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1943 Jeep-O Clubs

April 9, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Features, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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This pledge for Jeep-O club drivers was published in the July 07, 1943, issue of the Leaf Chronicle out of Clarksville, Tennessee. This pledge appears to have been unique to the Clarksville area.

In April of 1943, the Kiawanis Club of Anniston, Alabama, started the Jeep-O Club, an effort to alleviate the transportation problem facing soldiers by pledging to give rides in their vehicles to soldiers who needed one. It was an early Uber system, only with volunteer drivers.

It’s possible the Kiwanis Jeep-O movement got is name from the previous November’s Jeep-O gram movement in Texas.

This photo shows an actual Jeep-O stop. It appeared in the April 15, 1943, issue of the Huntsville Times:

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By May, the Jeep-O club idea had already spread to 22 states:

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A couple months later, in the July 07, 1943, issue of the Leaf Chronicle out of Clarksville, Tennessee,  the paper reported how a Jeep-O club was staring up there: Continue reading →

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1946 Testimonial from Service Station

April 9, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Documents, Features • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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UPDATE: The other day I realized that the jeep in this photo from a collection of early jeep information published in 2014 looks very similar to an illustrated jeep that appeared in a 1947 newspaper ad. Here’s the image and it’s associated testimonial:

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Here’s the advertisement from the June 3, 1947, ad published in the Sullivan Daily Times, out of Sullivan, Indiana, that highlights the ability of the jeep to be an efficient, low-cost option as a road-service vehicle.

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2015 Story About “1941” Willys MB

April 9, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Jerry shared this 2015 story published in AutoRevolution about a 1941 Willys MB that is “Almost 100% original. Some stuff has been removed but very little has been replaced. A couple of needed mods have been made, but nothing substantial”. Hmm … challenge accepted.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/1941-willys-jeep-built-on-second-day-of-production-still-runs-as-a-work-truck-102729.html

Upon inspection, the jeep fails the “almost 100%” original claim. For example, the spring hangers are not original, but as I looked closer at the frame I realized that when someone put a newer CJ chassis underneath the jeep, they never removed the frame-mounted CJ-shock mount (visible just in front of the rear tire on the frame). In addition, the rims and rear axle are incorrect. My guess is that this body is sitting on a newer chassis and powertrain of some type.

Given the drain holes are blocked, I blew up the photo to check out the back and it sure seems like there’s tailgate lip sticking up along the rear. Yet, this does have the cutout in the body for the vertical shock mount, so this may be an original WWII body that’s had a tailgate added? I just can’t tell either way for sure. .

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1957 Baden-Powell AfricaEuropeAmerica Expedition

April 8, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Books, Features • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Derek published this story on the CJ-3B Page about three Brazilian Boy Scouts (Gabriel Paula Fonseca Jr., Everardo de Mello Nogueira, and Paulo Pinheiro de Andrade) who traveled the world, calling themselves the Baden-Powell AfricaEuropeAmerica Expedition.

Leaving in 1957, just after Hugo Vidal and his friend returned from their Operation Pineapple adventure, the Baden-Powell party used a CJ-5 that was styled and outfitted in a way similar to the Operation Pineapple CJ-3B jeep.Their goal was to attend the 9th Annual Boy Scouts Jamboree, one that also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Scout’s founding and the Centennial of Robert Baden-Powell, the Boy Scouts’ founder.

In 2018, a story was published in English called: 1957: From Cape Town to the Nordkap on a Jeep – Three Brazilians youngsters set out to discovery the world. I just purchased it ($6.50) for the kindle, so will be reading it as I can.

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In 2017 a story was published about the trip on this site, but it appears you have to log in to access it. Some pics from this story can be seen on the internet. Based on these pics, the trio may have used the same “built with Brazilian” parts that Operation Pineapple used to fund the expedition:

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WGTE-TV’s WHEELS Automotive History of Toledo on eBay

April 8, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Anyone ever seen this documentary? It apparently includes a discussion of the early days of Willys-Overland.

View all the information on eBay

“This is “TOLEDO STORIES: WHEELS,” a previously-owned video-cassette (VHS) with all original artwork (shows very little wear). It was issued by WGTE and plays beautifully (double-checked).

“Wheels” shares the story that the automotive industry has played in Toledo, Ohio’s history. For 150 years, Toledo’s economy has been interwoven with the manufacture of all kinds of vehicles. The film covers the Jeep Corporation’s early beginnings as Willys-Overland, the dozens of 19th century carriage and wagonmakers in the area, and eight major bicycle manufacturers.”

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No Updates Wednesday

April 7, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Ann found a great price on a china hutch for the new house, so that consumed my Tuesday. So, no updates Wednesday.

But, here is an Operation Market Garden video that compares WWII locations with their current look:

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Clark County Jeep Posse in Kojak Episode

April 6, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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This image capture shows the only flat fender that I saw while fast forwarding through the episode. Naturally, some folks blocked a clear view of it.

On March 11, 1978, an episode of Kojak aired that featured the Clark County Jeep Posse. No doubt some of you are wondering who Kojak is, but for those old enough to remember the detective series, this was the second to the last episode of the series (episode 21 of the 22 shows that year), as that show was cancelled in 1978. The show feels pretty dated in a variety of ways.

LIonel Hall, a son to one of the Jeep Posse members that appears in the episode, alerted me to the presence of the group in the show. By 1978, there weren’t a lot of jeeps left in the Posse, and only one vintage flat fender that I could spot, but it’s still pretty neat to see the jeeps appear in the episode.

The episode can be viewed, with commercial breaks, at Daily Motion, which for some reason has the show reversed (all the text is backwards and the drivers are all on the right side of the vehicles). the name of the episode is 60 Miles to Hell:

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Willys Rally’s Essential Workers T-Shirt

April 6, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Event, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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Thanks go to Joe-in-Mesa for sending me one of the Willys Rally Essential Workers T-Shirt. I think this t-shirt is a pretty clever way to marry the pandemic with the old Willys workhorses (you can order one here).

This year’s Willys Rally is currently scheduled for May 14-16, 2021, in Moab, Utah. You can learn more at the Willys Rally website.

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Jeep Owners Club of New Zealand Hat Pin

April 6, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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I snagged this small “Jeep Owners Club of New Zealand” hat pin from eBay for cheap. Having biked around the South Island of New Zealand when I was 20 years old, I’ve always had a soft spot for the country. I lived off New Zealand meat pies and banana chocolate chip ice cream while there … Boy did they have great ice cream!

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Cover of Colliers Magazine in 1946

April 6, 2021 • CATEGORIES: Artists/Drawings, Features, Magazine This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
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UPDATE: I found an inexpensive issue of the February 2, 1946 Collier’s Magazine, so I scanned the cover. It has the Welcome Home Johnny sign celebrating’s soldiers homecoming as a farmer races his jeep down the road. I found no jeep related stuff on the inside.

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