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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 .
Steve spotted this family Christmas Card that included a jeep. Interesting enough, the body already has mods to it, the step area in particular.
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“1
VINTAGE
PHOTOGRAPH TYPE CARD
1950’S-60’S ERA?
MIGHT BE BY BROAD RIPPLE, INDIANA?”
In 1951 Willys-Overland launched a “4-Wheel Drive Takes You There brochure” for the Willys Wagon. Subsequently, there appear to have been two additional versions of the brochure, numbered differently, but with seemingly no additional substantive text changes. Each form folds out to a 17″x11″ large format brochure.
The first example of this brochure is burdened with an unusually long form identifier: Form 4X4735W-M1-100M, a number which leverages the wagon-model-type (4x473SW) as part of the numbering system.
This second version of the brochure is available on eBay. Given the grille style doesn’t change for this iteration, I can only assume that this version of the brochure was also printed in 1951. It has the updated form name of 4X4735W-M2-100M-251. It is possible the “251” at the end of the form number means it was printed in February of 1951.
UPDATE III: A new reprint of the late 1950s Boyerstown-built Delivery Van is on eBay:
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“NICE QUALITY LARGE 11 X 17 REPRINTED PICTURE”
====================
UPDATE II: Mike shared a pic of a Boyerstown van from an ebay auction circa 2004.
UPDATE: In 2012 there was a press photo of the front of the van for sale.
2012 Post: “Jeep Utility 1959 4 x 2 Truck Photo Reprint w. Boyertown Body”
Given the Willys stamps, this 1963 is more likely a 1962 or earlier.
https://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/cto/d/pearl-city-1963-cj3b-willys-jeep/7162108148.html
“1963 CJ3B WILLYS JEEP ORIGINAL 4 CYL,ORIGINAL PAINT,99.9 RUST FREE RUNS GREAT
HARD TO FIND A JEEP IN THIS COND ON THE ISLAND CALL”
Mark spotted this one for $70.
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/d/shelby-original-willys-mb-ford-gpw/7147478940.html
“Original Willys MB Ford GPW Dodge Truck Defroster in Unused Condition. Complete 6volt defroster kit. Great display item for a vintage Jeep or Truck. Would probably work but recommend for display due to its age. Pick up in Western NC. Unable to ship.”
UPDATE: Additional content has been added about Sandifur Motors.
Originally established in 1937, the Sandifur Motor Company out of Spokane, Washington, was operated by Charles and C. Paul Sandifur. Brothers and business partners, by 1938 the two men were involved in taxi cabs, used cars, life Insurance, and other business pursuits in the Spokane region.
The Sandifurs became a Willys distributor in the autumn of 1945 soon after the launch of the CJ-2A. An ad in the October 21, 1945, issue of the Spokesman Review confirms this.
October 21, 1945, ad published in the Spokesman Review
As best as I understand it, being a distributor meant Sandifur Motors could both sell jeeps and signup other dealers.
The company seems to have followed the standard line of advertising, as this 1947 farming ad shows:
As we’ll see in a moment, Sandifur was successful at selling jeeps, but I can’t imagine CJ-2A was very practical for farming in the Spokane region, in part due to the size of the farms. For example, my maternal grandparents obtained a 160 acre farm 35 miles southeast of Spokane on the small banks of Fighting Creek, Idaho, a place they won in a lottery around 1910, then secured by homesteading. In the 1920s they founded the local Fighting Creek store and operated one of the first phones in the area (we still have some of the books that documented the calls). They also made money logging the local forest and, after WWII, electrifying the area. Had they thought a jeep was practical, I believe they could have afforded to purchase one. Instead, they preferred to use tractors.
My family’s decision to abstain from buying a jeep did little to slow the success of Sandifur Motors. It’s possible the company was doing better selling wagons and trucks versus CJ-2As. I could imagine four wheel drive versions of the trucks and wagons being very handy navigating the endless forests and deserts of the Inland Empire area. This may also explain why both long-wheel base CJ-2As (likely the CJ-2Ls) and CJ-2As with 6ft extended beds were available for sale from both Spokane and Montana dealers (more on this in an upcoming post).
