Willys was an American automobile manufacturer. They received a commission to build four-wheel drive reconnaissance cars for use in the Second World War. The original model was the Willys MB. The Willys M38 succeeded it and was in production from 1949 to 1952. It is this Willys M38 that serves as the basis for this kit. Sorry if this is out of place but I love to share my builds and I hope you’ll indulge me as I’m planning on doing some sweet paint action on this beautiful beast. I can’t imagine it’ll take long to build and I hope if you do follow along you’ll find it interesting. The trailing arm ball pivots and rear spring mounts were weak points which failed regularly, but both were moulded integrally with the chassis tub and the only repair was a new chassis rebuild. Did a few of those. Finally, body clips: on the SWB these should be the type with the "waggly" bit on the inside (compared to the large loop)- the LWB and most other cars have the "normal" arrangement with it on the outside. This got dismantled and some sealed running bearings replaced the plastic bushes that came with the kit. I then added the rear wheel arms.

A Wild Willy II was up for dicussion among Tamiya and the distributors already in 1996 during the European Finals of the Tamiya Cup in Switzerland, but it took until 1999 before it was realized. No doubt it was worth waiting! What a great model! This is a remote control kit that requires assembly. The Styrene body of the kit comes as a Military Green Colour, so it does not necessarily require painting. If you do decide to repaint the body, Hard Plastic Spray Paint (TS) is appropriate. The driver figure comes blank so requires painting, either by using the suggested paint schemes or however else you would like! Conclusion: Like the original Wild Willy a very "unserious" model, but with the masses of fun that made the original a legend. A must for any collector.I like projects like this normally but was never 100% happy with my set-up. Looking at B.M.T's job though I am tempted to have another go.The alignment issue is minimal and easily solved. By reversing the front body post, you can fit the WW body straight out of the box. By adding 4 simple spacers, you can fine adjust the lateral alignment of the body. I'll design a set of these spacers now, it's a very very simple part to make, With the exception of a few screw and bearing dimensions, the chassis of the "M38" and "2" generations of the Wild Willy have no parts in common. the hole in the front of the tub for the steering ("Servo Saver Shaft") is larger on the LWB tub, with a simple metal sleeve acting as a bearing; The original 58035 Wild Willy came out in 1982 and was really unlike anything that had come before it. It had the large tires of the 58029 Blazing Blazer but with a short wheelbase and a high center of gravity mated to a new wheelie chassis. The name "Willy" comes from the fact that this is a model of the M38 made by Willys as the second generation of the original military "Jeep". The body is scale accurate but placed on a crazy high 2WD stunt chassis. May as well name the driver "Wild Willy" and give him a giant head and a lot of detail. Willy would go on to pilot other vehicles over the years including the 58039 Willy's Wheeler only a year later. The 58242 Wild Willy 2 came out in 1999 as a tribute more than a re-release. Although the newer model bears a superficial resemblance to the original, virtually everything has been changed. The original chassis is gone and replaced by a more modern WR-02 wheelie chassis with balloon tires and chrome wheels. At first glance the lovely hard shell body might appear original, but for reasons that are not exactly clear subtle details (including the grille) have been changed which make this now resemble the M151 made by Ford as a successor to the M38. Maybe it was a licensing thing, or maybe Wild Willy 2 is the successor to the original just like the M151. Willy is still there driving. Although this model is still for sale (as of 2019), it is now marketed as Wild Willy 2000.

