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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 .
UPDATE: Marty happened to have sand blasted an exact copy of this rim today. It looks like Todd’s rim is a Firestone rim.
Original Post: Todd was wondering if anyone recognized this 11×15 rim or what vehicle it might have come from? It’s a 5×5.5 lug pattern.
For years West Coast Willys published a quarterly newsletter called the Dispatcher. Recently the organization turned over publishing responsibility to Norris-Banonis, the same organization that publishes those great Holy Toledo Calendars. They have upgraded the Newsletter into a Magazine, complete with high quality photos, accurate technical articles, and well-researched history.
There first issue was published in March of this year. I got a chance to read through it and I was really impressed. There simply isn’t another vintage jeep magazine out there that rivals what Norris-Banonis have created. The articles I read were interesting and informative. For example, not too many people know that automatic transmissions were tested in M-38s, let alone know the details about those transmissions.
To learn more or to subscribe, go here: http://norris-banonis.com/dispatcher.html.
<– Day 47 – Thu. May 28th: Back to the Springs | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 49-50 – May 30th-31st: Last Dollar & Madonna –>
I’m checking out a McLaren and an Indy race car.
On Friday Guy Kathe invited us to visit Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) and meet president of the raceway Bob Boileau.
PPIR began life as a horse racing track. In 1996, the facilities were transformed from hosting horses to hosting automobiles. The track subsequently closed in 2005, but reopened in 2008 when Guy and some partners purchased it. Eventually they brought aboard Bob as president.
Bob’s to the left. His collection of cars in is the background. He owned a Willys wagon until recently.
We arrived at the track at 1pm. We found Bob busily racing around on his golf cart. Almost the instance we jumped aboard his cart for a ride around the facilities it started to rain. The average rainfall in Colorado Springs in May is 2″. This year it has rain 10″!
Despite some intermittent drops, we got a quick tour. Bob pointed out some racing semi-trucks and explained that a new semi-truck racing circuit had formed in the US as a result of the success similar truck racing was enjoying in Europe. For some reason, more Europeans are showing up for truck races than for Formula One or other races. So, Bob and other track owners in the US hope to attract a similar following.
I asked Bob how he got started in racing. Bob’s told me his father was a racer who was involved in bringing Honda dealerships to the United States. Along the way he became the first to build and race a Honda car. That 1974 Honda is now in this Honda Museum. Bob began racing in 1982 and has enjoyed a successful career. You can see his eyes light up when he talks about cars. He loves them. Bob’s sons have followed in his path, becoming good racers themselves.
Overview of PPIR track that I found on the internet. the stands are on the left. I believe the photos is a few years old.
About this time during our visit the rain became pouring rain, so Bob wisked us to his office to show us an overview of the property. They have areas north and south of the track that they may use for off road racing or other group events. Then he showed us the race car that will likely win the Pikes Peak Climb this year. In 2014, it won all the practice runs. However, on the day of the race they discovered the frame was cracked, so they couldn’t race.
Joe in Mesa shared these photos of a jeep he saw at the local Kmart Cruise Night. I really didn’t know there were any Kmarts left!
He writes, I spoke to the owner who told me the cab was 50(?) Willys, front grill from a different Willys, 55 Chevy front axle, and 55 Ford pickup bed. I like the military theme and the graphics, sayings, and stickers. Nice guy, too. I told him about eWillys.com and said I’d be sending you the pics and info. He suggested the pic of the interior since he still kept the original shift pattern sticker inside the glove box.
Maury shared this rare ad for an upgraded marine-purposed engine. The date on the ad indicates these motors were built starting at least in 1945, which means they were probably using surplus engines (even though fighting wouldn’t end int the Pacific Theatre for a couple months.)
I’ve assembled this approximate history based on a few sources. .Kermath began selling boat motors as early as 1913, according to this article. By 1930 they were the largest seller of boat motors in the world, based on their own advertising. Sometime in the 1940s Kermath added the jeep engine to its line of marine motors. After the war, Kermath sold Ford, Mercury, and Jeep engines for use in boats. The company folded in the late 1950s.
Scott drove his 1951 M-38 in Elmer, New Jersey’s, memorial parade. He was accompanied by his father – Sam Walker, son – Andy Walker and daughter – Jessie Walker. Of all places, he visits Pasco regularly, so we hope to meet in person soon.
Marc spotted this photo. The jeep appears to have a rare Midway Sweep Rake attached to it (most of the rake is buried under the hay. I’ve attached a brochure for comparison.
View all the information on eBay
A brochure from a 1947 equipment book:
It would be great to have some photos of this from a few different directions.
“1946 Press Photo Enrico Pizzari Runs His Jeep With Coal in Rome -This is an original press photo. Photo measures 9 x 7inches. Photo is dated 12-13-1946.”
View all the information on eBay
Seth spotted this one. When I looked at it closely I realized that both at the top left corner ‘Daisy’ is spelled ‘Disey’ and at the bottom right ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ is spelled ‘Dukes of Harzard’.
