Will Neely Photos - The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum

1/4 Scale Ford 60 Flathead Engine

This engine, along with the scale model boat, reside in the collection of Randy Wold. Mr. Wold also owns the original vintage hydroplane itself.

1/4 Scale Ford 60 Flathead Engine

Bantam Midget Car Plans

Plans for old autos like this Bantam Midget tether car inspired much of Will Neely’s work. He loves the look, proportions, and styling incorporated in the early short-track racers, which was carried over into the tether cars of the 30’s and 40’s.

Stutz Blackhawk

One of the most dramatic speed record cars ever built, Will’s version of the Stutz Blackhawk is modeled here.

Bantam Midget #5 Car

#4 Front Drive Car

Based on another Miller design, the #4 is a front drive car that Will found in a book called The Miller Dynasty. It was made for his friend the late Jake LaMotta (not to be confused with the famous boxer of the same name), who had made some of the original mite size tether cars.

#4 Front Drive Car

Jake Lamotta had wanted a long, narrow, sleek design, which this car certainly captures.

#3 Sprint Car

Will’s #3 sprint car was built at 1/4 scale. The plans were from Ray Kuhn’s reprints, and were for a full-size dirt car (considered a Sprint car today).

#3 Sprint Car

This scale Sprint car uses Model T and Model A parts, with the front and rear axle and frame coming from a Model T (with modifications).

#11 Race Car

The #11 car was based on plans for a 1950’s Kurtis Midget. Will built it at about 1/6 scale, with a 13″ wheelbase as would be used for a tether car. He has also made a larger 1/4 scale version that had a Ford 60 engine.

Scale Dirt Car

This scale dirt car sports some classic flames.

Scale Model Hot Rod

This model is similar to a full-size hot rod that Will built at age 19. He was making a T-bucket roadster on a Model A frame, with a 1950 Olds 305 cubic inch engine. Will had purchased the whole car for $50. The back half of this model body is a T-bucket, and the front half was fabricated to smooth out the T into a ’32 Ford style grill. The model was a prototype for a hot rod that Will wanted to build full-size.

Scale T Roadster

Will’s scale T Roadster with oversize rear tires. The tires feature a hand cut dirt track tread pattern.

Scale Model Race Car

This streamlined racer is a cross between a Kurtiss nose and grill, and an old Auto Union, where the frame is covered with bodywork. It has wire wheels, and looks like a Bantam with smoother lines.

Barile Special #10

The handsome scale model “Barile Special” #10 car.

Miller Front Drive Car

This Miller front drive car is similar to the purple #2 car made from plans in the book The Miller Dynasty.

1/8 Scale Bonneville Lakester

Scale Model Bonneville

Another Bonneville type speed car with very smooth lines, and thin wheels and tires.

Scale Model Bonneville

#2 Race Car

Will’s inspiration for this scale car came from a racing boat made by one of his father’s friends. The friend was Joe Guess, and his hydroplanes were always beautiful. One was called, “Zzzip” and the other was named, “Guess Who.”

#2 Race Car

The engine for Joe’s original boat was built by Clay Smith, so both got credits on the model car.

#3 Vintage Midget Car

This is one of the larger cars that Will built, and it features an exposed Offenhauser 4-cylinder engine. The #3 vintage Midget car also has working steering, and a hand brake lever on the driver’s side that really actuates the rear brakes. The wire wheels are all hand laced. The car is shown disassembled as Tom Boyer repaired the front axle, and also cleaned up the rest of the parts.This car was featured on the cover of a 2007 Micro-Mark tool catalog, along with a photo of Will.

#3 Vintage Midget Car Detail

The scale Midget car was shipped to the Craftsmanship Museum for display, but damage in shipping caused the cast front axle to be broken.

#3 Vintage Midget Car Detail

A close-up of the gas tank and some of the instrument panel. The scale car features detail that can’t even be seen once the body panels are on, such as the complete wiring to the back of the instrument panel.

#3 Vintage Midget Car

A close-up of the dash in Will’s #3 car.

#3 Vintage Midget Car Detail

Years of uncovered display had left the model pretty dirty as shown before cleaning here.

#3 Vintage Midget Car Detail

The chrome and paint cleaned up beautifully after some care.

#3 Vintage Midget Car

After repair and cleaning, an oak and melamine display base was made for the Midget race car, and Paul Healy built a custom acrylic cover.

#3 Vintage Midget Car

Will’s impressive #3 Midget car is now on display in the Craftsmanship Museum.

#32 Miller Sprint Car

The hood on this model doesn’t actually open, so the engine is not fully detailed like Will’s #3 Midget car.

#32 Miller Sprint Car

Will Neely’s sleek scale model #32 Miller sprint car is on display at the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum.

#32 Miller Sprint Car

A tiny “moto-meter” temperature gauge is fitted in place on the radiator cap, which features Will’s “WN” initials in the sight glass.

#32 Miller Sprint Car

Scale Model Dragster

This front-engine altered dragster incorporates a model airplane engine for power.

Scale Model Dragster

Scale Model Roadster

Like Will’s Lakester model, this car pays homage to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, who was known for stuffing excessively large engines into stylish hotrods.

Scale Model Roadster

Will Neely holding one of his sale model race cars.

Will With His Hot Rod

Will Neely poses with a project he completed in early 2008—the “Wily Coyote.” The scale car is similar to those built in the early days of hot rodding, when machines were simply stripped down to make them as light as possible, and fitted with hopped-up engines. The cars were taken to the nearest dry lake to see how fast they could go.

Wily Coyote #19 Car

The wooden frame was from an old tether car book, stretched to accommodate the engine and components.

Wily Coyote #19 Car

The power plant was modeled after an old Offenhauser Midget engine.

Wily Coyote #19 Car

A close-up shows the wooden steering wheel and small glass windshield—from back when they really were just a small shield.

Miller Plans

These plans from Mark Dee’s book on Miller provided the details for the engine in Will’s Wily Coyote car.

Will Neely Designed Mold

A glimpse of Will’s professional work. In addition to the cars he’s made for fun, Will had a long and distinguished career as a professional model maker for industry. This particular model was done for Steuben Glass from a Paul Haigh design. This mold made by Will was based on the shape of the inside of the Pantheon dome, and was to be used to form the inside of a glass art sculpture.

Will Neely Model Clock

Will also created this model clock based on a Paul Haigh design.

Will Neely

Will Neely as a young man.