This 24-page Universal Jeep Brochure provides a look at both the CJ-2A and CJ-3A, with pics of both. That led me to believe this was most likely published in early 1949. Most of this appears to be images/info that we’ve seen bundled in other brochures and documents.
Features Research Archives
1943 Photo of Joe Louis Driving a Jeep
This photo and caption about boxing champ Joe Louis driving a jeep made the Detroit Tribune newspaper on October 02, 1943.
The biographical book Joe Lewis: The Life of a Heavyweight includes a short look (pages 193-196) at his time in the military during WWII. The book explains that he had a unique opportunity to advocate for black troops, due to his substantial connection inside the War Department. He took advantage of his connections to overcome discriminatory practices that he witnessed.
2002 “M-151A2” Carolina Growler Little Rock, AR **SOLD**
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $9250.
Sold by Growler Manufacturing and Engineering in the early 00s, this 4×4 tactical vehicle was designed atop a new M-151A2 chassis and sold, at least for a while, in kit form. You can view an old version of the website from 2001 via Archive.org: Carolina Growler.
**SOLD** “For Sale M 151A2 Jeep, 2002 by Carolina Growler. Full cab, roll cage, seatbelts, heater, 5 New Hancock tires, no rust, runs as it should, Great condition. Clear AR title. Asking $9250 Located in Little Rock, AR” **SOLD**
February 1957 Willys News
The last issue of Willys News I posted was from the summer of 1956. I don’t have any others for 1956. I also don’t have the January 1957 issue, but I do have some eBay pics (from 2013). It looks like a good one (see post below this one).
January 1957 Willys News
UPDATE: This was on eBay.
Some good DJ-3A & FC-150 photos and some rare early swamp racing photos.
“Original salesman’s non color catalog , 11 x 17 , 8 pages , includes salesman’s messages , salesman’s contests , shows some models , etc.”
Jalopnik Story About a CJ-2A
This jeep was up for sale earlier this year. Somehow, I missed this David Tracy story about it on Jalopnik.
https://jalopnik.com/this-one-owner-1946-farm-jeep-has-a-fascinating-but-mys-1841002113
Year? Photo of Johnny Shoemaker Conducting Tour in Berlin on eBay
Note all the bullet pitting on the pedestals.
View all the information on eBay
“Press Photo Pfc. Johnny Shoemaker conducts Berlin tour in jeep to nurses. This is an original press photo. Pfc. Johnny Shoemaker, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, shows points of interest to four American nurses making a sightseeing tour of Berlin in a jeep. In the background is the “Dome” famous cathedral, and on either sides are the horses in front of the Imperial Palace.Photo measures 8.5 x 7inches. Photo is dated –none.”
1951 Photo of CJ-2A w/ Wood Hardtop
UPDATE: Rather than a V-7, this might be a Woodie Top.
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Originally posted 04/09/2020:
John spotted this CJ-2A in a Westchester, NY, local history book. As he read through it, he spotted the jeep with it’s unusual hardtop. He was wondering if I knew what it was. (is that possibly the Yorktown Heights train station?)
My best guess is that it is a modified V-7 Body Works hardtop (modified on the lower door along with the front corner extension that appears to go down to the step). Here are some links and photos for comparison:
V-7 hardtop http://www.ewillys.com/2013/04/28/v-7-body-works-out-of-chicago/ which first went on sale in 1948, so the timeline works.
These two tops look to be V-7 tops:
http://www.ewillys.com/2016/07/12/cj-2a-custom-wood-top-sullivan-pa-ebay/:
http://www.ewillys.com/2013/08/17/1964-usaf-photo-cj-3a-with-body-v7-works-top/
These two links have characteristics of Woodie Tops:
http://www.ewillys.com/2012/08/10/letter-about-woodies-by-station-wagons-inc-on-ebay/
http://www.ewillys.com/2017/02/12/1946-cj-2a-yuma-az-ebay/:
Unusual Dualmatic/Selectro-Like Hub
More on Dualmatic/Selectro hubs here.
