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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 .
This 1963 photo shows a jeep exploring the Needles area in anticipation of Canyonlands National Park. The park was established in 1964.
http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/USHS_Class/id/28787/rec/5
UPDATE: Originally published 12/13/2011
Bruce provided this research on Surreys and found a picture of this very rare Surrey. Of the DJ-5 Surrey he writes, Only 30 were built on what looks like the dj platform. It looks to be 2wd using the full ‘JEEP’ wheel cover, rear spare, steps, 60/40 seats up front & rear seat, daffodil yellow & white interior & candy striped yellow & white top w/fringe.
According to the Saskkatoon Star Phoenix June 17 1968: “For many years a familiar sight south of the border particularly at southern hotels & resorts, the ‘Jeep’ Surrey has been introduced to Canada, Kaiser Jeep of Canada Limited, Windsor, Ont has produced 30 for a special program. Painted daffodil yellow & white interior, its chief characteristic is a yellow & white candy striped fringe top. It can also be outfitted w/fully-enclosing convertible top for winter motoring.”
For five days in July of 1961, then-Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, Canyonland-legend Kent Frost, and a posse of government folks toured the Caynyonlands area by jeep, boat and helicopter. The huge tour was Udall’s idea, which probably explains why National Geographic was invited on the trip. Udall’s efforts paid off with Utah Democratic Senator Frank Moss proposing Canyonlands National Park (learn more here). The bill was signed on September 12, 1964. What an amazing trip that must have been.
The National Geographic published the story in the May 1962 issue under the title, Cities of Stone in Utah’s Canyonland. The magazine only published one jeep photo, but they did include a map with tiny jeeps showing the route taken.
View all the May 1962 National Geographics on ebay
These old photos I bought off of eBay show aren’t the best. They capture a weekend of jeeping somewhere in California, possibly the Rubicon.
The Toledo Blade published this story November 27, 1953. I wish the photos were better. Interestingly, the article doesn’t mention the Zamboni name at all.
Neat photo!
943 Press Photo Boys Clubs Collect Pennies to Buy a Jeep For the Army
This is an original press photo. Photo measures 9 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 01-21-1943.”
View all the information on eBay
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:
UPDATE: It looks like a few of these photos are reversed, especially the one below.
1962 Canyonlands Trip to film “The Sculptured Earth”
Frazier discovered these 1962 Canyonlands trip photos within the digital archives of the University of Utah. He’s a big Landrover fan, but also has a soft spot for old jeeps, too.
He wrote, “I thought you might be interested in these pictures I found in the University Of Utah’s digital library. They were taken during the filming of “The Sculptured Earth”, which was a film to promote the creation of Canyonlands National Park. You’ll have to excuse the university watermarks, but they are some pretty great shots.. (and yes, as you’ve probably found out by my email I’m a huge Land Rover fan…. But I have a deep obsession/respect for the vehicle that started it all!)”
According the to the University of Utah, The Sculptured Earth (see the photos below and more here)” was a 45-minute film promoting the creation of Canyonlands National Park, produced by Charles Eggert in 1962 at the request of Interior Secretary Stewart Udall and the National Park Service.
This jeep looks more like a mobile home than a fighting vehicle. The soldiers are located on Tarakan Island.
“A VERY STUNNING ORIGINAL WW2 PRESS PHOTO THAT MEASURES 21CM BY 17CM DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE BACK PLEASE CONTACT WITH ANY QUESTIONS WILL BE LISTING SIMILAR ITEMS”
View all the information on ebay
Dan spotted this Flickr thread that shows old photos from the Hemet Jeep Club. There are also multiple photos of a great looking CJ-5 with an unusual bumper setup. You might remember these great LIfe Magazine photos from a 1949 Hemet Jeep Club Anza Calvacade.
Here is a link to view the old photos Dan found (you have to browse between the photos to see all the old jeep pics). I’ve copied a few of the photos to share below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25936876@N02/9451395405/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25936876@N02/9454178552/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25936876@N02/9451390789/
I’ll be doing updates during the day at some point Sunday. Until then, here’s a photo from a jeep trip we took during Memorial Day Weekend, 1981. I believe it was taken somewhere on the east side of the mountains probably in the hills above Cle Elum. I was 16 at the time and dad was letting me drive most of the trip, so I was having fun. Our CJ-5 is on the left. Click on the photo to make it bigger.
