Bill shared this video overview of the Mitsubishi jeep history.
Features Research Archives
Roger’s New Howe FC Firetruck
I HAD planned on doing posts for this morning, but yesterday we discovered water near our water tank, which soon lead to discovering one of our pipes (in a wall) was leaking. So, holes were cut in the wall and leak verified (at copper corner piece joint). Several hours and one trip to Home Depot later, I was able to get everything fixed (thank goodness for push joints). Whew.
In lieu of updates, we’ll celebrate Roger Martin’s newest acquisition: A 1960 Howe-modified FC that was formerly in the Toledo Firefighters Museum. It run and drives and is in great shape! Congrats Roger!
Body Mounted, Front Clip in Progress
I am typing this while recovering from a wasp sting that caused my right hand to swell (it’s been an odd health year for me!), which sent us to the local doc-in-a-box to get some steroids, which in turn helped reduce the swelling (after 24 hours). I’ve never had a reaction to a stinger like that, so it’s a bit of a surprise!
Last week I finalized the body mounts. Hinges attach the body to the back of the frame in two places. Two single bolts with large washers hold the mid section of the body to a plate on the roll bar. And, two bolts through angled aluminum hold the bottom front portion of the cowl to an angle piece on either side of the body. On the upper portion of the sides of the cowl some rubber taped to the inside of a bracket keep the cowl from shifting back and forth.
The front clip is proving a bigger challenge than the body. First, I had to cut out part of the the driver’s rear-side portion of the front clip because it was too narrow and hit the side of the body. So, I am creating a form and will lay some new glass down (along with patching a few other places).
Then, once the hood fits properly, I will have have to build special mounts for the front clip. The goal is to reduce the stress on the hood, as these things are often mounted with quick release setups that allow the body to flex, making it more prone to breaking and cracking and/or rubbing on the body.
Here are a few pics:
I decided to to throw a couple blocks (made from some of my grandfather’s wood) onto the hood that are a nod to the original hood blocks, but will also tie in a frame underneath the hood to help support and mount the front of the hood.
You can see part of where the hood is cut out. The form will allow for the new portion of the hood also down fender to flare outward more (or that’s the plan).
UFO JeepRod in Roswell, NM
During a roadtrip with family, Mike spotted this unusual jeeprod with a UFO topper on it, cruising in Roswell, New Mexico. The plates indicate the rig is from Texas.
March 1962 Hatari Jeep Brochure
After failing several times, I finally won a copy of this Hatari-themed jeep brochure. It is from number DM 62-03. Learn more about Hatari and Jeep at the CJ-3B page.
Here’s the front page of the brochure:
It opens horizontally to show this two page Hatari announcement:
It agains open up horizontally, both to the left and to the right, to reveal several different vehicles that appear in the movie, including a truck, a CJ-6, a wagon, and an FC-170.
On the back side of the brochure are some of the actors that appear in the movie:
Newest Al-toy CJ-2A
I won this Al-toy on eBay recanted for only $39. It has a slightly broken bumper on the passenger side, but otherwise seems in good shape.
Value Range of a Ramsey 50R Winch?
I have someone interested in selling this 50R winch (more info on the winches in general here). It lacks cable, but does spin. I know when these are complete they used to sell for upwards of several thousand, but I have no idea where the market on an incomplete winch like this might be. The seller isn’t worried about getting top dollar; but still wants a reasonable amount for it.
My *guess* would be in the $1500-$2000 range?
Also, any other details that would affect the value of this?
The winch does include the bracket. Here are two pics of it when it was in the bracket (and before he cleaned it up):
Odd Flatfender Creation/Art
Darin Rolf posted these two photos to Facebook. It is an oddity for sure! It appears to be somewhere in Colorado.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/247270289549336/permalink/1320563978886623/
GoKart Jeep Muncie, IN $200
Roger Martin spotted this jeep-themed go kart.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/726123902854535
“4hp engine. Runs great. Has golf cart subframe the Jeep bodY is of wood. Only thing wrong with it is the chain pops off once in a while. Other then that you can ride it today.”
1983 AMC Jeep Commercial .. Jeep as Bison
Maury shared this video from AMC Jeep. I was 18 when this came out in 1983. I’m sure I must have seen this on TV and I hazily remember the folks riding a bison, but don’t remember the full commercial.
Jeep-A-Trench & Compressor Postcards Ravenna, OH **SOLD**
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $10.
Andy shared these two Willys-Overland postcards. They are both marked “1952”, which seems accurate.
“2 vintage antique jeep post cards”
Fall Willys Jeep Reunion September 8-9, 2023
More information on this years Fall Willys Reunion & Swap Meet here: http://willysreunion.com/fwr23.htm
“Join us once again at the Auto World Museum 200 Peacock Drive in Fulton, Missouri for this year’s Fall Willys Reunion. Bring your Willys or Jeep to be displayed with other Willys from around the Midwest and check out the fabulous vintage car display at the museum. All reunion activity including the Saturday evening banquet will be held in this nostalgic facility.”
