This was illustrated by Reg Manning.
Features Research Archives
Progressive Farmer Magazine Jeep Ads
Generally, my interactions with ebay sellers have been excellent. But, of course, it was only a matter of time before I received some damaged goods.
Recently, I got a good price on three Willys-Overland Progressive Farmer Magazine Ads from the late 1940s off of eBay. However, the packaging was less than stellar; in fact, it was so poor that the package arrived like this:
Inside, each of the ads was torn in the same spot, meaning the USPS was a little too rough with the package (though I do think the seller’s poor packaging is really the primary issue).
Worse, the ads were wrapped in cellophane, without any kind of backing, making them difficult to remove without tearing the pages worse:
The good news is that upon being notified the seller refunded my money in its entirety and let me keep the fairly worthless ads. Still, I can eventually scan them and repair them in photoshop, some day.
And now for the Ads: This ad does not have a date on it, but given the “J” logo, I’d say it was December of 1945 or January of 1946, page 11:
This next one is from July of 1946, page 19:
This one is from May of 1947, page 49 (it also appeared in the May 1947 issue of the Country Gentleman Magazine):
Johnstown Four Wheel Drive Plate eBay
Maybe this bit of nostalgia will appeal to someone?
View all the information on eBay
“PENNSYLVANIA 1980 JOHNSTOWN ALLEGHENY HIGHLANDERS FOUR WHEEL DRIVE CLUB BOOSTER LICENSE PLATE. AS SHOWN.”
Thor Winch $650 … And the Related Brochure
UPDATE: Here’s a Thor PTO winch for sale. See the brochure for it at the bottom of the post. (Thor also made hubs).
https://bakersfield.craigslist.org/pts/d/bakersfield-1960s-thor-pto-lb-winch/6912177380.html
“A late 1960’s Thor T-100 Pto 8000lb winch. Popular on old Willys and jeeps,
Very hard to find, in Excellent condition as far as running properly.
Hasn’t been used since the late 70’s always been stored in a dry place no rust, has some paint missing from being moved around over the years.
Asking 650$ Obo
I have no use for this but I’m sure someone restoring a project Jeep or Bronco would love to have an original winch from the era.’
==========================
Original Post from December 2016:
The Thor line of winches. Thor also had a line of hubs.
Early Four Wheeler Magazine Covers
R. H. Carroll took the time to create a website displaying a wide array of off-road and dune buggy magazines. His plan included posting images of early Four Wheeler magazine covers, as seen here: http://99wspeedshop.com.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/fourwheeler01.html (This helps me as I’m still looking for 1962 and 1963 Four Wheeler magazines).
This link shows you the Home page for the entire site. As you click through, you’ll begin to see that he spent a good amount of time creating this. Another neat feature are the timelines for the various magazine genres. Just the Go-Karts/Karting section alone is unique and interesting.
Below is one timeline example. Check out the Hot Rod/Street Rod/ Custom Magazine timeline here: http://99wspeedshop.com.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/menu03.html
![off-road-magazine-timeline](http://www.ewillys.com/wp-content/uploads2/2019/06/off-road-magazine-timeline-650x301.jpg)
This handy timeline was published here: http://99wspeedshop.com.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/menu04.html
Ernie Pyle’s “First” Book: Home Country
Most of you probably know Ernie Pyle from his wartime articles and books. However, prior to WWII Ernie Pyle had already made a name for himself as a widely traveled columnist under the title “Hoosier Vagabond”. Between 1935-1942 he and his wife traveled extensively across the US, north into Canada and south into Mexico. In 1947, after his death, some of his articles from this pre-war time were bundled into a book called Home Country.
In his homespun style, Ernie shares his experience climbing to the top of the newly build Golden Gate bridge, learns the challenges of being a white professional wrestler in heavily hispanic Laredo, Texas, and tells the tales of some regionally famous (at that time) folks like Rufus Woods, a local Washington State character who had a significant impact on Eastern Washington, yet was a name I didn’t know.