I also came across HPI Wheelie King rims and the tires on the net and they have the look I'm after. They look closer to the WW2 tires, but bigger. And I like the chevron look better as of the Traxxas ones. The rims will not work offcourse, but perhaps the tyres on either the WW2 rims or on other rims that will fit the WW2. I read somewhere that WW2 rims are 2.0" and from the Traxxas are 2.2". Wild Willy 2's designers have been up until the wee hours of the morning putting the final touches on this exciting stunt vehicle. I tried fitting one to a GF01 and there are a few fit issues that can be overcome by modellers but would not really be acceptable to be sold as such.As a footnote, a prototype version of the Wild Willy, which can be seen in an "action" pic on the Body Set box and in a least one Tamiya Catalogue, didn't have any sort of perforation. Front suspension strut tops & pipe clamps: the SWB has 2mm clearance holes + M2 screws fitted from underneath into the plastic tops. On the LWB the screws are fitted through the tops in M2 pressings in the clamps. Next up, the "Mechanism Box Lid". The SWB has holes on the top for (from left to right) the antenna wire, speed control resistor wiring, and battery cables. It’s pretty straight forward to set up but it’s best to get everything lined up at this stage other wise you’ll have a lot of unscrewing to do. 😌 Well it starts looking like a regular model kit. I guess the only difference is nuts and bolts and wires rather than glue and paint. Well for the first part anyway.

The front arches do not line up with the body-posts well enough, the chassis bars need cutting up and shortening and the batter means that you have to fit the body higher than I wanted. I keep my fingers crossed, and hope if this is released, that Tamiya take their time to update with some cool new details, like jeep wheels and new tires for it, to make it a new release, rather than just a GF-01 Willy release with the same parts that have been available for almost 15 years now. The Wild Willy 2 is a reproduction of the popular original Wild Willy from the mid 80s. The new Wild Willy has an all new chassis and larger tires allowing it to tread over rough terrain. Of course, the Wild Willys trade mark is the animated wheelie capability thanks to an all new wheelie bar. SpecificationsL7/L5 (steering wheel and post) which I glue prior to painting, although not attaching to body until after everything is painted. The "Switch Stay" also sees some changes between versions: the LWB pressing is narrower & loses the reinforcing fold, but gains an upright section which helps to position the MSC servo. Rear Spring Stays have a larger hole on the LWB and the brass fitting has a corresponding extra step. The chassis is after all a direct 4WD conversion of the Wild Willy 2 chassis (WR.02), and from what I understand the kits comes with Wild Willy body mounts included. The Wild Willy 2 kit and J1/J2 (sparewheel) I usually assemble it before painting, sand the edges where the two parts come together, same glue/screw prosedure as first mentioned parts

The long rear arms - for the LWB version an ornamental hole is deleted, and the stabiliser bar mount points move forward. This is a subtle difference, but if you look at the bumper mounting points on the LWB bulkhead you'll see the holes are much deeper. Take a close look at the Wild Willy 2 chassis and you will find an all new design featuring a gear box neatly secured in a monocoque frame. Side support bars have been added to the frame to heighten the overall rigidity and enhance Willy's "stunt vehicle" realism. The gearbox comes pre-assembled, allowing the user to easily remove it for maintenance, without taking apart the frame. The running battery is positioned lengthwise toward the rear of the chassis, providing the ideal balance for outstanding wheelie action. The steering servo is mounted centrally on the chassis and holds two steering tie rods of equal length, which control the left/right steering, ensuring reliable handling. Four wheel independent suspension and oversize tires enable high traction and stability. Having built models on the CW-01 wheelie chassis before and being unimpressed with the ability to hold a wheelie, my expectations of the WR-02 were not high. I was pleasantly surprised. This model holds a wheelie much longer than something like the Midnight Pumpkin. My addition of heavier wheels moderated that a bit, but I still love the way it drives. It is even reasonably capable in the grass. With the sturdy Wild Dagger gearbox within a ladder frame with even an indication of a V8 engine and the TL01 suspension arms and chromed Mad Bull wheels, Tamiya has a winner. Top this chassis with the Wild Willy body, and you have a future classic.The LWB on the other hand has slots (that match corresponding ones in the chassis tub) for those wires, in theory making it easier when you have to remove the lid. The "Differential Gear Case" of the LWB Willy has a small aluminium skid plate. The plastic mouldings have rebates to suit. The new Wild Willy has an all new chassis and larger tires allowing it to tread over rough terrain. Of course, the Wild Willys trade mark is the animated wheelie capability thanks to an all new wheelie bar.