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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 .
UPDATE: **SOLD** Were $200.
Appear in good shape.
“Fiberglass hood and flat fenders for willys Jeep. CJ2A, Cj3a. Asking $200.”
UPDATE: **SOLD**
This hood has Don Prine’s business card within the resin.
“Never used but has garage wear and tear. This was probably made in the 70’s judging be the phone number on business card. Fiberglass jeep hood for WILLYS cj3b, or if you cut it down it’ll fit a cj3a or cj2a.”
This looks in good shape.
“Perfect shape no cracks on glass ready to mount. These are very expensive and so is shipping.”
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/pts/4322448871.html
UPDATE: Last price was $1000. It sold.
The Parkette fiberglass body is an extreme rare, well made body. One of the best things about this body is that a CJ-3A windshield will properly fit it, unlike the fiberglass Bobcat body. During the 1970s, a friend of mine bought a Bobcat body, prepped it, and painted it. When he stuck on the windshield he discovered the cowl was too flat to properly seat the windshield to the cowl. To say he was angry was an understatement, because he felt he was mislead by the promises the manufacturer made.
So, after talking with the Parkette body manufacturer and getting assurances that the measurements were more accurate, he bought the body and has been happy about it ever since.
The body shownn below has had it’s rear wheel wells cut a bit. It’s got a good looking rollcage that has been attached to the frame. If this has been available when I was building biscuit, I would have started right here.
I am pretty sure this sold
It looks in excellent shape. I didn’t see any of these classic hoods at the swap meet (or they had already sold). Having Don’s old card in the glass is a cool benefit.
“Vintage Aftermarket Jeep Hood for CJ2A CJ3A M38 MB & GPW. This “Bobcat hood” is a real find. The fiberglass has no cracks and the hinge works good. You can tell its vintage because there is a business card in the glass for (Don Prine’s) Prine’s Jeep Service and the phone # is JU 4-6648. So I would guess 60’s or before. The hump can give your air filter more room if you have a V-6 or V-8 under your hood. And it looks good..
UPDATE: Was $185. **SOLD**
Looks in good shape.
“1950/52 Willy’s flat fender jeep hood.
Raised design for air filter clearance. Silver color. Fiberglass. Front latches not included. Hood ONLY.”
A bit rough, but a great price.
“Fiberglass hood from a Willy’s Jeep.
Please call, I don’t respond to text or email.”
http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/pts/4454177847.html
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $100
This appears in good condition. I’d consider getting it, but my front clip is stretched.
UPDATE: Richard Darr from Washougal Classic Jeeps owns a Bobcat body that still had a pair of the fiberglass gas tanks. Here are two pics of each tank. He told me they fit really well inside the bobcat body. He’s working on reproducing the tanks in aluminum for himself.
Here are the pics of the passenger side tank. Above you can see a Bobcat body.
This is the top of the passenger tank.
This is the bottom of the passenger tank.
Here is the driver’s side tank:
This is the top of the driver’s tank.
This is the bottom of the driver’s tank.
===================
Published March 17, 2021: For a great price, I bought some 1973 issues of Four Wheeler off of eBay. In turns out that the July 1973 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine had a special section devoted to new fiberglass products. Even better, Fred Weis’ Bobcat business introduced three new products in that issue, answering a couple questions that I had.
Before I begin, there are several posts about Bobcat bodies and the related Parkette bodies. At some point I will combine them into a longer narrative, but, for now, here’s a quick timeline:
1969 – The First Bobcat body: Fred Weis built his first body, an approximately 150lb body using plywood for strength, per this February 1970 article in Four Wheeler Magazine.
1970 – Lighter Race Body: Fred builds a lighter body design more for racing, dropping the body weight to around 100lbs. One these first bodies was used successfully by Roy Williams during the 1970s for racing. (This weight info comes from a September 1973 ad shown below):
1971- Announces the CJ-3B Body: An Advertisement in the PNW4WDA’s Region 1 contact booklet included an ad from Fred indicating he was making CJ-3A AND CJ-3B bodies.
It might seem strange to see the “Not a copy!” phrase at the top of the ad, followed by “The Original Fiberglass Replacement Body” within the ad. I believe this reflects Fred’s frustration at Paul Parker rebranding the Bobcat body with side stripes and calling it a Parkette body. Assuming that explains the inclusion of the phrases, this puts the introduction of the Parkette body around 1970. The 1970 timeline also fits the purchase of a Parkette by Jim Carter, which must have happened around 1971 or 1972.
Now for our current post. In 1973, Fred introduced perhaps the most iconic item he ever produced, the Bobcat hood. I don’t know how or why he designed it the way he did, but it became a signature piece. Below is the July 1973 listing in Four Wheeler Magazine.
First, you can see that Fred was experimenting with a new type of body style. It appears he increased the size of the lip around the edge of the body’s rear, perhaps to strengthen it so he could lay thinner glass. It’s likely that this was the style of Bobcat body I bought back in 2008:
The fiberglass gas tanks were a surprise to see. I’ve never run across these. They likely failed to hold gasoline safely. It would take a special resin compound to be effective over the long term, at least that’s according to this motorcycle thread.