Near the end of the book he interviews the inventor of the Ross Steering box, David Ross. Matriculating with an engineering degree from Purdue University in 1893, Ross contracted Typhoid shortly after leaving college. A doctor advised him to be outdoors to regain health, so he returned to his family farm and began tinkering. He developed the box and other inventions that made him wealthy. Ernie Pyle’s description and stories of the Ross provide some great insights into who he was.
1951 Photo of Troops Pushing Jeep Over Hill on eBay
That looks like an uphill slog!
View all the information on eBay
“1951 Press Photo United Nations troops push jeep over hill during Korean War. This is an original press photo. The powerful jeep was unable to negotiate a muddy hill, so manpower took over. United Nations troops pushed the jeep and a trailer up the hill. About two dozen men helped. — Korean War – Troops U.S. – Living & Weather conditions Photo measures 9 x 6.5 inches. Photo is dated 11-08-1951.”
Just a Few Updates Sunday
Happy Father’s Day! Just a few updates today.
This story hit the news over the weekend. It’s a heartwarming, yet sad story.
Candy Bomber Returns to Wiesbaden
My German cousin Heinz shared this story of the 98 year-old “Candy Bomber” returning to Wiesbaden.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/326606/halvorsen-children-berlin-valued-freedom-above-all
Puget Sound Boondockers Club Patch
Brandon bought this cool, vintage jeep club patch from the late 1960s/early 1970s at an estate sale. I can’t remember ever seeing the club logo before, but the group is documented in the PNW4WDA Region One roster booklet from 1972.
As the image suggests, the Boondockers was a club based out of the south Puget Sound area of Washington, mostly Auburn. As of 1972 the club had 11 members, most of whom had CJ-5s.
Pages From Mid-1960s Brian Chuchua’s Catalog
UPDATE II: See more scans from this catalog here: http://www.ewillys.com/2019/07/27/brian-chuchua-catalog-pages/
UPDATE: More Scans from Brian Chuchua’s Catalog (the ones from the previous post are also included.
The back cover notes that Brian Chuchua’s is a charter member of SEMA.
This may be the earliest ad I’ve seen for fiberglass bodies.
Photo with an Unusual Navy Hardtop
This photo was on eBay and posted to the G503 Facebook page. It’s got an unusual hardtop. Some good headroom!
Lawnmower Engines in M-38A1s
John spotted this article on some unusual engine installations! Lawnmower engines in M-38A1s. Were these jeeps at the Great Willys Picnic?
https://jalopnik.com/this-wrenching-genius-installed-lawnmower-engines-into-1835417201
Here’s one example:
![lawn-mower-engine-jalopnik](http://www.ewillys.com/wp-content/uploads2/2019/06/lawn-mower-engine-jalopnik-650x366.jpg)
FROM THE ARTICLE ON JALOPNIK: The [lawnmower] engine has been mounted onto some sort of platform, which is mounted to the frame. The 670cc unit sends power from its output shaft via two belts to an intermediate jackshaft, which then transfers power via two other belts to pulleys on the input shaft of the original T-90 three-speed manual transmission.
1960 Jeep Family Cartoon Brochure w/ Woman
UPDATE: Anyone have an original of this brochure? I’ve got someone who would like a scan of the page showing the woman. The pics below were part of an eBay auction and subsequent post from 2013 (I bid, but didn’t win the brochure).
“original part color catalog , 5.5 x 8 , 16 pages , interesting cartoon type catalog which concerns the word “Jeep” and its use as a registered trademark . Apparently the word “Jeep” was being commonly used generically to describe a Jeep type vehicle and the company thought it important enough to protect their property rights and trademark to produced this interesting catalog . It also lists countries around the world where “Jeep” has been registered .”
All Breed Jeep Swap Meet Kingston, GA June 29th
There’s a jeep swap meet in Kingston, Georgia, Saturday June 29th. I don’t know anything about it.
