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2014 Southwest Trip Overview

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

OVERVIEW | Day 1 – March 20th: Dinner and Salt –>

UPDATE: This page originally covered our anticipated trip, but now that It is finished, it’s a summary page.

2014-march-may-full-trip-map

Southwest / California trip March 20-May 1, 2014.

We finally made it home to Pasco. It took us six weeks and one day to make the loop through the mountain west, into the southwest, and northward into California and Oregon. We covered a distance of 6,378 miles.

Once again, we have to give thanks to everyone who met with us, supported or followed our journey. We feel very fortunate to have these periods of time to travel with one another and see so much of this great country. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed our trip and learned something new about a place you never knew.

We appreciate all the suggestions everyone gave us and we’re sorry we couldn’t followup on all of them. I know I’d hoped to drop by and see Paul Barry at Willys America or Jerry at his truck/wagon shop in Rodeo, CA. However, since my daughter is supposed to be in Los Angeles in the fall/spring of next year, I figured we would be back down there soon enough and will stop by both places.

Here are links to our daily reports:

  1. OVERVIEW: 2014 Southwest Trip Overview
  2. Day 1 – March 20th: Dinner and Salt
  3. Day 2 – March 21st: From Salt Lake City To Vernal
  4. Day 3 – Mar. 22nd: Old Bones and Old Jeeps
  5. Day 4 – Mar. 23rd: Hurray for Ouray
  6. Day 5 – Mar. 24th: Talking Jeeps w/ Worn Rusty Hubbs
  7. Day 6 – Mar. 25th: TinkerTown and the Turquoise Trail
  8. Day 7 – Mar. 26th: Darth Vader and Tractor Bob
  9. Day 8 – Mar. 27th: Joe’s Jeeps
  10. Day 9 – Mar. 28th: Charging Futility and FC Roundup Day 1
  11. Day 10 – Mar. 29th: Red Lobster or Bust — Day 2 of the FC Roundup
  12. Day 11 – Mar. 30th: Phoenix’s Mystery Castle
  13. Day 12 – Mar. 31st: Stagecoaches and a Glass Desert
  14. Day 13 – Apr 1st: From Scottsdale AJs to Seligman Sundries
  15. Day 14 – Apr. 2nd: It is Cold, Windy and Raining . . . This is the Mohave Desert?
  16. Day 15 – Apr. 3rd: Joshua Tree National Park
  17. Day 16 – Apr. 4th: The Borrego Springs Jeep
  18. Day 17 – Apr. 5th: Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor
  19. Day 18 – Apr. 6th: Wurlitzer to Wigwam
  20. Day 19 – Apr. 7th: From McDonald’s to Ruby’s
  21. Day 20 – Apr. 8th: California Adventure w/ Mrs. Soggy Bottom
  22. Day 21 – Apr. 9th: Day 2 at Disneyland
  23. Day 22 – Apr. 10th: Balboa Island and Pier
  24. Day 23 – Apr. 11th: Vintage Cars and Campers
  25. Day 24 – Apr. 12th: Dan’s FCs and The Lost Romanian
  26. Day 25 – Apr. 13th: Port Why-Knee-Me
  27. Day 26 – Apr. 14th: Gorditas Make Me Sleepy
  28. Day 27 – Apr. 15th: Strolling Monterey
  29. Day 28 – Apr. 16th: Artichokes and Sushi Boats
  30. Day 29 – Apr. 17th: Revenge of the Sushi
  31. Day 30-31 – Apr.18th-19th: Bay Area Fun
  32. Day 32 – Apr. 20th: A Sunday Drive to Santa Rosa
  33. Day 33 – Apr. 21st: Tom, Paty, Sparky, Bill, Lucy, Snoopy, Charlie, Linus, and More
  34. Day 34 – Apr. 22nd: Old Town Sacramento
  35. Day 35 – Apr. 23rd: Over the Sierras
  36. Day 36 – Apr. 24th: ‘Tire’d of Reno
  37. Day 37 – Apr. 25th: Carson City
  38. Day 38 – Apr. 26th: Finding Virginia City
  39. Day 39 – Apr. 27th: Crying Babies and Grungie Folks
  40. Day 40 – Apr. 28th: Firehouse #4
  41. Day 41 – Apr. 29th: Ann Flies the Goose
  42. Day 42 – Apr. 30th: R&P 4WD and Herm
  43. Day 43 – COMPLETED: 2014 Spring Southwest-California Trip

OVERVIEW | Day 1 – March 20th: Dinner and Salt –>

 
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Yahoo Loosely Sketches “Willy’s” History

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

Ann forwarded this link to me. Is it possible the author was actually paid for this post? I’m not sure if the article or the comments are funnier.

