Big Willy made a good impact at Burning Man this year. Barry shard this photo by Susan Clemens of Big Willy at Burning Man dressed in some neon.

Motor Trend published this photo, which also has other photos of mutant vehicles.

Ian published this photo on Facebook.

Someone sent this link to me, but I can’t remember who. Has anyone seen Jamie’s jeep in person? I’d be curious to see pics of those tire adapters. The link provides some details on the build.

http://blog.kaiserwillys.com/cj-3a-customer-photos/jamie-dannels?

Bernd’s trusty CJ-5 and trailer.

Bernd, a reader from the Vandans area of Austria, along the Swiss border, has a long history with jeeps. Thankfully, he’s taken the time to provide us some stories and photos of his family’s life with jeeps. As you’ll learn, they’ve used jeeps for hunting, farming, and other chores.

In fact, just last week, Bernd hauled some computer equipment using his jeep and trailer (the trailer has been around the family for several decades, too.) Here are a couple photos from the recent computer equipment haul:

This brief timetable shares some history of the jeeps his family acquired. Most of these came from Switzerland:
1. In the Mid-1950s an MB
2. In the Mid?-1960s M38
3. 1971? after breakdown of the M38 a CJ5 with metal top
4. 1972 new CJ5 with canvas top,
5. 1982 father got the CJ5 from the former hunting ground tenant
6. 1996 CJ5 Bernd acquired from father,
7. 2010 CJ5 Bernd did a full restoration, still in use (as is a trailer, seen above).

Around 1950 my father began the job as a game warden in the whole municipal district of Vandans. The center of his activity was our home in Vandans and a hunter’s cabin in a side valley of the Montafon, called “Relstal” (Relsvalley). There, he took care of red deer, chamois, fox, hare, marmot, black cock and snow grouse.

Over the years, jeeps and a trailer were in service for:

• chaffeuring hunting parties
• collecting brought down game and distribution of venison
• transporting hay, corn and pomace for wildlife feeding in winter
• moving equipment and supplies

A 6km long gravel road led from the village (700m above sea level) to the cabin (1500m). The road continued to alpine farms (1900m) and ended as an earth road near the Swiss border (2100m).

In winter the road was blocked by masses of snow and avalanches. Father was normally  the last driver to make the trip from the cabin at the start of Winter and the first driver to go back up in the Spring.

I can’t remember exactly when we purchased the MB, but I believe it was the mid-1950s. Like my father, the tennant of the reseve was an officer of the Swiss army. He explained to me how he bought a jeep. Out of a row of jeeps, he was told he could pick one for purchasing. Of course, the more senior the officer, the earlier a person got to pick from the line of jeeps.

After purchasing the jeep, my father measured the jeep, then added 3 feet or more to the jeep’s length and width and a bit to its height for a garage, so it could fit it inside comfortably. He never thought of driving another car in future.

You can see the cabin with jeep and trailer. See the Swiss registration number ZH for Zuerich on bumper. Father stands in front of the jeep, my brother next to him.

Father and his hounds.

Continue reading →

Bernd alerted me to this rebuilt CJ-7 Bierzahl raffle in Frastanz, Austria. The contest is only open through September 16th, 2018.

https://frastanzer.at/neuigkeit/18062018/bierzahl-2018

Here’s the contest overview roughly translated into English:

“The iconic Jeep from the 80s can soon be yours! With the support of Fahrzeugtechnik Lerch a team of members and elograph, this hammer price was disassembled with much passion and rebuilt. In the stylish Bierzahl! Design, with improved technology and appropriate party equipment. Take the JEEP CJ-7 home right after the raffle.

Enjoy s’klenne or citrus cyclists from frastanzer, collect crown cork codes and enter them under bierzahl.vol.at. With a bit of luck, you’ll win one of the countless beer prizes or one of the coveted 200 Golden Tickets for the final draw on September 16 in Frastanz.

The Bierzahl! Prize draw starts on 15 June 2018 and ends at the final draw on 16 September as part of the Bockbierfest
Among the 200 Golden Ticket owners present, the winner will be under notarial supervision. The winner then leads the big parade through Frastanz.”

