Ron Meis’ 1941 Willys

“This 1941 Willys is one of those ultimate street hot rods and it brings a smile to my face every time I take it out for a run,” says Ron Meis. With a blown 540c.i. Merlin big block Chevy churning out more than 1,000hp, we can see why!

Ron bought the Willys as a finished show car and says there was plenty to be sorted out to make it a true street driver. The core elements were there, though, including an Art Morrison frame with tubular crossmembers, Aldan coil-over shocks, and a four-link setup supporting the narrowed 9-inch rearend. Massive 15×15-inch Halibrand rear wheels and Mickey Thompson tires handle the abuse from the Hilborn-fuel-injected, BDS-blown big block.

The car was built using an original steeln 1941 Willys body, which was mostly massaged back to stock shape except for the hole in the hood. Tommy Carr gets credit for the DuPont Hot Hues blue paint with flames, while Don Tipit did the pinstriping. The inside is plenty impressive, with beautiful leather upholstery over custom bucket seats, a body-color console, Stewart Warner gauges in a modified dash, and a half-wrap wheel atop the Flaming River tilt column.

Now that he has everything dialed in, Ron says he enjoys taking people out for some “quick” runs. “A funny item – I have yet to have anyone ask for a second ride!” Ron laughs.