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Throwback Four Corners Photo

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

My son spotted this throwback photo posted on Utah’s DOT (aka UDOT) twitter page. It shows 9 jeeps parked in a circle around the Four Corners area of the southwest. He correctly noted that one of the vehicles was an FC (he’s learning, lol). There is no date associated with the image.

 
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1954 CJ-3B SD-201-4 Brochure

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

I finally obtained a 1954 CJ-3B brochure, Form # SD-201-4. There is also a version of this brochure with showing a CJ-3B fire engine, but I haven’t gotten that one yet.

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Print Block For Agrijeep

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

UPDATE: This was relisted on eBay and ended up selling yesterday for $26.95.

This print block depicting a Willys-Overland jeep with attached sprayer was on eBay. It’s pretty small, but the grille and tool indents suggest it’s an Agrijeep to me. This and similar small blocks were used to create newspaper ads illustrations. Below the block is an example of it used in an October 03, 1945, advertisement.

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Here’s the ad example:

Evening Star. (Washington, D.C.). 1945-10-03 [p A-17].

Evening Star. (Washington, D.C.). 1945-10-03 [p A-17].

 
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Porter & Reed Hardtops

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

Doug had a Porter & Reed Hardtop for sale a couple years ago. He took some great detail photos of it and it represents a classic example of the Full Econo-Body-Type “E” model, so I’ve included them all in case someone tries to restore one of these (I have higher res photos, too). For example, in Doug’s photos you can see the pull down sunshade and bracket on the driver’s side and just the bracket on the passenger side.

I’ve also included both brochures from the 10/1/1948 First Supplement of the Willys-Overland Special Equipment book (Besides full and half tops, Porter & Reed also manufactured bed extenders). (Learn additional info about the tops on the CJ-3B site)

The odd thing about Porter & Reed tops is that there were a multitude of variations, from no small side windows, to small side windows to larger side windows, or from a single back door window to dual back windows, and from rear doors that opened up vertically, to a couple that opened sideways, to a set of barn doors (custom)? There may have been a change in the doors as well, as a couple tops have angled bends at the lower front edge rather than the standard vertical bend where the body bends. What was factory and what was customized is likely lost to time ….

Some of these variations are evident in the Deluxe (Type “A”)  vs. Econo Body (Type “E”) full top models, but others are not. For example, the Deluxe model had a rear door that swung sideways, rectangular side windows with rounded corners, while the Econo model had a rear door that swung upwards and square side windows. Meanwhile, the deluxe half top (Half body — Type “B”) had a rear door that swung upwards, while the econo half top’s (Half Econo-Body–Type “H”) rear didn’t open at all.

You can see all the full and half top examples I have here: http://www.ewillys.com/?s=Porter+%26+Reed … I’ve also included a few at the end of this post.

Here’s the basic hardtop brochure:

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Now for Doug’s ad:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/533087846854829

“I have a full hard top for a CJ2A for sale. It’s in pretty good shape. It needs glass or plexiglass. $450, I am coming north on the east coast November 3rd, from Florida to New York, can help deliver”

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S & B Corporation Panel Modification for Flatfenders

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

UPDATE: Here’s a rare example of the S&B Corp’s All-Steel ‘Jeep’ Panel Body. This Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Company MB/GPW had a cargo-wagon-like setup added to it. The company was out of Tacoma (where I lived for four years). 

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This photo was posted to Flatfendering Aficionado Monthly’s FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/502884336980336/permalink/780325609236206

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Originally Posted April 6th, 2013: This rare brochure details a panel wagon modification for the CJ-2A. It was created and sold through the S & B Corporation.
s-b-corporation-panel-truck-from-cj2a-brochure1-loress-b-corporation-panel-truck-from-cj2a-brochure2-lores

 
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Extended Jeeps in India (?)

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

This International Flatfender Facebook post from India(?) shows two extended jeeps. Both looks like interesting builds.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1641202336209808/permalink/2765258613804169/

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Willys StorDor Vans

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

UPDATE: Here’s another Willys StorDor Van. This one sold recently for $2300.

