rodding icon, Neville “Lars” Anderson, who had and still has the same ‘34 Ford 5 window coupe. (below). My Willys is nearing the finish of a complete rebuild and should see sunlight again in a few months time. See below.  This time the coupe will will have a 350 CID Chev with Turbo 350 auto and a Ford disc brake 9 inch diff. The rod is set up for constant long distance use with 2.75 diff gears and running an LPGas conversion. The gasser stance has gone in favour of an early Holden independant front suspension that has lowered thje front end significantly, to suit the 70’s style rod appearance that I am working for. Steering now is Holden Commodore rack and pinion.Keep tuned for more stories on the coupes rebuild in later blogs.Eric. rodder@cyberhotrodders.com
Filed under: Cyber Hot Rodders, 1937 -1939 Willys, Hot Rods, General by Eric
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 I have been an active hot rodder for over 30 years. I have a confession to make. Although I cannot work out how it happened, I also own a Volvo. What’s more, when overlooking the poor power to weight ratio of the earlier models, I am in awe of their mechanical design. Nothing tricky, just that they go for ever, don’t leak, and are a breeze to work on. I have developed a thick skin over it. I score layers of ridicule and jest from my hot rodding peers about this choice of street hack. Even so, I have replaced my old 500,000 mile Swedish Chick Magnet with another one. Is that a hot rodding sin?
Filed under: Author Miscellaneous, Volvo by Eric
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My name is Eric. I live near Perth in Western Australia. By day I manage an Electronic Assembly Company. By night and on weekends I try and squeeze in all the things my actual life span won’t eventually allow, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. I am also a hair loss expert. I have lost most of it. Turning 50 didn’t come quick enough, I can almost justify the shiny helmut. Appearances cover the 28 year old person that lurks within. I have found most rodders are like this. They think and act well below there accrued ages. I have a three fantastic daughters who grew up around my hot rodding hobby. Travelling long distances in a rumble seat never did anyone any harm. Ask me, I have done it too. I have two grand kids.I am currently doing a correspondence Ecommerce course. While I can get around every-day computer software, the ins and outs of web commerce are a huge extension to my computing knowledge. This blog and the www.cyberhotrodders.com project are just a part of the story. My hobbies include firstly hot rodding, followed by doing anything creative.I am a DIY hot rod builder. This is my main creative outlet.I have also built my own brick house from scratch. Brick laying, plumbing, wiring, tiling, painting, roofing, carpentry, window resoration, and paving. A proud achievement. Thanks to my family for their patience. Living in a shed was a character building experience. (more…)
Filed under: Author Miscellaneous, Cyber Hot Rodders, 1937 -1939 Willys, General by Eric
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Hot Rodding…. OH yeah!
Thank you for sticky-beaking my blog. This is my first crack at blogging.Today I am learning the buttons and doing a tad of typing in between. As a magazine editor, it will get better, so stay with me for now then visit again later on.The aim of this blog is to entertain readers interested in hot rodding (also called Street rodding) and anyone else who wants an education about this fantastic hobby/sport. For the uninitiated, the quickest description I can give you, is that it is theactivity of improving the performance and handling of pre 1948 cars. Now that is a VERY simple explanation. As a hobby, for the real buff, it is almost addictive. For me it is a creative outlet and a connection with many wonderful people. For those involved in going to events, it is a wonderful social experience. To the DIY rod builder, a completed hot rod project is a monument to creativity and self achievement. It can be trophies, it can be fast time at the drags, it can be a holidaying experience, an occupation or lifestyle. You can pick your flavor and eat as much as you want to! The sport has many facets that have evolved over the years. At times, almost completely separated from one another as each facettook its own direction, yet most hot rodders can appreciate or even participate in other segments of the sport. After all, it did all originally stem from the same need for speed. It was a post WWII addiction based upon hotting up early 1930’s Fords, especially the first V8s that were available from 1932 onwards. Out of the illegal street racing and many confrontations with the law came the safer legal “drag strips” and a whole new sport and industry was created. Out of the need to squeeze the maximum possible speed out of engineering experimentation, that was not limited to the length of a track, came “speed trials” held on the vast flats of several dry salt lakes in USA.Today the various facets include Hot Rodding which caters for pre 1948 street licensed rods and show cars, Drag racing (historic/nostalgia) and Salt lake speed trials. Most hot rodders appreciate the other variants, especially these days when the speed trials are as popular as ever and many of the vehicles are based on pre 1948 models and also drag racing, with the introduction of nostalgia drag racing for older cars using older style performance equipment.Another variant of our hobby we call “Customs” which is based predominantly 1948-1964 cars. This is much the same as hot rodding but is focussed heavily on bodywork modifications on these larger predominantly 1950’s models.What about me?My interest centers upon Street rodding. I have been involved since I was still at school. One hot rod magazine and my Fathers “bonding” project with a free 1950 Vauxhall sedan, triggered it off.I have owned the same hot rod (not the Vauxhall) since first leaving school, when I bought it as a $30.00 hacked up rusted shell that no one else wanted. It is a 1939 Willys coupe, one of the ugliest cars built by mankind. A car only a mother would love, but due to todays trends towards all things nostalgic and Willys’ place in early 1960’s drag racing history, it is a much sort after vehicle amongst the converted brethren. I have also owned a 1934 Plymouth Sedan. I still have a partially rebuilt 1956 Buick Super convertible that was my street hack while first building the Willys coupe. Then was also a 1952 Vauxhall Vagabond tourer, an English Breed with GM styling.I have been a member of the same hot rod club since at school. I have been President, Secretary, bottle washer and everything in between. The club has its own monthly magazine of which I am currently editor. I was also editor back in the 70’s pre computer days. Man, things have changed. Typewriters, stencils and Gestetner copiers! No colors, no pictures and ink everywhere. Now it is time to Cyber Hot Rod.!Cyberhotrodders is the next phase of my hot rodder life. Sure I do other stuff too. There are plenty of blank pages on this blog to elaborate on that further in the future. See the ABOUT page!Stay well. Eric.
Filed under: Cyber Hot Rodders, Hot Rods, Customs by Eric
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