“This is open to ANYONE OR ANYTHING Jeep related.
$20 bucks to set up and free to come look around.
Plenty of room. Rain or shine”
Allstate Standard Cab Manual
Maury discovered this instruction manual hidden inside one of his Sears Jeep Parts catalogs. A very useful find!
Cuban Key Chain
I snagged this unusual key chain on eBay (thanks Maury). It appears to be from Cuba.
A google search suggests the dealership was active as early as 1955 and as late as 1958. That’s all I could find.
Romantic Jeepish Story
Not much about jeeps, but at least they are in the photos. Still, it’s a heartwarming tale of love. Thanks to Maury for sharing it.
Photos from the 2019 Great Willys Picnic
The heater looks like it was perfect for this years Great Willys Picnic. Thanks to Craig, we’ve got some photos.
He also wanted to mention some details about the “Camel Towing” pickup: Under the hood was a 4 litre engine from a Wrangler, converted to carbs. Except for a small cut in the firewall and a notch into a cross-brace, you’d think the engine was original equipment. He even retained the engine’s cooling fan, without having to switch to an electrical fan set up. I thought I took a picture of the engine compartment, but apparently did not. He did have to raise the suspension a few inches to clear the bell housing without having to resort to re-doing the transmission tunnel, but raised pickups are so common that no one batted an eye at it. All in all, it was very cleverly done.
![2019-great-willys-picnic7](http://www.ewillys.com/wp-content/uploads2/2019/06/2019-great-willys-picnic7-650x405.jpg)
“Camel towing” truck
1972 Photo of CJ-2A(?) at the Albany, NY, Landfill on eBay
A hard working CJ sporting a Kelly hardtop a the Albany, New York, landfill.
View all the information on eBay
“1972 Press Photo Jeep with plow at landfill on Rapp Road, Albany, New York. This is an original press photo. Albany Sanitary Landfill, Rapp Road, Albany, New York – jeep purchased by North End Photo measures 9 x 7.25 inches. Photo is dated 12-16-1972.”
Chevrolet Tailgate Table Pasco, WA $300
This is on our local craigslist. Nothing jeep about it, but I thought it worth sharing. That tailgate is pretty much enshrined in the table. Perhaps Chevy folks like that sort of thing??
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/452199325547941/
“Rustic man-cave style coffee table made from a Chevy tailgate. Lots of cool features. Would look good at home or business. Makes a great gift for the Chevy lover in your life. Smoked glass top. One of the pictures shows it with out the glass.”
Olympia Beer Themed Ford Bronco Pullman, WA $44,000
You’d have to be a fan of Olympia Beer to appreciate this Bronco (not that the beer was all that good, but it was a local PNW beer out of Olympia, Washington.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1589105164535594/
“On frame restore. New paint and upholstery. 5.0 liter EFI.”
1954 Ad with a CJ-3B
This October 14, 1954, advertisement from the Heppner Gazette out of Heppner, Oregon, by the Farley Motor Company included a CJ-3B. You can see that the WILLYS ‘Jeep’ branding made a comeback not too long after Kaiser took over. KW also appears in the ad, along with Kaiser Willys Sale Division and Willys Motors.
CJ-5 Authenticast Aluminum Model **SOLD**
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay
Jarek wrote an article about these for the CJ-3B page; some painted ‘gold’ were given to employees. The hood opens and the windshield folds down.
“RARE 1955 to 1962 Willys Kaiser Jeep CJ5 promo model in 1/25 scale. Well scaled with fold-down windshield and opening hood.Has the famous Jeep Hurricane engine. Missing steering wheel. All tires are good including the side-mount spare tire. Overall,not perfect but very nice. Displays well.”
Jeep w/Top in Europe
The writing on this photo indicates this jeep with a wood top was located in Europe. It was odd enough I thought I’d buy the photo, which was on eBay.