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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 .
It seems the Americans waited until after they landed in France to start teaching some of the GIs how to speak French. Lacking blackboards, they turned to the underside of a jeep hood. The following Fox Movietone silent video clip is a collection of outtakes. The blackboard lesson begins at the 16:22 mark and lasts about a minute.
http://mirc.sc.edu/islandora/object/usc%3A16017
The October 26, 1943, Fox Movietone featured a one minute clip about a Toledo, Ohio, Fire Jeep. It appears to be built on a Willys MB Slat Grille. The clip appears at the 6:53 mark of the video. I managed to get a few still images:
http://digital.tcl.sc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/mvtnwarfilm/id/783
This is a classic.
“You are bidding on an original press photo of Toledo Farmers Using Vintage Willys Overland Jeep . If the listing shows thin red and/or green lines, they are the result of a bad scan & they are NOT on the actual photo. Photo measures 7 x 9 inches and is dated 7/10/1945.”
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Jay’s liquidating a variety of parts.
For the entire month of August, you can visit and walk through the warehouse and pick out exactly what you need or think you might need in the future. While we have been great at collecting this huge selection of parts, we are not quite as great at “perfectly” identifying every part. For that reason, if you are too far to visit, and choose to e-mail or call us, consider sending some pictures and/or measurements of the parts you need. This will help to ensure we send the correct parts on the first try.
If anyone or business is interested in buying any parts in bulk, we will certainly work with you to get the very best pricing possible. Bring a trailer, but of course, shipping is available for anything that won’t fit your vehicle.
Please take a look at the attached pictures to understand the scope of the parts we have in our 8,000 sq. ft. warehouse.
We have transmissions and transmission parts, transfer cases and parts, engine cores and engine parts, axles, a Willys Pickup chassis, 50 original wheels, hub caps and rings, CJ hard doors, seat frames, body frames, Utility bumpers and fenders, roll bars, head light buckets, Meyer Cab doors and sides, starter, alternator and generator cores, and literally tons of parts of every kind. We even have a few vehicles out back.
Jay
WillysOverland Motors Monday-Friday 9:00 – 5:00
562 S. Reynolds Rd. Saturday 9:00 – Noon, or later by appt
Toledo, OH 43615
888-265-5337
419-531-0707
Franziska Gygax shared pics of this jeep on Facebook. He wrote, “Was made by Kaspar Gut a swiss carosserie maker. In the back is place for 4 swiss milk cans. And on the weekend you rebuilt the back to 1 seat for 2 people“
Lots of jeep action. They drive the jeeps pretty hear near the end. At about the 8:30 mark there some hard driving video. The jeeps were bouncing pretty hard!
From archive.org: “Not the greatest film quality. National Archives description: “A 4.2″ mortar fires high explosive and phosphorus shells which explode on targets. Transportation of mortar and ammunition in large truck (10 men-10 rounds) is compared with that of a jeep towing a trailer bearing a mortar and ammunition (2 jeeps-6 men-48 rounds). Jeep and trailer units are tested at various speeds and on all types of terrain, fire mortars from barge landing craft as an island is approached, drive off barge, and are freed from ditches and other obstacles by their crews.”
National Archives Identifier: 24456”
This 1955 July Willys News article highlights the naming of a Navajo baby named Jeep Chee. My attempts to learn more about Jeep Chee weren’t very successful. I did find this odd movie script. There is a more extensive article about Gwen and Marvin Walter in the July 1958 issue of Desert Magazine.
UPDATE: This jeep kicked off a parade in Sante Fe, Kansas, this weekend.
(03/02/2015) Tom Pestinger restored this former KSAL radio station jeep. The station owned the jeep for decades, but it had deteriorated by the time Tom purchased it. The restoration took several years, but it looks to have been worth it. You can read the whole story at the KSAL website.
http://www.ksal.com/iconic-ksal-jeep-lives-again/
This archive.org Signal Corps video has some good shots of jeeps along with the everyday life of a photographer/videographer. Here’s the original link: https://archive.org/details/ADC-4647
Frazier came across a fascinating post on the Land Rover Series One Club forum. Apparently, there were discussions between Land Rover and Kaiser Willys about working together or a merger. According to this book about the British Motor Industry, the talks occurred in 1958. After exchanging information and design ideas, it appears Kaiser backed out of the deal.However it happened, Land Rover engineers apparently built a hybrid CJ-5 Land Rover. All the photos can be seen at the Rover forum. You’ll need to sign up with the forum to see all the photos.
According to one of the photo’s captions, Using the transmission and chassis from an 88 inch model (shortened to 83 inches) this hybrid LR/Jeep prototype was created by Land Rover as potential partnership discussions between the two companies were held. Ultimately no association was formed but an interesting prototype all the same.
Robin picked up this FC Weasel recently (thanks to Marty who spotted it on Facebook).
He wrote, After I got this think home two things came to mind. First-What The Heck!!!!! I have no clue about track vehicles. Second (after some research) the build is backwards. The engine should be in front, not in the rear. A really ingenious build actually.
Robin also noted that the floor is made of street signs. Follow this Flickr link for more photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alturusphoto/sets/72157656366380805
I’ve never heard of a jeep tour through a sewer.
“1949 Press Photo Portland city commissioners went on a jeep tour Thursday
This is an original press photo. Portland city commissioners went on a jeep tour Thursday through new 1 1/2 mile sewer running undreground from Columbia slough to Oregon slough. In front, from left, are Commissioners Ormond Bean, William Bowes and Driver Chuck Odell, Commissioner Fred Peterson is at upper right.Photo measures 7.25 x 9.5inches. Photo is dated 12-30-1949.”
