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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 .
An article in the Hartford Courant on August 05, 1945, did a nice job of combining the initial press photos and press release information.
Bill sent this link for a reasonably priced FJ-40. I don’t know how accurate the restoration is so far, but based on other prices I’ve seen, this seems to be a pretty reasonable one.
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/d/arlington-1977-fj40-toyota-land-cruiser/7229421275.html
“1977 FJ40 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER FOR RESTORATION
This is a project I took on 2 years ago. I have gotten it to yard drive but it still needs more work. I fell into a deal with a gorgeous 1965 T-Bird and I just haven’t had the bandwidth to dedicate myself to the Land Cruiser.
Quick History: This vehicle was on the road until 2012, from that point on it sat in a gentleman’s driveway until 2018 when I bought it off him. He had owned it since 1985 and done some adventures up in Canada with it. He had even installed an auxiliary fuel tank to get extended range. During his ownership he had the engine rebuilt TOP and BOTTOM, the engine is NICE.
Since I bought it, I worked initially on getting it running. I replaced the original carburetor and it ran well. The cooling system and heater hoses were in terrible shape and I replaced them all with heavy duty clamps.
Unfortunately, at one point I switched the fuel source to the aux tank and it seemed to clog the fuel delivery. Long story short, there is an issue getting fuel to the carb, although I replaced the fuel pump, and filter.
What the vehicle still needs:
There is rust on the steel exterior body panels, especially the windshield frame and the bib. But the tub is aluminum and in fine shape. The fenders are fiberglass and doing great! The frame has rust. To make it off-road worthy you should reinforce several spots.
You will need to replace the exhaust system.
Tires hold air really well and have good tread, but are older.
Then you need to deal with the fuel problem. I would recommend a new fuel tank and new fuel hoses. A new mechanical fuel pump (if you need it, I put in a new one) is not expensive).
Ideally I would like to sell the seats separately to get some of my investment back, but I am flexible. So if you def want the seats, we can talk.
This is not a sale; it’s more of an adoption! I would like to talk on the phone first and then show you the vehicle.
I have the title in hand!
Here’s a video of the cruiser starting:
UPDATE III: This green sign is a terribly fake sign with ‘vintage’ rust on eBay to demonstrate that the other signs could easily be fake-aged. Note that the size of this sign 11 3/4″ is the same as the two at bottom. There are other fake Willys-related signs of this size as well (like this pre-war one) (example of an honest seller of this type of sign):
UPDATE II: Maury emailed me about a second red/white/blue service sign that has appeared on eBay (see UPDATE: I). After a closer look at both signs, below are the reasons why I believe these are fake.
First, when Keith indicates these are fake, you best sit up and take notice.
Second, both of these signs have “MADE IN U.S.A. 1951” .. show me another Willys-Overland sign from 1946-1953 that is dated like that or marked “MADE IN U.S.A”.
Third, aside from the existence of that date, the problem with that date is that by 1951 Willys was removing “Jeep” from its literature to shift the over-arching brand to Willys, so I am unsure the company would have produced a sign like this.
Fourth, nearly all the literature I’ve found suggests that during late 1950/1951 WILLYS was printed at an angle in literature (signs could have been different, but it is hard to date signs to a specific year, because they are so often undated).
Fifth, and perhaps the biggest flaw, look at the single quotes. A review of this page http://www.ewillys.com/2019/12/25/logos-badges-between-1941-1963/ demonstrates that through 1953 the single quotes were solid lines of about the same width; this sign has more triangularish single quotes not seen until the mid 1950s.
I’m happy to be proved wrong about the signs, as I’d hate to know that the first buyer was taken. Plus, I’m no exhaustive expert on Willys-Overland physical signage, But, I see no reason to believe these signs are real.
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UPDATE I: The first sign (at bottom) of this sign-type went for $212.50. A second sign of the same type has emerged on eBay from a different seller. It is at $48 with 10 hours to go.
View all the information on eBay
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Originally posted October 27, 2020 — Caveat Emptor: This 11.75″ Willys Sales and Service Sign is one neither Maury and I have seen.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-WILLYS-JEEP-PORCELAIN-DEALERSHIP-SIGN-ARMY-GAS-OIL-IH-WRANGLER-ARMY
“Willys Jeep porcelain dealership sign in great condition. This noteworthy sign is revered by collectors of all types, when it comes to gas, oil, and automotive advertising. This sign measures 11.75” in diameter. This is truly an amazing sign to add to your collection, the sign displays really well, and adds a lot of charm to any environment it’s used in!
I’m parting with my vast collection of signs right now, including “pump plates”, “service station signs”, “lubester signs”, “automotive dealer signs”, and “aviation sign” so check out some of my other auctions for more great deals. ”
Mark suggested we try a to link as many presidents to jeeps as possible. This is meant as a fun, apolitical post. Hoover was the earliest President to live through the invention of the jeep, which is why I start with him.
#31 Herbert Hoover: The only mining engineer to become president, he won acclaim in the mining community for his and his wife’s translation of De re Metallica into English. As President, in 1930 he appointed John North Willys, founder of Willys-Overland, to the ambassadorship of Poland. Yeah, I know it’s a stretch, but it’s the best I could do.