As part of a discussion on hubs on Facebook, someone from Australia posted a photo of his CJ-6 that came with these unusual hubs. They are similar in external design to the Dualmatic/Selectro, have only 3 “bumps” or “tabs” rather than the standard six around the side of the hub. There’s no brand name on the hub or any other identifying characteristics. A search on Australian 4WD sites and on the Australian patent site did not reveal any information.
Anyone ever seen these?
For comparison, this is a Sears private branded Dualmatic/Selectro (sears branded) hub in the first pic and a Free-lock branded hub in the second pic.
A Jeep Rambler on Flickr
UPDATE: Originally posted to Flickr in 2012 (https://www.flickr.com/…/71473…/in/set-72157629836314396 )
According to the photographer:
This was taken in Durkee, Oregon – about 1 block from the Durkee, Post Office. (I am not sure if the Post Office is still open). You can actually see this vehicle in Google Street View if you look in the field at the southeast portion of the intersection of Old US Highway 30 and Oxman Ranch Road in Durkee. ….
Link to Google (you can see all sides of it pretty well): https://www.google.com/maps/@44.5810948,-117.4643278,3a,75y,91.3h,96.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1syRerHg5QL0Xrk9L1y8brfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
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Originally posted in 2014:
Doug sent this beautiful photo of a Jeep Rambler hybrid he spotted on Flickr. One commenter called it a Jambler. All-in-all, this combo could have looked a lot worse! Note the builder even stenciled ‘JEEP’ onto the back tailgate.
The photo was taken by ‘Old White Truck’. There are some beautiful photos and some humorous captions on his Flickr photostream.
1942 Photo of General Krueger on eBay
This is a great photo of General Walter Krueger, Commander of the Third Army.
View all the information on eBay
“1942 Press Photo Army Commander Lieutenant General Walter Krueger in “War” Jeep. This is an original press photo. When a three star general roams the maneuver country, no cushioned limousine will do the job. Lieutenant General Walter Krueger tries out the two way radio with which his “war” Jeep is equipped. As commander of the Third Army, General Krueger will use the Jeep directing the strenuous maneuvers in the battle-tough Louisiana area.Photo measures 8.5 x 7inches. Photo is dated 07-29-1942.”
The 1959 Willys Malibu Prototype
Websites Macs Motor City and Curbside Classic shared information on this 1959 Willys prototype that looks quite a bit like a Ford Falcon station wagon. You can see additional jeep/car prototypes on the CJ-3B Page: https://cj3b.info/Factory/FactoryDesign.html
I’m sure someone else has more info on this Willys Malibu.
Ford developed the Falcon Station Wagon in 1959, so it’s possible that the Malibu and the Falcon were developed completely independently, but it sure looks like one could have influenced the other.
In 1961, this prototype was considered (was an actual vehicle ever built?) with a CJ-5 looking grille:
In 1961, Willys Motors came out with a different prototype wagon, the J-100, with a more familiar face.
However, the original Malibu grill concept wasn’t completely abandoned. In 1966 (Thanks Mike), the luxurious Super Wagoneer was introduced with a grille very similar to the 1959 Malibu prototype (with a small hood bump as a nod to the Wagoneer styling).:
Later, in 1974, AMC Jeep used the same look on the new Jeep Cherokee line.
M-Series(Military FC) Operator Manual
Dan Details the Thor “Lectro-Matic” Hub
UPDATE: I posted this Thor post over a decade ago (how times flies). Below is a look at the switch used to engage the Thor “Lectro-Matic” Hub, which came from this post. Since the below post was first published, there’s also been some history about Thor Products on a shared on another post.
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Originally posted January 2010:
Dan dropped this into my inbox this evening. It’s a detailed look at the Thor “Lectro-Matic” Hub (or lectromatic hub). Dan completed this 18 page document, with disassembling the hubs and discussing each step. You can download the PDF here. Great work Dan!
Dan writes, The Thor “Lectro-Matic” hubs off of my 1955 CJ-5 were a bit of a mystery. These must have been some of the first “push button” 4WD systems to come out. There was little to no information on them so I decided to take them apart and see just how they work. Here is what I have learned.
