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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 .
There were some jeeps at SEMA 2023 this year, but one of the most interesting was a rebuilt FC-170 by Roy. The excerpt starts at 2;27. (I can’t tell what the narrator is saying, because my sound isn’t working tonight for some reason).
This eight-page issue includes stories about Country Maid’s FC-150s ice cream trucks and Prade Ranches wagon. The Boyd’s FC was included as part of a story on the Boyd family’s travel to South America. Two different articles highlight DJ-3A dispatchers. There are two very different examples of FC-campers, which one looking quite a bit like Dan Horenberger’s old streamline camper (discussed in this Motor Trend article by Jim Allen). Also, don’t miss the last story which shows an FC with two sets of duallies on the rear.
This quad-fold 1982 San Juan Scenic Jeep Tour brochure shows two newer jeeps with rear seating like the FC-tour jeeps, along with one vintage chopped wagon.
This June 1953 issue is Volume 2 No. 4. I’ve only documented a few of these, so I don’t think many of these “Booster News” newspapers were saved. This one is on eBay for $99. Anyone know if they have copies of the Booster News in the Toledo Public Library?
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“Here is a rare vintage, Willys Booster News UAW Local 12 Employee newspaper Toledo Ohio. The newspaper is in good condition. It is complete with 8 pages in it.”
UPDATE: Shane bought this Jeepney, so it is heading for VA.
Bill shared this Jeepney. .The starting bid with no bids and 4 days to go is $3450. If I didn’t have other projects, I would consider this one.
This 8-page issue has lots of DJ-3As, Surreys, FCs and Wagons. Note the six-wheeled wagon on page six. The issue includes a photo of a CJ-6 being used as a tour jeep at Hell’s Half Acre near Casper, Wyoming (page 3 lower right).
Bill shared this quick-assemble jeep video, though this doesn’t quite look as quick as others we’ve seen.
What’s more interesting is that one of the comments under the video shares how some US jeep dealers ran some contests challenging folks to assemble actual jeeps completely taken apart. This is the first I have heard about this type of contest. I wonder if it was ever documented in any news articles or magazines. Here is the full comment:
“My grandfather’s garage did this in the 1950’s. He owned the first Jeep dealership in Manhattan, because he was selling Willy’s before WWII, so automatically became a Jeep dealership after the War. [Willys] did a promotion where they set up this contest in different dealerships, to see how long to assemble an entire Jeep. But it was completely apart, not in sub assemblies like here. My grandfather won with a time under 4 hours, and they presented him with a solid gold Bulova watch. On the back was engraved his name, the date, and the time it took to put the Jeep together.”
This 8-page edition of Jeep News showcases a wide variety of Surrey and FC stories. There’s an interesting story about a group of five adventurers from Brecksville, Ohio, who planned to drive an FC-170 with a camper around the world.
This CJ-2A featured prominently in this series of family photos. You can find the photos on this seller’s ebay shop.
UPDATE II: You may remember that back in May we discussed Sterand vs. Sternad and the fact that a vehicle called the Sterand made in 1902 was making the rounds on the internet, but that it was actually a Sternad from 1917…..
Well, this https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/657343822895942/ popped up on my FB feed yesterday. Listed as a 1902 Sterand in the ad (and available for $325k), I inserted myself into the discussion with my “expertise” only to learn that the seller has a title listing his vehicle as a 1902 Sterand and that his isn’t the 1917 version. Wait, what?
Moreover, if you compare the seller’s vehicle to the one in the postcard, you can see the seller’s vehicle has at least one difference: the seller’s vehicle has a cylinder part that doesn’t exist in the postcard version. Maybe someone else can better sort out the history behind these two almost identical vehicles.
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UPDATE: The correct name of this vehicle is Sternad not Sterand, built by Anton (Andrew) Frank Sternad in 1917. As Mark notes in the comments, there is more information on it here: http://coachbuilt.com/bui/s/sternad/sternad.htm
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Originally published May 5, 2023:
Merlin mentioned this vehicle (and article), called the Sterand Loco, in a Facebook post. Various sourced indicate it was built in 1902, but he felt it looked more like a 1920s build. I agree with him, that it is a cool car, but I am not steeped enough in early car history to know for sure when it might have been built.
After some internet searches, I found the engine was consistent with 1902 (a Rutenber 4 cylinder engine). However, after Googling and checking newspaper articles prior to 1920, I could not find what I felt was a definitive source for the date of the vehicle’s creation (no info on why it is called a Sterand or any promotion surrounding it’s inception). The most I could find was a postcard (from this website) that discussed what the article stated.
Still, it’s a cool car.
This looks like the initial one-screw style of Free-Lock Hubs: http://www.ewillys.com/2021/09/09/free-lock-hubs/
“Working on selling parts for my dad who is 82 years old. Is a bit tough to get information because of his memory. I will do my best. He says he bought these hubs for his 1946 Willys Jeep years ago. They seem to be in fine condition. He has had his parts stored for a number of years.”
