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 .
Here's an interesting site I found. Blueprints.com claims to have over 24,000 automobile blueprints online (though they appear more like a single drawing rather than full blueprints), including a variety of jeeps. To the right is a jeep labeled CJ-4. The site manager states:
"I do not claim to have made, scanned or drawn all of the blueprints on this website. I did on the other collect, edit and host all of them, free of charge, in my spare time.
I made good progress over the weekend. As you can see, I was able to mount the fenders and take a few shots of the jeep with the fenders. It will look good.
In order to fit the fenders, I had to make cutouts in the wheel wells for the headers. But, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I wanted to fill around the headers. So, I bought a little bit of stove pipe and used that as a form to wrap fiberglass around the headers.
The last pic is the fenders with the new covers for the headers. To match the rest of the underside of the body, I'm going to paint herculiner on the wheelwell of the fenders (which saves a bunch of finish work) and fill in the gaps and paint the top and inside of the headers.
Here are some pics below.
A reader named David has shared an old picture of his parents racing around the sand dunes in what looks to be a CJ-2A. This picture is a good reminder that you don't need a fancy jeep to go out and enjoy a day in the sand. David will be sending a few more pictures along with some background text soon. Thanks David!
This CJ-3B has about 23,000 miles on it. The body looks in good shape, though the new paint job could possibly be hiding dings and rust. The rims are interesting — I'm not sure if those are newer or old rims. Kimberly is 2 hours southeast of Boise.
"This is willy. a 1953 Willys CJ 3B 4cyl Jeep 4×4 in nice condition. This is a very fun Jeep to drive in the summer! It has been recently re-painted in a blue to purple coat/clear coat. New Bikini top & doors, new (USED) seats. All new Diamond plate was installed. A very solid Jeep overall. Runs great with no mechanical issues. Has a very nice set of tires wrapped around a new set of rims. The tires have lots of tread life left. Pardon the mud! See the pictures!"
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $500
“1948 Willys Jeep CJ-2A. AS-IS parts or restore. No title. The drive train is complete But the chassis is shot. We do have a few other little parts in a box that we didn’t want to walk off in the wrong hands. Overall this truck has a whole lot of potential. We also have a few other jeeps and 3 1/2 Mighty Mites for sale as well. We are liquidating some of the collection. ”
This jeep's been family owned since 1955. It's a bit rough and that poorly mounted roof doesn't help it's look.
"Original Willys Jeep that needs some TLC. Civilian model with tailgate. Been in my family since 1955 with only 2 owners before that. Have half hard top plus frame and canvas doors for canvas top. Doors have canvas with see through windows on frames now. Less than 5000 miles on engine rebuild. Odometer froze at 25,000 miles but probably only has 30,000 total miles if that. Never used for anything but hunting. E-mail for more pics. Call if interested, Ray 503-780-6968"
There's definitely some work to be done on this package.
"Broken Leg forces sale! Serious buyers only please, no trades. Engine runs (134L head go devil) 4 combat rims & brand new military tires. Started to tear down for sheet metal work & paint, but unfinished. Box of spare parts goes with. Clear title, same owner last 8 years. Have Bantam trailer fender (is missing in pictures). Would be beautiful restored. Call 360-733-5911 or email aeschliman4@comcast.net for more photos or with questions."
Ok, I like the big gun. Hard to find jeeps with big guns in them anymore. I know it says replica, but maybe it actually shoots?
"1945 Willys MB. This army jeep is ready for parades, shows, or just driving around. Comes with everything as shown, including .50 cal replica. With the exception of a later hood and T-90 transmission, this is a very complete (original) MB. The steering is tight, brakes are good, engine runs fine, and the tires are three years old. The four wheel drive is fully operational."
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $7000
“1944 ford willys jeep from world war II ,completly redone new top tire engine overhaul and more …original manuals ..runs great and good for parades or just to have if your a collector.miles are 23000 and to the best of our knowledge are to be correct as per the title states ..jeep is in great shape and with the 4 wheel drive will go any where offroad ..more pictures available upon request . we are asking 7000.00 but are open to any reasonable offers.”
Take one look at this photo and you can see why having a good roll cage is smart. The driver of this jeep, 63 year old Alvin Baldwin, died in the rollover after being ejected. The link to the original article no longer exists. It occurred outside Virginia City.
Well, I learned something new today: Drive Cycles ….
A couple days ago my 1997 BMW 540i failed an emissions test (for the second year in a row). Last year I had shown enough money spent on the engine to get a waiver. This year, I was a little nervous because I didn't know whether they'd give me a second waiver or not. (This vehicle is a blast to drive and a PIA to take care of or work on!!)
