emailNeed to contact me and don't have my email? Click on email button.
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 .
David discovered this sticker at his local auto shop: Mid County Auto in Capitola, California. He wrote, Have you seen these Sea Foam stickers? I was in my local auto parts / machinist and they gave me this sticker today. They told me that the local Sea Foam rep left them and since they know we’re GPW guys, the shop saved one for each of us. How cool is that? It’s about 4.5 by 7 inches. You can see the actual outline of the sticker on the scan; it’s not rectangular.
<– Day 2 – Mon. Apr. 13th: Rocks, Tracks & Dusty Roads | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 4 – Wed. Apr. 15th: Salmon and Subway –>
Those arrows barely missed us!
Today we drove from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Durango, Colorado. Brisk winds hounded us over our entire route. At one point as we approached Moab a huge dust devil stacked with tumbleweeds blew across the road in front of us; what a spectacular site! I’m really glad it didn’t blow into us!!
Today we drive from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Durango, Colorado.
Needless to say, the winds squashed any desire we had to jump out and take photos. Besides, we’ve capture the look and feel of this area, as well as the jeeps, during our 2013 trip when we photographed the CJ-2A on Ivan’s sign just south of Moab and the jeep that sits atop Hole in the Rock.
I’d pretty much given up on photos, but then we spotted two jeeps and a bunch of arrows. The winds had subsided, so we got some pics while the shooting was good.
The first jeep I spotted was this CJ-2A, which appeared to be a VEC. It sits off the Colorado State Highway 160 just east of Mesa Verde National Park (which we decided not to visit due to the winds and the fact that we’d both been there).
The next jeep we spotted was this CJ-2A in Manco, Colorado. It’s on the east side of town along the main street.
<– Day 1 – Sun. Apr. 12th: On the Road Again, Finally | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 3 – Tues. Apr. 14th: Winds and more Winds –>
City of Rocks National Reserve
Today’s goal was to drive from Twin Falls to Salt Lake City, which normally takes about 3 hours. I’ve traveled this route so many times that I mark my progress by familiar cracks in the road. And, every time I pass by a sign that announces the exit for City of Rocks, I tell myself I’m going to take that some day. Well, that ‘some’ day was today.
Knowing that at least some of the roads would be unpaved (turns out most were), I calculated the drive would be much longer than three hours. In fact, the drive took 9 hours, some of which included map checks, photo ops, and very short walks. I don’t advise doing this trip unless you have good maps. We lacked cell coverage for most of the day and there are very few helpful signs (not many roads either).
Today we drove from Twin Falls to Salt Lake City via the City of Rocks and lots of gravel roads.
We took off about 8am from Twin Falls and drove east on I-84, before turning on State Highway 77. We quickly found ourselves following the old California Trail, a spur taken by wagon trains that left the Oregon Trail for California.
The first interesting town we encountered was Albion. Near the entrance to the town an old and abandoned Normal School loomed eerily by the road. We weren’t a bit surprised the a nearby sign boasted how spooky the place was. However, if this is your thing, you should check out this website.
Haunted? Easy to believe.
Normal? She’s trying awfully hard to make me believe that!
When we got to the City of Rocks area, we stopped by the visitor’s center.
The ranger was friendly and helpful. She explained that travelers heading west on the California Trail found the City of Rocks a unique diversion from the long travels. Wagon trains would camp among the lower rocks. Several of the large rocks have carvings dating as far back as the 1840s.
As for rocks inside the visitors center, we didn’t find many. However, we did find this unexpected gem:
Idaho State Park poster with a Willys Wagon!
<– Trip Overview | Day 2 – Mon. Apr. 13th: Rocks, Tracks & Dusty Roads –>
Shoshone Falls Park near Twin Falls, Idaho. When the falls are gushing the water thunders over the areas to the right and left of Ann.
It took most of the morning, but I finally wrangled Ann into the jeep so we could get the heck out of Pasco. Our goal was to make it to Twin Falls, Idaho. It’s not much of a stretch (only 6+ hours), but we did have a specific place to visit: Shoshone Falls, a place I’ve been promising we’d see.
Yesterday we drove from Pasco, Washington, to Twin Falls, Idaho.
Since we’ve covered much of the Pasco to Idaho trip in past photos, we won’t bore you with them here — in fact, we didn’t take any of the drive. However, we did have some excitement, which happens whenever my wife drives. Once she is behind the wheel she just goes …. she doesn’t really pay too much attention to signs (though she does follow the speed limit). On more than one occasion she’s driven happily past an exit. This time, we came close to missing the exit, but fortunately I looked up from my eWillys updates just in time to avoid an unplanned detour. She add’s endless unpredictability to our adventures 🙂
We reached the city of Twin Falls just in time to get to Shoshone Falls State Park with some sun left. We’d never visited the park and found it a literal oasis in the desert. We snapped a few photos before quickly realizing our selfie tactics were rusty. We shall work to improve those, so don’t pan us too loudly for our narcissistic desire to self-photograph . . . we are just practicing! Here are a few practice shots at the falls:
The park was surprisingly beautiful kept with clean grassy landscapes.
