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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 .
Scott Gilbert shared these pics and the video from Joe DeYoung’s annual winter jeep gathering. Looks like a good time! A shout out is also in order to Richard Darr from Washougal Classic Jeep, who supplied some discounted rebuild parts.
As part of the event this weekend, Joe rebuilt a 1 1/8 shaft D18 to raffle at the Spring Willys Reunion (May 15-16, 2020). They’ll also be building one live at the show.
Seattle’s St. Joseph Boy’s School and St. Joseph’s Academy worked together to buy a $900 jeep for the military.
https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=CATHNWP19430115.2.20
“A JEEP, valued at $900, was a gift to Uncle Sam, from students of St. Joseph’s Academy and St. Joseph’s Boys’ school. War stamps and bonds purchased by the boys and girls at their own school booths within a two-week period paid for the jeep. Purchasers wore tags, the girls bearing the likeness of General MacArthur and the inscription: “He’s Fighting—l’m Buying,” and the boys’ tags bore a gold V and distinguished star of various colors.
Bond buyers pictured from left to right with the jeep in front of the academy, are: Sergeant Dauer, Theresa Gamache, Lorraine Brule, Mary Ellen Chott, John Kerkem, William Himmelsbach and Patricia. Others were Francis Rooney, Claude Clifford, Laon Deymonaz, William Bischoff, Willetta Hofmeister, Donald Brule and nd Donna Gamache.”
Ebay of Canada has a 1950? German flyer for what looks to be a CJ-3A. The flyer is located in France, so it’s not cheap to get to the US.
View all the information on eBay
Fine price for a Marx jeep that’s been repainted.
https://southjersey.craigslist.org/tag/d/delanco-vintage-jeep-willies-metal-by/7060139532.html
“Good condition painted black and gray”
The cover of this Willys News highlights marketing’s strategy for attacking niches that could use four-wheel-drive vehicles.
UPDATE: Was on eBay.
This is likely the first station wagon brochure for the ‘brochure family‘ that the Kaiser Willys marketing team produced. It’s from SD-221-4 and has the KW logo. This is currently available on eBay.
Here was the subsequent version (see all pages here):
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
For only $2.99 you could have had Gumby, Pokey, their jeep and playmates back in 1966, at least according to this page from the Ward’s Christmas catalog Maury spotted. Someone is selling this page of the catalog for $15 (yikes).
Or for a lot more, you can have an original set in very good condition, plus a few extra figures for only $350!
Or, for $79, you can have a slightly used set from eBay.
UPDATE: The rise of Novel Corona Virus forced Shane to postpone his trip. Hopefully, he’ll be able to tackle this at some future point.
You may remember my visit with Shane Miller while I was visiting Richmond, Virginia, this past December. I recently turned Shane onto a running, driving GPW in Florida, which he subsequently bought. Instead of towing it home, he’s decided to drive it home to Richmond, an 863 mile drive. He plans on taking the trip sometime in late March or April.
Shane’s preliminary Route on Google
Why is he doing it? Because, why not? I applaud the adventurous spirit and am jealous that I’m not in the passenger seat! Sometimes you just gotta live life and take some chances.
That said, he’s not dumb either. He’s worked on enough WWII jeeps that he doesn’t underestimate their ability to break down. So, he’s publishing a potential route to see who might be along the route in case he does have some mechanical problems.
One of his goals is to visit the Jeep-Collection at Omix-Ada. Another goal is to visit his 101-year-old Great Uncle, a WWII vet, in Athens, Georgia. He thinks his uncle will get a very big kick out of seeing him driving the GPW.
If you are along the route or have suggestions/comments, feel free to comment below or contact him directly at donovanshanemiller @ gmail.com (no spaces around the @)
Shane and I in December 2019
This November 20, 1942, article from the Catholic Northwest Progress Newspaper highlights the Holy Names Academy’s Girls School’s efforts to purchase a jeep for the Army.
https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=CATHNWP19421120.2.95
“Holy Names Académy Girls Buy Jeep for U. 5. Army
RIDING In the jeep which had been sent to Holy Names Academy through the courtesy of the War Department, the members of the Student Council celebrated a major event in the Schools at War Program which has been carried on at Holy Names since September. During one week the pupils of the school contributed $1040 In savings bonds and stamps to the War Savings Staff, the “buying” of a jeep for the army being the goal of their efforts.
Making a serious effort to co-operate with the Treasury Department to save, serve and conserve, the girls have entered upon all three avenues of action. A recent questionnaire revealed the types of service being rendered: Clerical service, messenger service for local civilian defense, assisting in the unification and harvesting of crops, studying, first aid, roiling bandages, making of kits, and the collection of books and magazines for recreation centers.
The Christmas project at Holy Names this year is the preparing of boxes for army chaplains. containing religious articles for use in their work. Besides these helpful articles, a chaplain will also receive a spiritual bouquet which the girls are preparing during these preceding weeks.”
Air Trails Hobbies was a ‘how to’ magazine that provided news, reports, designs, and ‘how to’s’ on a range of hobbies. It’s intellectual bent on science and design just makes it more odd that it’s overview of the Willys History seems so lacking, especially in the 4WD jeep department. Given that, by February 1955 (the date of the issue below) the CJ-5 was already introduced, it seems a bit odd to ignore the latest jeep!
The December 22, 1950, issue of the Catholic Northwest Progress reported that Father (Major) Lawrence E. Ryan’s jeep was named “Bringing Up Father”.
