Here’s an unusual jeep item.
“HUGE jeep picture 190 x 45
Logo is 56W x 23L”
Here’s an unusual jeep item.
“HUGE jeep picture 190 x 45
Logo is 56W x 23L”
I was busy all day on the jeep. Progress was steady and the unusual lack of swearing suggests it was a successful day! I will have pics and a report in the next couple of days.
On another note, I’ve been experimenting with no-kneed, no commercial yeast breads over the past few weeks. Right now I’m using a strain of sourdough from the San Francisco area. Besides the sourdough, there’s only salt, water and flour. I bake at 455 degrees in a thick ceramic backing dish with a lid.
So far, the results have been great! Check out that last batch here:
I’m going to ‘grow’ a few more starters and try some more complex combinations of flour. I will also be trying a dutch oven in our regular oven to see if that produces a slightly different flavor from the ceramic baking dish. I’ve just ordered both of Chad Robertson’s books as a happy-birthday-to-me gift (bday is later this week) to help expand my repartoire: Tartine Bread & Tartine Book No 3. Stay tuned!
Dennis shared these photos of his ex-wife’s grandfather, Tom Provateare. He’s pretty sure these were taken while Tom was stationed in Germany.
Paul forwarded these two photos of hardtops. Anyone know who manufactured these tops?
The first one is the same model of hardtop Paul’s dad had on his jeep. Paul notes, “This is an old metal hardtop which was used on the WW2 Jeeps. The windows in the doors are moved up and down by straps on the inside of the doors.”
This is another version of the same top. However, the doors on this top have been modified so the vertically sliding windows were replaced by fixed pieces of clear plexiglass. Rather a boxy design even compared to a Jeep.
This photo was published at this Willys-Overland history page. Ron Szymanski has the original.
Charles forwarded some more pics of the Belgian Army. In the first pic, the seat on the grass suggests it may have been used as a lawn chair.
The Empire Tractor was made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by the Empire Tractor Corporation from 1946-1948. Leveraging the Willys drive train, Empire produced two different models: Model 88 and Model 90. You might have seen one of those tractors at a Willys show or for sale, but sightings are rare. The primary reason for their scarcity is that of the approximately 6,660 made around 5,370 were exported leaving about 1,290 available in the US and Canada.
The history behind the Empire Tractor company is complicated. It involves Willys Overland Motor’s largest shareholder, Empire Securities, and a successful international business man named Frank Cohen, who was investigated multiple times for suspicious financial dealings.
Here’s how and why only a few tractors were made . . .
EMPIRE SECURITIES:
In 1932 George Ritter, Ward Canaday, and H.J. Leonard organized Empire Securities, Inc. They launched it as a holding company to process claims against the Willys-Overland Company, which had gone into receivership. In 1935 Empire Securities offered to buy up all the Willys-Overland Company bonds that were due two years earlier in 1933 so they could reorganize the Willys-Overland Company. In October of 1936, Empire Securities successfully rebirthed the Willys-Overland Company as Willys-Overland Motors, Inc., and became the largest shareholder. Several years later the Empire Securities founders used Willys Overland stock to partly fund a business deal with a man named Frank Cohen.
Here’s a cool photo. I can’t say for sure where that was taken.
“1955 Press Photo A modern prospector using Geiger counter jeep & other gear”
I spent Saturday wrestling with our plumbing. A simple replacement of a spigot outside the house turned into several trips to Lowes! Simultaneously, we dug up around the pond to figure out where it was leaking. Once the pipes were exposed, the leaking stopped. Go figure! So, no updates for Sunday.
Congratulations goes to my daughter Kasia. She graduates from East High School in Salt Lake this June. She’s been accepted into a special science program at the University of Utah. However, she’ll be delaying college for a year, because she’s been accepted into the FEMA/Americorps program, the same one Karson did last year. She reports to Maryland in July. Wow, they grow up fast!
On Friday the Toledo Jeep Plant unveiled a Willys MB for a Veteran’s display. What makes this story unusual is that from start to finish the team only had five weeks to find a jeep, get it delivered, and rebuild it. That’s a pretty short window! The person tasked with finding the jeep was former plant manager Jerry Huber. Naturally, he turned to eWillys to locate the jeep. He shared his adventure in an email.
Jerry wrote, “I e-mailed you a couple of months ago to congratulate you on the ewillys website and to tell you how much I enjoy it. Well, here’s a short story you’ll enjoy. About five weeks ago, I was contacted by some of my friends at the Toledo Jeep Plant asking if I could help them find a donor Willys Jeep that could be turned into a Memorial Replica for a Veterans display at the Plant. After accepting the challenge, since they wanted it completed for Memorial Day weekend, I scoured your website for potential vehicles and since we were operating on a small budget it was pretty tough.
When I spotted a 42 Willys in Texas with an asking price of $995, the folks at the Plant immediately jumped on it. The seller was so impressed with the intended purpose that he offered to deliver it to the plant in return for a Plant Tour and a couple of Tee-shirts. We rec’d the Willys at the Plant on May, 10th and the mechanics, body and paint crews went to work immediately.
