redidbull
Well-known member
Congratulations for winning the November 2011 Zuwharrie Owner of the Month!
How does it feel being honored along with the past winners?
It Feels great. Only 12 guys a year get selected and at just over 14,000 members (IIRC) it defiantly feels good. Still can?t believe I got chosen to be
ZOOM along with Dylan, Cody (XtremeZuks), Jim (hughmungas) and all of the other guys who contribute to this site so much.
So tell us about you. Who are you, where do you live, and what do you do for a living?
My name is Andy Willis. I am 24 years old and live in B-E-A utiful Naples FL (heavily sarcastic
) where the average person was born around the same time as Christopher Columbus or Benjamin Franklin. I help run a family owned and operated Auto Electric shop that is going on 33 years old now with the help of my cousin. I have a girlfriend of 4 years that is 22 years old named Katie who likes going wheeling with me when I go and also who puts up with many late night shop trips.
Tell us a bit about your family.
My family. Well my immediate family inside my home would consist of Myself, My girlfriend Katie and my 4 and a half year old Boxer Pup, Tes.
My father?s name is Michael and is an avid John Deere collector/hoarder/rebuilder goofball lol. My mother is big into her pups as much as my dad is into tractors. I have three sisters,
Tiffany (30), Sarah (29), & Megan (17). I grew up the only boy so?. I figured I has to have got all the brains. Ok just kidding on that one but I had to do it.
How did you get started in Suzuki?s?
My father. He and my mother each had Samurai?s when I was very small. I still remember when I was 4 or 5 years old and my dad would take the canal trail home instead of the main road so I could sit on his lap and drive home. Since then I have been hooked.
How long did it take you to build your Zuk to what it is today?
Ohh man. Well I bought it right out of high school with my tax return money. 800$ and a road trip to Lake Placid FL. That was July 2006. So realistically close to 5 years. I started with a spring over, 31 ditchwitch tires and a 4:1 gearkit.
Then decided I needed more. So in came Toyota axles, v6, new body and 45? tractor tires. This was all on the same stock frame. Then I broke stuff, a lot of stuff, all in the same hole haha. So then I went full retard with 2.5 ton steer axles, full fabbed straight frame, Triangulated 4 link, new tires, coilovers, ect ect ect. Woof it?s been a long trip. And this is how Godzuki sits now.
Now baby zuk I got from a friend for 50$ and haven?t had much time to work on it. Just recently started a build thread for all to enjoy and hope to have it done soon. So it hasn?t taken long to get where it?s at frankly because it isn?t very far.
Any changes in store for your rig?
Godzuki? Not any soon. It works well for what it was built for now so no real reason to put more work and money into a rig that performs to its needs. But when we start talking about the little one things change. The plans as of now are YJ?s, gear the case, build bumpers, a roll cage and twin sticks. But I will be on the look out for a 1.6l, possibly Toyota axles, a three link front with coilovers. But I?d imagine that will be long down the road. I?m very content with what I have. I know a lot of people are trying to put together just something driveable to get around with so I feel fortunate I have what I have.
If you could have anybody else?s Zuk, who?s would it be and why?
Well, this is a hard question. There are two that I love. But two totally different rigs. I?ll start with the beautiful, totally functional Tin Top rig owned by the one and only Jeff Andrews or as most know as jtaj77. It has been one of my favorites since I saw it. Ive tried trading him my green junk and all my pennies before and he keeps saying ?no?. Jerk!
Second Would have to be Brent?s white TEXCRAWLER rig. What else can I say, Hell here is a Picture. It speaks 1,000 words.
What has been your best wheeling adventure?
Hard to say. But I would probally go with alonnnng time ago at a local spot back when the zuk looked like this:
We all were riding one night, a bunch of fourwheelers, a buddies truck, and my Sami. We were coming up to one of the prairies in Bonita when someone yelled cops. Hell, I 19 so we took off. I had the drink cooler earlier on in the night because I drove ?slow?, well the old gal was matted 4 low, 5th gear to get away from the ?cops?. I was passing fourwheelers left and right, it came off the ground multiple times. But when I came to the other side where everyone was stopping I noticed oil burning coming from the engine bay. Open the hood where I found a broken motor mount and a missing dipstick. I didn?t want to hurt it so we towed it back to the trailer. Turns out it wasn?t cops but another dang kid who bought police like lights to put on his dodge. From then on out no one ever thought of a sami as a land slug, but more of a budget, entry level stadium truck. Hah.
If you could go to any place in the world to wheel, where would that be?
I want to do the Rubicon. Obviously not with my rigs now, but that is a goal to make it one day. Also would like to make it to a Zu one day.