Harney Peak Postcard CJ-5 #2
A big thanks to Chris for surprising me with this purchase from eBay. The post card shows CJ-5 #2, which ferried visitors up to Harney Peak in South Dakota.
1954 San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours Brochure
UPDATE: There’s another one of these brochures on eBay.
======================
Original published March 20, 2023: This early version of the San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours brochure was pre-FCs. It was listed for sale on eBay at some point. Thankfully, the images were still available.
1943 Stewart-Warner Up-‘N-At ‘Em, Jeep Ad on eBay
The price on this rare ad has dropped to $12.00 (with $7 shipping). I can’t recall seeing this one. The seller has four of these for sale.
View all he information on eBay
“Stewart-Warner
Willys Jeep Ad
1943 Original ad.
Up-n-at-em, Jeep!
Rare”
Jeep Yakima Rodeo March 1959 issue of Modern Man
UPDATE: This post originally appeared September 28, 2013:
It’s a dirty business, but hunting down jeep stories takes me through all types of content. In this case, I had to search through several pages of bare female breasts and bodies until I found this story about a Yakima Jeep Rodeo from the March 1959 issue of Modern Man. I can report that accompanying the enthusiastic models were several other interesting stories . . .
Epic Willys Adventure 4: Concord Cup – Concluded
![concord-cup-cranberryeagle](http://www.ewillys.com/wp-content/uploads2/2022/11/concord-cup-cranberryeagle-650x433.jpg)
Photo courtesy of the Cranberry Eagle: https://www.cranberryeagle.com/2023/06/07/the-chase-for-the-inaugural-concord-cup-begins-at-bantam/
UPDATE II: On June 11th, eight different teams launched the race for the inaugural Concord Cup. One of the cool features employed is the map, which allows folks to follow racers: https://www.followmychallenge.com/live/epicwillysadventure/ . It also includes a REPLAY feature which allows viewers to revisit the race for all the days.
I was finally able to find some pics of the finish on Facebook, which shows two jeeps crossing the finishing line, one after the other:
The winner was “Rusty Trombone” with Adam and Steve. Close behind, coming in second(?) looks to be “Roos Racer” with Scott and Joe.
You can see more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/EpicWillysAdventure/photos
It sounds like the event went well and those participants who did report on FB seemed to be having fun. When I saw reports on Facebook, I republished them on eWillys FB when I could. However, as a casual viewer, my tiny critique was the difficulty of figuring out what was happening, who was ahead and, even, who won (eventually I tracked down the info on FB). Timd32 had a similar sentiment when he wrote on OWF: “From what I can piece together on FB, Instagram and the sort they are doing awesome”.
Having done many travelogues over an eight year period, trust me that I GET the challenge! It is hard and time consuming to be a participant, then have post-drive fraternization, and also update readers with progress updates (my late nights-into-early-mornings in motel rooms with crappy wifi along the Alaska Highway attest to that fact), along with context for those readers who might, for example, not be aware of the event until day 3. In fact, when on the road with Ann, we tried to stop by 5pm so I could write updates (that would take hours), which is why we did little to nothing in the evenings (thankfully, Ann was usually worn out by then).
The only answer I can think of is a dedicated reporter along the way with a dedicated location for updates accessible to all, probably to a website (a surprising number of people still don’t use FB). Myself, I don’t use Instagram or TikTok.
Again, that’s just a little critique. I’m glad to hear participants had fun and that the race was deemed a success. Based on the Bantam Festival’s post, they’d like to see the event held again.
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UPDATE Posted Nov 9, 2022: Check on out this recent video that shares more information about this year’s Concord Cup.
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Initially published June 22, 2022:
The 2023 Epic Willys Adventure 4 was announced at this year’s Bantam Festival. This time, there will be new twists to the event, including turning it into more of a competition or rally. Text from the video post:
“@mrmaxbilt and @jonahmhodgkins laying out the details for EWA 4! Pseudo live. June of 2023 we will depart from @bantamjeepfest on a 2000 mile adventure up through New England in 40s-60s period correct Willys Jeeps! New twist this trip, it’s a race! A challenge. A rally. Each day, each rig, it’s driver and co-pilot will be timed from stop to stop, with an array of challenges to complete. All while keeping their Willys running and rolling. Best time overall at the end wins the coveted Concord Cup!
Applications to compete will open this fall and all the rules, regulations, and stipulations will be announced later this summer. Follow Epic Willys Adventure here on IG, on FB, and at epicwillysadventure.com for updates!”
Here’s the video: https://www.facebook.com/EpicWillysAdventure/videos/710182950204126/?_rdr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpicWillysAdventure/
Website: https://www.epicwillysadventure.com
New Toys and Brochures
A big thanks to Joe-in-Mesa, and wife Jan-in-Mesa, who found a couple toys and brochures at a great price while visiting the MVPA convention in Des Moines, Iowa, last week.
