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Welcome to eWillys.com, a website for vintage jeep enthusiasts. I update this website nearly every day with jeep deals, jeep history, interesting reader projects, jeep related info, and more.
These quick searches can help you find things on eBay. People list in the wrong categories all the time, so don't be surprised to see brochures in the parts area for example.
The links to posts below show jeeps grouped by models, condition, and other ways. Some of these jeeps are for sale and others have been sold. If you are unsure whether a vehicle is still for sale or not, email me at d [at] ewillys.com for more info.
There are plenty of interesting, unusual, historic and surprising stories related to Jeeps and their owners. In addition, some of these features have nothing to do with jeeps. This link will display all featured stories starting from the latest.
Looking for parts and not sure where to go? There are a variety of large and small new and used parts sellers both online and offline.
Importantly, the allure of buying a project jeep can be romantic. The reality of restoring a jeep can be quite different, expensive and overwhelming without the right tools and resources. So, tread carefully when purchasing a "project". If you have any concerns about buying a vintage jeep, or run across a scam, feel free to contact me for help, comments or concerns .
I found this M-38A1 Installation Instructions Conversion Power Plant Heater Kit 32 page manual on eBay. It seems a well done and detailed look at how to install the heater kit. Hopefully, someone can use the information.
The Koenig Standard Cabs Model 330 Full and 335 Half fit CJ-3As, CJ-3Bs, DJ-3As and possibly others.
Another installment of my series on how to assemble Koenig stuff. These instructions help guide the installation of a Koenig 3J90 bed extender.
This 1959 instruction document ought to be helpful for the owners of Koenig Super Cabs Models 350 Full and 355 Half Cabs.
The models covered in the pages below are the Koenig Standard Hardtops 530 Full and 53 Half for the CJ-5 and Models 630 Full and 535 Half with adapters No. 3863 for CJ-6 Jeeps.
The models covered in the pages below are the Koenig Super Cabs 550 Full and 555 Half for the CJ-5 and Models 650 Full and 555 Half with adapters No. 3863 for CJ-6 Jeeps.
It seems a shame that these documents are released for public consumption. The price on these is quite high. It looks like the earliest tests on the theory of the Rotabuggy occurred in August of 1941, which is earlier than I would have thought.
View all the information on eBay
“1941 to 1944 – Original RAF confidential and restricted file of the most bizarre World War II invention, a “flying jeep”, which became known as “Hafner Rotabbugy”, or “Hafner Gyroplane” in honour of his chief inventor Raoul Hafner (1905-1980), Austrian born British helicopter pioneer and engineer, known for his major contributions to the aerospace industry.”
This patent application used a jeep to demonstrated how the endless track system would work on a vehicle not designed specifically for tracks. The patent was filed January 13, 1955.
According to inventor Fritz Riemerschmid, “Numerous constructions of the track! laying or crawler type have heretofore been proposed, but in all of these known cases special-type vehicles are involved, the construction of which either prohibits or renders extremely difficult the use of the vehicle under normal road and travel conditions.
Accordingly it is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a crawler-type tracklaying undercarriage for automotive vehicles which, while being particularly suitable for travel over snow-covered terrain, can be quickly and easily substituted for the standard wheels of the vehicle. It is another object of the invention to provide a construction of the type indicated in which, except for the removal of the said standard wheels from the vehicle, requires no structural changes to be made in a given vehicle. Thus, the invention renders it possible, whenever it may be desired, to provide an automotive vehicle of any given type with a tracklaying mechanism which takes the place of the standard wheels on which the said vehicle normally travels.”
In February of 1948 Allan Keyser filed a patent for a side mower. It appears this became the design for the K And K Manufacturing Company’s Mower as seen in the brochures at bottom. You can view other early mowing apparatuses here.
“This invention relates to a mower attachment for the presently popular small, four-wheel drive, automotive vehicles popularly known as jeeps, and has for its principal object the provision of means whereby a mower bar can be quickly and easily attached to, or detached from, the vehicle so that it will be easily visible and easily controlled by the driver of the vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide highly efficient means whereby the angle of attack of a mower bar may be adjusted to suit the desires of the user and the requirements of the particular crop being harvested.”
Frank shared this pic of instructions that accompanied his 1961 wagon.
He wrote, “Thought you might find this interesting. It is the sleeve that came on the visor of my 61 Wagon. When I bought it it had 32,000 miles and now 42,000. The jack was wrapped in a newspaper dated 1961.”
Henry F Illies filed a patent for a portable derrick crane that could fit over a jeep on September 26, 1947.
