Modified 1946 Willys Jeep Is an Automotive Frankenstein
Willys Jeeps are more American than apple pie itself, but this one has JDM engineering and still sounds like screaming bald eagles.
Shawn Davis of Autotopia LA posted a video on their YouTube channel of a project that’s never been tackled before. The chassis of a 1946 Willys Jeep mated to the engine of a Toyota Silvia. Though, it’s not an ordinary Toyota Silvia engine – it’s an SR20 turbo charged engine. Joel Tan, being the practical mastermind behind this car, used the transmission that would come stock with the SR20 engine.
What’s most interesting about this unique setup is that Tan left the SR20 engine completely stock. No turbo upgrades or added modifications whatsoever. Which means that the engine on his creation only makes around 200 horsepower at the wheels. Which doesn’t seem like a daunting number to most enthusiasts. Though, the Jeep only weighs around 1,200 to 1,300 pounds. This, to both Davis and Tan, make the power-to-weight ratio pretty impressive.
With engine and transmission explained, the next big question would be: what’s holding this Willys Jeep up, anyway? Tan decided to go with Ford Mustang on this one. Everything that has to do with suspension comes from a Ford Mustang. Even the limited-slip differential he’s got in the rear. Only thing that isn’t Mustang are the rear shocks. Those are from a 1972 Nissan Skyline.
When suspension is brought up, Davis asked the question all his viewers were probably asking: why did Tan go with lowering the car? And why on such tiny wheels? Well, Tan answered humbly that he wanted to do something different. Though, even Tan says the ride is rough because it’s, “too low.”
“It’s a different feeling, this car,” Tan said. Tan chimes to Davis that he drives it to work most days. And the public reaction to his build is a mix between confusion and pleasant surprise.
“The part of the car world that I love the most is the customization. Where guys like [Tan] just get creative,” Davis says to Tan. “You come up with a concept, you see it through, and then now you’re out on the road driving it and enjoying it!”
Tan didn’t have much to say in the video but it left Davis without words. He was stunned by the ingenuity and tidy this build was, and had nothing but positive things to say.
“You don’t have to be a Willy’s fan. You don’t have to be a JDM fan,” Davis said. “You just have to be a fan of someone who’s creative in their approach to building something that they want to build, not something you or I would want to build.”
Photos: Screenshots
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