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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 .
Blaine spotted this great photo showing hundreds of what appear to be M-606s about ready to be shipped to Iran in 1962. It’s part of an article in the Toledo Blade about the 75th anniversary of the Willys-Overland-produced jeep.
http://www4.toledoblade.com/Automotive/2016/04/25/Toledo-to-mark-Jeep-s-75th-in-August-fest.html
The green FC-170 pictured below is the one for sale out of Chicago. I have to say, this is one way to save on gas!
Maury ran across this rare CJ-5 and figured few people knew about it (I’ve never written anything about it). Kaiser Jeep of Australia built what they called Jeep Combat 6, a CJ-5 derivative. They had Ford 170ci straight 6 motors, the same engine used in the early Mustangs. It was the Australian answer to the Dauntless V6 being installed Stateside.
About 460 Jeep Combat 6 vehicles were made. Of the 460, it is unknown how many were CJ5’s or CJ6’s, as all documented records were either lost or destroyed. The chassis and the tubs were imported from Kaiser’s US plant and assembled with the Ford engines in Brisbane. Here’s photos of 1968 Combat 6 that was for sale about a year ago in Australia:
You can learn more about them at the CJ-3B page (scroll down to the page’s bottom). Here’s an example of a Combat 6 brochure.
According to the 3B page, the Combat 6 marketing didn’t last for long. The Australian arm of Kaiser Jeep dropped the Combat 6 brand, possibly replacing it with the Sportster. As you can see in this ad that was for sale on Australia’s eBay, the Sportster CJ-5 had the inline 6. If anyone has more info, please let me know. I couldn’t find much on these.
Nick and tom have been continuing to research the APUs. They have some additional photos and documents to share, along with a story from Dennis Flynn, a former driver of an APU. Below is his tale, along with a photo of him now and of his former self in an APU.
Dennis Flynn photographed in an APU jeep and one of him now.
Dennis wrote,
I was 18 I made 3rd class Petty Officer and was put in charge of a 12 man start/tow crew working the flight deck on the USS Hancock CVA-19, Essex class attack carrier built in 1944 scrapped in 1976.
Early version of the jeeps used in the 40’s and early 50’s, the yellow ones were mid 50’s through mid 60’s. and cut down quite a bit. The rear axle was moved to the front and steering was done using two small wheels mounted in the center rear, the hood bulge was done to clear the carburetor since the body was lowered. ( it was like driving a tricycle backwards ) and they were pretty squirrelly to drive. A governor was placed on them to keep the top end at about 14mph.
My friend of mine and myself had one torn down for a valve job and had the ships machine shop mill the head, port the intake and exhaust and we made up a split exhaust manifold and removed the governor. While at sea and when we were not flying we tried out our work. Jim took off at the front of the ship (The flight deck was 888 feet long) By the time he got to the Island he was going 65mph. Then trying to stop (this had brakes on the front axle only and they were not all that great to begin with). He was doing pretty good with getting it stopped when he started running over the 1” arresting cables on the rear causing the Jeep to bounce and really get sideways. Jim did manage to stop it about 8 feet from going over the aft end of the deck. We were going about 20 knots at the time and the flight deck to the water is 68 feet down. We both got a super royal ass chewing from the ships executive Officer but neither of us got busted. (I didn’t lose my Petty Officer stripes that I had just made, but I was also the Ships Captain’s driver so that might have saved me)
I made up a “Bragging Card” for us stating that we set a world’s record for a gas driven vehicle on a flight deck while at sea. Jim is still alive and is one week older than I am and I turned 74 last October. When you are young you think you are invincible, It was a great memory and thankfully no one was killed.”
Dennis’ “Bragging Card” for setting a speed record in an APU.
Tom unearthed this government quote for 75 Valentine APUs, one of which would have been Nick’s. Given this info, Nick’s Valentine modified APU (#19) might be the only one left in existence.
Here are some APU related photos:
Maury published a forum-thread on rebuilding his Ross Steering Box. He (and I) thought you all might find it interesting, too. He also wanted to ackowledge Moses Ludel for all his help (read their exchange here).
This is the link to their subsequent installation & alignment thread: http://forums.4wdmechanix.com/topic/747-ross-tl-steering-gear-installation-and-wheel-alignment/
Here’s a note about Maury’s experience:
I suspect everyone knows who Moses Ludel is, as he has been involved with jeeps at a professional level for several decades. As you may be aware, he has written several excellent books on jeep rebuilding and maintenance, including the Jeep CJ Rebuilders Manuals and the Jeep Owner’s Bible. He is the administrator of the 4WD Mechanix website as well.
