I happened across this rare set of tracked jeeps made by O’Laughlin (a person or a company?), or it could just be one jeep with successive modifications. I only uncovered a few photos photos and very little information.How experiments on this related to the M-28/M-29 amphibious Weasel are not clear to me, but they appear to have been parallel projects given the Weasel research was begun in 1942.
I found this photo of the tracked jeep at a Cargo & Personnel Carrier site:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/UnitedStates/cargo-personnel/cargo-personnel.html
I found a thread on an argentine model site where someone constructed a look-a-like model.
http://kalkin.foros.ws/t12174/olaughlin-modified-jeep/
This could potentially be the same jeep as above, only it’s rear area has been altered. I can’t quite read the numbers on the hood in the top pic to know for sure. 
Finally, there’s a page about a tracked jeep at 42FordGPW, but the page never refers to either vehicle as a Modified vehicle. Perhaps someone can add to this info?
Don’t forget The Allis Chalmers M7 Snow Tractor featured right here Sept. 23,2012 which was powered by a Willys MB engine. An example is on display at The Wright Museum in NH.
http://www.ewillys.com/2012/04/23/allis-chalmers-m7-snow-tractor-at-the-wright-museum/
I have very limited experience working on track vehicles. But I read years ago that typically the track was 50% the cost of manufacture and 75% of maintenance.
I would guess by what I see in the pictures the modification would double the weight of the jeep. But if you guess at sizes and do the math you will come up with a weight per square inch that’s probably less than a human foot.
I went to the Argentina model site but the pics wouldn’t load for me. I would say if you spoke Spanish, that would be a good resource to find out more. Some of those modelers are freakish about detail.
Not identical but still ridiculous.
http://blondesearch.ru/play/kSHWhjM5z10/Jeep_Willys_with_Tank_Tracks.html
John
I just found a video fragment of this tracked jeep actually being used on youtube.
Look for the video “FRONTLINE WW2: The 8th USAF Smashes German Factories” at 11:57!
I had never seen this before but this is proof that it was actually used during WW2.
The tracks seem to have a different form though.
Hi Kees,
That’s cool! I was able to find the video segment. It looks like it’s sporting a different set of tracks than the one above. I’ll share with readers. Thanks!
– Dave
Mmm, I´m afraid that isn´t the O´Laughlin tracked jeep but a WW2 US M2 High-Speed Tractor or M2 Cletrac. Check this out:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_High_Speed_Tractor
Kindest regards,
R. Flores