This cool platform rests on a rock peninsula that provides wonderful views of the upstream falls and downstream Snake River.
Me practicing the art of the selfie. I’d forgotten to move my hand slightly to increase the number of potential views. This is hard work I’m telling’ ya! Now if you look down the river about a half mile you can seen (you really can’t see, you have to imagine) where Evel Knievel tried to jump the river (see video below … not sure why it is age-restricted).
As the sunset, we retired to our motel in Twin Falls.
Tomorrow we will veer off the interstate for our first foray to the City of Rocks, a little known gem in a remote part of southwest Idaho.
<– Trip Overview | Day 2 – Mon. Apr. 13th: Rocks, Tracks & Dusty Roads –>
Seth forwarded me a link to a website called Classic Vehicles. Among the offerings are a variety of Wagons, Wagoneers, Trucks, FCs, and other stuff. Most look like parts or restorations vehicles.
http://www.desertclassics.com/WillysJeep2.html
Buz stumbled upon this jeep shirt for kids at Cabella’s. You can also order it online. I looked for adult sizes, but couldn’t find any.
Browning boy’s On the Run T-shirt @ Cabellas
This photo is part of an archive of letters from a Doctor named Greg Alexander to a woman named Wilma he met on a blind date during the war and (spoiler alert) married after he returned. Titled Letter’s to Wilma, the blog tracks Greg’s life as he enters the service, through D-Day, France and Germany. One of the interesting aspects is that jeep he was assigned when he reached France (see below). Anyone know what’s on the bumper? I assume the bar on the front was to carry stretchers? Note the jeep is named Wilma.
Here’s the blog: http://wwii-letters-to-wilma.blogspot.com
Doug shared with me the windshield extension included by Sears when he purchased a soft top in 1971. So, if you see something similar, it was actually a third party modification!
He wrote, “Here are some pics of the windshield extension that came with the Sears full soft top that I purchased in approx. late 1979.I ordered the top for an MB/GPW, so it came with the extension. They sold the same top to fit a cj2a without using the extension. I remember going to a canvas/upholstery shop to have some help with the doors. For some reason I could not install the doors without some professional help. Can’t recall why.I got home late that night! I was 17 at the time.”
The photo of this poor CJ-2A appeared on Facebook earlier this week. I don’t have any info on it.
And who has this MB?
“1944- Ward Canaday, President of Willys-Overland, drives the 200,000 Jeep built in Toledo off the line on April 4, 1944. Mr. Canaday helped the company get a contract to make Jeeps during WWII, producing 363,000 of the total of 648,000 wartime Jeeps.”
View all the information on eBay
I don’t remember this photo in any of the Half Safe books.
“1957 Press Photo Tiburon Calif, Australian Ben Carlin drove amphibious jeep
This is an original press photo. Tiburon Calif, Australian Ben Carlin drove amphibious jeep around the worldPhoto measures 9.25 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 12-03-1957.”
View all the information on eBay
I haven’t run across many truck-related press photos.
“1950 Press Photo Willys Overland 1/2 Ton Jeep Truck with Hurricane Engine
This is an original press photo. Photo measures 10 x 8.25inches. Photo is dated 3-23-1950.”
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: Sold Was $3500.
This is a rare Empire Tractor built with civilian Willys parts.
“Empire tractors were only made for a few years after WWII. To start with they used surplus military Willys jeep drivetrains, later using civilian jeep drivetrains. The engine is jeep, the transmission and rearend are jeep, steering column and wheel is jeep, even the radiator is jeep. The operator platform is surplus Navy ship decking.
Getting this Texas trip going proved to be a challenge. Multiple issues kept us from leaving for weeks, then additional issues along the way added unforeseen obstacles, from an ill grandfather prior to departure, to me getting ill early on in the trip, to an emergency trip flight for Ann back to see her grandfather late in the trip.
Just the same, we managed to meet some wonderful folks, dine one some great food, and enjoy the hospitality of Texas. We look for ward to going returning (ed note: which we did briefly in late 2016).
Our trip tipped the odometer at just over 10,000 miles and 54 days. We explored the west, south, east, central, north and panhandle areas of Texas; yet there was still more we couldn’t see. We saw the Rio Grande, ate Texas BBQ, dipped our toes into the Caribbean on South Padre Island, rode a glass bottom boat, explored the Alamo, saw our first Buc’ees, visited a wide variety of museums, and much more. We even took a side trip to Omaha, Nebraska!
We arrived home just in time to celebrate my 50th birthday. Hopefully, the next half century will be as interesting as the first half.
Here’s an overall map of our trip:
eWillys Texas trip from late April – early June 2015.
Here are the posts related to the trip:
Brian forwarded links to some color WWII photos. These two photos included jeeps.
