Features Research Archives

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Racer Update

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I wasn’t planning on doing a racer update today, but both Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist were having issues last night loading pages. So, since, I took pics with the body yesterday, I figured I’d throw these up here. The cage is almost done, then on to floors and seats. OR, maybe shock mounts and rear sway bar.

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Jeep Rodeo in the 1959 Issue of Man’s Magazine

• CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine, Racing This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: This post originally appeared April 2, 2016

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The February 1959 of Man’s Magazine contained photos and short report from the annual Jeep Rodeo in Yakima, Washington. Unfortunately, most of the pics aren’t a whole lot different from the March 1959 issue of Modern Man Magazine, featured in 2013.

Man’s magazine turned out to be a lot less risqué than the cover image and headlines might suggest. There was even an opinion article expressing concern over how American college football was fast becoming too professionalized.

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Fall 1976 – Winter 1977 Jeep News

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This (I think) is the Fall 1976 – Winter 1977 issue of Jeep News. It is 20 pages, plus a 2-page ad flyer. I see now that my camera-scans of this aren’t the best. My apologies.
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Image of FC-150 With Contest Reference

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Blaine shared this interesting image of possibly a postcard that promoted an FC-150 giveaway contest. Based on the info, I’d say this was part of the FC-150 launch in 1957.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/autohistorian/3802498606/in/photostream/

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Scenic Jeep Tours Wagon Postcard on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This one is a bit pricey at $24.95, but it’s a pretty photo. The wagon is part of the Scenic Jeep Tour company from years ago.

View all the information on eBay

“Published by Noble Post Cards, Box 502, Colorado Springs.
“Aspens on the Cinnamon Pass Road west of Lake San Cristobal near Lake City, Colo.”
Standard-size postcard, measuring about 3.5 x 5.5 inches.”

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4 Jeep Shot Glasses on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Though these aren’t all that vintage (from the Daimler Chrysler era), they are kind of neat. Starting bid is $39.

View all the information on eBay

“Set of 4 Jeep, “Approved Willys Parts and Accesories” Collectible Shot Glasses.
These items come with the original box and there are no chips. There are a couple small scratches that I will note in the pictures.. please view the pictures as they are part of the description.”

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Fall 1975-Winter 1976 Jeep News

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This issue may cover from the Fall of 1975 through January 1976 (the next issue is Feb/March 1976). It is one of the largest at 18 pages plus a one page advertising insert.

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Cage Progress and Corner Brackets

• CATEGORIES: Builds, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The weather has warmed up some, which made working outside much more pleasant! Since the last set of pics, I made some corner brackets and added them to the cage. I’ve also added a cross bar that will be the base for the sets and some curved support bars on eat side of the front loop.

I’ll post some pics of the cage below, then add some pics of how I made the brackets (in case that’s of interest to anyone.

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Below I show how I made the corner pieces.

This first pic shows 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ 16 gauge steel squares. The paper above it shows my attempts to figured out the rough size I wanted:

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Willys Light & Electric and Auto-Lite

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE IV: Nate was able to get this running. Check it out.

UPDATE III: See the internals of a Willys Light Plant here

UPDATE II: More pics of Nate’s Willys Light Plant here

UPDATE: There is more history about Miniger and his purchase of John North Willys Stock in 1929 in a 1946 Fortune article.

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This postcard is currently listed on eBay.

The other day Nate forwarded me the following images of a Willys home power plant, built by both “Willys Light” and the “Electric Auto-Lite Corporation”. Not knowing much about any of this (and not having the time to source original info from newspapers of the time), I took a break from house painting to venture down internet rabbit holes. What follows is more of a work-in-progress than a finished piece. Hopefully, folks can add or correct the following.

Let’s start with the pics that Nate sent:

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Now, stepping back a little in time … These days we in the US are generally pretty spoiled in terms of our access to 24/7 electricity. Of course, this wasn’t always the case. Because of my work on SLAG, I am aware that there was a revolution in mines and smelting with the introduction of power plants. My great great grandfather first introduced an electric plant into his smelter in Leadville in 1881 (followed shortly by electricity in the Salt Lake City’s Germania plant). By then, Broadway in NY was lit with a power plant, as were parts of major cities.

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January 04, 1818, from the Leadville Daily Herald.

Such power plants would have been expensive, which is why large municipalities or successful businesses were utilizing them. But, such plants would have been outside the financial reach of the average folks. Still, there was an interest among home and farm owners to replace the gas and oil lamps used in homes.

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VEC CJ-2A W/ “Wagon” Hardtop Added

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Wood bodies • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I found this photo on eBay. It shows a VEC CJ-2A with a wood-based hardtop. The back of the photograph suggests that the builder of the hardtop may have been manufacturing these for sale for $265. The seller of these called them Jeep Station Wagon Bodies and built at least one of them (as shown in the picture). It appears these were built in or near San Francisco. There was another manufacturer who built similar tops out of Cleveland, Ohio, and advertised them as Station Wagon Bodies.

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Extended GPW as Planter

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Tom shared pics of a “Planter” in Oracle Arizona back in 2005. The front crossmember looks like a GPW to me.

Tom grew up just north of me in the Yakima area. As a kid he used to watch the Yakima Ridge Runners cruise through the Ahtanum area, which ignited his interest in them. Over the years he owned a variety of jeeps.

Is it still in Oracle? I have no idea.

