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1943 Photo of Richmond Ford Plant on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Naturally she’s driving a GPW. While Willys produced their jeeps in Toledo, Ford produced there jeeps at multiple locations, including Richmond, California.

“1943 Press Photo Bessie Harris drives jeep at Richmand Ford Plant”

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Mini-Beep Mower Ontario, OH **Status Unknown**

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Was $2000. Status Unknown.

Thanks to Doug for sharing this one. The motor is stuck. The brochure is likely rare.

“RERE STRUCK BEEP Garden Tractor with Snow Blade. Rust free and the nicest body you will ever find. Have all parts motor stuck. Have the book for it.”

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Conquering Southern Utah

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old News Articles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Good news. The site is back up! Explanation on what happened to come ….

I haven’t had a chance to add posts from the recent few days, but this photo is from the April 1956 issue of Willys News. This CJ-3B certainly has an unusual crew setup!

Most folks don’t remember the movie the Conquerer, starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward. It was a Ghenghis Khan theme-movie, as it was a huge bust. The Conqueror movie was filmed in Utah locations such as Snow Canyon, St. George, Harrisburg, Warner Valley, and Hurricane during a 13-week stretch in 1954-1955 (source).

Unfortunately, what the movie is best known for is the unusually high percentage of deaths of the crew from cancer. The crew used some high powered fans to blow sands to simulate rough conditions. A documentary I watched suggested that disturbing the sand might have exacerbated the potential exposure to radiated materials.

You can read more in this article from People magazine: http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20077825,00.html

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1942 The Little Jeep Book on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Books, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE:  Here’s another rare book for sale.

“Ayers, Peggy Griffin; The Little Jeep

GLENDALE, CA, 1942
Published by GRIFFIN PATTERSON PUBLISHING
illustrations songs
Binding: PAPER BACK WHITE
Size: 6.25X8.75
22 Pages
Topic: Children’s books
Overall Condition is: FAIR
previous owner markings (rear blank cover child drawings), BOOK incorrectly bound all pages present some pages upside down, front and back cover staining and some missing pieces, front cover has crease on corners, over all browning, aged staining, spine tattered and missing some pieces,
REF#:065829”

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Trader Wooly and the Ghost in the Colonel’s Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Books, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Trader Wooly and the Ghost in the Colonel’s Jeep is one of three books written by Tom Townsend. I’ve not read the book. According to his website, the series is “about army dependents growing up and going to middle school in West Germany. Trader and his friends seem to be getting in and out of trouble a lot. The books are historical fiction full of adventure.”

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Mounty in a Jeep Book **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Books, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.

“MOUNTY IN A JEEP BY T.MORRIS LONGSTRETH,1949 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. EX LIBRARY HARDCOVER,158 PAGES,APPEARS TITLE WAS HANDWRITTEN ON EDGE OF COVER,NORMAL COVER WEAR AND LIBRARY STAMPS,WRITING ON BLANK PAGE,”

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This information is from a 2012 post:

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DJ-3A Dispatchers as Bank Couriers

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old News Articles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The Southern Bank of Norfolk in Virginia thought the DJ-3A would make an excellent bank vehicle. Despite being outfitted with special locks and an ‘army-type’ lock box, the dispatcher did not look like a high security bank vehicle. Moreover, the bank might have been smarter not to put the bank’s name on the jeep. I would have liked a picture of the lock box. The article below was published in the June-July 1956 issue of Willys News.

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1945 Photo Showing Anti-Theft Chain on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I’ve heard of GIs grabbing distributer parts, but this is the first time I’ve seen a chain used as an anti-theft device.

“1945 Press Photo Col S.S. Archinlose chains his Jeep wheel to body of vehicle”

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Nelly Belle Marx Jeep **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, toys • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.

“Up for auction is a Marx “NELLYBELLE” Willys JEEP. Very old vintage steel toy. About 11 x 5.5 inches. The hood was fastened with nuts and bolts, see pictures for condition.”