#32 Franklin Roosevelt: Of course, there are lots of different photos of FDR in jeeps. Here’s on from 1942:
#33 Harry Truman: I couldn’t find one of Truman in a jeep, but I found one of him inspecting a jeep in 1942 at Fort Banning:
#34 Dwight Eisenhower: Like FDR, there are numerous pics of Eisenhower in jeeps. Here’s a press photo that sold on eBay:
#35 John Kennedy: I was struggling with JFK until I found him in 1963 behind a jeep in Costa Rica thanks to the CJ-3B Page:
As of October of 1945, columnist William E. Jones notes that distributing agencies had already been established in South America. But, Willys-Overland would have a difficult time filling those orders right away, as a lack of transmissions, other production issues, and initial American orders from dealers totaling 30,000 jeeps, left the company scrambling to produce enough jeeps to meet demands.
John Ittel at age 16 in his first vehicle, a 1947 CJ-2A. https://www.farmcollector.com/tractors/farm-jeeps-zm0z20aprzhur
I received word yesterday that John Ittel passed away yesterday. He was well known at the annual Willys Jeep Rally for his collection of PTOs, lifts, and farm equipment. While I missed a chance to meet him, I did work with him in 2013 to purchase and ship him a rare Farm Aide Lift (see all the before/after pics here) from a farmer near me to his place in Ohio.
Here’s the Farm Aide lift’s condition before restoration:
Farm Aide Lift before John Ittel’s restoration
To make sure the lift arrived safely, I engineered a special crate for it. When John received it, he mentioned that he liked my crate and that I should go in to the crate building business. We both had a virtual laugh about that.
My warmest thoughts to his family.
The ‘great’ crate of 2013
This pic shows the Farm Aide lift in 2016, post restoration:
The Farm Aide lift after John’s restoration of it. (see all the before/after pics here)
Early look at a jeep being tested for farm work in 1942.
For you history geeks out there like me, the national archives operates a blog called the “Text Message” where archivists can share a bit of the massive information troves that make up the National Archives, complete with references. Unfortunately, in this case, the references have not been posted online, but at least researchers can now use the breadcrumbs from the post to help track down the relevant documents if need be.
One particular post, written by archivist Joseph Gillette in 2019, highlights the early tests of the jeep for farm work. One bit of info I found interesting highlights the War Department’s dedication to its troops. When Willys-Overland volunteered to send some new jeeps to the Ag Department for farm tests, the War Department responded it could not spare the new jeeps as soldiers desperately needed them, but it would authorize the use of used ones in running condition.
Read the entire blog post here: https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2019/04/23/it-will-do-everything-except-climb-a-tree/#_ftnref2
Here are some additional images from the post:
UPDATE: I’ve added two newspaper photos to this post about Kent. One shows him signing copies of his autobiography. The other depicts him with a huge walking stick, one I’m sure could come in handy while exploring ‘his’ beloved canyons.
Even today, Kent’s shadow looms large over the area. Just this last week the Moab Museum screened the “My Canyonlands” film about him.
June 17, 1971, The San Juan Record: Kent Frost signing books.
February 11, 2004, The San Juan Record: Kent Frost holding a walking stick.
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Originally published April 1, 2013:
(Above: Kent Frost on the front of his CJ-5 probably helping the driver negotiate an awkward angle)
(Originally Published April 2011) Without a doubt, my favorite part about running this website are the unexpected, interesting people to whom I’m introduced (if only virtually). One of those people is Kent Frost, a product of the Four Corners area and whom we caught glimpses of in Alan’s color photos of the 1961 Four Corners trip.
Doug commented on one of the Four Corner posts that he had read a book by Kent Frost called “My Canyonlands”, published in 1971. I’m very happy that Doug mentioned the book, because I ordered it and have enjoyed it immensely. Kent describes all kinds of adventures and early trips into remote areas of the four corners region. He loved to explore and hike, later jeep and river run, and that remote area has given him a lifetime of experiences.
If you are old enough like me (I can now get the over-55 discounts … wahoo!) to have worn an LED watch, you may appreciate this compelling rise-and-fall article of the US LED watch industry during the 1970s. (Around 2000 I stopped wearing watches … I have found that I really dislike wearing any jewelry/watches/etc and now even only wear my wedding ring when I’m out and about).
Well, even AMC got on board this short-tracked train digital watch trend by issuing AMC digital watches as dealer promotion items. A woman’s version of the watch is for sale on eBay. Unclear if it works or not, but it certainly is an unusual item. One of the pictures shows compares the man’s watch to the woman’s watch, but the man’s is not for sale.
View all the information on eBay
“Women’s AMC/Jeep Digital Watch. Dealer promotional item. Condition is “Used”. Has not been tested to see if it works. Was used for display only. It is gold in color. The larger men’s watch is NOT for sale and only used for a size comparison”
Men’s watch compared to the woman’s watch:
This article was published in the July 15, 1945, issue of the Journal Herald out of Dayton, Ohio. The title of the article is “Jeep Has a Rendezvous With America’s Postwar Era”. It proceed the official press release kit by a few days, so neither photo came from that first press kit.
The jeep shown on the right is a Willys MA. Back in 2013, a full press photo was sold on eBay. Curiously, the headlight on the driver’s side was missing.
