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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 .
Bill shared this odd story of a jeep owner getting a ticket. The comments are odd/amusing, too. The writer claimed the jeep is a WWII jeep, but it looks like an M-38.
Bill spotted this highly unusual audio/visual jeep called an SV-102 H.
View all the information on ebay
“Available for you to consider is a 1967 Kaiser Jeep 4×4 6cyl w/3spd manual 3 on the tree. This vehicle has been stored away indoors for years. Engine spins freely and will run you will need a radiator , carb rebuilt, 2) 12 v batteries (24volt system) most likely clean up brakes and will need fuel system flushed with new fuel. This is a very rare unique vehicle. This Jeep was used in Vietnam for Audio Visual. This Jeep is out of Fort Knox. I really know nothing of this particular history of actual usage and very little information to be found on the web.
I understand it was a very low production vehicle with very few left inexistence. What I do know it is a great conversation piece. It really grabs attention. Check underneath pics. Floors, frame all very solid. Floorboards all solid, rust free….The patina is awesome. Has not been touched since back in the day….Rear barn doors… Seat in great shape as well as dash. Just a unique vehicle..”
This jeep toy appears at around the 4:30 mark of the video at the bottom of the post. Anyone know what company produced this toy jeep?
UPDATE: I got things turned around and mounted the headers. I also got the sliding door done correctly, the first time :-). I think I measured about 17 times, lol.
Slider before trim:
Slider after trim:
==========
As mentioned, I’ve been working on trim for our master bedroom. Ann wanted a Craftsman look to the trim, so I put together this look to the header, constructed out of four pieces, two of which require the table saw and planer to meet the right specs (I love having the wood working equipment at the ready!!). The first iteration of this turned out great on Wednesday.
Still needing to finish two other doors, both 36″ wide (closet was only 29″ wide), I decided to do both headers at the same time on Thursday. I measured. I remeasured. I cut. I painted. Everything seemed to be assembling fine. But, somehow, I wrote down the wrong initial measurement, one inch too narrow, which led to this foul up (albeit, much stronger language was used when I set the header atop the boards in this photo!
Yep, I was exactly one inch short! *%@*@!! So, I spent Friday rebuilding another set of headers exactly one inch wider, lol …
On the bright side, it turns out, after walking through the house measuring doorways, that we have two different doors in the future tv/office that have 35″ doorways, so the now-extra headers will work perfectly in there … whew!
Here’s a neat look at a video from the Fall Colors Tour.
Jason put together this video on how he, just for the challenge of it, rebuilt a set of headlight rings. You can see his other videos here.
A few years ago Barry finally solved the riddle of which hydraulic lift offered by Newgren used a dash control. You can read about it here:
https://www.farmjeep.com/2020/05/27/the-old-newgren-control-on-the-dash-mystery-finally-solved/
Nate got out his camera and his track-enabled CJ-5 named Snowshoe to see how it would do in the snow. He’s suitably impressed.
Bill shared this TWO-HOUR video of a 1949 Jeepster rescue. I haven’t had time to review it all, but it looks like in pretty good condition and will make a good restore or drive-as-is project.
Blaine shared this photo that includes this toy jeep. It was included in a thread on pedal cars, but I can’t tell if this is pedal or foot driven. There is no date on the photo.
https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/featured-imagery/vintage-pedal-cars-your-posts-are-wanted!/
UPDATE: I’ve added information to the bottom of the post which discusses the shift of employees from the Transport Motor Company to the Kurland Motor Company in late 1948.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to export this topic further, but Barry Thomas is doing research into California’s Transport Motor Company, which was the earliest supplier of Willys farm equipment in California. If anyone has more info about the company, Barry of would like to know about it. Comment below or email me at d@deilers.com and I’ll connect you.
Transport Motor was already a strong Willys reseller by the time WWII started, so they were were well positioned for post-war sales and service. This ad was published in the October 19, 1941, issue of the Oakland Tribune as part of a larger article:
After the war, the company pushed Willys Jeeps and the associated farm equipment, though it is unclear which specific models/manufacturers of the equipment was being sold, as evidenced by this October 27, 1946, classified ad in the Oakland Tribune:
This article from the March 28, 1947, issue of the Ventura County Star claims that Transport was the first company to make farm equipment especially for the jeep (I would need to see more evidence to believe that):
For unknown reasons, in late 1948 many key personnel from the Transport company left Transport for a new Willys dealer, Kurland Motors. Whether Transport survived this event is unclear (perhaps the Transport company was already defunct by this time).
This year’s Bantam Jeep Festival will be taking place June 10-12th.