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Box from a CJ-2(?) Model

• CATEGORIES: Features, Models This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

There’s no model inside this box to verify, but the picture on the cover looks like the experimental CJ-2 (not the CJ-2A). Note the military grill, the tool indents, not gas inlet, and the bow holders on the side. Anyone know if the photo matched the model?

“Great dusty old relic from our WW2 past. Empty Civilian jeep “ACE” model jeep box.The Willy’s Jeep evolved into the CJ Jeep “The Civilian Jeep” because of it’s popularity during WW2. The box is discolored from age, and has a bit of paper peeled from one end, please view all photos as they are part of the description. The interior of box is pretty sound structurally. The box measures 8 1/8″ long, 3 1/8″ wide and 1 9/16″ tall. This little survivor would fit in well with a WW2 Collection.”

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WWII Jeep Model on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Models This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This model is a project, in that there’s no instructions. I looked over the parts and it seems like there’s enough here to make most of the jeep. However, I don’t see passenger seat nor a driver’s side fender.

“WWII Jeep scale unknown (parts only) no box or instructions/decals package”

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1956 Caddy-Camper-Jeep Caravan

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old News Articles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Today the four 1956 Willys Newspapers in the mail I won on eBay arrived. There is lots of great stuff, both photos and interesting stories. I’ll be sharing them all in the coming weeks.

This first article from the page seven of the June-July 1956 issue tells the story of a retired couple by the name of Hawkins who readied a caravan for some cross country exploration. At the head of the caravan is a Fleetwood Caddillac. It pulls a camper-trailer that pulls a CJ-3B carrying a boat. Looks like they were ready for anything!

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Bill’s Half Scale Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Features, Models This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Bill Shaw is looking for some five lug tires for his 1/2 scale jeep project. If you comment below, I’ll make sure he get’s your info. Here are a couple links I found:

http://www.etrailer.com/Tires-and-Wheels/Kenda/AM30000.html
http://www.amazon.com/Kenda-Trailer-Tire-Wheel-Assembly/dp/B000GU40A0/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Bill writes, “I am working on a ½ scale jeep, mounted on a John Deere garden tractor. The engine fits well and I am now working on the axles which I am lowering 6” (if you look on-line, most of these projects have an odd out of kilter high on running gear look). We (my son-in-law, grandson and I) are looking for 4.80/4.00-8 military looking non directional tread tires, 5 of them. If anyone has a lead please let us know – Kanda used to make them, I think. The photos are of a correct size wheel in place, the engine (just fits) and the front steering axle as I am lowering the spindles. We are going to use 5 lug trailer spindles and hubs on the front and on the rear I am going to modify 6” chain sprockets with wheel lugs for the drive axle.”

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3D Printing Parts

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Scott has been testing the creation of small jeep parts using a 3D printer. He’s hoping to find options for the type of parts that aren’t sold by vendors. For example, you can see the wagon slider window and rear ashtray knobs he produced below. He tells me the 3D knobs he has produced look and feel like the real ones. You can see examples below that he’s made in different colors.

He’s also testing out the production of other small parts, including ones with a true chrome finish. If anyone has any ideas about hard or impossible parts to find, feel free to comment below.

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Ice Fishing on Lake Mendota and More

• CATEGORIES: Features, Library Collections, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

These photos come from the Digital Archives of the University of Wisconsin.  You can see all the jeep photos at the UW archives here and enter “jeep” into the search field.

The UW sits on the shore of Lake Mendota, so this photo might not have been taken too far from the University. I never got into ice-fishing when I lived in Madison, but lots of others enjoyed it.

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Copyright Center for Limnology Library

This photo was taken by Pat Hitchcock during her time in the Red Cross. No village or date was mentioned, so I’m unsure if this was during WWII or later.

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These materials may be copied freely by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or any ‘fair use’ as defined by U.S. copyright laws.

Pat Hitchcock sits in her jeep. “Red Cross Gals” is painted on the windshield. There’s no date on the photo, but I’d imagine given the license plate this was taken in the U.S?