“Chaplain’s Jeep Has Perfect Name
HAMHUNG, North Korea—Father (Major) Lawrence E. Ryan of Troy, N.Y.. (right), chaplain attached to the U.S. Third Infantry Division. could not have found a more appropriate title for his jeep. Here Father Ryan is shown talking to Pfc. Pedro Marti Arguinzone of Cavey, Puerto Rico, while using the jeep’s hood for a desk—(Religions News Service Photo.)”
Lots of fun articles in this April 1955 issue.
UPDATE: There are now several photos on eBay that were taken during the testing of the Austin Champ.
1. Photo of prototype Champ from the passenger side.
“Motor car jeep. Size of photo 8″ x 10.3”
2. Photo of an Austin Champ prototype from the front.
“Motor car jeep. Size of photo 8.1″ x 10.2″ 1950-07-26”
UPDATE: Still Available.
(004/09/2019) This two-page ad is supposed to be from a 1954 magazine. The seller does not provide the magazine or specific issue date.
View all the information on eBay
This May 14, 1951, article “Life Goes Ridgerunning” from Life Magazine used to be posted in full on the Yakima Ridge Runner’s website, but that site appears to be no longer active. So, you’ll find it below.
If you’ve never seen the color footage of the Ridge Runners jeeping in the Cascade Mountains, that’s worth a throwback look: http://www.ewillys.com/2011/03/29/2-more-videos-from-jpzombie-com/
And, there’s the widely circulated set of two videos that may have been filmed at the same time the writers of the magazine article were visiting Yakima (video 1 and video 2)
This form W-242-6 highlighted the new CJ-6’s additional 50% more cargo area. This isn’t the best example of this brochure, as it has some fading at the top and right side.
UPDATE: This ad is back on eBay. It is 10.5″ x 14″
“Vintage 1949 – Original Magazine Print Ad
GI’s on the Town in a Willys Jeep – Art by Valentine”
View all the information on eBay
The June 1943 issue of Motor Magazine out of Buenos Aires, Argentina, featured this introduction to the jeep on its front page. I snagged this copy off of eBay in December and it finally arrived. The 24-page magazine printed on newspaper covers a wide range of automotive subjects, most far above my rudimentary Spanish. I’m pretty surprised any of these survived!
Here are the first two pages (the only two that included the jeep as far as I could tell):
Also included in the magazine was this ad(?) featuring a jeep.
That had to have been a cold drive in January!
View all the information on eBay
“1951 Press Photo Soldiers drive amphibious jeep in Chesapeake Bay near Virginia.This is an original press photo. Amphibians – US – A Marine drives an amphibious jeep in Chesapeake Bay, off Little Creek, Virginia, during training exercises. According to the Navy, jeeps such as this will operate with only the driver’s head above the surface. The curved tube attached to the windshield is the exhaust pipe. Straight tube is the air intakePhoto measures 8.25 x 6.5inches. Photo is dated 01-17-1951.”
The seller of this June 18, 1962, photo claims this was South Padre Island, but the original script on the back of the photo labels it Padre island, which is north of South Padre (I know, that location may seem obvious). According to Wikipedia, South Padre was closed until 1962, which makes it more likely that this is Padre and not South Padre. That said, I’m no expert on this region.
View all the information on eBay
“1962 Press Photo Jeep “Off Roading” on South Padre Island Sand Dunes, Texas. This is an original press photo. Jeep rolls across sand dunes of Padre Island in Texas. Photo measures 10 x 8.25 inches. Photo is dated 06-18-1962.”
This brochure was part of the family of brochures described in this Kaiser/Willys ad post from a few days ago. Curiously, this brochure is labeled form W-239-6, suggesting it was printed for 1956, while the original version of this was form W-239-5.
After comparing the two different versions, I could only find some minor differences between the two. The ‘biggest’ difference was a slight repositioning of the text within the balloons on page 2 of the brochure. Form “5” had misplaced the text slightly, with a few letters extending above a couple balloons. Form “6” seems to have fixed that. It also appears that Form “6” uses a bolder font for the text in the balloons. There could also be some minor differences that I did not detect. Here’s my comparison of the balloons:
So, now I know I should have bought a W-239-5 version if I wanted the original! Another lesson learned the hard way 🙂 … anyway, here’s the scan of the W-239-6 version:
Compare those pics to the Form W-239-5 version from Autopaper:
I stumbled upon this article looking for something else.
Nice front end shot of a Ford GP.
View all the information on eBay
“1942 Press Photo US soldier pictured with “jeep” and “peep” vehicles in Kentucky
This is an original press photo. Trucks – US – Fort Knox, Kentucky – The Armed Force hopes this picture will end the confusion between the “jeep” and “peep.” The tough little puddle-jumper on the right is affectionately known as the “peep” by men of the army’s Armored Force, while the large command car at the left is the original “jeep,” named after the Popeye comic strip characterPhoto measures 10 x 8.25inches. Photo is dated 01-11-1942.”
This August 1955 article in Popular Mechanics includes 2 CJ-5s. It took a nuclear scientist to locate the article (long story), but it dove tails nicely off yesterday’s Willys News post that included an article on uranium mining (last page of Willys News) about these two prospectors.
This was advertised in a late 1955 Willys News, but does not appear to have been published until 1956, based on the Form M-221-6.
