‘33 Willys Panel Van Willy’s Shop Truck

[Joe Handley]

Well, I figured I better move this here from the kit review section…….

Well, I grabbed one of the Revell ‘34 Ford snappers for the “drivetrain”, suspension, and frame crossmembers, my Dremel and went to town after work!

Here’s what the chassis pieces look apart and stacked “under” the body.

AAAAAAAnd here’s what happened after I went nuts with the Dremel……….

It worked out pretty good in my opinion and while I have more work to do to tweak the fit before I start bonding the two together, I am happy with how it’s worked out. I do want to narrow the rear axle a bit and figure out how to adapt the 34’s kit axle and hairpins without the transverse leaf on it as well as narrow up the track a bit there too.

Here’s a crop of just the Panel from top pic with the “as it sits” pics!

Gotta admit, I’m happy with what an hour’s worth of crazed Dremeling resulted in!

[Smoke Wagon]

Nothing’s impossible when a madman has the right tool in his hand! Looking sweet so far. 

[Joe Handley]

Ok, picked up a second kit to build closer to box stock, pieced it together just enough for a stance comparison.

[Joe Handley]

Did some more work on the vans since my last post, mostly to the more “box stock” gasser version.  Narrowed up the front and rear track on that by cutting the posts down on the wheels then drilling then to better fit deeper onto the axles, sanded the lettering off the tires and glued them together into 1 piece each. I also cleaned up the flash on it’s body and drilled out the headers as well. I’m still working at narrowing the street rod build, got the front’s width close to where I want it and still have some work to make it where I want.   I still need to narrow the rear axle on the ‘34 Ford Chassis section to pull the rears in and then I can combine the 2 chassis’ permanently and have no idea yet on how I want to locate the axle from that same ‘34 Ford kit, maybe try and fake a link and coil over set up?!

man’s finally, here’s a the two paired up with the last pic when the gasser was still box stock.

[NOBLNG]

Cool looking projects!?

[Joe Handley]

Got more pics, haven’t messed with the gasser as much as I have the street rod though.

So I’m still working on the front suspension, but I’ve. Arrived the rear track on the street rod and brought the tread under the rear fenders with a really good “fitment”, I’m also getting close to gluing the MPC ‘33 Willys and Revell ‘34 Ford chassis together as well. I’ll probably fab up a scoop to fit over the hole in the hood, maybe just high enough to rest on the top of the hood ridge  or be even with it.

These are just better pics of the gasser, but by itself.

Then a couple of them side by side

And finally, once again compared to the once getting the street rod build when I first test fit it together.

[Joe Handley]

Played around with the chassis merging more today, got the chassis parts to fit together better!  I’m not sure if I want to glue the portions together or wait until I can get things painted and then glue them together though.  Here’s what I did, the left is the hybrid MPC Willys Gasser snap kit chassis and and cut down Revell ‘34 Ford snap kit center and rear suspension on the left vs the completely stock kit chassis and rear suspension on the right.

 

I’m also stripping most of the chrome to painted in different finishes right now too.

[Joe Handley]

Dig up the other Revell ‘34 Ford snap kit so I can show what the bottom is supposed to look like, for the most part.

I also started building the hood scoop I was building to go over the hole in the hood, it’s glued/cemented together and just needs to be reduced in size…….wish I had bought a mini belt sander from Harbor Freight though, it would come in handy for shaping this!

Aaand here are the Willys with the ‘34 Ford kit, the wheels on the middle one is from the other ‘34 kit that is the chassis donor and the wheels on the ‘34 are Pegasus with their big and little narrow white walls.

[Joe Handley]

I think I have the scoop shape finalized, just need to sad a slight curve into the windshield end so it matches the shape of the hood and maybe round the edges a wee bit more too.  
What do you guys this of the shape?!

[Joe Handley]

Messed around a little with the Shop Truck ‘33 Willys tonight too! So I did a little UV resin filling on the scoop and more importantly, I’ve located the front axle on the chassis using the hairpins front the ‘34 Ford donor kit!

Edited January 31, 2022 by Joe Handley

[Joe Handley]

Put some more work into the shop truck Willys build tonight, bonded the hood scoop to the hood, scratch built a gas tank and other that exhaust. It’s ready for primer, once the weather is good enough.

[Zippi]

Looking pretty sharp there Billy.  Nice work.  

[Joe Handley]

5 hours ago, Zippi said:

Looking pretty sharp there Billy.  Nice work.  

Thanks, I'm looking forward to warmer weather so I can get it into primer and then finish any body work on it!

[Gary Chastain]

Like where this is going

[bisc63]

Getting a really nice attitude now, love the way it sits.

[Joe Handley]

10 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

Like where this is going

Thank You!

[Joe Handley]

6 hours ago, bisc63 said:

Getting a really nice attitude now, love the way it sits.

It is amazing how much that changed the look of this truck, isn’t t?!