Byron:
In late June I drove back to Chuck Finder's shop in Ohio to pick up
the Gasser Madness Willys Pickup project gasser chassis. En route
there I was towing a rust free, 56 Chevy 2-dr wagon that Chuck will
transform into a dream ride. It will have a blown SBC under the hood
with Chuck's patented triple two barrels street induction system. I
think you can see Chuck's pleasure with the car. I've named it
Workhorse!
Larry Sikora, Chuck's assistant who did the fabrication and welding
on the chassis is next to Chuck in one of the pictures. Chuck said,
"Without Larry, the Willys couldn't have been built." I'm grateful
that two of the best minds in the building of a chassis for a gasser
style car worked on the Gasser Madness Project Car. Without them, it
wouldn't have been done to the high level of quality and safety that
it is, combined with an adherence to the design and style of the
period it's meant to reflect: the transitional era when gassers were
evolving into funny cars.
You will also catch a glimpse of some of the wonderful cadre of
Chuck's friends who helped load the Willys for its trip to
California. The yellow primer coupe is the Traveler car replica that
Chuck is now working on with Hank Whittmore; again, Larry is
involved in that too. Another of Chuck's great friends, "Big Al"
Teal is dropping a blown BBC into the Gasser Madness chassis for the
ride to California. The actual race motor for the Willys will be an
unblown but injected BBC. Mark Nichols is giving Chuck a hand
installing spindles on the Traveler.
One photo shows the "California Willys Express" stopped in Gallup,
New Mexico. The pickup and motor are tarped in green and I tossed in
one of Chuck's beautiful chopped 33 coupe bodies for a friend back
in California.
The photo with the tarp pulled back shows Art and Ralph Foster
admiring Chuck and Larry's work on the chassis. The "Willys Express"
had just arrived at Art's shop, Foster Engines. in Santa Maria. Art
has already squeezed his son A. J. into the driver's seat so he's
unseen in this photo but A. J. will be doing the driving.
The photo of the pickup with the front fenders and hood mocked on
was taken yesterday at George Wuethrich's Lightning Auto Body in
Santa Maria. George has already formed the aluminum for the pickup
bed and now he's at work on finishing the body work. George will
also do the paint. In the upper RH corner of that photo you can see
the roof of George's own 33 pickup. That will be a very nice early
Hemi powered Willys. Our goal is to attend the Gasser Reunion next
year with both cars.
Thanks as always for your fantastic website.
Dave Miller,
Lompoc, CA |