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 .
Looks staged, but still a good photo.
“1943 Puerto Rico USMC Marines on Jeep Guard Duty 8×10 Original Press Photo”
View all the information on eBay
With all the great weather, we’ve managed to sneak in a few camping trips. We were really roughing it in Ann’s mother’s new motorhome. Yes, we left her mother behind so we could enjoy some quite time.
Early last week we made the two hour drive to the Ohanapecosh Campground at Mt. Rainier. Here are some photos from that trip.
A couple days ago we drove from Pasco to Red Bridge Wayside State Park. Red Bridge is one of five northeast Oregon state wayside parks that are well kept and inexpensive places to stay. Of the twenty spots available, only three were taken. So we had a very quiet stay. However, somehow we didn’t get any photos of the campground.
We did find a horseshoe pit, but lacking horseshoes we turned to frisbees.
I wonder if the plastic glue every became a commercial product.
“You are bidding on an original 8 x 10 press photo of Pittsburgh PA Westinghouse Jeep Hangs By Plastic Glue developed by Westinghouse.”
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
Hopefully the jeep shows a little better in the original photo.
“1948 Press Photo Sidewalk Snow Scooter nickname given by students to Jeep”
No updates other than these pics from Charles for Sunday (We should still be camping).
Here are a few photos of the Belgian Army:
3th compagnie military police – aachen (germany) 1948
And some other photos:
This early Canfield PTO Wrecker brochure shows Canfield as the manufacturer behind the Little giant PTO wrecker.
Roberto Flores let me know that these classic Colorado Plateau photos inspired him to draw this jeep with a few mountains in the background.
Patrick found this great series of pages hosted by the Milwaukee Art Museum. The site contains over 160 Brooks Stevens drawings and models. Wagon, FCs, DJs, and Wagoneers are included. Start here to see all of the concept photos and drawings.
Patrick put together this animated GIF which shows the different noses Brooks considered.
This is an August 1946 Jeepster concept:
Brooks Stevens Jeepster 1946-08-01
These DJ concepts are always interesting:
http://archive.mam.org/brooks-stevens/search.php?s=100&type=search&search=jeep
Got your 2015 Holy Toledo calendars yet? It got mine. You can get yours at http://norris-banonis.com/holy-toledo.html
Steve spotted this odd photo. My question is, did the jeep back into the wall and then get lifted up? Or did it somehow hit it from the outside?
“This lot is for two 5″x7″ black and white original photos of a Willys Jeep somehow attached to a barn door…not sure if this is intentional or by accident. Appears to be a 1957 Ford in the background. See photos for condition. Please be sure to view my other listings as well! Thank you for looking.”
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $1000
(08/14/2014) It’s a Dodge cab on a ’46 jeep.
“1946 Willy’s Jeep. Entire running gear in good condition. 1940 dodge truck cab. Been barn stored since the 60’s. Worth 1,000 in scrap, asking 2,000 or best offer. Wanting this to go to a good home and hopefully reach full restoration”
First published (03/24/2011): A reader named Alan found these these classic jeeping images from the Four Corners area of the Southwest while scanning some slides, taken while on a jeep trip in 1961. Not only are the colors wonderful, but quality of the shots are fantastic. The slides came from Alan’s father-in-law and the CJ-3A, the yellow jeep in image 2, was his father-in-law’s father’s jeep. I will publish a couple more posts with more pictures later this week.
When I lived in Utah, I used to travel down to the Moab area, find a piece of slickrock (similar to the type of rock the jeep below is traveling down), throw my sleeping bag on a flat surface, and fall asleep under the stars (and there are lots of visible stars down there). At sunbreak in the morning, the light would cause the slickrock to turn intense reddish colors. Southern Utah is one of my favorite places to explore.
First published 09/02/2012: The February 1948 Issue of Popular Mechanics Magazine published this fascinating look at the Bountiful City Jeep Posse, an organization that worked as a volunteer Search and Rescue and Fire Fighting group out of Bountiful, Utah. Started in 1946, the organization is still in existence.
I found this article that provides additional history from the 2006 in the Deseret News. Though they own fewer jeeps and have more trucks, they are still helping their community. I’ve contacted the newspaper to see if I can communicate with the members to get some more information about them and, possibly, some additional jeep pictures.
The Images below all come from the Popular Mechanics Magazine article. Note the jeep in the background of the bottom image on page 3 has a full cage, the earliest example of a full cage I’ve seen.
Following the article, I’ve included pics of two ads, too.
Page 1:
First published 09/17/2012: I ran across this book about “California State Park Rangers” written by Michael G. Lynch, which includes several pictures of Rangers and Jeeps. I’ve included three images below and don’t know if there are more. The book covers the history of California State Park Rangers, beginning with the first Ranger Galen Clark at Yosemite State Park in 1866. With a career of thirty-five years in the California Park system, Michael plans to donate some of the proceeds to the parks.
According to the author, many of the images come from the state park archives, which you can view online here.
Click here to learn more about the book at Amazon
First published 09/29/2012: I first spotted this article in the May 22, 1943, edition of Colliers Magazine.
