Mike Soncini Posted August 23 Share Posted August 23 I believe that it is a 1925 Willy’s 3 door sedan but am not sure about the body. Please help. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustycrusty Posted August 24 Share Posted August 24 Body by LeBaron DuPlywood. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted August 24 Share Posted August 24 It looks like something someone made up out of plywood and imagination. However? Not so fast! Some years back I knew a Willys/Overland collector that had I don't know how many Willys, Overland, and Whippet automobiles, most nicely restored and reliable tour cars. He was quite active in our Nickel Era Touring Club, and I often saw him driving different and beautiful Willys related automobiles on club tours. One such unusual car was an early 1920s small Overland three door sedan, that looked very much like this car! His was a real deal "restored original" car and beautiful! It was small, and one of the boxiest looking cars I ever saw. It was a bit slower than most of the rest of the nickel era cars, but kept up well and performed flawlessly the couple days of the tour. The one you show pictures of I suspect to be something somebody had made up. Is it yours? Or something you are looking at? Considering buying or selling? If made up, I suspect by someone that had seen a real one or photos at least. But I cannot be certain from just these two photos and memory of a car I saw twenty years ago. Looking closely at the construction could determine what is real, or what is fantasy. Dusty C beat me by a minute! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Soncini Posted August 24 Author Share Posted August 24 It is a car that I am looking at. He wants $4500 for the car. I don’t know if it is worth it because of the body. What do you think? The motor may be stuck as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted August 24 Share Posted August 24 (edited) No self-respecting body maker of those times would have let that out the door, definitely not a factory body! There are many 1920's sedans coming on the market and little demand for most. Be selective, find the best one you can for the money that runs and has its original factory body. Good Luck with your search. Edited August 24 by 58L-Y8 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Soncini Posted August 24 Author Share Posted August 24 Thank you. It’s been difficult trying to find anything from the era. I appreciate the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted August 24 Share Posted August 24 49 minutes ago, Mike Soncini said: Thank you. It’s been difficult trying to find anything from the era. I appreciate the advice. Check the For Sale - Not Mine forum, a group of us re-post cars found for sale all over the country, one might be just the ticket. Good Luck! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1912Staver Posted August 24 Share Posted August 24 Windshield / doors look like they could be from a commercial body. Possibly a " renovation " of a period delivery van built on an Overland chassis ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted August 24 Share Posted August 24 I am wondering about dragging that floor jack across the hardwood floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeke01 Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 (edited) WIllys Overland fielded a three door sedan in 1923-1924 called the Champion. Two doors on the passenger side and a driver side door. The idea was to compete with Fords. The original body looked much like the one pictured. Very much like a cracker box. After a closer inspection, this may be an original body with an extremely poor paint job. Zeke Edited August 25 by zeke01 (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmsue Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 Good Call. The landau irons are missing on yours but you can see where they would attach in the photo 1923 Overland Champion Model 91 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Soncini Posted August 25 Author Share Posted August 25 Thank you. What do you think it is worth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustycrusty Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 You can see a landau bar in the first photo, painted blue and lying on the gas tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 If the engine isn't frozen it is not priced badly. I agree it is a Champion. You can look for info on the WOKR.org site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Soncini Posted August 26 Author Share Posted August 26 Thank you. I’m interested in the car but am worried about the wooden body. It seemed like it wasn’t a real option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 1 hour ago, wmsue said: Good Call. The landau irons are missing on yours but you can see where they would attach in the photo 1923 Overland Champion Model 91 Wow! 2002 photo, and not only do I believe that is the car I toured alongside on a Nickel Age Touring Club tour? I suspect that the touring car top about five cars down that line may be my (then) 1915 Studebaker six! The tour drove down to Monterey California, and I recall parking in a lineup alongside a building like that. Can you tell me where that photo came from? 14 minutes ago, Mike Soncini said: Thank you. I’m interested in the car but am worried about the wooden body. It seemed like it wasn’t a real option. The three door sedan was a real body style offered by Willys Overland. There was even a Willys Knight version of it on the smaller Knight chassis (another very good friend had one of those!). That car needs to be looked at by someone familiar with cars and sedan bodies of the early 1920s to determine if it is a real one, or something someone made up in more recent years. Methods of construction, materials used, and remnants of original construction all need to be looked at. It needs to be evaluated up close and personal by someone familiar with cars of that era. It needs to be evaluated both for correctness as well as general condition. It could be something someone made up? Or it might be a real deal three door sedan? I cannot tell from these couple photos. IF (big IF) it is the real thing, and fairly solid condition? $4500 would be a decent price needing a fair amount of restoration work. If it needs a complete and total re-restoration, the price is a bit high. If the thing is a made up fake body? The price is way too high. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercman from oz Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmsue Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 The 1923 Champion also had folding seats for camping. It is a one year only production because of litigation with the Champion Spark Plug company. The photos are from the photo gallery on the Willys-Overland-Knight Registry. http://www.wokr.org/gallery/index0.htm Bill 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Soncini Posted August 26 Author Share Posted August 26 I was told that the wooden body is original. What’s your feeling on that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFeeney Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 If I remember right the distributor is drive off the rear of generator. Check the die cast housing as they are known to fall apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 1 hour ago, DFeeney said: If I remember right the distributor is drive off the rear of generator. Check the die cast housing as they are known to fall apart. I think that part is reproduced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeke01 Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 2 hours ago, Mike Soncini said: I was told that the wooden body is original. What’s your feeling on that? Wood framing with a metal skin overlay. Otherwise known as composite construction. The body has a wooden skeleton underneath the outer metal skin. Zeke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Soncini Posted August 27 Author Share Posted August 27 So do this body look factory to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticbuicks Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 the back window for sure does not look factory.......so....how much of the rest of it is not as well ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeke01 Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 1 hour ago, Mike Soncini said: So do this body look factory to you? With only a couple of photos to go by it’s not easy to tell, but I would say that it is mostly “factory”. Zeke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmsue Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 Got a few more dollars in your wallet? You can buy one that may be further along in the restoration process. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Soncini Posted August 28 Author Share Posted August 28 That looks great. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now