Features Research Archives

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1946? Issue of ‘Jeep’ News

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

Many thanks to long-time reader Dave Nelson for sending me this rare copy of ‘Jeep’ News. While there is no date stamp that I could find, there is a reference to an April 1946 study in one of the articles; yet, none of the jeeps pictured has the later 2A grille. So, I’m going to guess this is a summer 1946 document.

Also strange is that this wasn’t published out of Toledo. Instead, the mail address is listed as “Jeep” NEWS, Room 700, 305 East 45th South, New York 17, NY.

Finally, also strange, is that a colorized version of this was also produced and it included a reference to the magazine being Vol 1 No 1. If there was a second ‘Jeep’ News made, I have not seen it. My guess is that this was meant to be an advertising piece for dealerships, but it didn’t pan out, so was pulled after one (or a few) issues.

I published this last year

1946-furgason's-jeep-news2

Evan Gillenwater posted the cover of this magazine to Facebook. He seems to think it came from Furgason’s Motors in La Grande, Oregon. The magazine was found at an antique store in New Hampshire.

Here’s the full issue from Dave:

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1946-summer-jeep-news2-lores

1946-summer-jeep-news3-lores

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Continue reading

 
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Sept 1954 Farm Jeep Newspaper Ad

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

I was surprised to see this ad published as late at September 3, 1954, because it highlights the CJ-3A-based “Farm Jeep” (see halfway down in the ad). It was printed in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

1954-09-03-fort-worth-star-telegram-farm-jeep-lores

 
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Hy-Rails at Curbside Classic

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

This short article (with far too many ads) shows some of the Hy-Rail jeep examples over the years. Thanks to Bill for sharing it.

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/vintage-ads-and-brochures/vintage-pr-shot-willys-jeep-pickup-with-hy-rail-equipment-back-when-they-had-to-widen-the-track-to-fit-the-tracks/

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1948 CJ-2A with Mahl Loader at Bring-A-Trailer Auction

• CATEGORIES: CJ-2A, Features • TAGS: , , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Glenn spotted this rare and restored Mahl Loader and CJ-2A. There are a ton of detail photos at BaT’s auction page. Note that the serial number used for the title is an engine number and not the original serial number. So, a buyer might want to consider that it your state is extra picky.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1948-willys-cj-2a-18/

“This 1948 Willys CJ-2A is powered by a 134ci Go-Devil inline-four paired with a three-speed manual transmission and is fitted with a MAHL Jeep Loader attachment produced by Standard Iron & Wire Works Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The pair was acquired by the seller around 2010 and subsequently refurbished before installation of the loader in 2016. The truck is finished in black over green vinyl and features white-painted 16″  steel wheels, a fold-flat windshield, a dual-range transfer case, a power take-off unit, a Gre-Sen hydraulic pump, and cab-mounted hydraulic controls. This CJ-2A and Jeep Loader are now offered with an award, articles about the project, and a clean Minnesota title in the name of the seller’s company…..

The factory chassis tag has been replaced with a reproduction unit that shows a blank serial number, and the seller is unable to locate the chassis number on the vehicle itself. The last six digits of the VIN on the title—J172095—are consistent with that of a 1948 Willys CJ-2A.”

Here is a video:

More info on the Mahl Loader from the CJ-2A page: https://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/topic19682_post526669.html#526669

Here’s an article from the Dispatcher Magazine with more info from the auction:

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And here are pics:

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Jeep Willys Service Sign on eBay

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

I’ve not run across a sign quite like this one with the text accompanying the round part of the sign in this way.

View all the information on eBay

“The sign is previously displayed it is made of metal not tin its painted measures 48 in width by 24 in height. I am selling it as shown with no claim of originality. An excellent sign to add to your collection if your looking to own a really unique sign. I am selling this item with no reserve.”

jeep-willys-service-sign1jeep-willys-service-sign2

 
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1960s(?) Postcard Pete’s Cave “Shepherd of the Hills Farm” on eBay

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

UPDATE: Here’s another one of these postcards on eBay. Starting bid is .99.

(08/04/2020) I don’t know much about Shepherd of the Hills Farm, but I did learn that it was a book from 1907 by Harold Bell Wright that became a tourist destination that then played some role in the rise of Branson, Missouri, as a tourist destination.