British and South African soldiers hold up Nazi trophy flag while combat engineers on bulldozers clear a path through the debris of the bombed out city of Cassino in 1943.
American servicemen drive in jeeps through an unidentified and nearly completely destroyed town, Italy, May 1944.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $16,000
(03/17/2015) David spotted this unique, cool GPW Ford truck jeep. It even has a tilt bed.
“42 Ford tilt bed truck – 302 Mustang power – C4 automatic – 9″ rear end. Disc brakes on front, mag wheels, 2 fuel tanks, cloth interior. Currently on a Historical Vehicle license. Great driver. Formerly a magazine car, with copies to go with it.”
Seth discovered this ex-Safari Ride jeep at the corporate headquarters of Sweetwater, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The fiberglass jeeps were built by Bradley & Kaye and Fort Wayne Zoo visitors used to ride in them as they toured the zoo’s African Veldt. The African Veldt exhibit opened in the 1970s and closed in the mid 2000s. It was replaced by the African Journey’s sky ride.
David Bradley, the ‘Bradley’ in Bradley and Kaye, had a long history with amusement parks. In 1946 David Bradley opened up the Beverly Park amusement park in southern California. His park inspired Walt Disney to the point that Bradley became a consultant for Walt on Disneyland. At some point Bradley became connected to the Bradley and Kaye manufacturing plant, which created fiberglass carousel molds and children’s rides. In 1974 Beverly Park closed. In the1980s Bradley and Kaye went out of business. In 1987 Chance Amusements acquired the Bradley and Kaye assets. Much more history on Bradley here. David Bradley passed away in 1988.
Here’s a photo of a similar jeep in action at the Fort Wayne zoo. Note it operates on a guided track (from pinterest).
Here’s another action shot from Pinterest:
These soldiers are patrolling for riots in Detroit.
“This is a Type 2 Original News Press Wire Service Photograph. Size is 8″ x 12″.”
View all the information on eBay
These old car magazines are such fun to explore. The August 1953 issue of Cars Magazine had an article about jeeps. The magazine also contained a strange story from Idaho about the Brink and a Half Club, which seems to involve dunking your vehicle into the Clearwater River. While the article claims US95 hugs the Clearwater River for 150 miles, according to wikipedia the Clearwater is only 75 miles long. I think the author may have confused the Clearwater with the Salmon River.
Finally, I’ve also included an odds-n-ends page which includes a Ford automobile testimonial by noted criminal John Dillinger and the earliest example of a double-ender vehicle I’ve ever seen.
This is the full two-page jeep article blended together. The text can be read in the image below.
Page 1 of the article.
Interestingly, no mention of any asian companies jeep efforts mentioned.
No mention of Vic Hickey made in reference to the top photo. This article from Car Craft does a much better job of covering Hickey.
The Ottawa Citizen published an article in March of 1955 about a jeep wrecked by a train. I think we can all agree that the moral of this story is to avoid trains when driving a jeep.
This is a great photo showing a line of Bantam BRC-60s.
“WWII Line of Bantam Prototype Pre-Willys Jeeps at Fort Benning Orig Press Photo”
View all the information on eBay
Paul built a heat shield to protect his steering assembly. I believe it’s his last project of the winter. Paul’s putting ‘Knardly Rolls’ to rest until Fall. It’s now time for him and the Goddess to drop the top on the Miata and explore the melting tundra.
He writes, Here’s the heat shield I made to protect the steering assembly from the heat given off by the left exhaust manifold and exhaust tubing. As you might have noticed there’s very little clearance between the heat shield and the steering shaft. A penny will not fit between the heat shield and the steering shaft. The heat shield is .020” stainless and the attach bracket which clamps to the exhaust pipe is .050” stainless.
The decreasing diameter holes drilled thru the attach bracket will allow cooling air to pass behind the heat shield which will help keep the steering linkage from getting too hot. I hope. The brown coating on the brake light switch ground wire attach bolt is a gasket shellac that should prevent water from seeping between the ground wire connection to the bare frame so corrosion is prevented. The exhaust is held to the manifold by silver plated high temperature steel self locking nuts.
An ad for Seagram’s Five Crow whiskey appeared in the December, 1942, issue of American Legion magazine. The illustration is kind of jeep-like.
The American Legion has turned all of its back issues into downloadable documents that are also searchable online. Pretty handy! You can view the entire December 1942 issue here: http://archive.legion.org/handle/123456789/3774
Paul Berry uploaded photos from his visit to the FC Roundup on Facebook. You can visit the Willys America’s page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Willys-America/172564566099537?fref=photo
Jesse Ybarra’s FC Tour Jeep. Looks great Jesse!
Not much left of that wagon.
“948 Press Photo Dayton Ohio jeep and truck collide. This is an original press photo. Dayton Ohio jeep and truck collidePhoto measures 8.5 x 4.5inches. Photo is dated 11-11-1948.”