The original Ross TL steering gear in my 1967 V6 CJ5 badly needed rebuilding, and I really wanted to accomplish this with NOS parts to the greatest extent possible. Late last year, in researching possibilities for having the rebuild work done professionally, I came across a video on Moses’ website about rebuilding the Ross boxes in which he rebuilt one for a client. I contacted him to ask if he was still doing that kind of work on the side. He responded that he is not, but in short order, he got me interested in doing the rebuild myself. Moses offered to assist me through the process by helping me create a pictorial thread on his website, through which he could advise me as I worked through it one step at a time.
The resulting process of finding the parts and fully rebuilding and installing two Ross TL boxes (mine and my brother in law’s) is thoroughly documented in the two threads linked to above. The first thread is on the rebuilding process itself, and the second covers the installation and alignment of the gear. I found the DIY approach to be very rewarding, including the fact that I “had” to acquire several tools I didn’t own or know how to use before.
Moses’ help and advice were invaluable in successfully completing this project. He is a true guru of all things jeep, and I am grateful that he very generously spent so much time guiding me through this process. I hope these threads will be equally helpful to others who decide to try rebuilding their Ross gearboxes themselves.
John shared this a while ago. I’m just getting to posting it now. It’s a fun little video, partly because of the music, but also because of the wide variety of camera angles.
This year’s Great Willys Picnic will be held June 12th. As always the Willys Picnic, Show and Swap is free. Plan to take the optional train ride for a very reasonable fee. Click here for more information:
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
Yes, cigarettes can save lives, too!
“1944- Sgt. Thomas Hill driving down a street in Granville, France, behind a bullet hole in the windshield of his command car. Hole was made by a German sniper’s bullet while Hill was behind the wheel. Hill would have been killed had he not just bent over to light a cigarette.”
The January 1958 issue of Willys News included this article about the Economy Delivery Truck.
Keith shared this video of an unusual car collection.
Bill spotted this one. Not pics provided.
“SELLING ENTIRE 30 YEAR VALUABLE COLLECTION. MILITARY MODELS, JEEPS, TRAILERS, TONS OF EXTRA PARTS. ALL IN FABULOUS CONDITION.
EMAIL FOR DETAILS. NOT LOOKING FOR TRADES OR TO PART OUT.
ENTIRE COLLECTION FAIRLY PRICED AT $35,000.”
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/5475816326.html
This January 1958 article highlights Captain Gifford Markeson’s Fc-170 and its use as a boat delivery vehicle. Markeson owned Mark’s Sporting and Marine Supply Shop in McHenry, Illinois.
Alex shared this photo taken around 1955 in Martinique of a Delahaye VLR, a French jeep clone. It shows four French administrators making (as put by Alex) a “very colonial” looking visit it to the area.
Ron shared this video of a trip on the road to Calovebora in Panama. It’s certainly an off-road adventure.
Check out Roberto’s latest illustration.
Being able to sleep in a jeep is a sure sign they were tired! Looks like a Willys MA based on the gauges.
“1942- Exhausted U.S. soldiers sleep in their jeep following maneuvers in Oahu, Hawaii, that duplicated actual wartime conditions.”
View all the information on eBay
Mike shared this kind of corny story about a man and his jeep. The image is stock footage used by the site. It isn’t related to the story, except that it shows an old (GPW script) jeep.
Steve found this photo from Camp Tyson of a jeep pulling a barrage balloon.
“1943- U.S. soldiers use a jeep to maneuver a barrage balloon into position during training at the Barrage Balloon Training Center at Camp Tyson, Tennessee.”
View all the information on eBay
This August 5th, 1963, article from the St. Petersburg Times describes how Dunedin, Florida, resident Steve Fowler drove from Florida to Los Angeles, north to Idaho, then cross the northern part of the US, before heading back to Florida. The article claims he drove about 10,000 miles. His most worrisome event was a close call at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. He was camping near it when a large bear chased him away from his jeep. Sounds like quite an adventure!
A similar version of the photo was sold on eBay in May of 2015.
“1942- Pulled by a quintette of jeeps instead of reindeer, Santa Claus rides a tank at Fort Knox. This was the Christmas greeting from the men of the armored force. Name “Yardbird” is painted on lead jeep. The others look to have names as well but I can’t make them out.”
View all the information on eBay
Gayland visited the First Cavalry Division Museum in Fort Hood, Texas. He saw a variety of jeeps and other military vehicles. Here are some of the photos. I can’t believe the museum spelled “Willys” incorrectly.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $20.
“Willys Jeep Money clip $20.00”
The January 1958 issue of Willys News included a photo of two intrepid uranium hunters using Willys trucks.
