Roger Will is one of those unique guys who managed to keep something frivolous like a very fast, but impractical, ’71 Ford during a voyage through the standard marriage, kids and mortgage scenario.
And he did it without lying to his wife.
‘Many years ago, in Roger’s tumultuous youth, he was a speed guy-a true disciple of the Tim “the tool man” more power philosophy so he put this sleeper 71 Ford truck together.’
Plus, Roger’s a blue oval Ford guy all the way so he had two non-negotiable items-Ford motor and insane power.
Roger became a realtor but his negotiation skills were honed long before when he was putting this street pounding truck together.
It started with the motor–a 429 Super Cobra Jet.
These aren’t typically seen under the hood of an old truck so Roger is pretty safe with the attitude that his is a “one of one” combination but the real secret is found in the cost of the super rare engine.
The donor car was part of a series of horse trade deals that you could only find 30 years ago-and guys like Roger “Rammer” Will thrive on the “search and cut a deal” part. As it was the truck was insanely fast but guys like Rammer are graduates of Tool Man More Power University so nitrous became part of the package.
In its day Roger’s truck flew under the radar and in many street sanctioned events this stealth rocket surprised dozens of unsuspecting Vette, Mopar and other Ford owners. Roger often thought about throwing a few bales in the old truck to complete the illusion that this was a farm truck in way over its head with the real muscle cars.
Roger never put a nice paint job on the ’71 Ford for two reasons-the obvious stealth look and his wife Jan-she is a very practical woman so every time the truck came up during a Will family financial audit Rammer would point to the ratty paint on the old truck and explain that something that looked like that wouldn’t bring much.
And he was right-because many, many years later Roger and his semi-retired stealth street racing farm truck are still a team.
Roger “Rammer” Will is willing to give any car guy with a practical wife the “crappy paint job” advice for free but for any further marital instruction on taking an old vehicle into a marriage and still owning it 30 years later…
You’ll have to attend one of his seminars.
Jerry Sutherland