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These materials may be copied freely by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or any ‘fair use’ as defined by U.S. copyright laws.

No Wisconsin post would be complete without a badger. Here’s an extra-large badger towed by a jeep in 1987.

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A Jeep pulls a large float in the shape of Bucky Badger around the Capitol Square in the 1987 Homecoming Parade. This material may by protected by copyright law (e.g., Title 17, US Code).

 

 

 
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The Dreaded Hotspot Pirates!!

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

When I travel, I never leave home without it. I’m not speaking of my American Express card, because I don’t own one. No, I’m referring to my Verizon 4G LTE ZTE (I might as well just put ABCDEFG for all I understand about the letters) portable broadband, also known as a hot spot (this differs from the Urban Dictionary’s definition of a ‘hotspot’).

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My nearly indispensable travel partner.

Together, my WIFI and I have logged something close to 40,000 miles together. From California to the New York islands its connectivity has allowed me to carry on my noble task of posting jeeps to eWillys and answering emails. No mountain pass has been too tall (though a couple have been too remote) and no desert too barren (ok, that might not be true either, but close enough) to keep it from working. It’s one of my best friends, which might be considered kind of sad upon further review. That’s something to bring up with my shrink I suppose …

In fact, I haven’t had to travel off the beaten path much to appreciate my hotspot’s value. I can’t tell you the numerous motels and hotels that have lacked reasonable functioning ‘free’ WIFI. It’s amazing how many nice hotels have lousy — read entirely unusable — ‘free WIFI’ and also supply paid WIFI upgrades for better service.

In fact, during our March/April trip through the western states the best hotel WIFI I found was at, of all places, the Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino. It was quick, responsive, and omni-present. In fact, the nicer the hotel, the worse the free WIFI seemed to be. Thankfully, my hotspot allowed eWillys operations to continue, though there were a few times at hotels my normally dependable hotspot acted unusually slow. Perhaps now I understand why . . .

The reason I bring up this topic, is because I just read an article about Marriott’s attempts to block personal hotspots in their hotels. According to this PC World article,

Marriott has agreed to pay a $600,000 fine after the Federal Communications Commission found the company blocked consumer Wi-Fi networks last year during an event at a hotel and conference center in Nashville. At the same time, Marriott was charging exhibitors and others as much as $1,000 per device to access the hotel’s wireless network, the FCC announced Friday.

But, Marriott wasn’t using a jammer to block signals. They were using their own WIFI network to block personal hotspots. Moreover, the company was unlawfully blocking WIFI frequencies they neither own nor have the right to manage, frequencies the FCC provides for me, and you, and my friend to email, web surf, movie watch, or read eWillys.

As a comparative analogy, it’s little different than the Marriott blocking traffic on the road in front of their hotel, then allowing only cars that pay the Marriott fee to drive on it. Naturally, in that scenario, they are keeping out the rogue cars, which makes it safer for their guests. I’m pretty sure the DOT would have some issues with that!

Despite the fine, Marriott continues to believe they were acting lawfully. Naturally, Marriott claims it was doing this for our own benefit, to protect us naive users from those ‘rogue’ wireless hot spots that degrade service, steal identities and lead insidious cyber-attacks. And, of course, It had nothing to with generating income from patrons. Besides, EVERYONE knows how safe corporate WIFI systems and networks are. Just ask JP Morgan, Target, etc . . .

So, the next time you are at a hotel and your personal hotspot stops working, there’s probably a rogue corporate network at work unlawfully pirating your FCC-given right to use frequencies you’ve paid to use. Instead of some Russian-criminal-nerd trying to steal money from your bank account, it’s someone in the hotel blocking your service so they can steal $13 or more from your wallet for WIFI. It’s an employee from the same hotel whose corporate values likely include phrases like “We Act With Integrity” & “We Put People First”.

That’s all for now.