Maury had a chance to meet with Doc James the other day, a many who started Ironman Restorations in Pickens, South Carolina, (On Facebook) by buying out the world’s most successful jeep dealer. Maury explains:

“I had the pleasure of visiting Ironman’s shop a couple of weeks ago, which is located a little over an an hour from my house. Having talked with David on the phone several times, I’d hoped to get to meet him, but he had to be away that particular day.

David’s dad Doc, who started Ironman around 40 years ago, was there and showed me around a bit. He also told me the story of how they got started. In the 1970’s, Doc customized jeeps for Larry Hinkle, who owned Hinkle’s Jeep Inc. in Pickens, SC, which at that time was the largest jeep dealership in the entire country.

http://archive.independentmail.com/business/when-mega-dealerships-ruled-pickens-man-was-king-ep-414322179-349805391.html/ (Ed Note: the article is an interesting read)

When Hinkle’s went out of business in the early ’80’s, Doc bought Mr. Hinkle’s entire parts yard. This formed the basis of what is today Ironman’s extensive collection of vintage parts jeeps, which over time was further expanded into what it is today.

A few photos are below showing some of the collection, which winds its way far back into the woods around the James’ shop. They and their staff are very friendly people who go out of their way to help their customers find the parts they need.”

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While returning from our short camping trip, we spotted this 3B motoring down I-84 at 60MPH heading from Pendleton to Echo, Oregon. It was perfect weather for a jeep drive.

Steve shared some links that provide a little history about the manufacture of WWII vehicles, including the jeep, at the Ford Assembly Plant in Richmond, California.

This first link provides information about jeep contracts and more (http://fordmotorhistory.com/factories/richmond/richmond_jeeps.php):

Assembly of jeeps at Richmond was a fairly simple process. The plant received most components from Dearborn, including the frames, which had already received a first coat of paint there. Workers placed a frame on the assembly-line conveyor and then attached springs and front and rear axle assemblies. Then they gave the entire chassis a second coat of paint. Next they installed the engine, steering gear, transmission, transfer case, battery, wheels, radiator, body, gasoline, oil, and coolant.

A Ford inspector then started the jeep for the first time and took it for a 5-mile test drive, noting deficiencies that were rectified upon return to the plant. Then Ford turned the jeep over to Ordnance for inspection and acceptance. Ordnance inspected every jeep with at least a 1-mile road test. Ten percent of the jeeps received a 5-mile test, and 1 percent received a 100-mile test. Once accepted. Ordnance returned each jeep to Ford, where it was sent it to a screen room for a radio suppression test under the supervision of an Ordnance inspector. Then Ford took the jeep to the disassembly line where it was prepared for boxing.

The workers at Richmond also did their part to send reading material to the troops abroad (http://fordmotorhistory.com/factories/richmond/richmond_jeeps.php):

Workers at the Richmond branch did more to support the troops in the field than simply do excellent work in preparing tanks and other combat vehicles for shipment abroad. They also undertook a special project aimed at bolstering the morale of soldiers on the front lines, far from home. Under the leadership of Frank Vivian, an engineer in the boiler room, members of UAW Local 560 (who called themselves the “boilerhouse gang”) collected current magazines and newspapers from members of the community, wrapped them in packages, and placed a package in each completed jeep or tank before it was sealed for shipment. By November 1944, workers at the Richmond Tank Depot had sent 40 tons of magazines, bundled and stowed in vehicles, to the troops in the theatres of war.

This next link explains that a new tank contract forced the boxing of jeeps temporarily outside (http://fordmotorhistory.com/factories/richmond/richmond_tanks.php):

The San Francisco Ordnance District received instructions from the Office of the Chief of Ordnance in May 1942 to begin the preliminary work of establishing a tank depot in the Bay Area. By then, the Richmond branch had been assembling jeeps for several months. A short time later, an officer in Washington called the Ford Motor Company to inquire about the availability of the Richmond branch to prepare tanks for shipment overseas ….. When the tank-depot contract was signed, the Richmond branch was using the craneway to box jeeps for shipment abroad. That operation had to be moved outside immediately. Shortly thereafter. Ford built a boxing shed along the east side of the plant to facilitate the crating of jeeps and other vehicles. 

The article also references the known flotation issues with the GPA (SEEP) (http://fordmotorhistory.com/factories/richmond/richmond_tanks.php):

Another accident had occurred the previous month that reflected a different sort of laxity as the war drew to a close. On April 14, two Ford workers took an amphibian jeep for an unauthorized cruise in the bay while a group of the vehicles was being prepared for shipment. Ordnance and Ford managers had received instructions not to test the amphibians because they were not yet ready for travel in water, but the workers evidently had not heard or heeded the instructions. The amphibian jeep sank about 100 feet from shore in 30 feet of water. One worker swam to shore, but the other had to be rescued by some nearby Signal Corpsmen. The depot had to hire a barge and diver to locate and retrieve the jeep.

This quick post will cover two unrelated topics.

1. Ann and I decided to go camping for a couple days. Unfortunately, I couldn’t escape the internet, even out here. So, I will be checking email, but responding little. I already have some posts ready for the next couple days, so enjoy! (see the crab story under #3)
2. Bruce Agan’s JeepGalaSurrey DJ-3A site may be down permanently. Those who don’t know, Bruce was arguably one of the most knowledgeable DJ-3A/Surrey (he owned several) collectors about that vehicle line. Moreover, he not only shared his information with anyone interested in the DJ-3A family, but he also posted his information on the jeepgalasurrey.com site a few years ago. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2016. His site remained online until last week.

   If I don’t see the site reappear soon (this means his web host received a payment), then I’ll launch the information from files I gathered from his site (SiteSucker is a very handy application). I’ll let you know when the site goes back up.

3. As you can see, we are enjoying some crab on our first night of camping (Clyde Holiday State Park in Oregon). Funny store that explains why a brain damaged wife can be a good thing.

   Ann had a craving for crab. When we decided to go camping, she went shopping for some camping food and felt 1/2 a crab each ought to be enough. She approved the fish counter and said she wanted 2 crabs (as the crab was already cleaned and separated into halves).

   However, the person behind the counter interpreted that as 1 crab (2 halves) each or 4 halves total. The counter-person went to work, while Ann was blissfully unaware what was happening …. she said she was trying to remember how she had setup the sprinkler system in 2005.

   When the counter-person handed her the package, she thought it looked big, but didn’t think much of it. Only when she got home did she open to find SIX HALVES!

   Now, I don’t know where the disconnect happened, but I can confirm that I had my fill of crab Wednesday night 🙂 🙂

Michael shared this Jalopnik story of a 79 year old German man’s ride in a jeep last year, thanks in part to Christian’s Willys Am Tegernsee group. It was the first time he’d been in a jeep since 1945. Read the whole story here:

https://jalopnik.com/my-german-grandpas-first-ride-in-a-world-war-ii-jeep-si-1796840800

Vernon asked me about doing a Hatari related post. Now, put your coffee down before I say this … ready … I have never seen Hatari. Now that we are past that issue …

I spent some time looking for a way to watch the movie. It turns out there’s a website devoted to helping people find movies on different platforms: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hatari . In the end, it appears the cheapest way for me to watch it is to rent it through Amazon or head to a local library in search of a copy. In the mean time, the trailer is available via Youtube:

To see some jeep photos, I highly recommend the CJ-3B page’s coverage of the movie. As Derek notes in his article, Jeep claimed there were 43 different jeeps used for the movie, including CJ-6s, FCs, CJ-3BS, Wagons, and Trucks and perhaps a few others?

https://www.cj3b.info/Movie/Hatari.html

The Internet Movie Car Database (https://www.imcdb.org/movie_56059-Hatari!.html) also has some still shots from the movie, including this FC Dually flatbed:

Of course, there are still plenty of Hatari items on eBay:

Hatari Posters and Memorability on eBay, like this Belgian poster:

So, while you all read this post, I’m going to locate a copy of the movie!