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/anywhere-anything-story-willy-jeep-140059277.html

 
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Jeeps on Flickr from Around the World

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

Marc found these interesting photos on Flickr.

The first is a photo of the Italian police from 1947: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16435224@N05/4856286877/

italy-police-flickrHere’s a more recent photo from Ravenna, Italy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30797788@N03/5133444193/

2010-ravena-italy-red-jeep-flickrThis photo was taken in Iran in 1997:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69060931@N06/6778733213/

1997-persia-flickrTaken in October of 2013, this photo was taken in Japan:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69060931@N06/6778733213/

2013-japan-cj3b-fire-jeep-flickrI’m guessing this photo of a late model CJ-2A from the Netherlands was taken in the late 1940s:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuuur/6890468326/

year-netherlands-flickr

 
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1944 Photo of Jeeps from PM **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Was on eBay.  **SOLD**

This January 24, 1944 issue of the PM has a variety of stories, including a great photo of the Senegalese checking out some jeeps.

1944-01-24-senaglese-learn-jeep

“PM DAILY NEWSPAPER WORLD WAR II
70 th Birthday – Birth-Date – Special Occasion – Research
January 24, 1944
ORIGINAL WWII EDITION
20 PAGES, SIZE, 14 1/2″ x 11”
(Some dates in 1944 available, January – March – June – July – please contact us through eBay messaging with your requirements if not in our store)

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Marx Jeep & Trailer w/Box **SOLD**

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

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.

Here’s a rare Marx toy jeep with a trailer and an original box.

“MARX ORIGINAL WILLYS JEEP WITH TRAILER AND BIMINI CLOTH TOP WITH BRACKETS THIS IS IN ORIGINAL BOX WITH BOX INSERT STUNNING CONDITION LOOKS LIKE NEVER PLAYED WITH NO MISSING OR BROKEN PARTS DUST ON JEEP AND TRAILER FROM 60 PLUS YEARS OF INDOOR STORAGE LOOK AT PICS PART OF DESCRIPTION BOX IS NICE CONDITION AND COMPLETE. THIS IS USA LOWER 48 STATES SHIP ONLY DO NOT MISS THIS RARE FIND IN ORIGINAL BOX.”

marx-willys-in-box1

marx-willys-in-box2

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ARB USA

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
arbusa-bill-cj3b-2

Bill Carter’s CJ-3B

For quite some time I’ve heard rumors that eWillys was causing daily slowdowns at the ARB USA headquarters in Renton, Washington, which just happens to be down the hill from my parents’ house. Yesterday I finally got a chance to investigate the issue, thanks to an invite by Mitch Carter.

arbusa-kent2

For those that don’t know, ARB was founded by Anthony Ronald Brown in Australia in the 1970s. Originally the company produced bumpers, but quickly grew through the development of other products. They also grew by purchasing additional manufacturers (air lockers, suspensions, and more) and expanded across models and years to provide a wide array of 4×4 products. They even have some portable cooler-like refrigerators made for off-road folks that will freeze food. Today ARB is the largest 4×4 distributor in Australia and the company exports products around the world.

Mitch gave me a tour of the ARB facility. Given all the equipment they handle, they need a big warehouse. This is just the front area:

arbusa-kent3

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Roberto’s New Coffee Mugs

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

Roberto Flores has produced some great looking mugs, including one with a CJ-3B on it. The price is 15€ plus shipping (shipping to the U.S. is approx 22€).

Learn more here: http://www.robertoflores.com/trabajos.php?cat=13&id=183#item183

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 
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Robin’s Willys Sickness

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

Robin thinks these photos might be suggest the roots of his Willys Sickness. Yep, based on these photos, he was doomed from an early age.

