Quint of Quints Kustom Kolors, the owner and builder of the 1941 Willys, has several stories to tell. So many stories that we needed to create two videos. Take a look at Part 1
The World of Wheels Car Show was held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in February. The top show cars were on display when you walked in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion. The first car you saw was Quint’s 1941 Willys Pro Street Rod.
Interview Transcription:
Drew: All right. This is Drew with Classic Auto Insurance here at the Indianapolis World of Wheels 2020. Back here with Quint on this gorgeous ’41 Willys. He’s got so much time and just amazing craftsmanship on this. But you were talking about there’s a lot of hand-built parts on this.
Quint: Yeah, yeah, there is. I mean, cars like this, I mean you just can’t go out to your part store and buy parts for it and put the thing together. I mean there’s a lot of stuff that’s hand-built. I mean for existence like my exhaust ports on the side of it. I mean, I’ve got the exhaust coming out the side of the body. A lot of these cars, a lot of times they’ll dump them down right in front or they’ll put them somewhere, which is all cool. I just want something to come out of the side.
Quint: You see a lot of these guys will do that. All the exhaust on it’s all hand-built. The exhaust rings on it are all hand-fabricated and built out of aluminum and cut and designed and all done by hand. For instance, this panel up here in the front, it’s at the kind of acts like a little bit of a fan shroud and also kind of gives me a little filler look. Well you don’t buy that from a company. That’s a hand-built part. There’s a lot of stuff underneath the car with the chassis that’s all hand-built that, again, you just don’t go to your local part store and buy stuff. I mean, there’s a lot of quality cars here that are like that.
Drew: Yeah. No, I mean it stands out and congratulations on making the Great 8 last year. And essentially, like you said, not even with the intent of building it for that.
Quint: When I first started it, my intent was just to do some indoor shows, maybe do a circuit, not really thinking about the Ridler Award. But then as time went on, I got to working on it. I started thinking a little heavier into it. So I would kind of start maybe going a little bit more deeper than I maybe would originally, just like with the undercarriage. I mean, if I wasn’t really going to do that, I probably wouldn’t have smoothed and shaved everything on the bottom of the car. The whole bottom of the car has been smoothed and shaved. It’s all smoothed out.
Quint: If I was just going to build it for maybe just to do a few indoor shows and maybe take it to the Street Machine Nationals, stuff like that, I wouldn’t’ve went through all that. But like I said, about halfway into it, I started thinking about it. And after I got it painted and I said wait till I get it painted. When I get it painted, I said if I really like it and it turns out the way I think, then I think I’m going to go for it.
Quint: And that’s kind of what happened. I got painted and I had about two more years of the build left, and that’s when I got a hold of my interior guy, said, “Hey man, I got to try to do an interior over the top, because I think I’m going to go to Detroit with it.” And he hooked me up and he did an excellent job. And between all the work that I deal with, the help from a couple of my buddies, helped me hold some parts to hang them on there. And then my interior guy. I’m really happy with the build.
Quint: I’m real happy making the Great 8. It’s the first time I ever tried to do it. I’ve gotten a lot of publicity and attention out of it, and it definitely helped our business and our shop. We do a lot of this stuff where I’m from. So we really enjoy it.
Drew: I really appreciate your time. It’s phenomenal. Thanks for displaying it here and letting everybody see what quality work you put together.
Quint: I appreciate the opportunity. I appreciate the interview and like I said, anytime, man.
Drew: Nice to meet you. Thanks again. Appreciate it.
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