'40 Willys coupe gasser (AMT, Round 2)

[Roadrunner]

Thanks to Joe's persistent killer car models here (thanks a bunch, Joe), as well as many others,  I've decided to break out my own '40 Willys (coupe) kit, and do 'er up as a gasser model. The gassers were always some of my favorites at any race event, and the '33, '40 & '41 Willys coupes were always my favorites of that lot, so here goes nothing.

[Roadrunner]

Though I have as yet not selected a specific scheme, it may well be something generic that I cook up. My biggest bit of fun, will be to do a multi-layer paint scheme, that if done correctly, should look just totally cool (I hope). We'll see, I guess.

[Roadrunner]

Perhaps the biggest challenge for me here, will be to find some 4:1 dump headers similar to these on this '33 Willys. I have almost nothing in the way of gasser parts, so may need to source them from somewhere. I know I'll be getting rid of the ugly "mailbox" kit intake too, for one thing.

[Roadrunner]

Included decals, which really look quite nice, very much took me by surprise, as the markings depicted on the box, are really quite boring. If I opt not to use these, Model Car Roundup offers several cool alternatives.

[Brandon17]

Was curious as to what engine comes with this kit? Thinking about getting this kit. Thank you. 

[Roadrunner]

4 minutes ago, Brandon17 said:

Was curious as to what engine comes with this kit? Thinking about getting this kit. Thank you. 

It's supposed to be an Oldsmobile engine of some sort, but I'm not really sure what size it's supposed to be.

[Brandon17]

Thanks for the info! Was just wondering if it came with an olds or a hemi etc. 

[Scott8950]

2 hours ago, Brandon17 said:

Was curious as to what engine comes with this kit? Thinking about getting this kit. Thank you. 

its says olds engine but looks more like a pontiac engine to me.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

It's supposed to be an Oldsmobile engine of some sort, but I'm not really sure what size it's supposed to be.

Most likely, it's supposed to be 394-based. That was the last factory displacement for the first generation Olds OHV V8.

Introduced in 1949, the engines came in 303-324-371 flavors also. Only built through 1964.

12 minutes ago, Scott8950 said:

its says olds engine but looks more like a pontiac engine to me.

Probably because you're used to looking at post-1964 Olds engines. The first-generation postwar Olds OHV V8 engines are superficially visually similar to the Pontiacs and Cadillacs of like vintage.

[Scott8950]

9 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

 

Probably because you're used to looking at post-1964 Olds engines. The first-generation postwar Olds OHV V8 engines are superficially visually similar to the Pontiacs and Cadillacs of like vintage.

i am familiar with those but that kit engine looks closer to a pontiac than olds engine to me. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

49 minutes ago, Scott8950 said:

i am familiar with those but that kit engine looks closer to a pontiac than olds engine to me. 

The biggest and most obvious difference between the Poncho and Olds is the heavy cast iron flywheel housing extension on the rear of the Olds block.

Pontiacs don't have it.

        The kit represents an Oldsmobile.

Edited January 28, 2020 by Ace-Garageguy

[Scott8950]

11 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

The biggest and most obvious differences between the Poncho and Olds is the heavy cast iron flywheel housing extension on the rear of the Olds block.

Pontiacs don't have it.

        The kit represents an Oldsmobile.

Does the kit engine have that? im not sure id have to look when i get home today because im not sure.

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 minutes ago, Scott8950 said:

Does the kit engine have that? im not sure id have to look when i get home today because im not sure.

I just pulled the kit to double double check. Yes, it has that. Yes, it is an Olds. No question.

[Scott8950]

This is the kit i have at home but i believe its the same kit isn't it?

[Ace-Garageguy]

5 minutes ago, Scott8950 said:

This is the kit i have at home but i believe its the same kit isn't it?

All the AMT fat-fendered Willys drag cars share the same engine, including the first version, that came in a double kit with a custom '32 Ford. I have 'em all.

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Ace-Garageguy

[Snake45]

Will be watching this! I started one of these a couple years ago and I need to parole it from the Shelf of Doom and drag it across the finish line. I LOVE the look of the green one on the old box and am gonna try to paint mine as close to that as possible, though I probably won't be using the box art decals. Not sure what I'm doing about the engine yet, either, but I won't be using the mailbox scoop either. 

[Scott8950]

well thanks for the info, i was thinking it was a pontiac engine.

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 minutes ago, Scott8950 said:

well thanks for the info, i was thinking it was a pontiac engine.

By all means, continue thinking that if it makes you happy.

[Scott8950]

Just now, Ace-Garageguy said:

By all means, continue thinking that if it makes you happy.

I said i appreciate the info... If you read i said i was "THINKING" it was a pontiac engine. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 minutes ago, Scott8950 said:

I said i appreciate the info... If you read i said i was "THINKING" it was a pontiac engine. 

You're welcome.   

[TarheelRick]

15 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Perhaps the biggest challenge for me here, will be to find some 4:1 dump headers similar to these on this '33 Willys. I have almost nothing in the way of gasser parts, so may need to source them from somewhere. I know I'll be getting rid of the ugly "mailbox" kit intake too, for one thing.

These would be fairly simple to replicate using solder and styrene tubing.  Here are the ones I built for a SCRambler Gasser I have in the works, and the ones I made for my Willys pickup (this was my first attempt and sort of got out of hand).

[Roadrunner]

7 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I just pulled the kit to double double check. Yes, it has that. Yes, it is an Olds. No question.

Yep, same here.

7 hours ago, Scott8950 said:

This is the kit i have at home but i believe its the same kit isn't it?

I believe it's exactly the same, yes (perhaps different decals and tires though).

7 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Will be watching this! I started one of these a couple years ago and I need to parole it from the Shelf of Doom and drag it across the finish line. I LOVE the look of the green one on the old box and am gonna try to paint mine as close to that as possible, though I probably won't be using the box art decals. Not sure what I'm doing about the engine yet, either, but I won't be using the mailbox scoop either. 

Do it!

6 hours ago, TarheelRick said:

These would be fairly simple to replicate using solder and styrene tubing.  Here are the ones I built for a SCRambler Gasser I have in the works, and the ones I made for my Willys pickup (this was my first attempt and sort of got out of hand).

Way too much work for me. A pal here is sending me some photos of possible replacements, so we'll see how that goes.

[Roadrunner]

Yet another surprise that I didn’t expect to see, a nice set of pad printed Goodyear slicks, though a bit narrow for my taste, and may be replaced.

[Roadrunner]

While not nearly all gassers had/have drag chutes (from what I can gather), I'd still like to add one, if I can find one somewhere. Speaking of the Simpson style parachutes (an industry standard, it would seem), I just discovered that they're available on Amazon, not that I'm in the market for a real one.

[Roadrunner]

Possible replacements for the kit-provided slicks, are these excellent AMT M&H Racemaster “Jumbo” slicks, also pad printed. For some reason I don't seem to have a photo of my own set, though I'm fairly sure that I actually did buy them, so I just snatched an image from the web.