Left to right: Our CJ-5, Stan’s M-38 (now Mitch’s), Ham’s CJ-5, Danny’s CJ-5, Piddle Power (stock CJ-3A), Green Fiberglass Flatfender (not club member, but can’t remember name), Carter’s flattie Otis. From WWJC scrapbook.
I found this jeep related article in a School Bulletin from 1968. Not a lot of information, but I thought it was interesting it was there in the first place. It documents a trip into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico.
This National Four Wheel Drive Association Photo appeared in the February 1964 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine near the back cover.
Here’s a second set of Jeeping negatives from Borrego, CA.
“This auction is for TWELVE original, vintage an early c.1950’s B/W film photo negatives showing people with old cars, Jeeps on Anza Borrego desert in San Diego
,or Imperial County.The negative was converted to positive to see the image.”
View all the information on ebay
Marc spotted these great negatives showing the Borrego Desert in California.
“This auction is for TWELVE original, vintage an early c.1950’s B/W film photo negatives showing people with old cars Jeeps on Borrego desert in San Diego
,or Imperial County.The negative was converted to positive to see the image.Enlarged at a scan for better viewing.As shown at a scans.Please see DETAILED scans for condition.Payments: Pay Pal.Please note: Pay Pal payment must be received within 7 days from the auction closed.Shipping: buyer pays for shipping and insurance (optional below $25.00).Items will be combine to save on shipping charges.Thank You and good luck.PLEASE CHECK MY OTHER AUCTIONS FOR MORE EARLY NEGATIVES.”
view all the information on ebay
UPDATE: This was originally posted March 28, 2011:
Here is the third set of pictures from Alan that show more of the Four Corners Trip in 1961. You can see the first set here and the second set here.
Ron shared this classic jeeping picture. Thanks for sharing!
“Here’s an old picture from one of my jeeping trips, back in the day. This was in September of 1969. Pictured here is a friend of mine at a place called Cultus Hole, which is west of Yakima, Washington in the Cascade Mountains. He is now a rancher in the Columbia Basin and the last I heard he still has the Jeep sitting out by one of his barns, and he still fires it up occasionally and drives it around the ranch. It is a CJ3B of course, and I think it is a 1953 model, but I’m not positive on the year. The modifications on it were pretty standard for that era; a small block Chevrolet engine (283 cubic inches), an overdrive unit, a roll bar, and oversized tires and wheels are some of the things I remember, although I’m sure he had made many more modifications. The trips he and I made in our Jeeps were always memorable, to say the least.”
The May 1968 issue of New Mexico Magazine has a good story and pictures on an annual jeep trip by the Las Cruces Four Wheelers and the Las Cruces Jeep Club. Fifty-five people in 17 four wheel drive vehicles, including at least one Landrover, Scout, Bronco, Flatfender and CJ-5 (several of these), made the 32 mile trip through a portion of the San Francisco River.
The article includes a map, pictures, and tales of their exploits. As you can see from the pictures, they spent plenty of time deep in water, crossing the river back and forth. The article begins on the map page (page 2). It’s a pretty large picture.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
This two page article describes the 5th annual Cavalcade event in 1953. It was published in an August 1953 magazine, publisher unknown.
“original magazine article , 8.5 x 12 , 2 Pages , describes Cavalcade from Hemit through Coyote Canyon to Calexico, CA”
UPDATE: After some relatively quick searching, I discovered this image is available via National Geographic’s Stock Imagery. Below is an example of the original image.
The photograph was taken in Horse Canyon in Utah. The photographer was W. Robert Moore. The picture ID is #614798.
To find the photo, go to the NationalGeographicStock.com website and then enter the id of 614798 in the “quick explore” box.
(10/10/2012)
I bought a book from the 1960s full of photographs from America’s National Parks, called “America’s Wonderlands The National Parks National Geographic“. As you can see in the link, I paid a whole $1.60 for it. On Page 222-223 I found this photograph of two jeeps wandering through Canyonlands National Park. It’s too bad the photograph is slightly split by the binding.
UPDATE: I didn’t have the link quite right on this video, so I wanted to update it in case anyone missed it.
Roberto spotted this video compilation. The poster of the video describes it as “8mm film by my Grandfather; around 1964-1968. These trips were in the western central Sierra Nevada Mountains.”
This great photo was shot August 14, 1965, and can be seen at the Denver Public Library Digital Collections.
http://cdm15330.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/194/rec/1
