16 Comments on “Sarafan Jeep Parts Catalog on eBay”

1. Mike Finegan December 29, 2013 at 8:45 am

   Sarafan was established by a ex GI with the last name of Sarafan after the war. I lived close by just across the New York state line in New Jersey. Back in the old days, 1950’s -1960’s, it was hard to find parts for an old Willys Jeep. Your local auto parts store just didn’t stock parts. Sarafan was a dealer is Army surplus vehicles and developed a market for Willys parts. It was located off of Main St. Spring Valley, NY, Rockland County. I remember riding past the business many times as a child when we went to Lake Sabago. Any way, long story short, one day back in the 90’s I needed a windshield frame for my CJ5 and Sarafan had a new one at the right price. Over the phone I asked for directions and was told; when I got to Main St. to look for the “green tank “. They were located in the back and hard to see from the main st. So when I arrived, I was looking for a large “water tank” high in the sky. After 45 minutes I was about to give up looking, when I turn around and see a huge “GREEN ARMY TANK” behind me. Then came the dawn; Army tank, not water tank. Sarafan is no longer located in NY; last time I checked they had moved to Florida. Just as a footnote; John Van Dine was another ex GI that had a Jeep Parts business at 155 Route 17 Paramus, NJ about 10 miles from Sarafan. These were the only 2 places you could buy parts in north Jersey for your Willys vehicles. If anybody remembers Van Dine”s or stories about Sarafan’s, let me know. And yes, there was Morris Ratner the “Jeepster Man” in Howel Twp. (central NJ)
2. peter guattery December 29, 2013 at 8:53 am

   i remember this place. used to do lots of business with the old man and his sons, david and mike. i remember seeing many jeeps in crates-back in the seventies. if you needed something jeep or military-this was the place to go!! i miss these guys! i believe that david is out in southwest doing military bikes.
3. Mike Finegan December 29, 2013 at 10:48 am

   Related to this story, here’s an interesting link about Sarafan.

   http://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f0900/0913.htm Could explain why they are no longer in business. Bid rigging was and most likely still is a common practice in the NY NJ metro area.
4. deilers Post authorDecember 29, 2013 at 6:18 pm

   Great info guys!
5. Bruce December 31, 2013 at 7:58 pm

   I remember going here from Elmira, NY with my father back in 1968 to find parts for our Dodge weapons carrier.
6. jim hoover August 17, 2015 at 9:07 pm

   From: HoovesNMouthes@aol.com
   To: M.Sarafan@sarafan.com
   Sent: 8/18/2015 12:00:55 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
   Subj: old vehicle depot on 9w in new york state

   hello,

   i am attempting to find some info on a military surplus yard along the hudson river in new york.

   in my childhood my family used to travel along rte 9w to visit relatives in albany. one of my fond memories was passing the ghost fleet and a large military surplus yard, that seemed to be full of half tracks, tanks and trucks of all types.

   my father ran a half track with quad 50’s during ww2. he used to say that he saw his track. i know now he was kidding, but i remember that yard well.

   i believe i have located the yard where this all once was. now just an empty field, all the way to the hudson river with a few buildings by the banks.

   i believe also that his depot was yours. is this true? if it was could you possibly give me some information on it? stuff like, what was in it? what did you do with all of it? when did you shut it down? any information at all would be greatly appreciated, any pictures would be a blessing.

   i have told my son and grandson about this place and they seem to think i am kidding them. but as a small kid in the 1950’s my memory may be wrong.

   thanking you in advance for any help and info at all,

   jim hoover
7. Mike August 18, 2015 at 8:43 am

   Jim, all I can add is route 9W does run through Spring Valley, NY along the Palisades, you don’t mention where the field was, that might help. I do have the pictured catalog in my possession. They did move to Florida and advertised in Hemmings Motor News during the 1990’s.I think they went out of business after the indictment. If I can be of any help, please feel free to contact me. Mike Finegan
8. Mike August 18, 2015 at 4:06 pm

   Here’s another link to Sarafan in Florida, It could be one of the sons.

   http://www.davidsarafan.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=26512&Akey=J5ADJN82

   That’s who I am, I just follow through. Mike
9. jim hoover August 18, 2015 at 8:31 pm

   thanks for the reply Mike. the yard i am looking for was pretty close to where the ghost fleet was, not in spring valley. the closest town was i believe was named cementon. i have emailed sarafan in fla and Michael Sarafan replied and he did mention the spring valley location and the fact that they did handle half tracks and tanks. i am certain that this was not the yard i am looking for.

   i am beginning to think that it just might have been a U.S. Army surplus depot. as in the lines of the ghost fleet. just a government surplus vehicle depot. perhaps it was a facility that sold vehicles to the likes of sarafan or white owl.

   as time goes by people who know of such things pass away and their knowledge is lost. if my father was still around i would have all the answers i need. but it is 25 years too late for that.

   thanks again for your answer. i will continue my search and i know that sooner or later i will find what i am looking for.

   jim hoover.
10. jim hoover August 18, 2015 at 8:35 pm

    Mike, i did find the location of this yard. it is now a large empty field. no hint at all of what it once held. it is just empty with a rail road siding. it is empty all the way from the railroad to the hudson river with a few building on the banks of the river.
    thanks again.

    jim
11. Mike August 19, 2015 at 2:29 am

    Jim, Amazing that our correspondence should take place on this date, my dad passed away 25 years on the day, 8/18/91. Keep up the good work, Peace, Mike Finegan
12. jim hoover August 19, 2015 at 8:11 am

    i am sorry for your loss Mike. it is something you never quite get over. my own pop has been gone 23 years. as time goes by i realize how much i miss him and each passing year show me how wise he really was. the older i get the smarter he becomes. i sure have a lot of questions for him, we will meet again and i will remember to ask him. the last thing he said to me was ” i’ll see you on the other side”.
13. Roger Bloom October 3, 2016 at 1:19 pm

    my father worked for sarafan up until like 2000. i worked there full time from 95 to 99. the court rulings did not put them out of business. and as fo the vehices on 9w that must have been camp david which is no longer there. 9w does not run through spring valley. it runs along the Hudson. routes 45 and 59 run through it. the company moved do to most of its business moving to south america. Its by fort lauderdale some where now. when i was a kid the there was a early model sherman tank out front. and later on they sold that and replaced it with an Isreali super sherman. I know almost all the history of the place as it was started by Jake Sarafan in the 40’s as a scrape yard
14. David October 20, 2016 at 10:29 am

    They will be missed… I bought a Willys CJ2A back in my highschool days (sometime in the 80’s) and needed a linkage rod for my clutch. So I took the ride from West Paterson, NJ and thought I died and went to heaven…..plus they actually had NOS part right off their shelf…
15. Mike October 20, 2016 at 1:33 pm

    David, I lived in Clifton, you were 10 minutes from me, cool.
16. Mike Bergquist February 1, 2017 at 6:25 am

    Hi I live in Pearl River NY not far from Sarafan I remember going into his stock yard and checking out the jeeps duce’s and weasels every now and then I would see a tractor trailer truck full of jeeps being unloaded. The guys that worked were very nice. Great memories