View all the information on eBay

“Vintage Postcard of the Farm Tour pulled by an old Army Jeep at Pete’s Cave in Shepherd of the Hills in Branson MO
Size Standard 3 1/2 by 5 1/2
Circa 1960s”

petes-cave-shepherd-of-the-hills-postcard-jeep1 petes-cave-shepherd-of-the-hills-postcard-jeep2

 
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The J-Bird Fiberglass Hard Top

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

This ad took me by surprise. I’ve never heard of the J-Bird Fiberglass hard top made by Stanley Aviation. I wonder if there are any left anywhere? I’m guessing it was made in Colorado given this ad was in the Mile-Hi Jeep Club archives.

jbird-fiberglass-hardtop-brochure-mile-hi-jeep-club-archives

I was able to find some information about Stanley Aviation, but nothing related to Snaley Aviation and a jeep top.

 
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WANTED: Info For Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame

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

Rick Krueger is hoping to pull together some information for the folks at the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. So, if you think you might have some information that would help Rick, email him at das.krueg @ gmail.com (remove the spaces around the @).

Rick wrote, “I have a line on Larry Hughes son Cameron. Dean Richards, Lonnie Richards grand father was a friend of my fathers and Gary Lowes. Dean and Gary played an important part in a boating accident I was in. The name Toy Hall has come up as Commander on a certificate I have found for and award to SNORE in the 70s. So any info from Lionel would be great. Also tracking down a ambulance buggy snore donated to the posse in the 70s. The ORMHOF seems interested so I would like to pull as much together as possible.”

MILE-HI Jeep Club History: Among the online collections at the ORMHOF are some great old photos and history from the Mile-Hi Jeep Club (How is there no PNW4WDA history/race-history here?): https://ormhof.org/mile-hi-collection

Here is one example of what is posted there. This photo shows the inaugural issue of the Mile HI Club’s Jeep Club News in December 1956.

1956-12-jeep-club-news-mile-hi-jeep-club

PHoto Credit: The Mile Hi Jeep Club and the ORMHOF

 

 
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November 1944 Photo of Fake Jeep in Australia

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

Here’s. neat photo of a “dummy jeep” cobbled together in Australia, posted by Morihisa Ochi to G503.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WWIIG503/permalink/10158341777561046/

dummy-jeep-rubber-australian

 
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Custom CJ-3B Build

• CATEGORIES: Builds, CJ-3B, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Robert Baxter posted this “CJ-3B” to Facebook the other day. He spotted it at a car show in El Segundo, California. The chassis is a deuce-and-a-half. It looks like the body is extra tall and stetted, which gives it an unusual look. Cool rig!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/502884336980336/permalink/1100033907265373

cj3b-el-segundo1 cj3b-el-segundo2

 
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More Updates Later Sunday

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
2022-08-20-camper-sold

Our final view of the motorhome. We sold it on Saturday. We weren’t using it and it would only be declining in value, so we felt it was prudent to let it go. We will eventually buy something else, but unsure whether that will be a slide-in camper (which requires a new, beefier truck, which we need anyway), another motorhome (likely not), or a fifth wheel (maybe).

More updates later today …. It’s been a busy few days. We sold our motorhome to the folks that own the water system company that installed our filtering system (we hadn’t used it to camp in two years). So, as a part of the deal, we are getting a new water system for our house, a new drinking system for the kitchen, and a water filter system for the bunkhouse.

We have rented a bull for our heifers, but there isn’t a whole lot of action (a regular Ferdinand perhaps?), other than chewing down our grass, which has meant getting some hay to supplement their diets. Thankfully, our next-door neighbor just swathed his grass hay yesterday, so we’ll be buying up all his hay.

We are shopping for a squeeze chute and panels so we can build a corral.That way, we can just artificially inseminate them rather than host a bull, which is more expensive than insemination, something another neighbor of ours can do.

The side deck on the bunkhouse is near done, another stretch of triple digits looks behind us now.

 
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2 Structo Toy Jeeps Middletown, CT $90/each

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

UPDATE: Still Available.

(01/20/2022) Bill shared these two structo kids’ toys for sale.