Ad text: Late 1940’s Willys-Overland StorDor step-van. Body is complete. Engine is complete; turns over but have not attempted to start. Tires hold air and vehicle rolls smoothly. Vehicle does not have paperwork.

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Originally posted Jan 26, 2019: Adam sold this rare 1948 Willys StorDor Van. Here’s another example. I assume this one has some kind of custom top?

“Offered here is a 1948 Willys StorDor step van. It has been converted to a Chevrolet 6 cyl and the roof has been extended. The inside is wired for 110v, fully insulated, and has a sleeping loft. This would make a great tiny home, food truck, or RV! It has been sitting for many years and will need reviving. It is not currently running, but the engine turns over. Asking $2200 or best offer. Registration is paid, title is clean, tags are current. Please reply with your phone number if interested and I will contact you.”

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Camp Ritchie Museum Looking For a Jeep

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

Landon Grove, the historian and curator for the Fort Ritchie Museum (Cascade, Maryland), reached out and asked about obtaining a WWII era jeep. The goal is to obtain a running, driving WWII jeep, but if necessary, he may consider a non-runner.

Landon wrote, “I have been Directed to see if we can locate a WWII era Jeep to display for our museum. I am hoping you can create a post for this purpose. We are a 501C3 non-profit and can offer someone a letter of appraisal for tax purposes. The Jeep does not have to be pristine, although the nicer the better. We would greatly appreciate any help your members can offer. As a 501c3, we can offer forms for tax incentives based on our valuation of a vehicle”

If you’d like to contact Landon, you can email him here: ritchiemuseum @ yahoo.com (remove the spaces around the @).

If you aren’t familiar with Fort Ritchie or the Ritchie boys, I would highly recommend watching this 60 minutes video (or click here if player below doesn’t work):

Here’s a pic of author J.D. Salinger, John Keenan, Jack Altaras, and Paul Fitzgerald (The Four Musketeers) in front of a jeep. All four survived the war and remained tight friends:

 

 
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1943 Article School Gets to See Their Jeep

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

This March 30, 1943, article describes the kids reactions to seeing a Navy jeep they helped purchase through war bond sales. It was published in the Kansas City, Star.

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Semi-Regular Updates Going Forward

• CATEGORIES: Alaska Or Rust Trip, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Good news. I hope to begin semi-regular updates until late spring(?). With summer behind us, more darkness, Rose’s passing, and most of my work on the guest “bunk house” completed, I have more time to devote to eWillys. The updates won’t always be as comprehensive as before, but it’s better than nothing?

Because of the infrequent updates this summer and semi-regular updates going forward, all advertising this summer has been and will continue to be free, going forward, as a thanks to those advertisers who have supported eWillys over the years.

As for the bunk house work, the last resident was a bachelor with a dog. The result was that the place smelled pretty strongly (and not in a good way, lol), especially the carpet. So, we pulled all of that, put down new floors, replaced the plastic moulding trim with larger, better trim, righted the crooked doors (front door was so out of level it wouldn’t shut), and fixed or removed kitchen cabinets (to open up the space … we don’t need all those cabinets).

Currently, I’ve painted everything white, but we hope to add some accent colors to reduce the ‘snow blindness’ of the white. Next spring, we’ll fix up the outside by adding missing trim, redoing the ramp and deck, and painting the building red and white (after all, it looks a bit like a barn).

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Some friends have expressed interest in renting it, but technically we can’t rent it because of some county rules (long story). Our intent is to make a place folks can stay if they want. Here are some pics.

Ann will be decorating in a barn theme, so that will add some color and texture. We expect it will sleep up to six (queen in the back, futon in the front, and possible bunk beds in an unpictured nook).

Before pic of the kitchen (I am hoping Ann has some better before pics of the interior):

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After pic (this was before I painted the trim and made a few other additions … and cleaned up):

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Bedroom:

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Bathroom:

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