An article by the same name (Jeep of All Trades), but with different content, was published in Mechanix Illustrated in November 1945 (see an example at this-old-jeep.com).
Below are some images of the article. I searched on the author, but all I learned was that he wrote for Colliers. If you spot an inexpensive Colliers Magazine with the article, let me know!
Ann and I decided last night to head for Ohanapecosh near Mt. Rainier on Sunday for a couple days. No reception there means no updates for a couple days. However, I have schedule a few old feature posts to reappear. We’ll be back on Tuesday so there will be some updates at that point.
Paul’s ‘Goddess’ forwarded me a link about Yale’s Photogrammar website that contains 170,000 photographs from 1935 to 1945 created by the United State’s Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information (FSA-OWI).
One of the neater features shows all the photos mapped by county across the United States. Click here to see it: http://photogrammar.yale.edu/map/
The folks at FSA-OWI also had time to get jeep photos. You’ve likely seen many of them, but there are a few I don’t remember seeing. Here are my jeep search results.
Ford GP … Baltimore, Maryland. Colonel H.J. Lawes, post commander, Holabird quartermaster depot and commandant of the quartermaster motor transport school at the wheel of a “jeep” giving his pupils first-hand instructions on the vehicle training ground during a two-week preventive maintenance for motor vehicles course for officers
Fort Riley, Kansas. A jeep of a mechanized cavalry reconnaissance unit carrying a thirty caliber machine gun during a field problem. April 1942. Photo by Jack Delano.
Jan’s Victory Toy Jeep
Jan contacted me about a toy his father picked up in Maastricht (Netherlands) at the end of WWII. He didn’t know the history of the toy and asked if I knew. I didn’t know either, but after some research, I learned this toy was called a victory toy and made in the Netherlands following their liberation in WWII. However, what’s not clear is who manufactured these toys. Was it “Victory Toys” or were these ‘victory toys’ made by a manufacturer not of that name?
Victory Toy jeeps and soldiers from the Netherlands. These were part of an auction in 2011. http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18798/lot/1090/
You can learn more information at these links:
Here are a couple more jeeps
UPDATE: This Jeepney sold for $5700. Dave forwarded some additional photos.
“1946 Willys Jeep Station Wagon 463 model w/ L-134 Go-Devil Flathead four engine, Jeepster/Philippians Taxi; Auction: September 4th, 2014, Sanborn, MN”
Michael spotted this link from the Chive that shows a 57 military jeep photos. They are labeled as “hi res” photos, but when I downloaded the one below, it wasn’t hi res. Still, they are well shot photos.
http://thethrottle.thechive.com/2014/09/03/a-few-willys-jeeps-in-high-res-57-hq-photos/
UPDATE: Please check the comments about this service. Some readers have encountered issues with Tonka Jeep.
Wally wrote me the other day to share information about a vintage jeep restoration and parts shop called Tonka Jeep Limited. The business has only been opened since 2012, however their service guy has more than 40 years experience working on jeeps. You can learn more about the company via the website or the Facebook page.
Tonka Jeep Limited started in 2012, following twenty-five years of being a vintage Jeep owner as a hobby. Our product and service offerings cover all Jeep and Jeep variants (Jeepster, Truck & Wagon) from 1941-1955. We’ve grown steadily, by offering hard to find original parts, NOS, as well as all reproduction parts. Along with parts, we offer complete rebuild services on all mechanical components. Restoration services are offered exclusively on both civilian and military Jeeps. Parts can be ordered through our website, or by email inquiry. Our means of contact is unique, as we don’t take phone calls, we found email contact to be faster and a more efficient way to service our clientele; our response times are usually same day, however, twenty-four hours is standard. Many have asked if we have a shop or store to come by and visit; for now no, but of course if you want to pick-up parts, we’ll gladly direct you to one of two locations, where inventory is stored.
Our website is: tonkajeepltd.com and email address for questions and ordering is; sales@tonkajeepltd.com
Here’s a photo of their promotional and work jeep, a 1943 GPW:
The photo is of the owner, after an all day product shoot for the website; the back-drop is a hood from a 1950 6 cylinder Station Wagon in the original Jamaica Green and yes, it is in excellent condition and for sale.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
The winner of the 1961 @ Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Jeep Derby race received a DJ-3A Surrey!
“Here is an Original Vintage 1961 5th ANNUAL JEEP DERBY Josephine Johns
8×10 B&W Press Photo
READY FOR THE JEEP DERBY — Josephine Johns of El Paso waves as she prepares to take a trial run over the 63-mile three-day fifth annual International Jeep Derby at Truth or Consequences, NM. April 21-23 in connection with the Ralph Edwards Fiesta. First prize will be a pink Acapulco-style Jeep to be given by Willys Motors Inc.”
There’s been a collection of 1950s/60s jeep brochures and booklets.
Click here to see this sellers items
Here are some examples:
Ouch! Steve spotted this photo of a poor wagon broadsided.
“Traffic Accident 1951 Market Truck Broadsides Jeep at Intersection
8 x 10 Photograph”
View all the information on eBay