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Gayland recently visited Red River, New Mexico. On the way he stopped by Russell’s Travel Stop along I-40 on the New Mexico/Texas border. Inside the travel stop is a CJ-2A. Bob stopped by there in 2013. Gayland shared a few of his pics.
When he got to Red River, New Mexico, he spotted multiple jeeps, including this CJ-3B with a unique top.
Burl discovered that Titan Tires still carry Goodyear 4ply Terra Tires. http://www.titanstore.com/info/XTR396
Burl writes, The tires are actually made by Titan Tire; Titan bought the molds from Goodyear. Most listings will only list the 8 ply but there are 28 of the 4 ply tires available if none have sold since I purchased mine.
The fellow to contact is Terry Nagel. He is the factory rep for Goodyear. When I inquired about these in the beginning he checked inventory on the 4 ply and he found 31 each of the 4 ply in, I think he said Cleveland but I could be mistaken on that issue, and are available.
That’s a happy hunter.
“Original 1959 Press Photo 2×2 Negative Muddy Jeep Hunting 12 Pt Elk Head”
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On Sunday Ann and I went to visit Rich and the “Tender” jeep wagon/truck he has for sale. The truck is in pretty rough shape, but the shell of it could be re used. However, there are lots of bees. The bees limited my ability to take pics, especially of the inside. Yet, it was the inside of the truck that demonstrated the vehicle was definitely not a factory jeep.
My theory is that someone saw one of these Tenders in Israel. Inspired, when they returned to the states they built a few of these, hence the reason several look the same. They must have had some skills, because the top looks great on the top. It’s only on the underside of the ceiling that you can see the seam near the back. Moreover, it looks like a flat fender hood channel is used along the underside of the ceiling to provide support.
On the outside of the back of the top, there’s a crack in what appears to be some bondo. The quality of the work is again good and matches the other side.
It looks like the top of the sides of the former wagon has been capped. There appears to be cracks forming along the metal (see pic above … note crack about an inch below the top of the rear of the bed).
Other pics and notes:
The tailgate was not finished. The lip on the top of the tailgate was left as it was. The area underneath the tailgate window at the back of the cab looks like it might have been blocked with wood. I did not look too closely. This “Tender” was modified with a spring over axle, but the original spring perches were left.
Paul spotted this unique slat grille M-38A1 at an Alaska outdoor car show. I think it is pretty well done.
I found this interesting article from the St. Petersburg Times in 1994. Island Cruisers was a Clearwater, Florida, company that refurbished old right-hand drive postal jeeps for export to island countries where people drive on the right hand side.
Jan and Robin Stach started the company. By the time this article was written, the company had sold 35 jeeps to the Bahamas, Grenada, Aruba, the Cayman Islands and Cancun. They were generally used for rentals. The company had another 30 jeeps in process. The Stachs feel that demand was huge and they hoped to mature into a company capable of producing 500 jeeps a month.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find any additional information on how successful (or not) or for how long the company operated.
Note: Another company started about the same time on the west coast called Safari-Kars
Jim Allen wrote this great article about CJ-2 Agri-Jeeps on the Fourwheeler site. http://www.fourwheeler.com/features/1507-the-oldest-restored-civilian-jeep/
You can also see more photos of agri-jeeps and other jeeps from the 2015 Midwest Willys Reunion here. The photo below shows the four agrijeeps.
Neat card, but crazy price!
“Vintage 1942 Hallmark Greeting Card. Oh so Patriotic!!! Little Boy and Girl in Jeep with fabric American flag. Card measures approx 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches. It is in Great Shape- Still attached to card stock from scrapbook.”
View all the information on eBay
All proceeds from the auction of this 1957 wagon are being donated to “Marines to the Mountains” program. The auction is expected to take place August 7, 2015.
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1957-WILLYS-JEEP-WAGON-186024
“For sale at auction: Lot #3000 – This 1957 Willys Jeep 6-226 4×4 station wagon embodies all the charm of one of the first production SUVs. This vintage beauty is powered by an original 226/115hp 6-226 Super Hurricane inline-6 flathead engine with 190 ft/lbs of torque, a 3-speed manual transmissions and 4-wheel drive. Continue reading
Johnny had some skills back in the day!
“1947 Press Photo Johnny Price of Indians Catches Flies Upside Down in a Jeep
This is an original press photo. Johnny Price, Cleveland Indians comedian, demonstrates, with the aid of a jeep, how the outfielder of 1950 will chase flies–even while upside down. Price showed how before exhibition game between Indians and New York Giants at Tucson, Arizona.Photo measures 9 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 03-15-1947.”
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Great photo.
“1944- U.S. Marine and U.S. Navy Seabee shaking hands in front of sign erected by the 3rd Marine, 2nd Raider Regiment on Bougainville which reads:
So when we reach the Isle of Japan
With our caps at a jaunty tilt
We’ll enter the city of Tokyo
On the roads the seabees built.”
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Paul Barry from Willys America and his wife Jane discovered these two jeeps on the SS Jeremiah O’Brien. Moored at Pier 45 in San Francisco, it’s the last unaltered Liberty Ship from WWII. These days it operates as a living museum teaching tourists. You can learn more at the SS Jeremiah O’Brien website.
Mike discovered this jeep toy by Salido in a small antique shop in Moneterey, California.