Here’s a 1949 ad promoting the wagon:
October 17, 1949, Spokesman Review
Whatever the company was selling, it was selling enough of them to justify new digs. In early 1951, the Willys dealer moved from its original location at W419 3rd Avenue, to W228 2nd Avenue in downtown Spokane:
February 27, 1951, in The Spokesman Review
I can only imagine how awful those suits were to wear in the California desert, even in March. My wife tells me that even the modern-day chemical warfare suits are terrible.
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“SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA — Even deadly mustard gas holds no qualms for these soldiers in the chemical warfare service who are ready to fight poisonous, skin-burning gas by wearing clothes–treated in a secret solution–which resist and neutralize any dangerous vapor. They’re shown here decontamination a jeep which was sprayed with mustard gas. 03-19-42”
The July 1948 issue of the Country Gentleman included this “Get more jobs done at lower cost with Jeep–Engine Power” advertisement.
(Given fireworks have arrived, this article seemed appropriate …) This August 07, 1949, article was published in the Spokesman Review out of Spokane, Washington, but it likely originated from a Wisconsin news report. The article mentions Nicolet National Forest, which is located in Northern Wisconsin, and the event was sponsored by E. W. Schwartz Motors out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One interesting statistic noted was that conservative estimates put the number of jeeps in service in state and national forests at over 1,000 jeeps by the summer of 1949.
UPDATE II: This poster was based on the 1956 W-25X-6 brochures. This also seems to confirm that there was never any Form W-251-6 brochure (which had been a lingering question of mine).
Original Post From Feb 17, 2020 (but with all new text): Below are the front pages from a series of 1956 brochures. I think I’ve got everything sorted out …
UPDATE: There were two different Form W-250-6’s produced during 1956. The first one shown below is version one I believe. Making the one at the bottom version two. Both differ significantly from the export version of the form, which is Form W-250-6X.
What’s the difference between them? Both forms open up to 11″x17″, so the sizes are the same. However, the front page is completely different. In version #2 of the brochure (at the bottom) you can see that the front page is more harmonious with the Wagon (Form W-253-6) and the Truck (Form W-252-6) brochures. The second page, reached by opening the brochure horizontally, shows part of the vehicle line in version #1, while the vehicle line is absent from version #2 at bottom. Maybe version #1 of this brochure was pulled because Willys Motors’ management wasn’t ready to introduce the FC-170? I can’t say for sure. Finally, you’ll also notice that “WILLYS” is absent from the front of version #1, while “BY WILLYS” is prominent on the front of the bottom brochure.
Because that reasoning, I believe this is Version #1 of Form W-250-6 …
This shows the back of the brochure when opened fully:
==================
This 1956 CJ-5/CJ-6 brochure Form W-250-6 is the domestic version of Form W-250-6X.
xUPDATE: There were actually two different Form W-252-6’s produced during 1956. This green one shown below and the one at the bottom. Both differ significantly from the export version of the form, which is Form W-252-6X.
What’s the difference between them? Well, the text, the fonts, and the font sizes are nearly identical. Both forms open up to 11″x17″. Obviously the front of the bottom version is more colorful and the front color image is certainly different. But, what might be the biggest change and the reason for the alternative version is that the green-themed brochure is printed with the word ‘Jeep’ in a san-serif font in numerous places, while the brochure at the bottom uses the much more standard jeep font. Finally, you’ll also notice that “WILLYS” is absent from the front of the green brochure, while “BY WILLYS” is prominent on the front of the colorful brochure.
Because that reasoning, I believe this is Version #1 of Form W-252-6 …
This is how the back of the brochure looks fully opened…
=========================
This October 16, 1960, article introduced the Redlands Geckos Jeep Club out of Redlands, Calfiornia.
UPDATE: This post now includes the full brochure, along with updated information about the company.
Wausau Iron Works, unsurprisingly, incorporated in Wausau, Wisconsin, as an offshoot of the Northern Boiler & Structural Iron Works out of Appleton. The founders launched Wausau in 1908 to build bridges (some of them here), but expanded into snow plows in 1923. During WWII, some of the company’s plows were turning to the military.
Oddly enough, there was an earlier “Wausau Iron Works” was founded by Ely Wright in 1874. It was the oldest industrial establishment in the city and supplied machinery for the early railroads and for sawmills in north and central Wisconsin. However, I could find no evidence it made snow plows.
