Gene Cromer is a TRUE LEGEND of drag racing, and his 1941 Willys named "The Moonlighter" is part of what gave him that reputation. We dig DEEP to find the history of the Moonlighter and show you every step of this car's evolution, from an original passenger car to a 1960's gasser super star. The car was updated in the late '60s and was retired in the early '70s, stashed away in Gene's barn. He kept this legendary, historic drag car for all these years, but it was disassembled and he lost hope in ever putting it back together.

Enter Quain Stott, the leader of the @SoutheastGassersAssociation, who befriended Gene and offered to help put his iconic Willys gasser back together. This lit a fire under Gene and his old racing buddy, Melvin Craft. The resurrected gasser was a team effort, and resulted in a fully functional car...not just a museum piece. In fact, the Moonlighter is quicker than it was back in its heyday. This FORD-powered 1941 Willys used mostly original parts for its restoration, aside from a few modern safety features, which are hidden from plain sight. Vintage speed parts include magneisum Torq Thrust wheels, Hilborn mechanical fuel injection, an aluminum radiator from a factory lightweight Ford Galaxie, and much more.

Take a look at its full history and see some great old clips of it racing at tracks like Starlite 25 Dragway, Shuffletown and more. This is my biggest, most comprehensive episode of Hot Rod Hoarders, so I hope you enjoy it!

UPDATE: Gene Cromer and his iconic Moonlighter Willys gasser were involved in a terrible accident. Unfortunately, Gene did not recover from his injuries and has passed away. He is greatly missed.

#hotrodhoarders #history #dragracing