The Marx tin windup cowboy jeep has details that I haven’t seen on similar cowboy jeeps. I thought it was the best of the two, even though the windup spring doesn’t quite work.
The four-passenger Marx Jumpin’ Jeep in green and yellow is more familiar, with graphics in good shape as well.
I had neither of the two brochures they found, so that was a bonus (see the posts below)!
Here are more pics of both toys:
1950/1951 Willys Sedan Delivery Brochure Black/White
UPDATE: Thanks to Joe-in-Mesa, I obtained a yellow version of this same 1950/1951 brochure, though the form number (SD 73 M5 651-1CM the 651 may indicate this was published June of 1951) is different. The only difference between the two that I can see between this one and the brochure at the bottom is the color of the brochure (yellow).
Here is the front:
The brochure opens vertically to reveal this page:
and then the brochure opens horizontally to reveal this page:
Here’s the back fully opened:
================================
UPDATE: Originally posted March 3, 2021, this post was part of another post about similar brochures of the period.
Finally, one more, similar Willys Sedan Delivery brochure, only it’s not as large or as colorful as the others. In fact, I’d call it a black, gray and white brochure. It’s form number is SD-M3-73–50M. Given it doesn’t label the Hurricane engine as new, it’s probably later than the other brochures, maybe 1951.
Shepherd of the Hills “Jeep” Tour (and Postcard)
This postcard, currently on eBay, verifies the that the Shepherd of the Hills Farm, in Branson, Missouri, used to have a jeep-train (in this case a CJ-7) that ferried visitors around the property.
However, while the tram still ferries visitors, the vehicle advertised as a “jeep” on the website looks more like a Roxor …
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day everyone. Blaine shared this photo and information about his father. The image shows his father shortly after the purchase of his brand new 1959 CJ-5.
Blaine adds, “My Dad is Leon Higginson, a Pearl Harbor survivor (service info and obituary). He was not on a ship at the time of the bombing, although he was on Ford Island.
The CJ5 was the replacement for a Ford GPW, which went on to a new owner who used it later to tow a parade float and overheated the engine during the parade. I don’t know what parade.
I don’t think I remember ever being in the Jeep as I was 3 years old when he bought a new 1962 Scout. Maybe “Jeep” was ingrained in my memory unknowingly by that time. I remember going to the dealership to pick up the Scout (and to say again, 3 years old).”
Ticking Off the Checklist …
Slowly, but surely still making progress. Though the garden is done, we are having to re-organize the lean-tos area to accommodate all the hay we need to make it through winter. It’s actually a useful exercise, because there’s a bunch of junk that we just need to take to the dump, especially now that we have a better feel for what we need and don’t need.
I have continued to make progress on the racer.
√ overhead control panel
√ center bar in front (primarily as a conduit for bringing the wiring up to the overhead control panel)
√ seat mounts welded in place
√ mounting bar for shoulder straps (I realized just before I was going to weld in the seat mounts that I didn’t like my original plan for mounting the shoulder straps, so I designed something different.
√ tach holder
√ top drilled and temporarily attached .. need to pull off to clean top and for painting cage.
Next,
1) weld mounts for the side bars and netting
2) finalized body mounts
3) finalize front clip mounts
Getting there ….
1965 Photo From the Iowa Highway Patrol
Jan Shafer shared this flashback photo from the Iowa Highway Patrol. Those look like two well-maintained M-38s.
1958 FC-150 Naples, ID $5000
This one has been parked a while.
https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/1241620130052265
“58 Willys FC150 cab over jeep Has a 350 Buick from a 68 jeep wagoner. Ran when parked in 1990 $5000 obo part trade.”
Uranium ‘Gold’ Rush
UPDATE: This was originally published April 22, 2015
![1958-08-uranium-outdoor-prospector-magazine](http://www.ewillys.com/wp-content/uploads2/2015/04/1958-08-uranium-outdoor-prospector-magazine.jpg)
Credit for posting this rare magazine cover with a CJ-2A on it goes to: http://national-radiation-instrument-catalog.com/new_page_14.htm
The hunt for Uranium during the late 1940s and into the 1950s in the American West was a big deal. It’s also the last great mineral rush with-in the continental United States. Uranium’s grand paradox, as author Tom Zoellner puts it, is that “[t]he stability of our world rests on a substance that is unstable at the core.”
So large was the hunt for Uranium, the May 23, 1955, issue of Life Magazine noted that more man-hours had been spent hunting for Uranium between 1952 and 1955 than were spent seeking all other metals in history, at least according to the Atomic Energy Commission. Having spent considerable time thumbing through decades of mine related information prior to the 1900s, I find this claim dubious, but maybe someone can explain how this could be?
Still, the uranium boom captivated the imagination of the public. Uranium Fever was written and sung by Eliot Britt in 1955 and included jeep references. This great site shows how the search affected popular magazines of the time. In the Life Magazine article referenced above (pg 26), the author included a list of ultimate gear for prospecting. At the very top of the list was a brand-new four-wheel jeep for only $1,685, along with equipment and a map of the best places to hunt: