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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 May 02, 1943, article in the Evening Star excerpt shares the news of two newly-named jeeps: “Al Neale” and “Mount Vernon Spitfire”.
I am surprised that there was so much scrap on the ground. It sounds like this device could have paid for itself in tires alone. This was published in the August 20, 1943, issue of the Key West Citizen.
Here’s an unusual item: Gladiator/Wagoneer Cuff Links and Tie Clip. The price is $25.
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: Steve obtained copies of article #2, so now this list is complete!
Nine years ago there was a post about “Jivin up the Jeep”, which referenced a series of articles in Mechanix Illustrated Magazine. At that time, I could only locate articles #3 and #4. Steve Zamell just shared the earliest of the four with me (Thanks!). And, I found a poor image of article #2 So, below you’ll find information about all four articles.
According to the information on this Modern Mechanic Post, the October and November 1946 issues of Modern Mechanic magazine each included an article titled “Jivin up the Jeep” that shares various modifications. Those articles were a big hit across the US, as readers from all over sent in follow up suggestions and ideas. That led to an additional two articles, one in April of 1947 and one in November of 1947. I’ve shown the pictorial portions of the articles below. There’s additional content on the 1947 links.
From October 1946 Part I – A few Jeep ideas:
From November 1946 Part II – I just bought a cheap issue of this magazine. I’ll update these poor pics found on a current eBay ad once I receive my copy of the magazine. Looks like this article covers the creation of a custom hardtop:
From April 1947: Custom Tops
A big thanks to Ted Jordan for making and sharing these scans. When Hubart A. Kelly initially purchased the D. L. Beck Manufacturing Company, which produced CJ-2A hardtops, initially the cab company was called Kemco. At the time Beck was still a working partner at the company. This rare four-page brochure was produced at that time. Not too much later, Kemco was officially became the Kelly Manufacturing Company and Kemco disappeared.
These are the interior two pages.
This is the Dealer’s Confidential Price list:
And here is what the rest of us would likely have paid:
Ted Jordan also shared this early Kelly Manufacturing Hardtop Brochure. Note that the brochure mentions Kemco on the front page, which suggests this was printed shortly after the name was changed to Kelly.
Bob Christy has announced that the Spring Reunion has been pushed back to June 19-20. Depending on how COVID-19 events unfold, there may be further alterations or even outright cancellation of the event. So, stay tuned!
http://www.willysreunion.com/swr20.htm
“Due to the current COVID-19 Restrictions…
The Spring Reunion is now Re-Scheduled to June 19-20, 2020
I spoke with the hotel and they are working with minimal staff under the current restrictions put in place by the State of Ohio.
The person I spoke to (Frank) was going to move all of the room reservations to the new dates. If you cannot make it to the show on the new dates and need to cancel your room there will be no penalty.
If you have already registered for the show, your registration is still valid, so you need to do nothing.
As of right now, the show will go on as planned, however, state restrictions in place at the time of the show may force us to make decisions on:
Dinner
Guest Speaker
T shirts
outright cancellationIt’s our sincere hope that by June everything will be back to normal and we can hold the show as planned, but of course like everyone else, we will not know that for many more weeks.
On Behalf of everyone that helps to run this show, including Art, Mindy, Jpet, Scott, Kevin, Bill, and myself we wish all of you health and happiness during this time and we hope to see you all soon.
I won this book on eBay the other day. With more than 450 pages, the book is full of photos, history, and stories related to thirty years of the Jeepers Jamboree, the Rubicon trail trip that became an annual event. This particularly edition includes signatures of Mark Smith (founder of the Jeepers Jamboree) and Peg Presba (the book’s author).
There’s another copy of this book for sale on Amazon, but it’s more than what I paid.
This lead pencil with a floating jeep was another eBay find from the same seller of the Jeepers Jamboree. It’s inscribed with Willys-Overland. The pic below is extra large so you can see the inscription and the jeep detail.
Bob Le Marchant’s militarized CJ-2A
Bob Le Marchant discovered eWillys last month. Now 72, below he shares some tales with his beloved CJ-2A.
Bob started jeeping at age 17. His ‘crazy neighbour’s’ father (an ex-submarine captain) ran a yellow Ford Jeep. He dearly wanted one too, but ended up with a 1946 CJ-2A. It was not only his first jeep, but also Bob’s very first vehicle. Metamet, a British company that offered a wide variety of modified WWII jeeps, soon became his central place for purchasing spare parts. He loved going up to London and finding Daleham Mews.
The CJ-2A, being his first vehicle, was what he used to pass his driving test (the tester spent the whole test reading the dash plates and talking about Jeeps … he had driven jeeps in the war). As a teenager, Bob discovered there were two sorts of girls: the ones who looked crest fallen and said ” Oh, shame it isn’t a little sports car”, and those who said “Wow!! Where shall we go in that!”