Well, I just got done speaking with the head of the Air Quality Testing for ADA County, my new friend Roger (I have to say that it's nice to be able to talk to the head of the department — that's one nice thing about living in a small populated state). What happened was not that I failed, but that they couldn't read my car's computer. The reason was that I have not completed a drive cycle since the last time I reset my car's computer codes (Any time I work on it, I reset the codes to see if I have fixed the problem). I figured anytime I got into the car and drove it that the computer would be on and recording normally. However, until a drive cycle is complete, none of my monitors (which are really groups of codes) are actually capable of being read. So, Roger, who said he consulted with the EPA back in 1992, said he had a good deal of insight into what constituted a drive cycle.
I made a good deal of progress with the fenders yesterday. I created a series of mini molds and fiberglassed several times in different sections to successfully capture the right angles. So, step 1 is complete.
Today I'll be drilling and mounting the fenders so that they fit correctly. One issue I have to surmount is that the slope on the fenders seems slightly different than the slope on the mount on the body, but I'm sure I can work around this issue.
Once fitted, then I'll have to create the cutouts for the headers and then create the new walls so that the headers are enclosed. Unlike metal fenders, which wouldn't lose too much strength when cutout for headers, the fiberglass will benefit from having that extra strength.
After the final modifications are made, I will be to run a second coat of resin and cloth along the entire underside of the fenders. This will create a smoother look and strengthen the fenders considerably.
The final step will be to use some filler and gel coat to smooth off the top surfaces — then I'll be ready for paint.
Have a dented header you want to fix? While combing the internet for advice on making my headers work, I came across this interesting solution for fixing dented headers. It involves water, a freezer, and some time. Note: I have not tried this, so cannot speak for its effectiveness
I've started the process of lengthening my fiberglass fenders. I've determined they need to be extended 4.5".
My first task was to clean the fenders. This yielded a surprise: Business cards from the builder of the body were embeded into both fenders. To the right a shot of one of them. The information suggests the seller was H.C. "Van" Wagner out of Puyallup, Washington. He sold Custom fiberglass products including Bobcat products. The name of the company has faded, but I have the address and phone info.
Once the fenders were cleaned, I cut them in half and I cut out the indent (traditionally for the battery) out of the passenger side. Once they were cut, I tapered down the cut pieces. To the left are the cut fenders.
The next step is to fiberglass them. I'm going to try laying down a layer of gelcoat and then lay the fiberglass over the top of it. I' haven't used gelcoat in my previous patching jobs, but am trying to gain experience so that I can use it when I do my custom hood project.
I’m gonna guess this is a 1953 CJ-3A with a 2A windshield and a MB grille. It looks like it needs a few more details completed than the seller lists.
“1953 Willys Jeep with Trailer. $5000 or Make me an offer… I have not run this jeep since I began restoration, but it ran well before I began. It does have overdrive. I am including all the parts to make it look like a 1945 Willy’s. It still needs the seat cushions and speedometer. It will need to have the gas tank hooked back up as well. Has a 6 volt system. Both Jeep and Trailer have been sand blasted and painted. Pintail hook and regular ball trailer adapter is included for the trailer. Trailer has a hill brake.”
There have been a few updates to this daily driver.
"This old willys is a daily driver. It has had almost everything replaced or rebuilt. It runs great and is very dependable. It has the original 134 cu engine in it and gets great gas mileage. I can deliver to the front range for free. Call if you have any questions 785-821-1943"
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $3800.
This jeep is a daily driver. It looks well taken care of (except for needing new paint) and has a variety of upgrades. If as good as advertised, the price isn’t unreasonable.
” FOR SALE IS OUR 1949 WILLYS CJ3A 4X4, NEW TIRES & WHEELS, NEW DANA 44 REAR END, NEW DANA 30 FRONT END, NEW GEARS AND AXELS, NEW CHEVY 2.5 LITER 4 CYL, NEW LEAF SPRINGS AND BUSHINGS, 3 SPEED TRANSMISSION, BIKINI TOP. THIS JEEP IS DRIVEN DAILY BY MY WIFE WE PERSONALLY HAVE NEVER HAD IT OFF ROAD WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE FOR THAT. IT GETS ABOUT 30 MILES TO THE GALLON THE SEATS HAVE BEEN REDONE. THE TUB HAS BEEN SPRAY IN BEDLINERED. EVERYTHING ON THIS JEEP IS NEW IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG WE REPLACED IT WITH NEW PARTS. THE ONLY THING THE JEEP NEEDS IS PAINT AND A SOFT TOP IF YOU WANT TO FINISH IT”
Don came buy and purchased the fiberglass body I had for sale. He said he just couldn't pass it up, though he didn't really need it, but thought one of his family members could use it. I think he was most interested in creating a template from the grille to make other fiberglass grilles.