Originally Published Feb 12, 2014: Davis Farm Contracting tried everything, but a jeep proved the most satisfactory vehicle for their company.
John B. is a fan of Rod Taylor, an actor who starred in the short-lived 1971 TV series “Bearcats”, which John watched as a teen. I was six in 1971 and don’t remember ever watching it. Here’s an introduction to it:
The reason this top surfaced is because John sent me a photo showing Rod Taylor with a CJ-5. The question is, does it have a Tux package? It appears to have chrome hood latches and a chrome bumper, but the bumper is straight and not curved like a Tux Park package. Did the 1961-63 Tux Packages ever used a straight bumper like that?
This Gasoline Ration Book prominently features a Ford GP-looking jeep.
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““Sinclair Oil Willys Jeep WWII Uncle Sam Gasoline Ration Book Alton IL. 4 X 2 inch paper folder/sleeve with mileage card and ration stamps. honest wear from use and age.”
Kind of a curious thing to put on the front of a jeep?
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“Lot of slides as shown. Each feature the same Jeep with Jeep Is Mine J.I.M. on front. Probably in the Washington State or Alaska area based on other slides from same estate.”
Other than a few ads, it isn’t clear what’s inside this booklet or how many pages it is.
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“Vintage 7th Annual National Jeep O Rama 1967 Denver Colorado.”
UPDATE: This was first published just over 10 years ago on October 17, 2013.
This testimonial comes from a cemetery in Springfield, Massachusetts, that espouses the lawn-friendliness of the jeep.
The CJ-6 shown on this postcard is described as the “typical hunting rig used throughout the Valley” and by valley they mean the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
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“Vintage Postcard – Hunter Hunting – Rifle – Jeep – Lower Rio Grande Valley Texas – TX
Standard Size Postcard
Condition – This is a vintage postcard. Please allow for age and wear.”
I thought I had published this one, but I hadn’t. Much of this issue is about TV shows and a dealer trip. There are a few jeeps on the last couple of pages.
The good news is that I won 10 issues of Jeep News 1959-1961 issues, which I will be publishing once I receive them.
The bad news is that I missed out on the four issues pictured below. I suspect the winner of these is a Surrey guy, as the Surrey, the Pepsi Surrey are mentioned in two of the four issues.
I was hoping that someone might have scans of any of these four issues they could send me???
The best way I have found to scan these is to use a phone scanning software like “Scannable” on the iPhone. It’s not perfect, but it does a very good job on flat scans and is super helpful with oversize (bigger than 8.5×11) images.
The first is the September-October 1959 Issue of Jeep News. One head line reads, “New Surrey Proves Popular Addition to ‘Jeep’ Family …
This March 1960 issue mentions the Pepsi-Cola Company and Surreys. I’m also interested in the 1960 Jeep Special Equipment story.
This May-June 1960 issue highlights several different marketing documents (New parts-service mailers) and the product line changes story, which includes a reference to the one-piece windshields.
Finally, this June-July 1961 issue appears to announce the new FJ-3As.
No one bid on these the Jeep News issues last week, so they are once again for sale. You can view them on eBay here:
Below are my links to my scans of each of the ebay issues in case you want to see more (the ebay auctions only show the top fold of the issue).
1. This first image shows a Jeep Train in Oceanside, California, though I was unable to confirm “Old World Shop” was located in Oceanside. It looks to be a CJ-5 with a modified windshield set up and a changed rear area.
2. This postcard showing a CJ-5 pulling a long tram is from Lincoln, New Hampshire. It looks like some kind of “Smokey Bear” tram.
3. There is supposed to be some form of jeep under this faux train-engine body. This photo was taken in Manhattan, Kansas. The postcard is available on eBay.
Derek Redmond of the CJ-3B page believes this vehicle began life as a Mahindra product, then was modified. This is located in France, but the postage is only $3.18.
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“1 publicité papier originale extraite d’une revue d’époque , pas de photocopie ni de scan !!
ENTREPRISE : SABAVIA MATERIEL SPECIAL SUISSE
DATE : 1982
FORMAT : 1 page grand format 24/32 cm”
I was surprised to see this Toyota Land Cruiser museum pop up on social media. I was even more surprised to see it located in Salt Lake City. The final surprise was that it is a short walk from my son’s house. So, I’ll be visiting this place soon. The museum boasts an impressive collection of Land Cruisers.
You can learn more about this history of the museum from this Hagerty article: https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/12-off-roaders-at-land-cruiser-heritage-museum/
Image Credit: https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/12-off-roaders-at-land-cruiser-heritage-museum/
I picked up these four 20″ x 30″ vintage tour jeep photos. The first image shows a tour-jeep-wagon that kept part of the door and roof, similar to what was done with the FC Tour Jeeps. As you can see in the other photos, usually door was lopped and all of the roof and upper sides, except the windshield, was removed.