“Here are some photos that might explain me. The kid on the trike is me. The Jeep in the background was my Dad’s (started my collection). The guy in the M-38 was my Dad’s first Sgt in Korea and the CJ3-a is just a pic my Dad had.”

FC150-301

FirstSgt01

jeepInSnow01

 
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1945 Photo of Surplus Jeeps in Columbus, Ohio, on ebay

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

That’s a lot of jeeps for sale!

“You are bidding on an original 7 X 9 Press Photo of Columbus OH Veterans RFC Jeeps Stored Depot Army Cars Parked. Orange thing taped to bottom but is otherwise in very good condition. Please see scan for details. Thanks for looking. Photo is dated 1945.”

View all the information on eBay

1945-12-05-columbus-oh

 
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Kempro Wooden Model **SOLD**

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

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.

Marc spotted this unusual model.

“Kempro Large Military Jeep Wooden Kit, complete with prints, full scale prints, completed jeep is 11 in. long, mint condition in original box, box is 14 in. x 6-1/4 in.”

kempro-wooden-jeep

 
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T-Shirts Ready for Sale Next Week

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

Reader and T-shirt designer Jeff Phillips helped me create these new t-shirts from a 1942 drawing. I received the first box of olive drab shirts today. The look great and, made from 60/40 bend of cotton and polyester, feel great. I’ll explain more in a few days once I get the gray shirts.

vintage jeep shirts-01

 
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1944 BF Goodrich Tire ad with Jeep Convoy on eBay

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

I just noticed this vintage ad has the slogan “In War and Peace” on it. Well, my new T-shirts have the same slogan. More on them tomorrow when I unpack the finished shirts1

View all the information on eBay

1944-bf-goodrich-tire-ad

 
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1950 Photo in Korea at the 38th Parallel on eBay

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

Is it just me or is that a slat grille?

View all the information on eBay

1950-38th-parallel-korea-slat

1950-38th-parallel-korea-slat2

 
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1942 Hawaii Motor Pool Inspection Photo

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

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.

Marc found this interesting photo. Note they are marked “US ARMY” across the windshield. Was that to stop the Navy guys from stealing them?

“From Lt Robert D. McTierney, Hawaii Photo Album stationed at Ft. Shafter, Oahu. The  first dates written in the album  part way through the album are from early 1942 to Christmas 1942,  he was with QM.”

1942-motorpool-inspection-hawaii

 
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Carol Landis and Jeeps

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Women & Jeeps This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Paul alerted me to this first photo of Movie Star Carole Landis in a jeep. Given the passenger door, I’m wondering if it might have been some type of Holden modified Australian MB?

This first photo is located at a UCLA website. The jeep sure looks similar to a jeep that was for sale in 2010.

carole-landis-holden-jeepShe was also photographed in a Ford GP Prototype:

carole-landis-fordgp

But, she might be most famously connected with jeeps due to her role in the movie Four Jills in a Jeep from 1944. The photo below and the image of the book below that were posted at this website:

carole-landis-four-jills-in-a-jeep

Carole even wrote a book about her experience entertaining the troops which was also published under the name Four Jills in a jeep,.

carole-landis-four-jills-in-a-jeep-book

 
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Photo of WACs with a Ford GP

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **sold** Was on eBay.

Just the print, not the negative, was for sale.

“You are buying a high quality, 8×10 inch photograph. It is printed with Archival Inks on Premium Heavyweight Photographic Paper. The photograph is made from the original glass or celluloid negative or from the original photograph. My photographic reprints are known for their sharpness and beautiful warm tone. This image shows a WAC recruiting photo from Detroit Michigan featuring a Army Jeep. I combine the shipping on multiple photo purchases, so don’t forget to check out my Ebay Store.”

fordgp-wac-women-surrounding

 
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Jim’s photo from 1967

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

Jim forwarded the following photo of him and his brother from 1967.

bob-jim-cj2a

He writes, “This faded polaroid was dated Aug 12 1967. It shows my ’46 CJ2A, my brother Bob, super-on-the-job and me, grinning and I’m sure torquing everything to exacting specs. She was my second car and my best. I bought it the summer of ’66, spent two cold winters in it and to the best of my recollection, the only one around with any four wheel drive.