This December 1948 Willys-Overland “4-Wheel-Drive Farm Vehicles” advertisement appeared in the Farm Journal.
It’s currently for sale on eBay
UPDATE: This rare Struck Mini-Beep hit the market, but only briefly as it quickly sold. It was $400.
Roger Martin spotted this Struck Mini-Beep project.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/576790182895969/
“Bought for project but want the garage space back. It’s a Struck Mini Beep painted John Deere Green. Includes a new torque converter, clutch, belt, chain, brake, tie rods, and a Roper mini jeep steering wheel. Needs steering sorted, brakes attached, and drivetrain finished. No hood or engine. Want this to go to a good home. Willing to pass on at cost: $400 firm”
This is one of the introductory brochures for the new 1/2 ton truck powered by the new Hurricane engine. It’s Form HTTMI-3CM-350, a form number I’ve yet to decode for any meaning. This folds out to roughly 11″x17″. Here’s another one of these on eBay at a good starting price.
This ad from United States Steel promotes the toughness of steel. Unclear where this ad was published.
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“Magazine ad size is approximately 8″X11″
Original advertisement, not a copy”
The starting price for this set of Tootsie Jeep, Tractor and farm implements is only $10.99. Seems like a neat little set.
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This article and photo appeared in the April 07, 1957, issue of the San Bernardino County Sun. The two jeeps shown are part of the 14-member Rialto Sidewinders Jeep Club. The two men pictured are W. H. Casaday(seated) and Bill Deal.
Its not all that big, but has a pretty good vintage feel.
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“Jeep Station Wagon Willys-Overland Sign by AAA Sign Co Coitsville New. Condition is New. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail. Item measures 16″W X 11″H, sign back dated 1994. Sign is embossed. Whether new or used everything is as is.”
Craig shared the news that the FC-150 Mobile Cocktail Bar has been finished! You can view all the information and details on the build here: http://www.thefcconnection.com/fc-150_mobile_cocktail_bar.htm. Below are some highlights
This project began with a rusty FC-150 cab that was found in a field. It was paired with an equally rusty FC-150 bed. Coincidently, their colors matched pretty well. The owner decided it was not worth the money and time to repair the body and cab, so he went a different direction, creating a cocktail bar. Moreover, this contraption can travel as independent single units or be joined together and transported as a four-wheel rig thanks to some clever engineering!
The captions are from theFCConnection.
Believe it or not this cab and bed came from two different vehicles. Most all of the body suffered from severe rust and would take quite a bit to repair. (The bed was found laying in a field)
The idea here was to build a full scale bar that can be easily moved around inside a building and even moved outside for parties. The only real modification to the sheetmetal was the removal of the bed floor which was toast already.
Independent jigs were built under each body part so they can be separated for easy movement. The bartender can serve from inside of the bed with the floor removed and the custom tool box on the right side will make the perfect serving counter. The original look was preserved and all lights function to give it a completely opperational look.
A receiver was also added to the front of the cab so it or the complete truck could be towed.
Here we are with the tow hitch installed for easy transportation. The receiver tubes on the bed can be used as shown above OR the Tongue can be removed and the receivers used to join the bed to the cab..
This French Army poster has a buy-it-now price of 136,50 Euros.
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“ORIGINAL FRENCH LITHOGRAPHY POSTER
ORIGINAL FRENCH VINTAGE POSTER IN LITHOGRAPH
LEARN A GOOD CAREER IN THE ARMY (1950)
Format : 60x77cm / size : 23×31 inches”
Doing some random searches, I learned that during the summer of 1946 several jeep races popped up across the country. One of them was very organized (#2), one was more of a performance (#1), one was impromptu (#4), and one provided no additional information (#3)
============================
In unrelated news from 1953, this Yakima Ridgerunners photo hit some newspapers across the country. The example below was published in the June 24, 1953, issue of the Spokesman-Review, out of Spokane, Washington. Chet Thompson and Wally Klingele, both names synonymous with the early days of the Ridgerunners, are shown practice-racing for a July 4th event.
It is only $20 (includes shipping). This Vac-U-Cast VS-105 “Bantam Prototype 2” model tempted me. But then I spotted the “Bantam Prototype 1” Vac-U-Cast model jeep. I went with that instead.
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