Mike Brattland’s 1938 Willys 2 Door Sedan El Cajon, California, October 5, 2024

Everette/Chuck Gray, GraysGarage, Metamora, IL Concept Drawing for the build of the 1938 4 Door Willys Sedan, into a 2 Door Sedan, November, 2004 draw by Mutant

1938 Willys 2 Door Sedan

1938 Willys, shaved door handles, powder coated chassis/crossmember with Heidt’s Mustang II independent Super Ride Suspension (chromed), with a chromed Jag Rear end, SBC 350 Motor with Turbo 350 transmission, Vintage air Conditioning, Street Deamon 4 barrel carburetor with O’Brien Truckers cast/polished air cleaner(now Offenhauser), 15×7/15/8 American Racing Torq Thrust Polished alum wheels. Car has powered driver’s seat(now manual), 4 wheel disc brakes and a 15 gallon gas tank.

This car was built beginning in November, 2004 by Everette & Chuck Gray, GraysGarage, Metamora, Illinois in the early 2000s. Everette found the all original ’38 Willys 4 door sedan in Southern ILL for the project. Everette had a local artist, callsign Mutant create concept drawing for the car (November, 2004) which they used for the build. Since the Grays were Ford people, the concept car was to be patterned after a 37-38 Ford 2 door sedan, beginning with some custom metal work to convert the Willys 4 Door Sedan to match the sleek 2 door concept. The custom metal work associated with converting it to a 2 door, the extended doors, shaved door handles, mechanical hidden button releases and the trick inside door handles were all done by Andy Glase and Sons in Worms, Nebraska (Old German metal benders) for the Grays. The Grays generally build all their cars with Ford drivetrains and Jag rear ends using their own custom design JAG rear end frame mount. They are famous for their ’32 Fords (Deuces). According to Doyle Stewart of Ill who saw the Willys while the Grays were building it, the car was fitted with a Ford 4.6 V-8 at the time of his visit. The Grays did not finish the car but sold it as a roller to Ken Swanson, Galesburg, Ill who finished the car, installing the Chevy drive train vice a Ford, steering, seats and wiring, air conditioning, glass, etc, including painting the car, driving it for more than a year before eventually selling it to another IL hot rodder in 2008/2009.
These unnamed ILL owner Sold it to Texas to an unknown owner who later sold it back to an unanmed ILL owner in 2012 and held on to it till 2015 when it was offered for sale and purchased by John Iloff, a San Diego Prowler, a hot rodder in Oceanside, Ca in August, 2015 via E-Bay Motors, but before I first saw it in January 2016 in San Marcos, Ca. John Iloff from Oceanside, then sold it to Don Nielsen, Madera, Ca in July/August, 2016 and then to Buddy Barnhard, Fresno Ca in June 2019. I purchased the car from Buddy in October 2024.

John Ilhofs ’38 Willys Sedan, Burger Run, Pepper Tree Frosty, South Santa Fe, Vista, California, Saturday, January 23, 2016

On Saturday, January 23,2016, Cathy and I went in my ’38 Willys Pickup and followed my late friend, Woody Downing in his ’42 Ford Convertible to the Burger Run Car Show at the Pepper Tree Frosty, South Santa Fe, Vista, California. After we parked, the John Ilhof, Oceanside , CA, the owner of the ’38 Willys Sedan arrived, while we were walking the show, and parked three spaces away from Woody and I. If you look at the picture of my ’38 Willys Sedan, three cars up is Woody’s ’42 Ford Ragtop and you can see the front patina of my ’38 Willys Pickup next to Woody. I loved this Willys Sedan when I first saw it at that show and spent time taking detailed pictures of the sedan. I am pretty sure I talked with the owner. Never forgot it. Never envisioned I would eventually own this ’38 Willys Sedan in October 2024.