  1. Red Structo Jeep:
    structo-jeep-middletown-ct1
  2. Structo Toy Jeep “Doodle Bug“:
    structo-jeep-middletown-ct2
 
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AI Image Creating Sites

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

The other day I saw reference to some sites that allow users to use a string of words to automatically create images. As an example, I inputed “Willys Jeep” into the entry window at Craiyon.com. These images were auto-created. As you can see, the images aren’t exactly perfect.

craiyon-willys-jeep

 
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1946 Texas AG Jeep Test PDF

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

UPDATE: To download the file, I clicked on the “download” (See red-highlighted square in the pic below). (or just click here ==> http://www.deilers.com/1946-texas-ag-test.pdf)

download-link

Ed spotted this PDF document (downloadable for free) that covers the agricultural testing of an early jeep. I don’t believe I’ve read this document (and don’t have time at the moment to go through it). So, let me know what you think.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=txa.tarb086630&view=1up&seq=3&skin=2021

1946-tex-ag-jeep-test-1 1946-tex-ag-jeep-test-2 1946-tex-ag-jeep-test-3

 
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1926 Chelsea Clock Willys-Overland eBay

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

David shared this unusual pre-WWII clock with some Willys-Overland history. Unclear if this is a good or bad price for this style of clock.

View all the information on eBay

“CHELSEA ANTIQUE SHIPS BELL CLOCK~ADMIRAL MODEL~3” DIAL~1926.
Plaque screwed to top shows 1926 date; plate can be removed easily.
Runs and needs polished, but still a beautiful specimen!”

1926-chelsea-clock1

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This Weekend’s Idaho Vintage Jeep Rally 2022

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

Jack shared a couple photos from the 2022 Idaho Vintage Jeep Rally. He told me he had a great time! The funky oddball jeep on the trailer is one owned by Jack. He acquired it out of Montana about a decade ago.

There are many more pics and videos on the site’s Facebook page from this weekend.

2022-ivjr-jack1 2022-ivjr-jack2

Dana Wasserburger posted this and other photos to Facebook:

ivjr-2022-dana-pic

Michelle Jenkins also took a variety of photos. Here is one:

2022-ivjr-michelle-jenkins

 
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Nov. 1941 Article on Jeeps in Libya

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

This November 22, 1941, article in the New York Daily news about a British strike force in Libya that used some jeeps. The jeep pictured appears to be the original Ford Pygmy.

1941-11-22-dailynews-ny-libya-ford-gp

 
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Year? Truck Brochure From Australia on eBay $21US

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

The shipping on this is $25US; otherwise, I’d get this rare brochure.

View all the information on eBay

“Original Willys Jeep 1 Ton Truck brochure”

year-truck-australia-brochure-lores year-truck-australia-brochure2-lores

 
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1943 Metamet-Modified Flattie UK £10,995

• CATEGORIES: Features, GPW (Ford MB), MB • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Blaine spotted this Metamet-modified jeep that was owned by the Metamet family. This doesn’t seem to match any of the models on the list of models from the Metamet brochures. The split window windshield doesn’t not appear to fold down, the doors look to be of a suicide style, and the top appears to be a soft top. It’s kind of Jeepsterish.

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1468062

Metamet-jeep-uk

“This is actually a 1943 ww2 jeep that has been converted into a 4wd roadster , lots of the original inner bodytub remain, Its running and driving but will need renovating , chassis is superb condition , there are lots of options with this jeep, leave as is, change it a bit or revert it back to a ww2 jeep again, Its the only one made by the Metamet company back in the late 1950s, TAX and MOT exempt, UK registered, this unique ww2 jeep conversion, been stored unused for 40 years, this conversion done by the well known metamet jeep conversion company in the 1950s/ 60s, this model never ended up going into production and this is the only one made despite it being shown in the sales brochure, I have fitted original jeep wheels and personally think it looks better and gives it back a bit of its former DNA but the original wider road wheels and tyres go with it

It was kept by a member of the Metamet family as his private vehicle until he recently passed away , this willys mb jeep was built in 1943 and served in the war , the dvla mot history records show that it left the military service and was registered for road use in 1958, sometime after this date the conversion was done , Its been stored unused for the last 40 years , engine is now running , I have a whatsap of the jeep driving, it will need recommissioning brakes refurbishing, fuel line checking through but the chassis is excellent , exhaust all good, radiator holds water and it starts and drives , the engine is smooth, includes extra fitments like free wheeling hubs, radio, clock, folding front bench seat , sports car type fold down hood, hinged doors, drop down boot, this is the only one of its kind in the world and should really be in a collection or museum , most of the original bodytub remains , It could easily be re bodied back to its former ww2 jeep bodywork with a new reproduction body tub , large leather bound file containing many photos and drawings of the build has since been found and I’m hoping to collect that soon”

 
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Four Willys-Overland Sales and Service Postcards.