“This invention relates to a derrick crane adapted to be mounted on a small motor vehicle and while adapted generally for supporting, raising and lowering or conveying heavy objects is especially adapted to provide a support for an’– auger such as is employed for digging post holes and by means of which the auger may be adjusta- -bly supported with respect to the vehicle, lowered gradually as it advances into the ground,”
A patent for the distribution of barbed metal band from a short wheel base vehicle, preferably a jeep or jeep-like vehicle, was filed in 1955 by the Acme Steel Company.
“The purpose of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus by which barbed metal band may be formed in a continuous process and distributed as it is formed in the place and arrangement in which it is to be used. A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for distributing barbed metal band according to a prearranged plan and supporting it in the arrangement in which it is distributed. Another object is to provide portable apparatus having means for forming barbed metal band from a supply of fiat strip ma terial and for distributing the barbed band and arranging it during the travel of the apparatus. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.”
This April 12, 1954, Power Tower patent filing by Wallace Johnson and Robert Fisher was said to be designed for other vehicles besides the jeep, but given it’s length, it’s hard to imagine it would work on anything that wasn’t flat like the top of the jeep.
Here’s a description: The present invention relates to a power tower for use by workmen employed as painters, electrical fixture repairrnen, aircraft maintenance men, window washers, and a multitude of similar occupations wherein it is necessary toperform a task at some distance above the ground and thus ordinarily require the use of ladders or scaffolding of some type. More particularly, the invention relates to a workmans platform supported by a collapsible tower structure which in turn is mounted on a wheeled vehicle.
UPDATE: Still Available (and still the same $1999.99 price).
In the March 2015 Inaugural issue of The Dispatcher Magazine, Bob Westerman wrote an article about Willys-Overland’s test of an Allison Transmission in an M-38 and the failure of that transmission to meet the needs of the military. The document below depicts WO’s effort to follow up that test with a second test, using M-38A1s and a slightly more robust automatic transmission. though improved, this transmission still did not meet the needs of the military, as the below report highlights.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/273768800168
Harold Spieth was President and Chairman of the Board of Willys-Overland Motors when he wrote this booklet. It includes an illustration with a small Willys Wagon.
View all the information on eBay
“Condition: Excellent
Factory Original: Yes
# of pages: 1
Other info: Measures 5″ x 7″…………………SCARCE!
FREE SHIPPING with 3 or more Brochure purchases-”
Several months ago a reader purchased a product merchandising manual with over four hundred pages, used by the Willys Motors marketing department. Over the succeeding months, we scanned and assembled this into a PDF. I’m dating it at 1955 because it introduces the new CJ-5. It’s not entirely complete, but there’s lots in it.
I’d like to thank the generous reader for making this available to everyone! I wish everyone the best for 2019!!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OW3rP4Ay1l9fcMrLaIMTH2ordwssoDaV
Here are a few pages:
Maury shared this one. It’s unclear what year this might have been printed, but for the price you could buy a few thousand current business cards.
View all the information on eBay
“Here is a vintage, Willys Overland Jeep, The Overland Band business card, from Toledo Ohio. The card is in excellent condition. There are no creases in it. I do ship internationally. Please email me with any questions.”
Thanks to Andy for sharing a copy of Eric Voytko’s Garwood Dump Bed Parts and Instruction Book for the Universal Dump-O-Matic with Pump and Valve Assembly. Eric runs http://www.classicrefusetrucks.com.
One more 1950ish salesman training brochure on eBay.
View all the information on eBay
“Original salesman’s part color catalog , 8.5 x 11 , 12 pages , 3 file holes at edge , also includes non color sales sheet , 8.5 x 11 , 2 pages , shows various Willys features , descriptions , etc.”
This salesman brochure was a part of the salesman training brochure above.
Here’s another training document on eBay.
View all the information on eBay
“Original salesman’s part color catalog , 8.5 x 11 , 12 pages , 3 file holes at edge , also includes non color sales sheet , 8.5 x 11 , 2 pages , shows various Willys features , descriptions , etc .”
This quiz was part of the Joe Booth training brochure above.
Andy shared the Willys sales training document. I’d buy it at a cheaper price.
View all the information on ebay
“Original salesman’s part color catalog , 8.5 x 11 , 12 pages, 3 file holes at edge , also includes non color sales sheet , 8.5 x 11 , 2 pages , shows various Willys features , descriptions , etc .”
This quiz is part of the sales training document above.
This testimonial was dated October 31, 1946.
