Words: Tommy Parry
After Cameron’s friend gave him a Willys tub for the convenient price of free-fifty, Cameron decided he’d take the opportunity to build a hot rod with parts saved from years of shop ownership. An ambitious man, Cameron felt he’d be able to finish the detailed build in a mere three months – well, he hoped so, anyways. His wedding was scheduled then, and what better than to ride off into the sunset, bride sitting beside you, in a brand new Willys hot rod?
Cameron buffed the ‘49 CJ2A tub, but not enough to lose some of that tarnished patina, then built his own frame by hand. The powertrain: a 350 SBC with a Turbo 400 transmission – manned by a Lokar shifter – for adequate power and some cruising capability. To extract some more oomph from the engine, Cameron employed a Holley Double Pumper carb, an Edelbrock Air Gap Performer intake and a set of tasty headers. Since the motor would be exposed, a set of finned valve covers made for a cooler motor in more ways than one.
Not only was the frame hand-built, Cameron pulled out all the stops and built an impressive front end for his hot rod. Included in this package are a front drop axle, steering and coilover suspension in his own shop. Assisted disc brakes help bring the punchy hot rod to a stop.
The rear end was no less impressive. Cameron built his own four-link and tacked on a Ford 9” out of an ‘80s Bronco to help put down some of the punch, along with a 35” BFG Short course race tires and a gas tank mounted in the rear. As you might imagine, with the power available, making a smoky getaway isn’t hard to achieve. To help minimize wheelspin and offer a soothing ride, Cameron made this Jeep’s suspension as soft as possible.
Covering all those greasy bits is a stunning aluminum rear panel, which Cameron riveted and added 158 louvers to himself. It would add a little more polish to the rough-and-tumble aesthetic Cameron was going for, without taking away from the ruggedness of it all. That said, he wasn’t averse to a little comfort when driving around, and the cushy bomber bench seat was dimple dyed and constructed with hand bucked aircraft rivets. Topping off the interior are a set of Omega gauges set behind a tasteful racing wheel.
Though it might not seem like it, Cameron intended this car to be both a show-stopper and a comforting daily driver. It’s fast and loud, and turns heads wherever it goes, yet it still provides some comfort for the everyday cruise to the grocery store, if you can imagine this rolling into an Albertsons.
In reality, he made this car to make a statement, and he succeeded. What’s more: He finished this build a mere three hours before his wife walked down the aisle, and though there wasn’t any rear glass to write “just married” on, the Jeep provided one of the coolest wedding getaways you could imagine.