After graduating as a mining engineer (he proudly notes that Ben Carlin was one too), he shipped his Jeep out to South Africa to work. For a while he worked near Johannesburg in what was then the second deepest mine in the world at 11,700 feet. Bob wrote that, “At that depth the intrinsic rock has a hydraulic pressure: the floor is as much likely to burst up as the roof fall down. Square tunnels soon become circular as shards come off. The natural rock temperature is 150 degrees or so, with 100% humidity. Heat stroke was the main killer down there. Everything he has ever done since then has been a “piece of piss!”
Later, in the 1970’s, he DROVE his jeep back to the UK to do work a job blasting a tunnel for the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales. However, to get to Wales, he had to take the long way because, due to politics, he couldn’t get north of Kenya, so he shipped his jeep to Bombay, then drove northwest via Kyber Pass and Istanbul. The adventure was a trip of a lifetime.
“This Jeep has travelled,” he noted. Unfortunately, his ex-wife has all the pics.
Currently, he lives in Devon in South West England. His longtime CJ-2A is still a very road worthy, nearly everyday vehicle. The engine uses a Hotchkiss block. He also has a Metamet dash plate on the wall. He loves his jeep!
Latest news: March 25-28, 2021
Is the newest planned date for the last and final Phoenix FC-Roundup
Andrea and I are really hoping that by then our World is cured of the Coronavirus.
Thank you for your understanding. Andrea and I, personally invite all owners and friends of Jeep Forward Controls and FleetVans to this ‘Most Excellent’ International event. There is no charge to attend this event. All parking on this property is limited to Jeep FC and Jeep FJ only Vehicles, first come Street parking for all others.
During this extended weekend, you can expect to see and learn more by talking to other owners, take lots of pictures. Bring your imagination and any FC related items to display, such as toys, memorabilia, photos, artwork, manuals, literature, magazines with FC articles, and even a few FC related tools will be on display.
See also new FC reproduction parts and event items, hats and T-shirts will be available for you to buy. We welcome and we are always very grateful for any FC related donation for the Saturday afternoon free raffle. Also on Saturday afternoon are the free XXL BBQ Hot Dogs with chips and chili pinto beans and much more. Free daily refreshments all the time.
One of the best things that happens everyday is that you get to drive your own FC or ride with someone, daily we have FC group driven cruising and go out to breakfast and out to dinner. We also offer pickup and deliver transportation to and from the light rail, that connects to the Phoenix International Airport Terminals.
Start making your GCU Motel or any local reservations now. For any additional questions. Please call, text or email. Jesse or Andrea (602) 321-3675 m677jeep@cs.com
UPDATE: Blaine spotted a post that provides more background on the Joe Donham and a pic of how it looked as of 2006.
http://berkeleyheritage.com/eastbay_then-now/roadside.html
According to the website post,
Joseph B. Donham (1895–1982), who followed Warren at this location, was general sales manager for the Val Strough organization in the 1930s before striking out on his own. After running a used car dealership in Oakland, he opened an authorized Willys dealership at 2747 San Pablo Avenue, being the first tenant to lease the new showroom. Donham’s Willys dealership operated here from 1953 through 1956. After the car maker ceased production, Donham switched to selling used cars at this location and ran the Dalton & Norton Chrysler dealership in San Leandro. According to his son, Joseph Donham, Jr., Donham owned several East Bay used car dealerships while working as general manager of S&C Ford in San Francisco.
=====================
Originally published in Feb of 2012: This image shows a Willys Dealership in the East Bay area near Oakland, Ca. Donham’s Willys dealership operated from 1953 through 1956.
(No, not an April Fools …) Maury spotted this unusual badge that appears to designed based on a visitor “badge” given to guests at Charles Sorenson’s Cesor Farms during the July of 1945 event (photo of the event) where a jeep demonstration took place.
Anyone ever see a plaque version like this? Though it is the only one offered for sale and it’s marked “used”, I suspect, given the array of other similar badges, that it is produced in Indonesia.
It ships for free from Indonesia. Starting bid is $15. Here’s another example of a badge from the same seller, a Willys Overland Jeepster Club badge.
View all the information on eBay
Here’s an example from the CJ-2A page of a “guest” badge from a Cesor Farms event.
A seller out of Utah has listed this porcelain Bountiful Jeep Posse sign for sale. It’s got some wear.
Roger Martin shared a trimmed version of this Hawaii Kai image with me via Facebook. I later discovered the image below on Pinterest. Given the pink color scheme, the name of “Hawaii Kai” (an area on O’ahu developed by Henry Kaiser) and the fact that a matching jeep was pulling the hydroplane, convinced me that Henry Kaiser owned this pair.
However, thanks to information supplied by the hydroplane museum (a place Ann and I visited the museum in 2015), I learned it was actually his son Edgar that owned the combo (Henry had his own fleet of hydroplanes). The Hawaii Kai hydroplane was built for Edgar in 1956. The wagon, by all appearances a slightly modified Jeep Field Ambulance, was being sold at that time as well.
Below is the image I found on Pinterest. Based on the text font, this looks like the image and caption could have been published in a jeep news magazine or a brochure, but I don’t remember seeing any color versions of those documents.
