41 Willys-The Green Ghost

[Leica007]

Browsing a second hand store one day and found a copy of The Green Ghost for 50 cents.  After reading it, just had to build one; the description gave a lot of detail, most of which I could do. I found a couple of deals on ebay to give me what I needed to start.  One detail I not included was the plaque for the dash, couldn't  reduce the font size small enough to fit.  Other than that the model closely follows the book.  I started this in Mar 2019, took about 2 months to finish.  Used an new airbrush and one of my early attempts with hobby acrylic paints and Future.  Thanks to the formum members, I know now about polishing and wet sanding.  I really enjoyed building this; it's one of my favorites in my collection.  Hope you enjoy it, comments are welcome.

This is what I started with:

After some body clean up, cut the front clip to make a flip nose.

Motor is 392 Hemi with double oil filter, lots of chrome, plug wires (before discovering small wire), homemade dipstick

Aluminum tube for driveshaft, modified bumper, made chute mounting, used testor's amber light paint to simulate fuel in filter

Interior includes Plexi window, fuel mask, helmet, extinguisher, foot pedal activated chute release, homemade seatbelts

 

Exterior shots with trim and decals done.

This shot of the trunk to show the "Ghost" picked up a mysterious feature.

 

 

Edited September 22, 2022 by Leica007
Forgot to add comments are welcome

[Zippi]

That's a good looking 41 Willy's.  That color looks pretty kewl.  

[David G.]

Gorgeous paint, nice detail work.

Nicely Done!

David G.

[FLHCAHZ]

Nice and Clean.  Great build.

[R. Thorne]

Outstanding.  Wouldn’t it have had skinnier tires on the front?  Gonna keep my eyes peeled for that book (at a reasonable price).  Very nice job and thanks for posting.

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[Leica007]

Thanks to all of you for looking and the positive comments. I know skinny would have looked more normal, but I used the smallest tires I had on hand to fit the mags that matched the rear ones.  Since then my tire stash grew a lot. (LOL)

[sflam123]

I literally read the cover off that book growing up!!  It never crossed my mind to build a model of the car in the book!!  You have done a great job with this.  LOVE it!

 

[slusher]

Very nicely done!

[ewetwo]

That looks awesome. Love the color.

 

[Leica007]

Stephen, Carl, & David,

Thanks for looking and I really appreciate you taking your time to comment.  Stephen, did you read any Henry Felson's books?  I've used his descriptions from Street Rod and Hot Rod to do a couple of models. Read those in my youth, and now have a few more in my collection.

 

 

 

[M W Elky]

Great inspiration and a nice clean build. I really dig the color

[sflam123]

22 hours ago, Leica007 said:

Stephen, Carl, & David,

Thanks for looking and I really appreciate you taking your time to comment.  Stephen, did you read any Henry Felson's books?  I've used his descriptions from Street Rod and Hot Rod to do a couple of models. Read those in my youth, and now have a few more in my collection.

 

 

 

Yes, I know I read Hot Rod (book title AND the magazine) growing up.  I don't recall reading any other of his other books.  One of my favorites (besides Green Ghost) was Dirt Track Summer by William Campbell Gault. Thanks for bringing back some great memories!!

Edited October 4, 2022 by sflam123

[Leica007]

3 hours ago, M W Elky said:

Great inspiration and a nice clean build. I really dig the color

Thank you, glad you like it.

[ChrisR]

NICE!!

[Leica007]

Thank you Chris, I see you like green too.

[TOYCARTEC]

This is so cool. I have always wanted to do the same thing, build a Willys as the one in the book. I read the book when I was a kid and had always wanted to find that book again, but with no luck. Great Job !!

[stavanzer]

Wow! Outstanding Build.

I remember reading books by Felson and W.E. Butterworth from the school library when I was younger.

[Leica007]

On 10/8/2022 at 8:45 AM, TOYCARTEC said:

This is so cool. I have always wanted to do the same thing, build a Willys as the one in the book. I read the book when I was a kid and had always wanted to find that book again, but with no luck. Great Job !!

Thanks Patrick,

I checked online and found several listing for the book, moderate to expensive. Go for it!

[Leica007]

10 hours ago, stavanzer said:

Wow! Outstanding Build.

I remember reading books by Felson and W.E. Butterworth from the school library when I was younger.

Appreciate you comments, especially from a Bakersfield drag fan.  Besides Felson, I read and collected all the Burrough's Martian series, back in the day.

[stavanzer]

I had all of the ERB Martian Books too. And the Pellucidar series, and all 42 Tarzan books too.

I'm going to have to find the Green Ghost book. I've never read it.

 

[Calb56]

23 hours ago, stavanzer said:

Wow! Outstanding Build.

I remember reading books by Felson and W.E. Butterworth from the school library when I was younger.

Never found Felson as a kid but devoured everything I could find by W. E. Butterworth. Really cool model and great back story!