Monaco Las Vegas presents...

Stone, Woods & Cook
Story & Photos by: Joe Troilo

I grew up a drag racing fan influenced by a neighbor who ran a blown Pontiac powered ‘57 Corvette on a ‘34 Ford Chassis. I eventually purchased a 1941 Willys coupe and went racing for several years. As costs and class rules forced the Willys type cars out of drag racing, I decided to make the car street worthy. Willys parts were scarce even in the early seventies, so you can imagine the look on my face when I answered an ad in the newspaper that read ‘Willys body and parts for sale’ and came face to face with the Stone, Woods and Cook Swindler "B" car in all its glory! I felt the one thousand dollar asking price for a piece of history was not too much to pay. The year was 1972. The car still had the glass front end, the Martinez interior, the chassis set up including the Olds rear, ladder bars and racing wheels, but was missing the engine and transmission.

I hurried the car home and immediately told all of my racing friends about the find. Oddly enough, no one seemed to care. Funny cars were all the rave and Gassers were old news, so I decided to show off my catch by turning the car into a street rod. Eight months later, wearing light blue paint and the original Martinez interior, along with several original Willys parts, the car became a driver. The car made journey after journey to several national meets. Photographers were amazed at the sight of this car driving on the highway instead of being pulled on a trailer.

With a growing family and a need for a back seat, the Willys had to go. A careful selection process took place to put the SWC car in the hands of someone who appreciated what the car represented. Enter close friends Mike and Peggy Wales. Mike had made several comments [before] about buying the car, and he finally got it in 1978. He drove the car for several years up and down the East Coast.

The car was removed from the road in the early ‘80s and put in storage. Mike began a reconstruction of it in the ‘90s, and some of the original SWC parts were sold to mutual friend Howard Radke, a long time Gasser fan. Howard bought the chassis and the Martinez interior. He had the frame bead blasted and epoxy primed then authenticated. A change in jobs for Mike put the project on hold. Meanwhile, I was continually trying to buy the car back. Unfortunately, Mike was set on keeping his prized possession.

At the East Coast Street Rod Nationals in 2001, I approached Mike about re-doing the car as it was in the ‘60s. Old Gassers were as popular as ever and not to bring this car back would be criminal. An agreement among me, Mike, and Howard was cemented. All the original parts owned by each party would be used to rebuild the car as it was in 1962 at the Hot Rod Nationals.

In January 2002, all of the parts finally made their way to my garage and construction began. The rest they say is history!