There were no aftermarket parts and I wanted oversize tires real bad, so we got some Mercury wheels, maybe ’49s or early 50’s and worn down snows. My father just thought that was ridicules, so one day he borrowed it and returned with brand new Firestone Town and Countrys….6.00 x 16!!!! You can just make out the tread in the picture. After that I did an awful lot of tire swapping to keep things on an even keel. I used to take guys on excursions for beer and gas.

The jeep was called Sophicles Hoblitz which I believe is written on the hood leaning against the tree off to the left. The name Sophicles Hoblitz….. I think came from a Hot Rod magazine cartoon, something about a bearded prophet who advertised himself with a sign on the side of a jeep. Probably warning of eternal damnation to anyone who becomes swayed by the charms of an old Willys. One more thing. I bought her in Longmeadow Ma next to the Ct line from a man who had gone blind and had not driven it for years. That was in ’66 and then it was only 20 years old.

 
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Bantam BRC-60 Powers a Makeshift Raft

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The folks at the Austin Bantam Society posted a link to a video of a Bantam BRC-60 being used to power a makeshift raft. There are a several other videos at the Bantam site as well. Check out their Facebook page here.

Link to Video: Check out an Army training team using a 1940 BRC to power a raft, using it as a platform for shooting a 37mm gun and an anti-aircraft gun!

bantam-brc40-criticalpast

 
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Willys Motors Sales Book Pages on eBay

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

Here’s a rare set of sales book pages (8 pages) that show different kinds of loaders. Looks interesting.

View all the information on eBay

1950s-willys-motors-salessheets2 1950s-willys-motors-salessheets3

 
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1941 Ad with a Willys MA on eBay

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

This October 1941 Ad is from an automobile magazine of some kind.

View all the information on eBay

1941-willys-MA-ad

 
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The Art of the Jeep Book — Signed Copy on eBay

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

This book is signed by both Ray Cowdrey and Yasuo Ohtsuka.

“The Art of the Jeep 1941-1945, All American Wonder, Japanese edition with added color photos! Very rare book, signed by the Japanese author Yasuo Ohtsuka. Published 1986 and long out of print. 185 pages.”

View all the information on eBay

art-of-the-jeep-book-cowdrey-and-ohtsuka1

art-of-the-jeep-book-cowdrey-and-ohtsuka2

 
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Fabrice’s International Military Toy Collection

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

UPDATE: Popescu Laurentiu Cristian indicated that these were made in Romania. He has 3-4 pieces from when he was 5-6 years old. (comment came from Facebook)

Fabrice Liotard has a huge collection of military jeep toys. He also spent a lot deal of time photographing, identifying, and posting them to his French website:
http://jeepytoys.pagesperso-orange.fr/ .

Two jeeps he recently purchased in Germany have red painted stars on their hoods (european scale 1/28 / U.S. Scale 4.92in). He was wondering anyone has information about them. If you do, you can contact him through Facebook. If you don’t have Facebook, feel free to contact me and I’ll forward your thoughts to him:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202431328442534&set=o.304123822973935&type=1

german-toys-red-star

 
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1967 Inyokern California Toy Jeep Postcard on eBay

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

Just who thought this was a good idea for a postcard?

View all the information on eBay

1967-toy-jeep-inyokern-ca-postcard1

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5th Annual Willys Overland Rally May 16th-18th in Moab

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

The 5th Annual Willys Overland Rally takes place May 16th-18th this year in Moab, Utah. The event celebrates Willys Overland Wagons and Trucks.

http://www.willysrally.com

5th-annual-willys-overland-rally

 
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Jeeps and Medics

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

Charles hunted down these photos of jeeps and medics.

7522_600-jeep-medic

Ernest Wood — Holland, 1945

medic_jeeps

March 1945, Medical detachment of the 70th Tank Battalion.

medics_in_action

Timberwolf Medics Germany, 1945 — Note the special helmet markings and the chaplain’s jeep.

medic-jeep

10th mountain division — Mt. Belvedere, Italy, 1945

 

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