My '38 Willys @ Door Sedan Concept-builders Everette/Chuck Gray/Ken Swanson
I havbe been working on learning the history on my '38 Willys 2 Door Sedan built originally beginning around November 2004 in Ill..taken a while to do so...All laid out in the link below and a short note..These old cars all have stories...mgb https://www.gerlecreek.com/1938-willys-2-door-sedan Yesterday after numbers of tries, I finally hooked up with Chuck Gray, the son of the father and son team of car builders, GraysGarage, Metamora, IL who built the my Willys into a 2 door before selling it to Ken Swanson of Galesburg, Ill who took their roller body and chassis and finished it including everything else, including drivetrain, etc, except interior which Don Nielsen (Madera, Ca) did and JAG Chrome work done by Buddy Barnhard (Fresno, Ca). I have updated the history and included the concept drawing. The Grays are Ford people. Everette is now 90 and retired and Chuck is 60 and finishing his last car, a '39 Lincoln Zephir right now. So they build all their cars with Ford drivetrains, Jag Rear ends and use Heidt's front ends. They are well know for their many '32 Fords. The concept drawing is of the Willys to look like a '38 Ford 2 door sedan(Pete when you see it you will see Dennis's '38 2 door in it) When you see the concept drawing which was used and given to Andy Glase and Sons in Worms, Nebraska to do all the custom metal work on the car, including the 2 door conversion, with stretched door, shaved door handles, probably the dash, firewall and custom inner fender wells so the Willys could be made to follow the concept drawing... The link has all this including the drawing. Really enjoyed talking with Chuck and have appreciated all of you with bits of history on this car. Thanks to Doyle Stewart originally remembering the Ill roots to this car when I went searching for it in 2024....mgb CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) <mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com <mailto:mgbrattland@brattland.org> mgbrattland@brattland.org Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events <mailto:sandiegocarguys@brattland.org> sandiegocarguys@brattland.org 619 454-0496 '38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan Webmaster for <http://www.brattland.org/> www.brattland.org <http://www.overthehillgang.com/> www.overthehillgang.com <http://www.overdrivehotrodnews.com/> www.overdrivehotrodnews.com <http://www.gerlecreek.org/> www.gerlecreek.org <http://www.helobubbas.com/> www.helobubbas.com <http://www.prowlers.org/> www.prowlers.org <http://www.gerlecreek.com/> www.gerlecreek.com <http://www.ford6vcarburetion.com/> www.ford6vcarburetion.com <http://www.westcoastwillysclub.com/> www.westcoastwillysclub.com <http://www.nssha.org/> www.nssha.org <http://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> www.nhahistoricalsociety.org <https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/
Really enjoy reading the history of these cool cars;thanks Mike,Mick Coyne On Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 10:18:50 AM PDT, <mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> wrote: I havbe been working on learning the history on my ’38 Willys 2 Door Sedan built originally beginning around November 2004 in Ill….taken a while to do so…..All laid out in the link below and a short note……These old cars all have stories…..mgb https://www.gerlecreek.com/1938-willys-2-door-sedan Yesterday after numbers of tries, I finally hooked up with Chuck Gray, the son of the father and son team of car builders, GraysGarage, Metamora, IL who built the my Willys into a 2 door before selling it to Ken Swanson of Galesburg, Ill who took their roller body and chassis and finished it including everything else, including drivetrain, etc, except interior which Don Nielsen (Madera, Ca) did and JAG Chrome work done by Buddy Barnhard (Fresno, Ca). I have updated the history and included the concept drawing. The Grays are Ford people. Everette is now 90 and retired and Chuck is 60 and finishing his last car, a ’39 Lincoln Zephir right now. So they build all their cars with Ford drivetrains, Jag Rear ends and use Heidt’s front ends. They are well know for their many ’32 Fords. The concept drawing is of the Willys to look like a ’38 Ford 2 door sedan(Pete when you see it you will see Dennis’s ’38 2 door in it) When you see the concept drawing which was used and given to Andy Glase and Sons in Worms, Nebraska to do all the custom metal work on the car, including the 2 door conversion, with stretched door, shaved door handles, probably the dash, firewall and custom inner fender wells so the Willys could be made to follow the concept drawing….. The link has all this including the drawing. Really enjoyed talking with Chuck and have appreciated all of you with bits of history on this car. Thanks to Doyle Stewart originally remembering the Ill roots to this car when I went searching for it in 2024……..mgb CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com mgbrattland@brattland.org Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events sandiegocarguys@brattland.org 619 454-0496 ’38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan Webmaster for www.brattland.org www.overthehillgang.com www.overdrivehotrodnews.com www.gerlecreek.org www.helobubbas.com www.prowlers.org www.gerlecreek.com www.ford6vcarburetion.com www.westcoastwillysclub.com www.nssha.org www.nhahistoricalsociety.org https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/ _______________________________________________ Willysguys mailing list -- willysguys@westcoastwillysclub.com To unsubscribe send an email to willysguys-leave@westcoastwillysclub.com
Always nice to find the history of your car...
On 03/05/2026 18:18 BST mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com wrote:
I havbe been working on learning the history on my ’38 Willys 2 Door Sedan built originally beginning around November 2004 in Ill….taken a while to do so…..All laid out in the link below and a short note……These old cars all have stories…..mgb
https://www.gerlecreek.com/1938-willys-2-door-sedan
Yesterday after numbers of tries, I finally hooked up with Chuck Gray, the son of the father and son team of car builders, GraysGarage, Metamora, IL who built the my Willys into a 2 door before selling it to Ken Swanson of Galesburg, Ill who took their roller body and chassis and finished it including everything else, including drivetrain, etc, except interior which Don Nielsen (Madera, Ca) did and JAG Chrome work done by Buddy Barnhard (Fresno, Ca). I have updated the history and included the concept drawing.
The Grays are Ford people. Everette is now 90 and retired and Chuck is 60 and finishing his last car, a ’39 Lincoln Zephir right now. So they build all their cars with Ford drivetrains, Jag Rear ends and use Heidt’s front ends. They are well know for their many ’32 Fords. The concept drawing is of the Willys to look like a ’38 Ford 2 door sedan(Pete when you see it you will see Dennis’s ’38 2 door in it)
When you see the concept drawing which was used and given to Andy Glase and Sons in Worms, Nebraska to do all the custom metal work on the car, including the 2 door conversion, with stretched door, shaved door handles, probably the dash, firewall and custom inner fender wells so the Willys could be made to follow the concept drawing…..
The link has all this including the drawing. Really enjoyed talking with Chuck and have appreciated all of you with bits of history on this car. Thanks to Doyle Stewart originally remembering the Ill roots to this car when I went searching for it in 2024……..mgb
CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com
mgbrattland@brattland.org mailto:mgbrattland@brattland.org
Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events
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619 454-0496 ’38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan
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participants (4)
-
kennedy paul -
mgbrattland＠gerlecreek.com -
Mick Coyne -
Rustynutz