View all the information on eBay
<– Day 46 – Wed. May 27th: Georgetown Loop Train | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 48 – Fri. May 29th: Pikes Peak International Raceway –>
We decided to take the scenic route back to Colorado Springs from Dilon/Frisco, Colorado. Nothing too interesting happened, but here’s a recap anyway.
Today we drove from Dillon, Colorado, to Colorado Springs.
I should interject at this point that the Frisco area had some great food. There were many highly rated (in Yelp) places to eat. The first evening we tried Pho soup at Pho Bay. Ann’s seafood soup had more seafood than we’d ever seen in a seafood pho. Mine was equally large and tasty.
The next day we ate at Prost, a German-oriented beer and brat pub. They don’t serve a wide variety of food, but what they do (german sausages), they do really well. Since Ann can’t do beef, we tried four different sausages: a bison, an elk, a chicken, and a wild boar sausage. All were great! Their cucumber and potato salads were also delicious. There seem to be multiple Prost locations around the West, with one opening soon in Boise, Idaho.
Back on to Thursday’s adventure. After my burrito breakfast, we headed south out of Frisco, rising to 11,542 feet at Hoosier Pass, named for some enterprising placer miners from Indiana.
As we snapped our selfie, it suddenly began to snow. So, we jumped into the jeep and headed north toward Alma, the highest incorporated city in the United States (at 10,578 ft). There we spotted this CJ-3B, which might be the highest 3B in the US.
From there we drove through some beautiful high mountain valleys.
Eventually we reached Hartsel, where we found this CJ-5.
The remainder of the trip took us around Pikes Peak until we landed in Colorado Springs. We will be here a few days and then drive to Utah (route to be determined).
<– Day 46 – Wed. May 27th: Georgetown Loop Train | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 48 – Fri. May 29th: Pikes Peak International Raceway –>
<– Day 45 – Tue. May 26th: South Park | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 47 – Thu. May 28th: Back to the Springs –>
Today my only objective was to ride the Georgetown Loop train and explore the Lebanon Mine in Colorado.
Today I completed a short drive to Georgetown, where I boarded a train for the Lebanon Mine.
It wasn’t altogether clear to me at first, but after I boarded the train I learned that the Georgetown Loop train didn’t run in a loop. Instead, it runs between Silver Plume, the western terminus of the ride, and the Devil’s Gate Station, the eastern terminus. Essentially, it runs up the canyon and then back down. Technically, there is a loop, as the train does cross under its own track, but to me that distinction wasn’t clear in the name.
Silver Plume station
The ‘crowd’ waiting to board.
I boarded the train at Silver Plume and we headed south for a couple miles. At that point we disembarked for a guided tour of the Lebanon Tunnel. Our guide was a friendly young lady who was more interested in being funny than providing interesting information. But, I was after more technical information than the average visitor. Near the end of the tour, I ended up answering some participant questions and explaining that smelting lead was an important financial component of the silver-lead mining and smelting process.
After our half hour tour, we boarded the train for a trip down to the Devil’s Gate station, before heading back up the mountain to the Silver Plume Station. I was surprised we never reached Georgetown. 
If you’ve never ridden the train, or want to share the experience with your kids, you’ll probably enjoy this ride and the mine tour. However, I would have preferred to skip the train and get a more thorough mine experience.
On thursday we have nothing planned, except to drive to Colorado Springs, where we will stay a few days.
<– Day 45 – Tue. May 26th: South Park | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 47 – Thu. May 28th: Back to the Springs –>
You might remember the auction that took place on May 18th. Jay Margolies, the owner of the parts and operator of Willys Overland, reported to me yesterday that not much sold at auction. Jay would really like to sell these parts, preferably in large lots. If he can’t find a buyer, he may be forced to send them to salvage (which is not his preference). So, if are interested in obtaining parts, contact Jay Margolies at 419-531-0707.
List of parts.
<– Day 41-43 – May 22nd-24th: Omaha-Bound | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 45 – Tue. May 26th: South Park –>
Ann in trouble, again.
After spending the weekend celebrating Ann’s son’s high school graduation, we left Omaha on Monday bound for Colorado. However, we decided to make one stop on the way at a place called Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska.
Today we drove from Omaha, Nebraska, to Golden, Colorado, with a stop at the Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska.
If you have ever driven through the middle of Nebraska on I-80 you’ve probably seen worn signs in dire need of paint advertising the Pioneer Village. The signage is unimpressive and left us with the impression that they might be relics of a place that no longer exists. However, after seeing a couple signs, we looked up the place and discovered that, indeed, it still exists. Even better, the reviews were generally positive.
We arrived to find a dated brick building. In the front windows paper letters ‘welcomed’ us. There weren’t many vehicles parked nearby, so we parked right in front of the entrance door. There wasn’t much to give us confidence. However, once we paid the entry fee and walked into the first large space, we could tell it would be a cool experience. There were cars and planes everywhere.
When we exited the first building, we walked into a large outdoor area with buildings set up around a circle. The represented the ‘old village’ part of Pioneer Village.
