Willys-Jeep Beast Is an Insane Street & Strip Monster

Despite engine problems, this antique 1943 Army Jeep with Ford power shined bright at Hot Rod’s Drag Week in Virginia.

The video above comes to us from the STREETMACHINETV YouTube channel and it features a 1943 Willys Jeep that might have been the most unusual vehicle participating in Hot Rod’s Drag Week this year. As if a street-and-strip 1943 Jeep isn’t odd enough, this antique Army vehicle has a custom chromoly chassis and roll cage, a C4 transmission with a transbrake and a 427-cubic inch Ford big block.

It should be noted that in this clip, the Jeep is running on seven cylinders while battling oiling issues, and it still turns in a reasonably respectable elapsed time for a 1943 Army-issue Willys-Jeep.

Big Block Ford-Powered Willys

This video begins with a discussion with owner and driver Klaiton Hartman. He explains that his grandfather bought this Jeep from a military surplus sale in the late 1940s and it sat for decades, until his dad showed interest in drag racing. Hartman built the Jeep with the 427-cubic inch Ford big block and his dad did a little racing until he ran into engine troubles. He lost interest in the Willys-Jeep sat dormant until Hartman decided to take it on the Hot Rod Drag Week tour.

In addition to the 427-cubic inch Ford big block, this antique Army vehicle has a C4 transmission with a transbrake and a Ford 9-inch rear differential. As you can see, the interior is pretty minimal, but it is running on drag radial tires that allow it to be a legal street vehicle.

Drag Week Headaches

Hartman and his co-pilot set out from Texas and drove 1000 miles to Atlanta, where they planned to make their first passes with the 1943 Willys-Jeep. Unfortunately, that event was rained out but even worse, they ran into all sorts of mechanical issues along the way. In addition to a persistent issue with the oil pan gasket leaking, they had to replace a U-joint at a rest stop and to pass tech inspection, they had to install all new braking components.

When they arrived at the track with the Jeep for the event in the video above, they found that the valvetrain assembly had come apart so the extent that it could not quickly be fixed. Rather than calling it a day, they decided to run on seven cylinders and remarkably, the old Jeep didn’t run too bad.

On the first run, the antique Army Jeep ran a 13.486 at 101.21 miles per hour and after that run, the team rushed to address the cylinder head issues. They were able to relocate valve guide seals, but the engine was still spewing smoke when the Jeep pulled into the beams for its second run.

On this run, even with the oiling issue and all sorts of engine smoke, the 1943 Willys-Jeep ran a 12.05 at 112 miles per hour. On that run, Hartman was short-shifting and it still nearly ran in the 11s.

Unfortunately, storms rolled in after the second run, but with a 12.05, this antique Jeep turned in a solid performance considering all of the engine issues leading up to the track time.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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