Video: Wheelstanding, Burger-Fueled Willys Visits Leno’s Garage

Normally, a Willys Coupe that’s capable of lifting the front wheels off the ground would be enough to warrant a second look, but the story behind this particular Willys that rolled into Jay Leno’s Garage is what makes the car truly compelling.

150615_2873938_1941_Willys_CoupeCar owner Lynsi Snyder, the current President of In-N-Out Burger, inherited the car from her father who had raced the Willys competitively. With a full NHRA competition license under her belt, now Lynsi – the youngest female American billionaire – is the one roaring down the 1320 with the hood pointed to the sky.

Under that hood is a naturally aspirated 454ci Chevy V8 churning out a nice even 1,000 horsepower hooked up to a TH350 automatic transmission. It’s a combination that’s good for 9-second quarter mile time slips. But lest you think this Willys is a trailer queen, Lynsi is quick to point out that the car is fully street legal. But that doesn’t mean she lets invitations for would-be street races get the better of her judgment. “I just think – you’ve got the race car, you’ve got the track. Just let it go,” she says.

wheelstand1And when she says “race car” she’s actually not referring to this Willys, either. Lynsi runs a ’70 ‘Cuda in Top Sportsman class, and that beast has run a best time of 7.02 seconds with her behind the wheel.

After checking out the fully appointed interior (it is street legal, after all), Lynsi and Jay head out on a rare damp day in Southern California where Jay discovers the car is actually quite well behaved on public roads despite its formidable running gear.

But then it happens, as it does to the best of us. An odd sound, a weird pull to one side, and they realize that a flat tire will end the day. As Leno checks the trunk for a spare, a fuel cell and an OPTIMA battery occupy the space, and Lynsi calls a tow truck. Imagine the look on the tow truck driver’s face when he sees this car and the two of them waiting for the tow.

About the author

Bradley Iger

Lover of noisy cars, noisy music, and noisy bulldogs, Brad can often be found flogging something expensive along the twisting tarmac of the Angeles Forest.
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