For comparison, here’s the Jeep Field Ambulance (images are from brochure form W-992-5). Note how the Hawaii Kai wagon has a sloped rear bottom (slopes down toward the wheels), versus the stock flat bottom as seen below from a 1955 brochure. It also looks like the Jeep Field Ambulance has different sized windows on the driver’s and passenger side of the cargo area.
This vintage tie clip set was on eBay. It sold for $32 yesterday (Plus $4.90 shipping).
“Offered is a Vintage Willys Overland Jeep 3 Pc Cufflink & Tie Clip Set … This set is NOS and was part of a lifelong Willys Overland Jeep executive’s estate. It is marked/made by Mercury Industries on the back of the tie clip”
This FC-170 “Whirl-away” ashtray, that included the engraved signature of Jim Falvey, sold for $37.60 (plus $13,65 shipping) yesterday. I am not entirely sure, but perhaps Jim Falvey was related to Falvey Motor Sales out of Michigan (same state as the eBay seller is from)?
“Offered is a Rare Dealer Promo Jeep FC170 Forword Control Whirl Away Ashtray . Beautiful “Whirl-Away” ashtray has a divider inside that sweeps the ashes and butts to the back when you turn the bowl part. Has a Jeep FC-170 solid metal truck on top, engraved with the dealers name “Jim Falvey””
These ashtray/coaster smoked plates with CJ-5 images sold yesterday on eBay for $50 (plus $8.85 shipping).
“Offered are 4 Vintage Willys Jeep Glass Ashtrays Or Coasters . They are promo items from a longtime Jeep- Willys executive’s estate . Dark smoke colored glass with very detailed kaki green Jeeps enameled on them.”
This short article in the January 02, 1948, issue of the Arizona Post featured a photo of this father and son team to “prove” they were in WWII together. There time in WWII did not quite go as planned, but you can read that in the article at the bottom. There’s more on Sam’s life, including his time as South Tucson’s mayor, in the book: What They Saved: Pieces of a Jewish Past.
Here’s the October 03, 1947, story that led to the photo published above …. (note the next to the last paragraph is cutoff in the original article for some reason; only one line shows “Kipnis are trying to forget … “).
So … this was on eBay yesterday. I’d patiently waited to purchase it, even setting my alarm clock. However, when the day and time arrived, my phone was away from me charging. Meanwhile, I was distracted researching this book 1000page-plus cook book from 100 years ago (1920 in fact), which I found while doing some ewillys posts yesterday (I was killing time awaiting the eBay auction end).
My supportive wife was very excited when I showed her the book images, as she knows I like a good old cookbook. She started chanting, “buy it, just buy it, buy it” … but no, I couldn’t at that price. After some research, I found a free copy on the Internet Archive, but looking through 1000 pages on the IA just isn’t the same as having the real thing in my hands. Eventually, I found a MUCH less expensive copy through Amazon, which Ann purchased for me as a gift (she’s hoping I’ll cook some food from it).
By the time I returned to this eBay auction, it was exactly 2:15pm, the same time that the auction ended. My timing couldn’t have been any worse.
Oh well, at least I got a cookbook out of the deal! Here are the two images from brochure that were posted to eBay.
This was listed on eBay. It went for $86. I was interested in it, but not at that ending price.
Not clear if it includes the bracket or not, but I’d think that would be the case.
https://skagit.craigslist.org/pts/d/oak-harbor-willys-cj-rear-winch/7092871686.html
“Rear Ramsey Pto winch for sale. This is a rare winch, can be used as a jib crane also. You can google this winch and get information. Call if you have questions. Only trades interested in a early cj5 rear seat and mounting hardware in good shape.”
Looks like a good price.
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tro/d/renton-willys-trailer-4×6/7104260098.html
Here’s a related newspaper ad for them (originally posted on the earlyCJ-5 page some time back):
Will Parish & Perk Perkins authored a book about their trip around the world in a CJ-5. Anyone familiar with it? The cheapest price I could find was priced at $49.
Abstract: Around the World in a Jeep recounts the 1975 grand plan of Orvis CEO Perk Perkins and his then college roommate, Will Parish, to drive around the world in Will’s beloved red Jeep. Over the next 20 months, Perk, Will, and their trusty Jeep crossed five oceans and seas, exploring 35 countries and covering enough road-miles to circumnavigate the earth twice. In addition to cementing their relationship as lifelong best friends, the trip also generated some 2,000 pages of journal entries, which make up the text of this remarkable volume. Illustrated by stunning full-color photographs taken by Perk, Will, and the people they encountered, this beautifully printed and bound adventure book belongs in the collection of everyone who has a yearning to explore, travel, and discover the richness our world has to offer. 12″ x 9″ hardcover
There are at least two book covers:
Here are a few pics from the book from https://www.influx.co.uk/cars/around-the-world-in-a-jeep/
Roger spotted this early 1980s video tour of the Toledo Jeep Plant on Facebook. I believe I’ve figured out a way to share it even if you don’t have an FB account. Hopefully, this works for everyone.
Here’s the original link just in case the movie doesn’t work for some folks: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanMotorsMovie/videos/202921640972219/