Video: Walt Austin’s Aluminum Willys Is Sheer Engineering Genius

Austin 1

When it comes to building hot rods from the materials available, Walt Austin Racing of Tacoma, Washington is more than one step ahead of the game. That’s because Walt is himself, an ex-drag racer from the ’50s and ’60s who knows the game inside and out, has been around the block more than once or twice. “Back in the ’50s I had a ’36 Ford coupe and a rear engine dragster,” says Walt Austin of his motoring resume, “I mostly raced AA Gas in the ’60s,” he shared.

Hot rodding and drag racing are hobbies that were once born from ingenuity, and no one captures that spirit of creativity quite like the Washington state local and his rod creation, an all-aluminum Willys coupe packing massive HEMI power.

Austin 4The emphasis with Austin’s coupe, however, is not so much on power as it is sheer mechanical genius. That’s because Walt’s street rod is completely aluminum-bodied. The creative hands behind this industry-grade creation is none other than Provo, Utah’s own, Kirkham Motorsports. Kirkham, who owns a former fighter plane factory in Poland, was responsible for the car’s body, frame, and suspension.

 The aluminum body by itself was a milestone for both Austin and Kirkham, as the formation of the Willys shell was an 8-month endeavor. There aren’t too many custom rods on the scene that have turned negatives into positives during their construction, but we’re glad that Kirkham Motorsports was able to make clever use of what was once a factory for building fighter planes.

Austin’s coupe isn’t lacking in performance either, as Walt humbly proclaims a horsepower rating of anywhere between 700-1,000 horsepower. This is thanks to a Whipple-blown, 392 mill that uses one of the manufacturer’s 8-liter, “Screw Compressors” to build anywhere between 10-25 pounds of boost.

Austin 5

Because of its angered supercharger and aluminum block, Austin’s insane HEMI is the Chrysler “flame-thrower” that modern HEMI mills wish they could be. That’s because the old-school motor is built with 8.5:1 compression, forged pistons from Arias, while a custom-spec, Comp cam raises the 392’s intakes some 0.475 of an inch off of their seats. Austin’s Chrysler mill also uses a billet crank from Bryant Racing of Anaheim, California.

We weren’t sure, at first glance, whether or not Walt’s aluminum Willys was one that was street-worthy, but according to Walt, “It’s not only streetable but very much driveable.” That’s because Kirkham Motorsports specializes in building Shelby Cobra replicas, and so Austin’s unique street rod makes use of Kirkham’s Cobra-based, independent suspension on all fours with aluminum A-arms.

One would never imagine a street rod of our featured coupe’s vintage taking on the market’s best in road racing, but Walt says of his early Willys that “Its handling dynamic really does match that of a modern sports car.” This, coupled with a super-cool body that screams ’50’s hot rodding truly makes for what could possibly be one of the aftermarket’s coolest customs.

Austin 2Born from the imagination of a seasoned drag racer turned genius street rodder, Walt Austin’s aluminum-bodied Willys is a true street and strip fighter, fresh from the hangars of Europe’s most advanced factories. Walt, even now, boasts no quarter-mile stats for his over-the-top coupe, but that doesn’t mean that the homemade hot rod hasn’t brought him a ton of fun, “I’m an ex-drag racer, and so my car is light and can handle on the road,” explains Austin.

With one last regard to his finished product, the Tacoma street rodder sums it up best, “That’s what I got!” We know exactly how he feels, and so we extend our congratulations to Walt Austin of Walt Austin Racing for completing a Willys street rod that will be probably be cherished for a long time, and maybe even see some track time in the coming days!

Austin 3

About the author

Salvatore Alaimo

After graduating from California State University, Northridge, California, Sal Alaimo Jr. has continued with his passion of the automotive industry. Alaimo's been an auto enthusiast since his early years, and grew up learning about cars from his father, Sal Alaimo Sr. If its got a set of fat rear tires and 8-cylinders, Alaimo Jr. is all for it. Today, Alaimo Jr. brings with him a pool of enthusiasm and pride as a contributing freelance writer for Chevy Hardcore.
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