John Cassiol Restores the Jim Oddy Austin

This was one of the top AA/GS cars of the sixty's and John feels very lucky to have found the car and is devoted to restoring it to as close to original as he possibly can. The photo's of the car, as it is at the present time does not reflect the way the car will look when completed. It is painted in blue primer and the lettering is only temporary. John just wanted to let people see that the car was still around and get a little enjoyment fro the response to it before doing the complete restoration. After the 2004 Willys Home Run event, the car will have a total frame off restoration and be put back to it's former glory when it was burning up the tracks across the country. John wants to thank everyone that has helped him with this great project and those that will play a big part in the restoration. Among those are of course Jim Oddy for all his help in making sure things will be as they were, "English Wheel Bob" who will be installing the cage as well as a lot of the other sheet metal work and Dan Delaney, who will apply the real "silver leaf" lettering like was on the original car.

The car in the "blue primer" at the 2003 Thompson Gasser Reunion (Vic Cooke Photo)

This is how the business end of the car will look after John completes the restoration
(Photo courtesy "Mark the Cop")

The Austin off on another hard pass sometime in the late 60's. This photo was used as an ad for the company that made the figerglass part utlized on the car ( Photo courtesy of Dean Johnson former operator of Niagara Drag Way)

Jim Oddy up against Bob Chipper. The 33' coup is still around today
as a street rod. (Photo courtesy of Dean Johnson)

The Oddy Austin, cira 1969 (Photo courtesy Danny Newell)

Photo courtesy Brian Woods, Competition Plus

The Oddy car before the top was chopped, Niagara Drag Strip 1966 ( Photographer Unknown)

The car in primer awaiting the full restoration

John and Chuck Finder just fooling around at the Thompson Reunion 2003. John has no plans
on actually racing this historic car.

Jim Oddy meets up with his old car for the first time in many years. Jim was the Grand Marshall
of the Willys Home Run 2003 where this photo was taken

The first owner and the last owner. Jim Oddy & John Cassiol, Willys Home Run 2003

John's Austin at the National Hot Rod Reunion 2003, parked beside the Bizio 33'Willys Pick-up

Watch for John and his historic car at one of the events he plans to attend in 2004. He will have the car at the 50th Anniversary of the Cayuga Dragstrip as well as the Thompson Gasser Reunion, the NHRR at Bowling Green, KY, The York U.S. 30 Muscle Car Reunion and the Willys Home Run before the full restoration is began.

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