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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 .
This 1973 slide that was on eBay is taken from behind two DJ-3A Galas/Surreys. In the background are some DJ-5 Galas/Surreys.
Texas’ San Angelo Die Casting and Manufacturing company was founded by Raymond V. Hart, according to a May 23, 1998, obituary in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The company manufactured a wide range of inventions, from nut shellers used as far south as Brazil to jeep products as evident below.
One of the more unusual products was this jeep trailer. Somewhere in the eWillys archives is an actual example of one of these trailers. I thought it was a custom concoction, but clearly it wasn’t.
The company’s main jeep-oriented product was gun racks (the firm produced both jeep and non-jeep gun racks). This hard-to-find brochure from the San Angelo Die Casting and Machine Company explains why there are a number of jeeps with similar gun racks in them. That “No. 20” model is particularly prevalent in jeeps.
This literature was on eBay (and bought by me). Given this unusual document is dated October 1954, I wonder how many other docs like this were distributed to dealers and distributors. This is the first item like this that I’ve run across. I’ll get a better scan of it at some point in the future.
They look like a good price for a vintage set of Husky produced and Allstate branded hubs.
https://corvallis.craigslist.org/pts/d/lebanon-willys-cj2a-locking-hub-pair/7378170580.html
“Surplus to my needs are a set of 2 matching Allstate locking hubs that came off of a 1947 Willys jeep flat fender. I do not know much about them other than the brand shown on them. They appear to need some cleaning, but I assume they work as they are supposed to. You be the judge of that.”
Blaine shared this vintage photo. It’s undated, but the Jeep wagons are early enough that I would guess it’s a late 1940s or early 1950s photo? It was posted to the Our State website. The article is about early North Carolina drive-in culture.
The wagon on the right is obvious, but the one forward and to the left is kind of hidden.
JR spotted this photo in an Air Force Commemorative Facebook Group.lt looks to me like the ship is shown near San Francisco.
Scott shared this link to a Watercolor painting by C. Baij. It shows American Soldier Uncle John 507 PIR; 82 ABN in France. He spotted it online at the Las Laguna Art Gallery.
UPDATE IV: Here’s another Knox, this time owned by Clint. It appears to have a few mods:
UPDATE III: While searching for any info on Knox trailers, Brandon ran across this post. So, he sent in some pics of his Knox trailer. He recently sold it.
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UPDATE II (From July 13, 2021) : Here’s another example of a Knox trailer that Jared recently purchased:
UPDATE II: I got curious about the origin of this photo. I wondered if the story behind this marathon could be found. After examining the wagon closely, I noticed just to the right of the fellow with the hat that Hill Motor Company was in ——S, GA. After some searches, I discovered that a Kirven’s store was located in Columbus, Ohio. Unfortunately, I could find no article associate with the photo on the internet or within newspapers.com.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
I wish I knew more about the story behind this photo.
UPDATE VII: A set of NOS Free-Lock hubs included documentation stating that by December of 1973 Free-Lock had become a “Quality Division” of Dualmatic Products Company. So, I believe this suggests that Free-Lock was acquired by Dualmatic, so now the questions are 1) when did this happen and 2) why didn’t Dualmatic use the branding sooner than circa 1970 (there was a gap between the end of Free-Lock in 1959 and the re-emergence of the brand circa late 1960s or early 1970s).
UPDATE VI: I located a set of Free-Lock hub instructions that are a pre-view for a later set of near identical Dualmatic instructions. This is clear documentary evidence that Dualmatic was linked to Free-Lock.
UPDATE V: I recently packed many of my father’s tools to bring them back to Prosser. I was a regular user of them when working on my bicycles, then my jeeps. So, I thought I knew them pretty well. That is why I was so surprised and did a double take when I removed this tool from a drawer and read the name stamped on it: FREE-LOCK WRENCH …
What??? Where’d that come from? I once asked Dad about Free-Lock hubs, but he didn’t know anything about them. So, I don’t know how he obtained it.
Anyway, given the primitive nature of it, I’d have to guess it was a first generation version of the wrench. As seen below, a second, more elegant curved-design with a better branding stamp was likely introduced after this version.
Here’s a reminder of the other version of the Free Lock Wrench:
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UPDATE IV (From February 12, 2017): This page contains two later model Free-Lock hubs that resemble Selectro hubs. My theory is that Free-Lock might have evolved into the Selectro Company: http://www.ewillys.com/2019/07/08/selectro-husky-dualmatic-overview/
UPDATE III: Thanks to Steve, we’ve discovered an additional version. It is now number 5, which seems to be an evolutionary step between 4 & 6.
UPDATE II: Thanks to Frank Day and his grandfather Merton, who saved this rare piece, here is a scan of an eight page brochure related to the Free-Lock corporation.