Who are you closest to in the Zuwharrie community?
I would probally have to say Jeff (jtaj77), Ricky (Ricky93ZUK) or Cody (XtremeZuks) because they are all FL boys and have met them around at local mud clubs and what not.
What other toys/hobbies do you put a lot of time into?
Fishing. Fishing and Wheeling is about it all I do. Watching some football slides in there too. Die hard Bucs and Noles fan here. But I would have to say that Zuks take up most of my free time.
What is it about the Zuwharrie.com BBS that brings you back for more?
The other members, we all share the same likeliness towards these small Japanese cracker boxes. They are either loved or hated by people. We all happen to love them. They are cheap, light and by far the most fun to wheel. Every person on here is kind and friendly, a joy to talk to. If the world was like Zuwharrie it would be a better place.
What about the Zuwharrie Event would you like to see changed?
I have never been, so I would like to see myself at one with the others.
Contact Information:
Name: Andy Willis
Zuwharrie user name: Godzuki86
Nickname: Andy
Email: awillis@naplesautoelectric.com
Main Vehicle Specs:
Year: 1986-87
Make: Suzuki
Model: Samurai
Color: Green and Black
Driveline: 3.8 buick/200r4/hubcity pump box (4:1)/ 2.5 ton GM faceload axles (both steer)
Steering: Full hydro f/r
Suspension: triangulated four link with 16? BIGSHOCKS coilovers
Tires/Wheels : 16-20 conti r1 tractor tires, 20x11 wheels with 2.5 ton pattern centers
Armor : aussie front aluminum bumper.
Interior : mazda bucket seats and a sweet oscillating walmart fan
Exterior : Comp cut rear, roadless gear polyshield, line-x?d hood. Lots more line-X?ing to come. A friend owns the line-X branch down here and took used GZ in the Booth at a tech show. Aluminum front bumper.
Recovery gear : My big rope and this:
Best Modification: Four wheel steer. Coolest thing on earth.
Worse Modification: All of it. Most of the time I wish I would have built something smaller and more manageable. Other than that it just works.
Future Mods: I don?t have anything planned in store for it, just fuel and go. If I came across a very very VERY cheap SC 3.8 I might think about it but it?s good for what it is.
Other Clubs: No other clubs.
Comments: I?d like to thank all the Armed Forces fighting and keeping us free so we can enjoy things like these in our everyday lives. Thank You.
How does it feel being honored along with the past winners?
It Feels great. Only 12 guys a year get selected and at just over 14,000 members (IIRC) it defiantly feels good. Still can?t believe I got chosen to be
ZOOM along with Dylan, Cody (XtremeZuks), Jim (hughmungas) and all of the other guys who contribute to this site so much.
So tell us about you. Who are you, where do you live, and what do you do for a living?
My name is Andy Willis. I am 24 years old and live in B-E-A utiful Naples FL (heavily sarcastic
) where the average person was born around the same time as Christopher Columbus or Benjamin Franklin. I help run a family owned and operated Auto Electric shop that is going on 33 years old now with the help of my cousin. I have a girlfriend of 4 years that is 22 years old named Katie who likes going wheeling with me when I go and also who puts up with many late night shop trips.Tell us a bit about your family.
My family. Well my immediate family inside my home would consist of Myself, My girlfriend Katie and my 4 and a half year old Boxer Pup, Tes.
My father?s name is Michael and is an avid John Deere collector/hoarder/rebuilder goofball lol. My mother is big into her pups as much as my dad is into tractors. I have three sisters,
Tiffany (30), Sarah (29), & Megan (17). I grew up the only boy so?. I figured I has to have got all the brains. Ok just kidding on that one but I had to do it.
How did you get started in Suzuki?s?
My father. He and my mother each had Samurai?s when I was very small. I still remember when I was 4 or 5 years old and my dad would take the canal trail home instead of the main road so I could sit on his lap and drive home. Since then I have been hooked.
How long did it take you to build your Zuk to what it is today?
Ohh man. Well I bought it right out of high school with my tax return money. 800$ and a road trip to Lake Placid FL. That was July 2006. So realistically close to 5 years. I started with a spring over, 31 ditchwitch tires and a 4:1 gearkit.
Then decided I needed more. So in came Toyota axles, v6, new body and 45? tractor tires. This was all on the same stock frame. Then I broke stuff, a lot of stuff, all in the same hole haha. So then I went full retard with 2.5 ton steer axles, full fabbed straight frame, Triangulated 4 link, new tires, coilovers, ect ect ect. Woof it?s been a long trip. And this is how Godzuki sits now.