These Facebook photos from Alfano Mucci of Italy show a customized jeep with a bandsaw. The work was done by his father. Pretty cool!
Now that I’ve seen two of these repurposed bodies on Facebook, does that mean this is a trend?
Looks like some kind of replacement body:
Roger shared this photo from Facebook showing another example of a sedan hardtop on a jeep (link includes other car-like modes, too). I’ve been amazed at how many different times this was tried (see other examples here).
A few days ago I posted a video about the oil barrel cars in Thailand. Here’s some more info about them thanks to Bill.
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UPDATE: More info here.
Bill shared this video about little cars/go-karts made from oil drums. Nothing jeepy here, but they certainly are creative. I want to test drive one, but not in Thai traffic!!!
Antonio and his jeep collection.
Antonio reached out to me from the Dominican Republic the other day. He told me he collects jeeps and was working on restoring an M-38. He needs the following parts: A windshield, the hood and the radiator front grill. Can be used but in good condition to restore. (If you think you can help him out with the parts he needs, email me at d@deilers.com and I’ll share his email.)
I wrote back and asked if he could send some pics. He generously shared the following pics and a short history of how he got hooked by the Willys Sickness.
“My first vehicle was a Willys cj3 b that I bought in 1989, after several years using to work on it, I sold it. Several years later, in 2002,
I acquired another cj-3b which was very poorly rebuilt and I decided to convert it to military originality, (M-606 Sand desert in the photo), then I acquired an M-38-a1 and rebuilt too.
From, that moment I have not been able to stop. Now, I have several military Jeeps which I have rescued and rebuilt as best as possible.
I also have other willys from Japan and another from Spain, Ebro brand.
In the future I intend to create the first jeep museum in the DR. It would be located in my hometown, Constanza, a military city located in the center of our island, which is the coldest and highest city in the country.”
Here’s a good pic of his collection:
This show one of Antonio’s sons jeeping with a 3B in the mountains of the Dominican Republic.
Barry wrote a version of this article for “Farm Collector” magazine. It has been accepted, but he’s not sure when it will print. I was gratified to see he was able to use some of my research in it. I hope others can leverage their research with other aspects of eWillys.
https://www.farmjeep.com/the-jeep-as-a-light-tractor/
TJ shared this ad for the doors (hardtop not for sale) out of Everett, WA. The doors are priced at $50 on Facebook. I don’t recognize the doors or top. Does anyone else recognize it?
“These doors fit a hardtop like the one pictured. They contour to the jeep body nicely and are complete with glass. Unfortunately the top is not available.”
Blaine spotted what appears to be a jeep in the background of this Three Stooges movie. The jeep appears at the 1:08 mark and is shot from a couple angles until the 2:35 mark.
Can you spot the jeep and what model does it most look like to you? To me there are elements that make it look like it was originally a jeep, but it also has some elements that don’t look correct for this particular model.
https://archive.org/details/166.BlunderBoys1955ShempLarryMoe
Bill shared this video that provides some history about the Buick V6. What the narrator doesn’t mention is that by 1965 installations of the Buick V6 were already happening in places like Salt Lake City, where a local dealer was installing them. At least one article in Four Wheeler Magazine also mentions the modifications necessary for a Buick V6 install. Unfortunately, my jeep mags are still stored, so I don’t have the Four Wheeler article handy to share.
(The good news is that we are nearly done with our master bedroom remodel. Once we move in there, we can remodel our ‘family room/office’, which is where we are sleeping right now, where I plan to display and shelve my books/binders until I can remodel the shop … one step at a time)
Since this post about a 1954 Tractor Field Book ad for the Farm Jeep, Barry has been able to track down some Tractor Field Books and post the information at Farmjeep.com. If you are a vintage tractor fan and haven’t heard of the books, I think you’ll like them.
https://www.farmjeep.com/tractor-field-book/
This page from the 1951 Tractor Field Book advertised the Universal Jeep, but post of the book covers standard tractors:
This article that Bill spotted mentions a trench art exhibit at the National WWII Museum, a place I still want to visit. I wouldn’t be surprised it there’s a few trench art jeeps there, too.
https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/article_6542294e-1592-11ec-b22f-479c562f0e04.html
Here’s one example of a trench art SEEP at the exhibit:
From this site: https://www.historynet.com/what-is-trench-art.htm
Today we received our first “big” snow. Anything over a few inches is a big snow for us. So, I’ll be shoveling and using the tractor to clear some area. Thankfully, this stuff should melt pretty quickly over the next few days.
Anyone plow with a quad or ATV/UTV? Is that heavy enough to do a decent plow job? Most of my plowing is pavement (about a half acre worth). We could use a small little runabout vehicle for the property anyway.
