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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 .
A May 1957 article from Willys News reported that the first FC-150 to Alaska was sent by plane. Unfortunately, to fit on the plane it had to be disassembled. Look how close that cab is to not fitting. Someone in Alaska sure wanted that FC badly!
The Seep’s name is Mud Hen.
“1943- Troops riding in Ford GPA Jeep Amphibious Vehicle “Mud Hen” at Fort Knox.”
View all the information on eBay
This May 1957 Willys News article provides some interesting history about the Warn Manufacturing Company. Apparently there was some early resistance to using the first generation of the warn hubs, because jeep owners felt they’d purchased their jeeps for the four wheel drive capability. The initial hubs turned the jeeps into two wheel drive, which some owners felt defeated the whole point of owning a jeep. However, through education and marketing, the Warn folks slowly turned naysayers into advocates.
From a 1995 Field & Stream Magazine article:
These were the first locking/unlocking hubs Warn developed. These were advertised as early as October of 1953 in the Popular Mechanics:
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay
This May 1942 Junior Scholastic magazine had a Ford GP on the cover.
“Junior Scholastic magazine for school kids. Week of April 27-May 2 1942 issue.
16 pages. A little larger than 8 inches x 11 inches.
World War II era article about the modern mechanized cavalry charging into battle on motorized vehicles, motorcycles (like the Harley-Davidson WLA), and even horses still.
Complete. Clean pages. No water damage. No creases. Normal amount of age-browning to the paper. Considering the newspaper-quality wartime paper used, this magazine is in remarkably nice condition after 70 plus years. There’s some minimal red marking here and there. The delicate folded, stapled-binding has a small amount of separation along the top and bottom edges, but is holding together well.”
Probably not many of these left in the world.
“This auction is for a vintage wooden Jeep puzzle/toy. It comes in its original box with a parts diagram. Made in Japan, probably 1950s or 60s. In new condition, never played with. 5 1/2″ L x 2 1/2″ W x 2 3/4″ H.”
View all the information on eBay
This year the Bantam Festival has a fantastic lineup of early jeeps courtesy of Omix-ADA. The BRC built by Duncan Rolls, along with a host of other early jeeps should make for a great show.
Neat follow me jeep from the belgian air force 1ste wing-1950
Note the accordion on the front of this jeep.
Ouch!
36th Armored Infantry:
Another ‘the jeep can do it all’ ad. This one was published on June 1, 1949, in Utah’s Deseret News.
It’s not quite ready to drive yet, but I can pretend to drive this former four-wheel-steer Bantam. Someday I will drive a running one!
On Monday we drove down to Boise where we met up with Josh to see his prized four-wheel-steer Bantam BRC-40, which appears to have been converted to two-wheel-steer by the military. According to Josh, the four wheel-steer-jeeps were horrendous to drive, so they weren’t used that way for long. He’s in the process of gathering the parts he needs to do a full restoration on it.
Two interesting tidbits about the four wheel steer Bantams. In the first photo, the inner sides of the wheel wells were beaten with hammers to accommodate the four-wheel-steer mechanisms.
One way to identify a four-wheel-steer is by shocks mounted inside and in back of the springs like the ones shown below.
Josh has a few other jeeps around as well. I got so busy talking with him that I forgot to photograph the others. Meanwhile, my photographer got chilly, so she returned to the jeep. Zollie accompanied us on our trip, so Ann posed him in front of this jeep.
After spending Monday night in Boise, we drove down to Salt Lake on Tuesday. We picked up the boys and went to eat some delicious food at the Mahider Ethiopian restaurant. Below is the huge plate of food we ordered. To eat, you tear some of the spongy, fermented bread called Injera from the edges of the plate and scoop up food with it.
On Wednesday we went to Kimball Junction to see the Topeka Hiway Mower for sale here. After that we returned to Salt Lake City and took Colter to a movie (Karson was busy with college). Unfortunately, by Wednesday afternoon snow was predicted on the Blue Mountains in Oregon, so we decided to head back Thursday night.
It was a short visit to Utah, but a good one.
Here’s an unusual item.
“INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL LANDMARK DISPLAY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING -WILLYS OVERLAND JEEP MODEL MB
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
APPROX. 40 INCHES TALL”
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: This was likely published in 1959, 1960, or 1961. I can’t make out the form number to verify. This was sold on eBay in 2015.
Plus the brochure the seller will include a Scheneker Plow Ad.