Now baby zuk I got from a friend for 50$ and haven?t had much time to work on it. Just recently started a build thread for all to enjoy and hope to have it done soon. So it hasn?t taken long to get where it?s at frankly because it isn?t very far.
Any changes in store for your rig?
Godzuki? Not any soon. It works well for what it was built for now so no real reason to put more work and money into a rig that performs to its needs. But when we start talking about the little one things change. The plans as of now are YJ?s, gear the case, build bumpers, a roll cage and twin sticks. But I will be on the look out for a 1.6l, possibly Toyota axles, a three link front with coilovers. But I?d imagine that will be long down the road. I?m very content with what I have. I know a lot of people are trying to put together just something driveable to get around with so I feel fortunate I have what I have.
If you could have anybody else?s Zuk, who?s would it be and why?
Well, this is a hard question. There are two that I love. But two totally different rigs. I?ll start with the beautiful, totally functional Tin Top rig owned by the one and only Jeff Andrews or as most know as jtaj77. It has been one of my favorites since I saw it. Ive tried trading him my green junk and all my pennies before and he keeps saying ?no?. Jerk!
Second Would have to be Brent?s white TEXCRAWLER rig. What else can I say, Hell here is a Picture. It speaks 1,000 words.
What has been your best wheeling adventure?
Hard to say. But I would probally go with alonnnng time ago at a local spot back when the zuk looked like this:
We all were riding one night, a bunch of fourwheelers, a buddies truck, and my Sami. We were coming up to one of the prairies in Bonita when someone yelled cops. Hell, I 19 so we took off. I had the drink cooler earlier on in the night because I drove ?slow?, well the old gal was matted 4 low, 5th gear to get away from the ?cops?. I was passing fourwheelers left and right, it came off the ground multiple times. But when I came to the other side where everyone was stopping I noticed oil burning coming from the engine bay. Open the hood where I found a broken motor mount and a missing dipstick. I didn?t want to hurt it so we towed it back to the trailer. Turns out it wasn?t cops but another dang kid who bought police like lights to put on his dodge. From then on out no one ever thought of a sami as a land slug, but more of a budget, entry level stadium truck. Hah.
If you could go to any place in the world to wheel, where would that be?
I want to do the Rubicon. Obviously not with my rigs now, but that is a goal to make it one day. Also would like to make it to a Zu one day.
Who are you closest to in the Zuwharrie community?
I would probally have to say Jeff (jtaj77), Ricky (Ricky93ZUK) or Cody (XtremeZuks) because they are all FL boys and have met them around at local mud clubs and what not.
What other toys/hobbies do you put a lot of time into?
Fishing. Fishing and Wheeling is about it all I do. Watching some football slides in there too. Die hard Bucs and Noles fan here. But I would have to say that Zuks take up most of my free time.
What is it about the Zuwharrie.com BBS that brings you back for more?
The other members, we all share the same likeliness towards these small Japanese cracker boxes. They are either loved or hated by people. We all happen to love them. They are cheap, light and by far the most fun to wheel. Every person on here is kind and friendly, a joy to talk to. If the world was like Zuwharrie it would be a better place.
What about the Zuwharrie Event would you like to see changed?
I have never been, so I would like to see myself at one with the others.
Contact Information:
Name: Andy Willis
Zuwharrie user name: Godzuki86
Nickname: Andy
Email: awillis@naplesautoelectric.com
Main Vehicle Specs:
Year: 1986-87
Make: Suzuki
Model: Samurai
Color: Green and Black
Driveline: 3.8 buick/200r4/hubcity pump box (4:1)/ 2.5 ton GM faceload axles (both steer)
Steering: Full hydro f/r
Suspension: triangulated four link with 16? BIGSHOCKS coilovers
Tires/Wheels : 16-20 conti r1 tractor tires, 20x11 wheels with 2.5 ton pattern centers
Armor : aussie front aluminum bumper.
Interior : mazda bucket seats and a sweet oscillating walmart fan
Exterior : Comp cut rear, roadless gear polyshield, line-x?d hood. Lots more line-X?ing to come. A friend owns the line-X branch down here and took used GZ in the Booth at a tech show. Aluminum front bumper.
Recovery gear : My big rope and this:
Best Modification: Four wheel steer. Coolest thing on earth.
Worse Modification: All of it. Most of the time I wish I would have built something smaller and more manageable. Other than that it just works.
Future Mods: I don?t have anything planned in store for it, just fuel and go. If I came across a very very VERY cheap SC 3.8 I might think about it but it?s good for what it is.
Other Clubs: No other clubs.
Comments: I?d like to thank all the Armed Forces fighting and keeping us free so we can enjoy things like these in our everyday lives. Thank You.
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