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1960 Truck Sells on BAT for $24,000

• CATEGORIES: Features, Willys Trucks This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Blaine shared this recently completed auction for a nice looking truck. However, it looks like the trim is incorrect for a 1960. Strangely, the file name of the pic below was listed as a 1957 (1957_willys_pickup_1957_willys_pickup). That also makes more sense with the split windshield. Finally, the title lists this as a 1962.

More pics: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/willys-pickup/

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1962 ‘Jeep’ Commercial Promoting Jeeps in Hatari Movie

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Chris shared this footage from a 1962 ‘Jeep’ Commercial hosted at Indiana University’s Media Collections Online.

The video’s summary: The commercial shows which Jeeps were used in the movie “Hatari!”. The commercial portrays the different Jeeps as actors that were cast for specific roles and worked with the movie stars John Wayne, Red Buttons, and Elsa Martinelli. The Jeeps are shown in several movie clips driving across Tanzanian and herding animals.

https://media.dlib.indiana.edu/media_objects/rb68z002j

 
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Video of 315th-Produced Wagoneer

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Mike shared this video from Steve Magnante as he showcases an early Wagoneer.

 
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“New” Al-Toy Truck

• CATEGORIES: Features, toys This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Barney nots that this may be the original paint color. That makes me happier!

This was the first chance I had at getting an Al-Toy truck, so I snagged it off ebay in the last few seconds. It seems pretty original, other than the phone number on the side. The truck has a great weight and is slightly longer than the jeeps.

Here it is pictured with my 2 CJ-2A Al-Toys:

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1962 TV Commercial For ‘Jeep’

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Chris shared this footage from a 1962 ‘Jeep’ Commercial hosted at Indiana University’s Media Collections Online.

The commercial’s summary: A man receives a distress call from someone stuck on the side of a cliff. The man race across difficult terrain in his Jeep. The man rescues the person from cliff by using the winch on his Jeep

Here’s the link: https://media.dlib.indiana.edu/media_objects/cz30qc90p

 
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FC-150 Narrow-Track Video (& For Sale)

• CATEGORIES: FC150-FC170-M677, Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Mike shared this video of Steve Magnante’s close look at an FC-150 in a junkyard. There’s some parts value. For information on buying this vehicle, send email to: paulcrosiervt @ gmail.com (remove spaces around the @).

 
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1957ish Wagon Brochure on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The starting price on the auction for this brochure is $30 (plus $10 shipping). This multi-page brochure isn’t one I’ve seen before, so likely pretty rare. I’m dating this at around 1957 dude to the round-blue jeep sign in the last image.

View all the information on eBay

“THIS AUCTION IS FOR A WILLYS JEEP BROCHURE TITLED: “THE DOUBLE-DUTY FAMILY CAR”
FEATURES THE WILLYS JEEP STATION WAGON MODEL.
ORIGINAL – NOT A REPRODUCTION.
IN GOOD CONDITION. GOOD COLOR AND GRAPHICS
8 PAGES.
CONTAINS COST SAVINGS INFORMATION, , CARGO SPECIFICATIONS, UTILITY, ENGINE CHOICES, VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS.”
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Dec 1974 – Jan 1975 Jeep News

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This issue is easily dated.

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Wagon Model Carved From Wood Block (+ Video)

• CATEGORIES: Artists/Drawings, Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Here’s a video of the artist at work:

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Homeskoold Customs on Facebook shared this really cool carving of a wagon emerging from an old post. The artist claims not to be a woodworker, but he is most definitely at artist!

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=489893496631750&set=a.412736887680745

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Odd MB Shared on FB

• CATEGORIES: Features, MB, Unusual • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Roger Martin spotted this unusual 3B on Facebook. There are only two images included, so there is limited info about it. That said, I’m leaning towards this being a home-brew rather than a prototype.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6613665795327673&set=pcb.1838648579838287

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1940s Wood Commodities Corp Wooden Jeep on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Models, toys This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Roger Martin shared this WWII wood jeep for sale. The lettering is in good shape and the bottom still has the manufacturer’s sticker. But, it’s currently priced at $150.

View all the information on eBay

“1940s Vintage WW2 Willys Jeep WD 63, Wood Commodities Corp W. D. 63 Wooden Toy.
Original WW2 vintage Willys Jeep wooden toy.
By Wood Commodities Corporation.
Marked “W. D. 63″.
Produced during a time when metal was being converted to the war effort.
Measures approximately 10″ long.
This vintage toy is in very good condition with minor wear.
No significant flaws. Just normal edge wear.”

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1974 Winter (Jan-Feb?) Jeep News

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This 1974 Winter issue of Jeep News may have been the Jan-Feb 1974 issue.

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Racer Update

• CATEGORIES: Builds, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Once the water got fixed (found a retired local plumber who still does small jobs and did previous work on our house, so that worked great), I returned to the cage.

The front “loops” have been bent and added, along with a top and mid cross bar. I also added one side bar, with the other almost ready to spot-weld in place. Unfortunately, I ran out of materials, so I need to get a couple more tubes.

As you can see below, I found a seat placement I like. My head rests just below the top of the seat, so plenty of room for a helmet. Now, I just have to figure out how I want to mount them. I was going to weld in the seat frames, but I think I am going to bolt them. This will make it 1) easier to install the floor pan and 2) allow me to change up the seats/position if I’m unhappy with how it feels.

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Oct-Nov 1974 Jeep News

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here’s another Jeep News. This one has the months, but not year. I used some article details to estimate it is from 1974.

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