Finally, we have the brand new fiberglass Bobcat hood. Whether this came before or after the Bobcat teardrop hood isn’t clear, but it would seem to me that the teardrop is so much less sophisticated of a design that I could imagine he made some of those first before creating the classic Bobcat hood. Here’s a great example of the hood: (see more examples of the low hood and high hood versions of this iconic hood)
Also included in the July 1973 fiberglass section was this ad. It seems Willamette Wheel was offering the Bobcat body for sale, without labeling it as such in the ad. However, a close look at the tailgate clearly shows it is a Bobcat tailgate.
It’s not clear how many other parties were working with Fred, but at least one, Don Prine, managed to get his business card inserted into a CJ-3B version of the classic hood:
As I collect more 1970 Four Wheeler magazines I hope to learn more about the Bobcat and Parkette timelines, though I’ve yet to find anything printed about the Parkette body (no ads or articles yet).
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $1005.
(01/25/2019) Dan shared this one. This bobcat body looks identical to Biscuit’s body (before I patched it up)
“Fiberglass body kit for willys. Dont know anything about it but was told it was a Bobcat. Body tub, hood fenders grill. Look at pictures please before asking. Very good condition.”
Bobcat Body and parts:
Looks to have a Bobcat fiberglass body. The hood and fenders might be glass, too. Runs.
https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/d/1942-willy-jeep/6557245533.html
“orignal engine runs fine , fiberglass shell”
Yesterday morning, SteveK asked to know more about the Bobcat products. Were they race products or something else? The terminology is so second hand, that I thought everyone knew it by now. I decided to send him a link to an article I thought I had published about Fred Weis and the Bobcat body from the February 1970 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine. It turns out I never published that article!
So, I’d like to publish (perhaps I am republishing it) to better explain the Bobcat body and products. At the post’s bottom I’ve included a number of additional examples and information about the Bobcat. Then, on the next post, I discuss the Bobcat & Parkette fiberglass body histories.
Note the Cascade 4×4 club sticker on the hood.
Paul Parker, maker of the Parkette bodies, racing up a hill climb in Calgary in the summer of 1970. Photo courtesy of Ed Bray.
This is a companion article for the Fred Weis and Bobcat Body post. Much of this history is built from conversations, emails and comments on eWillys. I welcome corrections and additions.
In the late 1960s Fred Weis, who I understand ran a fiberglass products company, experimented with a fiberglass jeep design until he found one he liked. At the time he had been jeeping and jeep racing for a decade as part of the Cascade 4×4 Jeep Club. His first complete body was completed in 1969. By 1970, he was ready to produce them for resale. Fred’s bodies were built to be rugged, using fiberglass and wood.
The body was not intended to be an exact replica of the original body; instead, it met the needs outlined by Fred, who styled them (i would guess) to make them a little cooler. For example, the side steps reached the length of the body bend. The rim around the body edge was wider. The dash came with no holes. At some point, the body could be purchased with or without a tailgate and with or without a floor.
Fred also came up with two custom fiberglass raised hoods that provided more room in the engine compartment. One was a teardrop design (few were made) and the other was highly recognizable.
Long time jeeper Paul Parker decided to get into the fiberglass body business about the same time as Fred, so according to Ed Bray, Paul joked about buying Fred’s bodies, adding a side stripe, and calling them Parkettes. Another source told me that Paul did indeed do this, which led to a falling out to some degree between Fred and Paul.
Paul, who had been in the jeep parts business with his brother in Georgia before moving to the Tacoma area, began to build his own Parkette fiberglass tubs out of molds he built. They were very similar to Fred’s body. The biggest difference was that Paul’s jeep included a side stripe, similar to a hockey stick, that was designed to make the body side more rigid and set it apart from Fred’s body. Besides the side stripe, the body of the Parkette was better designed to fit the curve of the CJ-3A windshield. Fred’s body did not support the windshield well at all (I know this from personal experience with my Bobcat body).
You can see the Parkette stripe “hockey stick” on the side of the body. This was likely just a racing shell, given the lack of a tailgate.
A family friend ran into the windshield issue as well. Jim Carter bought a Bobcat body in the early 70s. The body arrived rough. The Carter’s sanded and primered the body, but when it came time to mount the windshield, Jim discovered it didn’t fit. He was angry. Many phone calls ensued. Next, Jim turned to Paul Parker, eventually buying a Parkette body. Jim, Pattie, and their two boys raced, trailed and streeted the jeep for years.
Early 70s photo of the Carter family’s “Otis” not long after the new Parkette body was installed.
At some point, Fred passed the business and molds on to someone else. The Bobcat molds were divided into at least two groups. I have some of the molds. I hope some day to make my own Parkette body.
A Parkette racing shell mold sits in the middle. A CJ-3B shell is at the far side. A floor is shown in the foreground (I believe that’s a 3B floor).
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $5000.