Don belonged to the Bobtails Jeep Club. When I was growing up, the Bobtails were a jeep club with members mostly in the Eastern Kent and Auburn area of Washington State. I told him I thought they had dissolved, but he said there a few left, including his family members, but they are scattered (as are most other clubs). He said all he and his family do is race, so their vehicles are exclusively race focused. They had just been racing this past weekend down in Chehalis. I guess about 30 jeeps showed up to race.
As a number of readers can attest, I've done a variety of craigslist deals (probably close to 40). This time, I had a '73 CJ-5 radiator I wanted to sell, so naturally I listed it on Craiglist. A potential buyer contacted me and said he was very interested, but couldn't come look at the radiator until after I had left for Seattle. So, I told him I would put the radiator outside and if he wanted it, to put the money into an envelope I pinned to the house.
Sure enough, two days later the radiator was gone and the money was inside the envelope. I was happier about the honesty than about the money 🙂
In fact, I've only had one deal where I didn't get all my money. I swapped a dirty 350 Cadillac motor I really didn't want for some guages, competition coil and a few other parts. The kids I swapped with was maybe 18 and didn't have a way to pickup the engine, so I said I'd charge him gas money to deliver it. When I got there he said he didn't have the money yet, but would mail it. Unfortunately, despite a couple reminders, I still haven't gotten the money. I plan to stop by his house next time I'm driving by (he's over an hour away) and remind him in person again.
I just got some pics from the owner (who shall remain nameless until he sends me his name 🙂 ) of the jeep formerly known as Pittle Power (I remember it as Piddle Power though). I don't remember the history of the Jeep prior to Jim and Patty Carter purchasing it, but I believe they purchased it so their growing boys, Tim and Steve, wouldn't have to squish themselves into the back of Otis. They purchased a stock CJ-3A, installed a chev 4cyl and attached desert dogs. Otherwise (I'm told) they left everything else stock. Pittle might not have had much power (hence the name), but it could go 99% of the places the modified WWJC jeeps could go.
The Carter's had a habit of naming all their vehicles. There was Otis (the jeep), tote-us (the jeep trailer), Brutus (their first motorhome) and more.
Our To-Be-Named contributor writes:
"The Jeep I bought was owned by Jim Carter(original member of the WWJC). The race name was Pittle Power. Skip Baird helped me with my first swap with a V-6 and a top loader. Al Hamilton and I became very close infact I still have one of his pups Mandy she is a very stubborn German Shorthair."
Editor's note: To the right is the only picture I have of Pittle Power from 1983 (and it's only the hind quarter) hidden behind Danny's CJ-5. While the Pittle Power was never actually raced, I do remember a club trip to Liberty Trail one weekend. After we made camp, Tim Carter decided he wanted to head down to the store and asked me to ride shotgun (somehow he knew there was a remote store at the bottom of the hill we were camped on). So, he drove me down that hill in Pittle Power, a ride I remember vividly because we were travelling sideways down the constantly turning gravel road for a good portion of it. Come to think of it, one time Tim took me for a ride in his late 60's camaro and we travelled sideways heading onto the cloverleaf on ramp to I-405. Maybe Tim always travelled sideways or I just brought it out of him.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $5000
“Very original Willy’s with new maroon paint a few years back. Been in storage for many years. New soft top and original Kelly hard top with good windows and doors also painted maroon. 4 cylinder flathead, six volt system.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $1500
Hmm .. maybe there’s something here?
“Not Running, turns over with hand crank, all original, no modifications, have the title, good running gear and frame, needs work but could be restored to original condition, don’t have the time to start on it, make me a offer. “
Someone's put time and money into this MB.
"This rare find is a 1943 Ford Military Jeep. Customized for four wheelin'. 4.3 Chevy V-6 motor, manual, lockers, on board air, stainless flat fenders, front and rear wenches, bead lock rims, finger throttle for those challenging spots. Lots more. Have more pics if interested. Thanks for looking."
Here's a few pictures of the Body and Grille I grabbed while down in Springfield, Oregon a couple of days ago. I need to get a few better pics of it. I've got it listed for $450 on Craigslist.
The outside of the body is in excellent shape and would make a great racing shell for PNW4WDA racing. The interior of the body is well designed and strong and could make a good jeeping/street body, however the plywood attached to the bottom is bad in spots, but could be fixed pretty easily. Also, the firewall has an extra large opening that needs to be closed. Otherwise, the body looks straight and is pretty light.
This is an unusual CJ-5 package.
"You are bidding on a 1967 Jeep-A-Trench. This trencher is a bit unusual because it has a factory V/6 engine and 4 speed transmission. This Jeep is very complete and unmolested. It does however require a complete restoration. The engine turns over but I have never heard it run. The body has typical rust in the floors and tool box and there are dents and dings."
