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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 .
Don visited the Pennsylvania Military Museum a couple days ago and discovered it houses a Bantam BRC-40. Had I known this we would have made an effort to get there during our trip in 2013. Thanks to Don for taking some photos for us!
The Pennsylvania Military Museum is located on Business 322 in Boalsburg; three miles east of State College. It is one of 26 historic sites and museums on the Pennsylvania Trail of History, administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).
This Auto-Lite spark plug ad was publish in the September 1944 issue of American Legion Magazine. You can view the entire issue here: http://archive.legion.org/handle/123456789/3796
This May 1957 article from Willys News highlights the dependability of jeeps in cold weather.
This rare semi-annual report dated March 31, 1943, looks interesting.
“ORIGINAL 1943 Willys semi-annual report for March 1943. 24 pages full of interesting information about the WWII Jeep and it’s production. Lots of obscure photos and some great artwork”
View all the information on eBay
No jokers, but neat set of cards for CJ-7 fans.
“Is this used deck of vintage JEEP CJ-7 bridge playing cards. Complete ( – jokers) + Plastic case & in good used condition.
View all the information on eBay
Another copy of this Bob Clemens book is for sale.
“Notes: Willy’s Overland Motors. 1943. Very Good paperback. Clean, unmarked. No names or inscriptions. Blue pictorial cover with Red and white lettering and pictorial design. Edge wear to spine. No creases. Corners are lightly bumped. Top, side and lower portion of cover are faded approximately one inch. No chips, tears, water marks or stains.
Willys’ Jeep was a promotional pamphlet geared towards children to provide history pertaining to the Jeep used during World War II . Issued after the first national “Buy a Jeep Campaign” led by the US Treasury Department through the nation’s schools raised enough to purchase 50,000 Jeeps for the War. A beautiful and rare piece of Americana. Written by Bob Clemens. Illustrated by Patricia Windrow. 17 pages. 10×7 inches. Solidly bound. Quality guaranteed with full refund”
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $3500.
Looks ready to roll.
“Im moving and its time for someone else to make great cash everyday with this very nice and extremely reliable 1982 Jeep with right side drive so you’re on same side as sidewalks making it safe!! Plus theres a flashing yellow/orange light on top that works…another great safety feature!!The Jeep has current tabs and looks great with an American Flag Decor…it runs excellent!! Comes with LARGE coleman cooler (it holds a lot)…I usually would load the big cooler and use a smaller one to place right next to me for a pull one. theres an Original Nichols 32 song music box… all you need is to fill it with ice cream and a couple pounds of dry ice…turn on music…put it in drive and start making daily cash!!”
In 1970 the Montreal Gazette published a story from Acapulco, Mexico, about the Las Brisas Hotel and its pink and white jeeps.
The Ocala Star Banner in Florida shared this heart warming tale of a twice-saved CJ-2A by the Jarvis family.
http://www.ocala.com/article/20150327/ARTICLES/150329728
Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Star-Banner — Bruce Jarvis and his 1946 CJ-2A
David spotted this original cartoon dated 1945 on Craigslist.
“Original 1945 GI Art/Cartoon
Signed and dated 1945 this pencil drawing is 10 1/2 by 8 inches. There are two tears, a small piece missing and a fold mark on the left side.
$50 or make an offer. ”
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/clt/4956397348.html
Interesting bumper on jeep.
“1947 US Army Officer Son Drives Midget Car by Jeep Osaka Japan Press Photo”
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $3000.
Here’s a rare Safari-Kar for sale.
“ight hand drive!!! Bought this mail jeep in 2006. Only used it for a few runs for the post office but then the post office provided everyone with new jeeps. runs great but its been sitting covered up under my carport. Installed the mail rack (see pics) and comes with the second seat.
-Power steering (rare)
-Power brakes
-automatic transmission
-straight 6 engine
-very clean interior and exterior”
The 1966 Volume 12, No. 5, issue of Jeep News featured these photos from Don Pratt’s Pink Jeep Tours from Sedona, Arizona. The company now offers tours in four Arizona locations.
According to this site, Pink Jeep Tours is the oldest continuously operating Jeep Tour Company in the United States. It was started in 1958 by a Sedona Realtor named Don Pratt, who would drive clients to see homes at Broken Arrow Estates. The Broken Arrow tour is the original Jeep tour and is still today the most popular tour in Sedona.Why did he make the jeeps pink? Mr. Pratt got the idea while visiting the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach, where everything was pink.
Here’s a classic from my childhood. The illustrations were done by B. K. Taylor. and sold in a series of Odd Rod packages that included chewing gum (see example of package at bottom). These certainly remind one of Big Daddy Roth’s illustrations. You can view more odd rod illustrations here.
View all the information on eBay
I spent last night with Ann at the Moisture Festival, an annual four-week run of comedy and variety acts that is the largest in the world (four those four weeks anyway). My aunt suggested we go and, since it was Ann’s birthday (and I’m an admittedly poor present buyer), going to see some live performances seemed like fun AND made for a great birthday evening. Yes, she’s an April Fool :-), but I’m not fool to be with her!
There were comedy acts, singing, acrobatics, juggling, and just plain silliness. If you are in Seattle during the festival I highly recommend it.
Charles forwarded a variety of jeep images.
