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.

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:

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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.”

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.

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

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.