Some of the old buildings moved to the village.
UPDATE: This article about a Coast Guard jeep driver appeared in the same July 15th, 1945, Milwaukee Journal issue as the CJ-2A article below. It features William R. Scott, a Coast Guardsman. The article was also published in the Spokesman Review.
<– Day 44 – Mon. May 25th: Pioneer Village | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 46 – Wed. May 27th: Georgetown Loop Train –>
Is it wrong to be taking a selfie of our selfie?
On Tuesday, we headed into the Rocky Mountains. We were barely in the jeep a few minutes before spotting a M-677 and an FC cab being towed westward from Denver on I-70. I guess it means that this M-677 is sold! During the subsequent hour of driving toward Fairplay, Colorado, we saw a CJ-5, a truck, a CJ-3B, a CJ-2A, and others. It was a good day for jeep-sight seeing!
Today we drove from Golden, Colorado, to Dillon, Colorado.
Our first destination today was South Park City in Fairplay, Colorado. It’s a recreated 1880s mining town with more than 30 antique buildings. We pretty much had the run of the place to ourselves, with a cat as a guide through much of it. He seemed to enjoy the company. If you like old towns, then you will enjoy this one, too.
There were two long boardwalks on each side of Main street.
David at the Assay office; holding some rocks seemed like the thing to do.
Inside of the Assay office. There was lots of stuff to examine!
This July 15, 1945, article in the Milwaukee Journal is another example of the 1945 promotional campaign by Willys Overland. A second article also addresses the question of what to do with all the surplus equipment.
Article 1: Who Wants a Jeep?
Article 2: America’s Next Move
Here’s a story about an M-38A1 owned by Korean veteran Jack Gregory from Skaneateles, New York.
SENNETT | When the Skaneateles American Legion Post 239 Memorial Day parade makes its way down Jordan Street and then along West Genesee Street toward Lake View Cemetery, Jack Gregory’s military vehicles will once again be a part of the procession saluting America’s fallen heroes.
Gregory, a Skaneateles native and Korean War veteran, has featured his collection of Army trucks and other equipment in the annual Memorial Day and Labor Day parades every year since 1991 — the year after, his wife Angie Gregory said, he started restoring the vehicles.
A May 31, 1943, article in The Dispatch, a Lexington, North Carolina, newspaper highlights the use of a Ford GPA amphibious jeep in the rescuing of civilians.
This earlier photo from April 05, 1943, in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette is horribly blurred. However, it supposedly shows a GPA rescuing three boys. Perhaps a better example of this is on microfilm somewhere?
No photo accompanies this May 23, 1943, report from the Milwaukee Journal of GPAs helping in floods.
This September 1955 Willys News article discussed the use of jeeps in Africa for the upcoming Tarzan TV series.
<– Day 37-40 – May 18th-21st: Research | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 44 – Mon. May 25th: Pioneer Village –>
Abnormally cold drizzle. That defines the last few days in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It generally hits the 70s this time of year; instead temperatures didn’t get much higher than 45 degrees. Needless to say, about the only ‘sight-seeing’ I did this week was my trip to pickup Ann from the Denver airport. She was happy to see me and return to our home (the jeep). So, other than that, I didn’t have much to report this week.
Today we drive from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Omaha, Nebraska.
On Friday May 22nd, we broke free of the cold weather and drove through a series of rain storms toward Omaha, Nebraska. We saw a couple jeeps along the way, but the rain made photos impractical.
We are heading to Omaha Ann’s son is graduating from high school in Omaha. We’ll be here about three days and then work our way back to Colorado. Hopefully, the weather will warm up and dry up as there are several things I want to complete upon our return that ought to be fun to share.
<– Day 37-40 – May 18th-21st: Research | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 44 – Mon. May 25th: Pioneer Village –>
This September 1955 article from Willys News highlights the use of jeeps by Cleveland’s Animal Protective League.
Here are two Matchbooks available on eBay.
1. Havoline Motor Oil Matchbook w/ Jeep: View all the information on eBay
2. Camp Sutton w/ Jeep Matchbook Cover: View all the information on eBay
What’s funniest about this item is that the seller wants $146 for it, but still plans to charge $1 for shipping.
“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
Looks in good shape.
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5036469031.html
“For sale is my 1942 GPW, serial #16501, DOD 4/8/42
Jeep is about 95% restored, 100% cosmetic restoration with a few mechanical issues to resolve. Ready for whatever final markings you decide.
I bought this jeep from a friend’s dad that purchased it from the Gov’t post war, so I guess I’m the 3rd owner, I’ve owned it since 1993. In the early 2000’s I started a restoration. In 2004 I had the transmission and transfer case rebuilt , (At that time I purchased an overdrive with PTO that I did not install that is also for sale). In 2005 (after my 4th kid was born), I took the jeep to two jeep buffs for restoration. They both live near me in Northern Ca.
Bob Christy posted these on Facebook. There’s some more over there for folks that haven’t seen them. Thanks for sharing Bob.