 
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Guess Watch with a Jeepster on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I’m going to guess this watch is later than 1981 since it has that date on it. No description.

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Pics from Charles

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Women & Jeeps This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

More great photo finds courtesy of Charles.

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Photos from the East Coast Willys Swap Met

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The East Coast Willys Association’s 3rd Annual Swap Meet on Saturday was a big hit. Several readers submitted photos (thanks!). Here are some:

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Carter and Bailey having fun at the swap meet.

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Was this a WWII era Pump?

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Charles just purchased this pump. He was wondering if anyone recognizes it? Was it a WWII era pump?

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Photo of Armored Jeep in Luxembourg on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Good shot of the hood number.

“This is an original WWII photo of GIs and their JEEP in the center square of a small town in Luxembourg as the inhabitants celebrate liberation. The town band has assembled in the cobblestone square to formalize the occasion”

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Photo of jeep in Maneuvers in Louisiana on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This is an interesting one. Note the driver’s side exhaust where the gas tank should be. It also might have a column shift. The low swoop of the side body suggests this is a prototype. The rivets along the ‘swoop’ and the handle position suggest this is a Ford GP body, yet the fenders look later and the slope of the swoop isn’t quite right. Anyone have thoughts on this? See the Ford GP image below for comparison.

“You are bidding on a great photo named to CPL CHARLES SARM he servied in the HQ Company 3rd Battalion 23rd infantry regiment 2nd infantry division and also served in 3rd Battalion 394th infantry regiment 99th Division. the photos are from the in 1940 – 1945 including Louisiana maneuvers and war photos.”

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More Progress From Paul

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Paul’s added more panels to his M-38. The gray panels look real nice inside. Somehow, he managed to arrange an earthquake in Alaska just to test the design!

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I purchased more shower curtain rods so I could speed up my progress on installing the Willys interior panels. I’m excited seeing the improvement the fabric panels make over the bare stainless and it seems Mother Nature is excited also. Yesterday (Sept. 25th) we had a 6.2 earthquake rumble thru town and this evening we had another smaller earthquake measuring only 5.0. The 6.2 quake managed to knock some stuff off the shelves in the garage and some items stored in the crawlspace were broken but we had no damage to the house or the Willys so I’m a happy guy. Here’s a picture of two more interior panels being held in place by 10 curtain rods (upholstery tensioning devices) and you can see the gray fabric panel slightly above the center of this photo. Tomorrow I’ll install two more overhead panels and prep the two vertical corner pieces if the earth quits moving long enough for me to reposition the tension rods.

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As you might have noticed, I clamped the rear window upholstery panel into position this morning. The interior panel is protected by a 2 inch thick white foam overlay and cardboard taped to the stainless protects the surface from scratches from the vise grip clamps. paul-upholstery-m38-4

Two inch thick foam overlay protects the upholstery panel and spreads the clamping force. Two smaller finished pieces are installed and clamped by the famous adjustable tension rods. I’ve used 34 tubes (12.9 ounces each) of black silicone to attach 15 interior panels and I still have 18 panels left to install.

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I never expected shower curtain rods and foam insulation were necessary tools for installing upholstery in the Willys. As you can see on the right Vise Grips, thin plywood and pink foam are also needed. Yes, we embrace diversity here in the northland. paul-upholstery-m38-1

 

 
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Third Annual Swap Meet Saturday October 4th

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Don’t forget about the 3rd Annual Swap Meet in Siler City, NC, this weekend.

East Coast Willys Restorations is is hosting the East Coast Willys Association’s 3rd Annual Swap Meet on Saturday, October 4th, in Siler City, North Carolina. I’ve donated a few items to help benefit the NC Vietnam Veterans group.

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Photo of Woman in Jeep on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Women & Jeeps This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Nice shot of a new-looking CJ-2A.

“This listing is for a vintage photograph of a woman driving in really cool jeep 1948. Photo measures approximately 3-1/4×4-1/4″ and is in good condition.”

View all the information on eBay

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