Features Research Archives

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A Second Video of a Tour of the MD Juan Factory

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Bill shared this second video fo a tour through the MD Juan Factory in the Philippines.

 
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Short Video of Buick V-6s & Jeeps

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Mike spotted this short video related to the Buick V-6s in jeeps. The narrator doesn’t mention that prior to Kaiser’s use of the engine in CJ-5s as an option, some dealers were already installing them. A Salt Lake City dealer (Hayes Brothers) was particularly active. Kits were also being made available for DIY folks, like this kit from Hoosier out of Pendleton. (btw, it was Kaiser Jeepk and not AMC, that purchased the Buick V6 tooling in the 1967).

 
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1965 Photo of New Jersey’s Smith Motor’s Jeep Franchise

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old News Articles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This photo shows the new Ken Smith Motors Jeep franchise. The photo appeared in the May 22, 1965, issue of The News, out of Paterson, New Jersey.

1965-05-22-the-news-paterson-nj-dealer

 
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SUV Loaded into the back of a U-Haul Van

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This made the local news yesterday. Some genius thought loading this SUV into the back of a U-Haul was a good idea. However, the State Patrol was less impressed.

https://keprtv.com/news/local/washington-state-patrol-troopers-pull-over-driver-with-suv-hanging-out-of-moving-truck

uhaul-hwy97-wenatchee

 
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Metamet: British Jeep Rebuilders

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features, GPW (Ford MB), International, MB, Sedan-jeep, Wood bodies • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE II: There’s another 1954 Metamet 12-page brochure for sale on eBay (see bottom of post for pics)

View all the information on eBay

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UPDATE Posted July 04, 2019: This post has been updated to reflect some more information and images. It was originally posted in March of 2013.

metamet-logo

Metamet was a British company that refurbished WWII jeeps and civilian jeeps, creating a slew of different models. According to the G503 Forum, “Metamet was run by an expat Pole, and latterly his son. It was a wonderful Aladdin’s caves of wartime Jeeps and Jeep bits and pieces located in a series of old mews stables in Daleham Mews. These places were commonly garage workshops in post-horse London, but nowdays are worth untold fortunes as residences.”

At one point in the early 1950s there were twelve different models of jeeps offered by Metamet, only one of which was the standard production model jeep. The rest were all customizations of one type or another. Seven models were 80″ wheel base, while the other five had 100″ wheel bases.  The models include, the Standard, De-luxe, Farmer, Five-in-one, Saloon, Shooting Brake, 10 CWT Truck, Metaplan, Station Wagon, 15 CWT Van, 20 CWT Lorry, and a 2 Ton Loadmaster.

metamet-jeep-models

Metamet’s early 1950s models. There were seven 80″ wheel base jeeps and five 100″ wheel base jeeps.

metamet-priced-catalogue-willys-jeep_

Here’s an example of Metamet’s advertising.

A 1952 Ad posted to Flicker by Johnathan confirms there were twelve models also:

1952-metamet-advertisement

Finally, here’s a 1954 12 page brochure that provides examples of different models that used to be linked to on the jeep farm website:

1954-metamet-brochure1

Continue reading

 
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1963? LBJ Tux Park IV Everett, PA **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: CJ5, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Joe spotted this Flickr photo from 1965 that may just show this jeep when brand new.

“January 1965 Kaiser Jeep Corporation press photo of new CJ5s being delivered to Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Presidential Inauguration of Lyndon Johnson on January 20, 1965. Each float in the parade would be towed by a new 1965 CJ5.”

I hoped to find the above photo in a newspaper, but didn’t have any luck. I did find this short article from the January 30th, 1965, issue of the San Angelo Standard-Times:

1965-01-30-san-angelo-standardtimes-johnson-inaugural-parage

Based on this article, I would guess that the white showing through from underneath the green suggests this was one of the white jeeps for the parade.

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Originally posted May 04, 2022: Listed as a 1963, this was more likely a 1965 as that’s when the Tux Park IV first arrived. This jeep has a plaque indicating it was used in Lyndon B. Johnson’s inauguration parade. This was listed for $800 on FB and sold within a day. Thanks to Jordan for forwarding it to me.

“HistoricalJeep- metal tag on glove box says it was in the 1965 inaugural parade,no title,runs good, good working four wheel drive, no breaks”

1963-cj5-tuxparkiv-lbj-jeep1 1963-cj5-tuxparkiv-lbj-jeep2 1963-cj5-tuxparkiv-lbj-jeep3 1963-cj5-tuxparkiv-lbj-jeep4

 

 
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A Quick Road Trip to MN

• CATEGORIES: Features, Racing • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

In about a week and a half I will be making a quick trip to Minnesota (about an hour north of Minneapolis) to finally pick up a wrecked former racing jeep with a fiberglass Parkette body. David Franz has been great about storing this while I found a time to snag it.

The timing of this hasn’t been finalized, because mom’s title issues have been solved to the satisfaction of a title insurance company, so we’ll be listed her place this coming Wednesday, which means renting a U-haul to complete one last cleanup, but that will only take one day.

So, if you need something moved between Washington and Minnesota, I may be able to trailer it on my way to or from Minnesota.

Steve Carter mentioned that, coincidently, this race rig is a sister rig of sorts to my racing jeep. Mine sounds great and feels read to race, but it is just too tight of squeeze in the driver and passenger seat. Rather than rework the space, body, and cage with my race jeep, my plan is to drop the cage and body below onto my racer, which will give me more room (the body and cage are both wider). This also has a better clutch/brake setup than mine.

1954-flattie-parkette-crash0 1954-flattie-parkette-crash3 1954-flattie-parkette-crash1

1954-flattie-parkette-crash2

 
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May 1952 Miller Tools Willys Overland Catalog

• CATEGORIES: Documents, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I received my second booster shop on Thursday, the result of which kept me hunkered down yesterday with a few chills and aches, so I took the time to scan the following document.

This unusual catalog from Miller Tools highlights tools specifically for Willys vehicles, both jeeps and automobiles. It is catalog F-618 printed in May of 1952. There are 92 pages in the book, including three order forms. I’ve broken it up into multiple sections for easy of downloading and zipped the PDFs together in one file (63mb), should you want to check it out. Unfortunately, my PDF management/editing apps don’t work under the newest Mac OS, which is another reason I didn’t combine them (have to locate a new PDF capable app). If you have a problem dealing with the zip file, then I can send you independent links for the various sections.

http://www.deilers.com/miller/1952-05-miller-tools-willys-overland-catalog.zip

Here are a few pages:

miller-tools-willys-booklet1 miller-tools-willys-booklet2 miller-tools-willys-booklet3 miller-tools-willys-booklet4

 

 
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1961 Koenig King Winches Brochure

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This brochure, No. 761, highlights Koenig’s King brand of winches in a single sheet with three folds.

1961-07-koenig-king-winches-brochure-lores1

1961-07-koenig-king-winches-brochure-lores2

 
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Nov 1960 Koenig King Winch Brochure

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I picked this November 1960 Koenig King Winch brochure with a from number of 11-60 off of ebay.

1960-11-koenig-king-winches-brochure1 1960-11-koenig-king-winches-brochure2 1960-11-koenig-king-winches-brochure3 1960-11-koenig-king-winches-brochure4 1960-11-koenig-king-winches-brochure5