When my Dad said that they were electric, I assumed that they had a little motor that would “spin” them in or out of engagement. What I realized was that they were more like a solenoid or electromagnet.
There is a coil of wire on the wheel side of the hub. When power is applied to the coil it becomes a magnet and draws itself to the axle side of the hub. There are little “teeth” machined into the facing sides of the hub. These teeth engage and the axle side of the hub turns the wheel or magnet side of the hub. A wire is ran through the back of the backing plate through a hole and provides the electricity to the magnetic coil. A contact mounted on a spring transmits this electric power through a slip ring inside the brake drum to the hub.
I imagine that the hubs could be engaged while the vehicle is moving, but I think this would cause the teeth to slip for a moment and lead to premature wear of the teeth. A toggle switch or a maintained push button could be used to turn the hubs on and off. One could even use a limit switch on the 4WD lever of the transfer case to automatically turn them on when the vehicle was shifted into 4WD. The hubs would only remain engaged as long as power is applied to the magnetic coil. If you left the switch on and had run power directly off of the battery to the switch, it would eventually drain your battery after the engine is shut off. If you ran power from the ignition switch to the on/off switch, your hubs would automatically disengage as soon as you shut off your engine.
If for some reason they didn’t want to work, there was a little screw on the outside face of the hub that you could turn to manually engage or disengage the hubs (as you can see below).
On the top of the hub you can see the wire that passes through the brake drum to power the magnetic coil.
CJ-5 Cuff Links and Tie Clip
These sold on eBay a few days ago for $16. It’s the second set that has sold on eBay in as many weeks.
“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. Crisp and clean! Sorry, no box”
Ames Single Bottom Plow Plymouth, MA **SOLD**
UPDATE: Price dropped to $400.
(10/28/2019) John shared this ad. The plow was used behind a CJ-2A.
“Ames Plow Company 45 antique single bottom plow. It was used on the rear of a Jeep CJ2A back in the mid 40s. Its been stored indoors for 70+ years.
Good condition $650”
Tagging A Jeep
Chattanooga Times reporter Marion Coleman wrote a piece on jeep tagging in July of 1943, which was then syndicated to at least one newspaper, appearing in the Key West Citizen on July 20, 1943, under the title “Tagging a Jeep”. The problem is that the scan is horrible. Moreover, I can’t find any other copy of the article nor are the Chattanooga News-Free Press archives online, which is where I suspect it was also published.
The reason I found the article interesting is that she underscores the primary purpose of naming (or tagging) a jeep wasn’t for sentimental/inspirational reasons. Instead, it was so drivers could identify their individual jeeps. Given drivers were responsible for their jeeps, creatively marking their jeeps was one way of safe-guarding them. Of course, snagging the distributor when parked was another way to help keep it from being stolen.
I suspect the only way to get a good copy of the article is to visit the local library in either state, which likely won’t be happening anytime soon!
1949 Meyer Snow Plow Brochure
This early Meyer snow plow brochure sold on eBay. I was busy buying a few other things yesterday, so decided to let this one go. If someone out there purchased it, feel free to send me some lo res scans (d @ dealers.com) that I can share with folks.
Tux Park III Parts List
This was also on eBay. I assume one of the Tux Park guys hopped on this unique resource. Unfortunately, only a couple photos were provided on eBay.
1943 Photos of Two Named Jeeps
This May 02, 1943, article in the Evening Star excerpt shares the news of two newly-named jeeps: “Al Neale” and “Mount Vernon Spitfire”.
1943 Article on Jeep-Powered Magnet
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.
Gladiator/Wagoneer Cuff Links & Tie Clasp on eBay
Here’s an unusual item: Gladiator/Wagoneer Cuff Links and Tie Clip. The price is $25.
Mechanix Illustrated Magazine: Jiving up the Jeep, Articles 1-4
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
Kemco Hardtop Brochure
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:
Early Kelly Manufacturing Hardtop Brochure
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.