(01/9/2018) If the sells for $5000, then it’s time to start producing more bodies! At that price, I would double check that a windshield will seal properly on the cowl.
“For sale is a complete steel kit in primer.
Included:
Tub
Hood
Fenders
Tailgate
Windshield frame is available if needed.
Sold as kit. May have individual pieces upon request.
No title. Parts only.
We have many, many other parts available. Frames, transmissions, transfer cases, windshield frames, you name it. Contact me with any questions you may have.”
UPDATE: Still Available.
(03/25/2015) Body and front clip are all fiberglass. Motor needs rebuild.
“42 willys flatty all glass body hood grill & fenders,bobcat products , smf motor needs rebuild no intake . ,t-150 3spd dana 20 transfer case dana 44 front alloy u-joints Detroit true trac with 5.38 ring &pinion , rear 44 welded 5.38 . 4 wheel disc brakes needs some tlc but great wheeler, also have 74 cj frame to go with. tires are 35-10.50-15 boogers three runs on them. my loss need to pay medical bills.”
http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/4984564329.html
The body has a metal dash added to it.
“Fiberglass tub with metal dash, metal fenders, hood, grill, windshield frame, all in good shape, also a set of tires and wheels that are good for rollers.”
http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/pts/4910730481.html
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $1600.
(10/16/2012) This includes stainless fenders and tailgate. It looks like a great price.
“New fiberglass jeep high hood body, stainless steel fenders and tailgate, fiberglass hood and grille, new steel windshield frame, has new diamond plate $1,600**”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $1500.
This rare package also includes a CJ-3B shell. This is all bobcat parts.
“Too many projects and not enough space or time to do them all. I have a Jeep body, tub, front fenders, and hood – all made of fiberglass and a steel grill. $1500 for the whole package.”
UPDATE: Was $3500. **SOLD**
This has both the Bobcat body and hood. It appears to have a pretty nice paint job, too. I”m not sure what’s wrong to make this a project vehicle.
“1946 Willy’s Military Jeep.
Straight 6 cyl.
12” Ford Drums
Bobcat Fiberglass Body
Warn Hubs
“project vehicle”
$3500 OBO. Price Negotiable. Open to trades.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $2200.
This strikes me as a Bobcat body? Whichever it is, it is rare.
“Willys Jeep high hood fiberglass body, hood & grill. Never used $2200.00 Call Tom 253-307-0374”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $300.
Here’s a good price on a complete body kit, even if it does need some repairs. I don’t think the Bobcat bodies are as old as 1958, though I don’t know the initial date of production. I don’t recognize the style of taillights.
“Old Willys fiberglass body, hood, fenders, and grill can be yours right now! Approx 1958 is the model year. This is a “bobcat” fiberglass set, needs just a little work. This project can be yours for 300 or best offer!”
As I have mentioned a few times, I grew up in the Wandering Willys Jeep Club. In 1971, the club lead an effort to record all the members from Clubs in Region one of the PNW4WDA, their names, addresses, phone number, jeep types, jeep names, their jobs, and assorted other info. As far as I know, this was the first and last directory of its type created.
One of my favorite finds in the directory was an early Ad for Bobcat Fiberglass bodies, complete with the watermark logo of a bobcat (which I didn’t notice until I scanned the ad). Below is the Ad with owner Fred Weis listed as the contact person. Apparently, sometime later Bobcat products were owned by H.C. Van Wagner, as shown by this business card embedded in one of my fenders (yes it is still there).
Below is the original Ad, followed by a later business card. One interesting bit of info is that I haven’t seen any Bobcat CJ-3B bodies (that I know of).
Here are some Bobcat Products:
This is supposed to be the first Bobcat body produced:
Here is an example of a raised hood:
Here’s a body .. note the wide rim around the rear edge of the body. Also, the step doesn’t cut in to the body at the end and there are no drain holes by the step. (similar to mine)
Here’s an example of the body that I purchased, which was a light body racer.
“Note the much wider edge (maybe 2” wide). This body was hacked up a little bit,
but hopefully cleaned up nicely for the guy who purchased it:
It’s got a Bobcat body and hood. Seems like there is value here. It may have Allstate (or Husky) Hubs.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/6688351604511666
“1953 jeep cj2a,full fiber glass body,bobcat hood,rear dana 44 front dana 27, no motor or trans or title. Tube fenders that are well built. These are left over parts from my cj3b build that’s the reason for no title.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $6000.
This has a Bobcat fiberglass body with a very very rare (we only know of a handful) tear drop Bobcat hood.
“1952 Willy’s Jeep, all new floors. 231 Buick v6 rebuilt bottom end. Front dana 27 welded. Rear dana 44 trans T14. Clean title.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $2000
It may have a fiberglass Bobcat body. It does have the rare teardrop bobcat hood.
“Flatfender jeep. 1948. Ford 289 Ford 3 speed trans 44 flanged. Rear end fiberglass body 33: 12.50 15. Bf Goodrich mud terrain tires have fenders good grill and tailgate fully boxed cj5 frame Rancho lift springs with aftermarket shackles 2000.00 obo”