“Up for auction no reserve! A Mailing Brochure for Willys Jeep trucks also the CJ-5 jeep Brochure folds out to a nice display sheet measuring 11 inches tall 17 across. please see pics condition is very good a little paper aging as expected for the age. Also a one sided brochure Ad for Schenecker Snow Plow Universal mount for Jeep. age stains light crease across middle small paper loss left center in pic”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
“UP FOR AUCTION IS THIS RARE OLD JEEP CATALOG. 27 PAGES FULL OF ALL KINDS OF RARE JEEP EQUIPMENT. LIKE A BACK HOE, POST HOLE DIGGER, AMBULANCE, ETC, ETC CONDITION IS VERY GOOD FOR ITS AGE. SELLING WITH NO RESERVE. PLEASE KEEP ME IN YOUR WATCH. I HAVE ALOT MORE VINTAGE JEEP BROCHURES I WILL BE LISTING.”
This February 1956 photo and caption from Willys News reported that the Louisville Apothecary, which had used jeeps for delivery since 1946, was welcoming their first DJ-3A Dispatcher to their lineup.
Buz shared this unique story of Keith’s Adams’ trek across Australia in an extra-ordinary 1948 Buick Sedan. Keith and his family filmed their adventure in color. It looks like an interesting story.
http://northernsafari.com/project/buick/
At one spot the family encountered a modified MB/GPW that looks pretty dead:
Alex’s friend took this photo of a M-201 Hotchkiss. There are about ten of these in Tahiti that are leftover from the French nuclear test period. Only one or two are in running condition.
Thanks to Dan for spotting this just completed auction. A rare Jeep Lego set just sold on eBay for $1,069!
You can get the full story at Yahoo: https://autos.yahoo.com/news/vintage-lego-jeep-costs-more-actual-jeeps-143012173.html
In anticipation of the 2015 FC Roundup in Phoenix, Craig Brockhaus compiled this great FC Music Video from past Roundup photos taken by Scott Lehman.
Ted Jordan forwarded me the following photos of a rare American Bantam plow with serial plate he just acquired. He also forwarded several emails about the plow and Barry Thomas’ efforts to learn more about it. I’m sure Barry will continue to dig into this issue. You can follow his efforts at http://farmjeep.com & his farm jeep blog.
That got me doing my own research. There’s an interesting interrelationship between the Monroe Auto, Newgren and American Bantam companies. I’m sure some of you have information you can add to this, but for now the history below is what I managed to cobble together.
Monroe Auto Parts senior project engineer Ivan N. Schatzka helped the company develop a hydraulic lift in 1946. In the same year the Newgren Company became the distributor of the Love hydraulic lift, developed by J. B. Love. At some point Monroe Auto acquired the Newgren company (and discontinued the Love Hydraulic lift in favor of the Monroe lift?). By 1948 Newgren was advertising that its implements were operated in conjunction with the Monroe lift.
Meanwhile, American Bantam was struggling. During WWII American Bantam had annual sales around $25 million. In 1945 that amount dropped to $19 million. In a failed attempt to shift course and sell post-war civilian trailers, American Bantam sales plunged to $3.8 million in 1946 and further to $3.7 million in 1947. Unable to meet dividends, American Bantam struggled, and may have been close to shutting its doors.
For reasons that aren’t quite clear to me, on July 5, 1948, Monroe Auto Parts offered American Bantam directors a proposal. Monroe wanted to sell the Newgren Company to American Bantam. In exchange, the MacIntyre brothers, who led the Monroe Company, would take over American Bantam. Thus, Monroe was divesting itself of the Newgren company, but maintaining control of Newgren by gaining control of its new parent company, American Bantam. All of the common stock in American Bantam would become non-voting preferred stock. In exchange for the Newgren Company, American Bantam would pay the Monroe Company $600,000 in a new class of stock.
My theory is that Monroe’s management was not optimistic about the future of jeep implements, but were bullish on the auto part industry in general. Fearing Newgren could become a drag, due to its focus on jeep parts, they moved it to American Bantam. This put the Monroe company on a path to focus on the auto parts industry, yet allowed them to maintain control of Newgren by selling it to American Bantam.
It looks like the first and third military police jeeps are Slat Grilles to me.
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
Glenn spotted these rare Warn Summer Hubs on eBay.
Like Ted in Connecticut, Craig reports there is plenty of snow in Vermont. None of these jeeps will be moving anytime soon!
Ann and I are driving south monday morning. After an overnight stop in Boise Monday night we’ll be in Salt Lake to visit my boys Tuesday and Wednesday. We decided to take advantage of the lack of snow, the warm temperatures, and low gas prices.
Most of you know the northeast has been hit hard with snow this year. Some know because you are in the middle of it! One of those is Ted, who shared these photos:
Ted posted these Monroe 3 Point parts on eBay. View all the information on eBay
1. Monroe 3 Point View all the information on eBay
2. Monroe 3 Point Arms View all the information on eBay
