That “something cool” was the mating of front half of Lauri and Forrest’s 2001 Heritage Softail with what appears to be fiberglass rear fenders from Dave’s over-the-top ’41 Willys Ridler contender and a Frankenstein Trikes’ rear end. Hot rods and Harleys, it doesn’t get much better than that. “Dave gave us a rough sketch of the body style he was going to make and we let him go from there,” said Forrest. “The color scheme he came up with for our originally orange Heritage made the trike look classy we think. It’s a beautiful paint job.”

Oh it’s a striking ride to say the least. There’s almost an Art Deco flare to the Willys’ fenders that lets you know this is not another bolt-on production trike body with a practical, but oh-so-ugly travel trunk perched up high. Providing for a bit of carrying capacity is a small integrated tail trunk that holds stuff with holding up your visual enjoyment. The style lines really flow with the rear fenders’ giving a sense of motion even when at rest. Big ten-spoke hoops with ultra-low profile tires fill the Willys’ wheel well and give a nice sense of proportion to a set of fenders intended for a car famous for being the ultimate gasser material of all time. If you were a fan of ‘60s drag racing, the ground pounding Willys of Stone, Woods & Cook or Big John Mazmanian should have been indelibly printed on some little piece of your synapse as what’s just beyond cool when it comes to defining cool.

The O’Neals lucked out when it came to reupholstering their seat and made it a point to give their kudos to Wazes & Wheels custom seat with red stitching. They also gave a big thumbs up to the Custom Cycle Controls System Air Ride suspension that not only provides a cool stance when they’re parked, but a comfortable ride and good handling when they’re both on board and buzzing around the Missouri countryside. Forrest says, “We love the whole trike, the looks, the ride, the comfort, and how it feels going down the road.”

For more info on getting a custom trike, a custom bike, or the blown Willys gasser of your dreams, contact your one-stop custom guy, Dave Jordan, at 573-302-1052 or visit www.davesrodshop.com.