Paddy Mayne and SAS May 1945
John Coleman
Can you imagine driving through that?
Well hidden jeep.
British forces D-day — jeep has some interesting mods.
Valkenburg, Holland
Valkenburg, Holland
Marine Corp in Holland
Marine Corp in Holland
Watching planes take off.
A February 9, 1944, issue of the Lawrence Journal-World featured a story about a US Navy jeep rides used to raise money for the purchase of jeeps for the military.
Oh boy Oberto hydroplane. One of the boats used in the Madison movie.
Not long after Ann and I met in 2011 we decided we wanted to visit the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum in Kent, Washington (It’s only a few miles from mom and dad’s place). She’d grown up with hydroplane racing in the tri-cities and race weekend was a yearly event at my grandmother’s house, so we both had a sentimental attachment to them. And though we’ve traveled all over, we’ve never found the time to make it to the museum, until yesterday.
Joining us on this mini-adventure were my mother, my aunt Marilyn and uncle Phil. I knew they would enjoy the museum, because mom and Marilyn grew up near Seward Park and had a yearly view from their back porch of Lake Washington’s hydro races. They had fond memories of the yearly races as kids and young adults, telling me that at the time the races were as important to the city of Seattle as the Seahawks are today. It was a BIG deal!
The Hyrdroplane museum was launched in 1983 to honor the history of the race boats and is the only museum in the nation dedicated to powerboat racing. It started in a small location that I’m told wasn’t too glamorous. At some point the museum was able to move into it’s current facility, which doubles as a museum/research facility and restoration shop.
Museum entrance
Sure enough, as soon as we got inside the museum, mom, Marilyn and Phil were rattling off names of boats I never knew: Such Crust, Short Circuit, Miss Tahoe, Tri-Tomic, Coral Reef, and others.
The museum’s lobby. At the bottom of the photo is an Allison motor. Originally costing $14k, it was sold as surplus equipment for $350. No wonder boat racers used the motor!
Volunteers at the museum offered to guide us around and tell stories. Mom, Marilyn and Phil offered plenty additional stories, so it was a rich experience for Ann and I. The museum had a number of hydroplanes familiar to me, including Atlas Van Lines, Oh Boy Oberto, Miss Budweiser, Slo-Mo-Shun-III, Miss Wahoo, and a few others.
There are also a large number of mini models called the pinhead collection that had been painstakingly made.
the pinhead collection
Paul spotted this unique Inspection Willys Jeep Truck at Just a Car Guy’s blog. I would guess this was sold as a truck with no bed. What’s odd is the extra cab thing on the top. Looks like it was part of another vehicle.
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/03/swiss-rail-road-inspection-willys-jeep.html
UPDATE: This is back on eBay.
“1944- Brazilian troops line up in jeeps at School of Motor Mechanization where students are given training courses beofre going on active duty.”
View all the information on eBay
Sunday was a fun, but long day!
Al and Rob checking out the Stafford family race jeep.
For me it started with a four hour drive from Pasco to Spanaway, where I met up with Rob Stafford and Al Schaper. Al and I planned to look over some fiberglass body molds that Rob had been storing for years. The molds were used to create fiberglass flat fender and CJ-5 body and front clip parts.
Of particular interest to me were the body molds. One of the body molds was used to create a Parkette racing body shell. The second body mold was used to create a Bobcat racing shell or in conjunction with a floor mold to create a complete body. While I have owned an Acme (I think) light racing fiberglass body and a Bobcat body (Biscuit’s body), I’ve always wanted a Parkette body. So, I was checking out that mold particularly closely.
CJ-3B floor mold on the left, Parkette racing shell body in the middle, CJ-3B body mold on the right.
Grille and fender molds. There are also some CJ-5 fender molds. Missing is a Bobcat and/or Parkette tailgate mold.
From front to back, CJ-3B mold, low hood Bobcat mold, low hood standard mold, CJ-5 mold.
Thanks to Bill from Lime Street Carriage for forwarding this hilarious ad.
Herpa derp, everyone! I have a 1945 Willys for sale! Ran perfect when parked. May need brakes from sitting, but should fire right up! The transmission that’s in it works flawlessly! I have a cousin, who has a cousin-in-law, who says it shouldn’t take more than $500 to make it showroom condition! Never met him, but I trust him! Don’t mind the rust on the frame, it’s only on the surface! No problems!
Don’t ask me how many miles are on it, I included a picture of the odometer! Interior is a little rough, but nothing that can’t be fixed.
Overall, I’d give this Jeep a 9/10! Can’t beat that! I need your phone number, date of birth and social security numbers before I can give you a price, but seems reasonable to me!
Tired of these ads? Me, too. If your car is a POS, don’t sell it as a diamond in the rough. Sell it as an affordable POS. You’re not fooling anyone… but would you really want to? Every time you screw someone over, you’re making the world a little worse for your offspring, for your nieces/nephews and for the world in general.
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/4954964883.html
I had a long, but tun and productive Sunday! I’ll file a report on Tuesday morning. In the meantime, some of you might be interested in these fiberglass jeep body molds I’ve co-acquired (3B / 3A bodies, fenders, hoods grilles). More on all that tomorrow.
The Spokane Daily Chronicle shared the sad photo of this abandoned jeep.
