By Fuelish Media
When you think of a 76-year-old vehicle, we guarantee this 1949 Willys is not what first comes to mind. It’s true that most everything featured on this extreme vehicle is brand new, but its nucleus is still very much deeply rooted in the past. Rob Lindsay of RJ Fabrication in Hesperia, California, recently set up an introduction to one of his shop’s latest projects, as well as with the lucky gentleman who has the distinct pleasure of owning it. While meeting new folks and checking out their rides is the bread and butter of our business, it’s not every day we see an automotive transformation this radical!
When he was only a 15-year-old high school student, Lee (who prefers to only go by his first name) purchased this Willys from his grandfather. This vehicle has been in the family since it was purchased new in 1949 and was used around the family farm in Arizona when it was in its prime. Unfortunately, it was phased out once it became too slow and unreliable to compete with the much newer equipment making its way onto the property. Once Lee got his hands on it, he cruised the Willys around the farm, and even to school every now and then. As time went on, however, his interest moved onto newer cars and trucks, and the Willys once again sat around the farm unused but not forgotten.
It wasn’t until Lee was well into adulthood that he felt the unrelenting need to make something of his grandfather’s truck. Allowing it to rot away was no longer an option, and to help kick-start the restoration process, Lee entrusted the talent of Rob Lindsay to commandeer its complete rehab. At first, Lee thought that a generic restoration job would do the trick, but since he wished for the truck to be passed down to further generations of the family, he figured it best to build the Willys into something they would be excited to inherit well into the future.
Rob began dreaming big for the entirety of the build and began the project by fabricating a one-off chromoly tube chassis that features Triton Engineering heat-treated upper and lower A-arms, King 2.5 coilovers with 3.5 five-tube bypass shocks, and Eibach springs up front. The rear of the frame features a 60-inch triangulated four-link, King 3.0 coilovers with 4.0 five-tube bypass shocks, and Eibach springs. The entire suspension system boasts an impressive 21 inches of front and 30 inches of rear wheel travel. And speaking of wheels, the Willys now sports a set of 17×9 Innov8 Forged G600 beadlock units, along with capable 17×40 BFGoodrich KR3 race tires. Upgraded braking components from Jamar Performance Products have also been included to ensure reliable stopping power for the impressive chassis setup.
Lee approved Rob’s suggestion of including a Moruzzi Race Motors–built GM LS3 powerplant bored to 427 ci and souped up with a Whipple 2.9L supercharger, custom stainless headers and exhaust by RJ Fab, seven total SPAL fans, two intercoolers, and an oil cooler to keep the LS operating at ideal temps at all times. A Maximum Transmissions 4L80 gearbox with dual coolers backs the GM powerplant in a major way and has been since outfitted with a Powertrain Control Solutions paddle shifter to allow Lee an all-new way of driving the 930hp-equipped Willys.
With the truck performing much different than it used to, Rob figured it was time to make it look a lot different, too. To make that happen, he stretched the cab 18 inches to turn it into an extra cab, shortened the grille 6 inches, and hand-formed the bedsides, stake pockets, and front fenders from 3003 aluminum. To make the Willys really pop, Sylvester’s Customs in Nuevo, California, was asked to apply Ace of Shades’ Gold Tooth base color to the surfaces followed by seven coats of Orale Orange candy. Further increasing the Willys appearance are KC HiLiTES headlights, taillights with 3-D–printed lenses, custom hood emblems, and a heavily modified tailgate with one-off badging and electronic latches from a C6 Corvette.
The interior of the cab follows suit with the caliber of the rest of the Willys rebuild with fresh Alcantara and suede covered Corbeau Baja XP seats, a hand-formed dash, dual Holley 12-inch Pro Dash units, custom aluminum center console and interior panels, and Mil-Spec wiring harness by Jax Motorsports of Upland, California.
This project started in 2020, and just recently reached completion in October 2024. As you could imagine, Lee couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. His renewed enthusiasm with the ol’ family farm truck is at an unbelievable high and is certain that the Willys will be a crown jewel within the family for decades to come. Until having to pass it down “tomorrow,” Lee and his relatives plan on having a blast in it today!
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