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

I just missed out on these postcards. There were no other bidders when I made a high bid of $31, but apparently someone came in at the last second with a higher bid. Well, they can have them for that price (besides, I already have the “Snug and Warm” card).

Still, these cards are pretty interesting. I would guess based on the Worman hardtops and CJ-2A styling that they are likely from the late 1940s.

year?-willys-overland-sales-and-service-postcards1 year?-willys-overland-sales-and-service-postcards2

 
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October 1953 Worman Hardtop Brochure

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

UPDATE: I finally found an original of this brochure by Laurel Worman, Inc. I was surprised to see it printed as late as October of 1953. It is an 8.5 x 11 inch brochure that folds out to 17 x 11 inches.

Its primary purpose was likely to promote the new Worman hardtop for the CJ-3B. I’m not sure how many of that style of tops sold, but I sure haven’t seen many. Instead, I’ve always wondered if the design was sold or made for Sears, which promoted a similar “Deluxe top”.  Interestingly, this was more than just a top. The brochure highlights that the top was the result of Worman’s 5-year attempt to turn the CJ-3A into a station wagon type vehicle. Given Worman faded quickly after this brochure was made, it seems the company’s goal wasn’t met. 

1953-10-worman-hardtop-brochure1-lores 1953-10-worman-hardtop-brochure2-lores 1953-10-worman-hardtop-brochure3-lores

 


 
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Pedal Jeeps via Mecum Auction in September

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

Ed shared the news that there will be some pedal jeeps auctioned by Mecum this September. They are a part of the ELMER’S AUTO & TOY MUSEUM COLLECTION 2022 auction September 14-17 in Fountain City, Wisconsin. I’ve never been, but the pics make it looks like an interesting place. Unfortunately, 2022 is the last year for the museum. Learn more about the museum here.

mecum-toy-auction

 
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Bunkhouse Updates Keeping Me Busy

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

The past month has kept me busy not with jeeps, but with the “bunk house”. To be fair, our triple digit days made it a bit too hot to be toiling away on a jeep.

After taking over the job of painting the bunk house, I elected to complete a variety of other changes, such as completely rebuilding the deck (mostly using leftover materials), regrading the area under and behind the deck, installing a better drain system for the gutter, and more. There’s still work to be completed, such as building the steps up to the decking, installing a deck-skirt, adding landscaping, pouring a walkway to the shop, and more. But, we’ve made significant progress to date.

We even had our first guests from eWillys. Jack and Lori spent the night on their way to picking up that real nice CJ-3A I listed a couple weeks ago in Zillah. I hadn’t seen Jack since our visit with him in Boise in 2013, so it was great to get caught up. They invited us to stay with them on the east side of Idaho and they will take us up into the mountains jeeping there. We hope to get over there soon!

Below is a before and a to-date photo.

2022-08-09-bunkhouse-changes

 
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August 1949 Article on the “Morality Jeep”

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

This article appeared in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper on August 08, 1949. The newspaper titled the photo caption “Morality Jeep”, though it’s not clear that the police department ever revered to it as such. It seems a mischaracterization of a patrolman who used a CJ-3A to patrol the beach.

1949-08-08-norfolk-vriginian-pilot-morality-jeep

 
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Willys-Themed Bench Omak, WA $1600

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

Here’s a different kind of Willys-themed bench.

https://wenatchee.craigslist.org/for/d/omak-willys-jeep-tailgate-bench/7506415863.html

“Custom Willys Tailgate Art Bench… created from recycled, reclaimed and salvaged materials. Was an order for a business that fell through… asking $1600 for this piece of functional art. If you like this sort of artwork please feel free to check out my Facebook page * Salvage Artistry * https://www.facebook.com/upcyclejunkyard/

willys-jeep-bench1 willys-jeep-bench2