The Jeep workers and the current Plant Management really got behind the project and gave it their full support. Special kudos to the team from Jeep that pulled of the restoration in such a short time. Finding the donor Willys was a first step and this would not have happened without your ewillys site. Thanks for all your effort to sustain the Willys Jeep heritage.”
You can read more about the event in the Toledo Blade:
http://www.toledoblade.com/Automotive/2014/05/24/WWII-vehicle-made-here-marks-holiday.html
Charles shared these photos.
This video is fun to watch!
Here are a couple pages from the 1944 Willys Overland Annual Report. I thought their inclusion of the Willys engine as an independent product was very interesting. As you can see they really thought there was a big market for it.
It’s just amazing how large the plant was and how little is left.
Here’s a scam I didn’t know about. The ad was pretty convincing, because the ad title “Old jeep army navy usmc” was so poorly written in terms of keywords. The seller acts as if they don’t really know what they have.
Honestly, I thought I’d scored big. However, I had enough sense to email Josh and he deflated my bubble gently. Oh well, I’ll keep searching . . .
There’s a discussion about this at G503: http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=334790
Bob just posted Paul Berry’s keynote speech from the 2014 Spring Midwest Willys Reunion. For those that don’t know, Paul Berry operates Willys America. The presentation lasts fifty minutes and covers some of the lesser known Willys/Jeep service vehicles.
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
As late as 1957 they were still using/moving MBs.
“1951 USS Cabot LIFTING Jeep ship Press Photo 65”
Here’s an original press photo of Half-Safe landing in Shenya, AK, on July 9, 1957.
David found this article on the history of the jeep in an issue of the September 1978 issue of Car and Parts Magazine. It a rare photo of the four-wheel-steer Bantam BRC-40 that was once owned by Checker (Bill Spears has lots to share about the Checker/Bantam). It very well could be the one in the post below.
I happened across these Bantam/Checker BRC-40 photos on Flickr. Note the ‘Checker’ gauge in the dash.
You can view al the photos on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fraik/7786283534/in/set-72157631075876678/ Below are a couple:
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was an in-person auction
There are several jeeps at this June 7th Auction. The “1959 CJ-2A” looks more like a 1949 CJ-3A or maybe a 1959 DJ-3A to me.
“1946 CJ 2A WILLYS AGRA JEEP – 4 cyl “L” head, 4wd, live pto, 6 volt electrical system. Canvas top, restored as original working jeep
1955 Willys Overland Wagon, Super Hurricane 6 CYL, 4WD
SMALL WINDOW/COLUMN SHIFT 1949 WILLYS PICKUP
1959 CJ 2A WILLYS SERVICE JEEP 4WD “L” HEAD MOTOR
1978 CJ 5, WITH AN INLINE 6 CYL 4WD, FLOOR SHIFTER
1966 CJ-6 made by Kaiser Willys with an “F” head motor, 4WD floor shift; engine needs work
1953 CJ-3A
1949 CJ-2A
LOADS OF JEEP / WILLYS PARTS & ACCESSORIES & MORE!”
http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionview.cgi?lid=2091849&kwd=willys&zip=&category=0
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
If not for our recent trip, I’d be going after this one. There could be some unique items in here. Note the shipping cost.
“For auction is a kaiser jeep, willys jeep 3 ring binder sales manual in good used condition. There are a few loose pages which can be repaired with the white adhesive donuts but no torn pages exist. This manual is packed full of information for the DJ-3A, CJ-3B, CJ-5, CJ-6, 2WD station, 4WD utility wagon, panel delivery, 2WD 4WD pick-up truck and FC series trucks. Also included is regular production options, tire application chart showing tread design and sizes and plies. Also metal tops, convertible tops, garwood lift beds, koenig tool boxes and running boards and bumpers, king winches, ramsey winches and PTOs, BROS snow throwers, covington cutters, howe fire trucks. Take note the binder has torn loose from the outside cover (see pic 3). email questions and thanks.”
UPDATE: **Status Unknown**
How about this unusual barbecue. There’s a grille under the hood and I think one in the dash area, too?
“Here is a one of a kind item this was a 1954 Willys Aero Ace, that was cut into a custom Hot Rod BBQ it has custom wheels, fully powder coated body and frame has dash with Pioneer CD player stereo Has platform for ice chests, and other items for those Rod Run Cookouts can be towed behind most Hot Rat Rods or trucks that have a hitch. serious calls / inquiries only”
Don’t forget that the Midwest Willys Spring Reunion is this Weekend. It takes place at the Clarion Inn and Conference Center in Hudson, Ohio. The show will feature 70-80 Jeeps from 1941-the present day, with an emphasis on Willys Jeeps from 1945 to 1965.
The show will also feature vendors selling old and new jeeps parts, t shirts, hats, food and a variety of other items. Saturday morning and afternoon will feature three jeep experts giving lectures on various topics, as well as the show being open all day.
Saturday evening’s events are a banquet with raffle and door prizes as well as Paul Barry, the featured speaker for the event. Barry is a long time Willys enthusiast and owner, and runs Willys America, a high end Jeep restoration facility located in the Russian River area of northern California.
Sunday’s events include a Jeep tour through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
For more information Spring Midwest Willys Reunion, visit www.midwestwillysreunion.org.
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Media Contact:
Bob Christy, jeep3b@gmail.com, 330-715-5310