Just don’t drop the jeep. I don’t think it will land well.
Features Research Archives
Vintage Jeep Jamboree Postcard on eBay
Here’s a great shot of some early Jamboree folks. The seller mislabels Georgetown, CA, as Georgetown, UT.
“STANDARD SIZE CHROME ERA POSTCARD VIEW – 3.5″ X 5.5″
Published by Eastman’s Studio (Susanville, CA).
CONDITION: Minor corner nicking. Clean and good original color. Postally unused.”
Runaway Bay Hotel Jamaica Surrey Postcard **SOLD**
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
Here’s a rare Surrey in Jamaica.
“Chrome postcard is in very good condition with chipped corners and edges, a scuff at the top near the left side and corner wrinkle at the top right. Back is numbered H-10 and 72397 and is addressed to M. Forward, Beverly, MA. Publisher is Novelty Trading Co. and photo is credited to Hannau.”
1951 US Army Reserve Recruiting Ad on eBay
Only one jeep in this ad, but it’s in front.
“Original Vintage 1950’s Magazine Advertisment
Condition Scale: Fine
This collectible magazine ad is about: 7 3/4″ X 11”
Postal Jeep Parts Website
Need DJ-5 or postal jeep parts? You might try this resource I just stumbled across.
Mon. May 6th & Tues. May 7th: Bismarck, North Dakota
<– Day 2 Sun. May 5th: Cowboys, Vistas, and Pirates | Trip Overview | Day 5 – Wed. May 8th: Don’s 1962 Wagon and Mr. Jangles –>
On Monday May 6th we drove east on I-94 from Theodore Roosevelt National Park to Bismarck, North Dakota.
We spent two days visiting a family that used to live across the street from Ann Pasco.
On Tuesday evening, we left Bismarck to spend the night in Fargo, North Dakota.
By the time we arrived in Fargo it was dark and cold. We toured the town very briefly (learning years later we missed downtown entirely).
On the morning of May 8th, we left Fargo for St. Paul.
<– Day 2 Sun. May 5th: Cowboys, Vistas, and Pirates | Trip Overview | Day 5 – Wed. May 8th: Don’s 1962 Wagon and Mr. Jangles –>
The Chang 46
George forwarded this blog post about the Chang 46. It started production in 1959 and ended in 1963. There weren’t many made. They started with 38 in 1959 and by 1963 only 1390 were produced.
http://www.carnewschina.com/2012/01/18/history-chinas-first-jeep-th-changan-changjiang-46/
1947 Photo of Wrecked Jeep on eBay
Marc spotted this interesting photo.
“San Francisco Car wreck photograph / 1947 Willy jeep on it’s side
this photo measures 8 x 10 inches. It is an original not a copy. There is some wear. This photo was used in the newspaper and has writing on the back. Shipping is free in the US”
Sun. May 5th: Cowboys, Vistas, and Pirates
<– Day 1 – Sat. May 4th: Miracle of America Museum, Polson, MT | Trip Overview | Day 3 & 4 – Mon. May 6th & Tues. May 7th: Bismarck, North Dakota –>
UPDATE: Busted! On our way out of the National Park we spotted the ‘pirates’ car off to the side in a parking area parked by itself. We believe they were arrested and their car left there, because there was no sign of them 🙂
Our goal for today (Sunday) was to reach Theodore Roosevelt National Park at the western edge of North Dakota. Since we spent most of our time driving through Eastern Montana, I’d love to share that experience with you, but I had my nose buried in my computer, so I didn’t see much. Occasionally, Ann would point out something of interest and I would look up. But, I had my reading glasses on, so everything looked pretty blurry beyond the car. However, the weather was beautiful and sunny, the temperatures a perfect seventy degrees. Fortunately, she didn’t see too much interesting either. Just lots of rolling grassy hills. I can see why cowboys like it here.
I have to say that I will gladly take those endless grassy hills and the sunny weather over last week’s weather along I-94: it was closed due to a blizzard. Yikes!
Around 3:30pm we reached the campground at the National Park. We found a nice campsite and got it set up, before touring the 25(?) miles long loop trail.
Sat. May 4th: Miracle of America Museum, Polson, MT
<– Trip Overview | Day 2 – Sun. May 5th: Cowboys, Vistas, and Pirates –>
Saturday May 4th, our two month trip begins! We will be on the road until the end of June.
For the first leg of our East Coast trip our principal objective today was to make it to the Miracle of America Museum just south of Polson, MT. We left Pasco at 10am knowing it would take 5 1/2 hours to drive there and a 1/2 hour stop for lunch (we had to stop for some pho at our favorite place in Coeur D’ Alene, ID). Doing the math, we realized we’d arrive at the museum at 4pm, which gave us an hour to look around it before it closed at 5pm. Simple math, yes? . . . Wrong.
The first sign of trouble occurred as we crossed into Montana from Idaho on I-90. I was driving when I spotted a sign that informed us we were Entering Mountain Time Zone. Oh crap! I forgot all about the time change. A quick review of the math meant that we’d arrive at 5pm, just as it closed.
However, there was a caveat. The website indicated that the museum stayed open until 8pm during the summer, but never defined what days were considered summer days. So, as we descended out of the pass towards Missoula, Ann gave the museum a call at 3:30pm and it went like this:
Ann: Hi, how late are you open tonight?
Museum: Depends. Where are you now?
Ann (shocked): We are approaching St. Regis, Montana.
Museum: Ok, I’ll keep the museum open for you. I have some paperwork to do anyway.
With that simple phone call, Gil Mangels volunteered to keep his museum open so we could look around the place all by ourselves! I called at 4:40 to update him and say we wouldn’t be there until 5:15. He said that wouldn’t be a problem.
We finally arrived at 5:20pm, just as the last remaining visitor left. We walked inside and there was Gil ready to take our money ($5 each – BARGAIN!) and explain where everything was. We thanked him for staying open and said we didn’t want to use too much of his time. He said just take your time.
We weren’t there five minutes before we knew we had a problem. There was so much cool stuff to look at that we couldn’t move ourselves along fast enough. Gil and his late wife have done a wonderful job of creating a feast for the eyes. Ann and i were giddy school kids pointing things out to each other, reading stuff, and having a blast. We were there forty five minutes and still hadn’t made it through a 1/4 of the complex yet.
We didn’t want to impost on Gil, so we chose to go to plan B: See the jeeps real quickly, photograph them, and then return later this summer so we could spend all day looking around the place.
Before we left, we got a chance to spend some time talking with Gil. When we explained about eWillys, Gil explained he grew up on a nearby farm and his parents had an old flattie, but he couldn’t remember the model. He said they did everything with it.
Gil belongs to the Military Vehicle Preservation Association and he restored the M-38 below that he proudly displays in one of the rooms. It’s a very nice restoration. It was featured in the MVPA and GIl was kind enough to copy the article for me, but I haven’t had time to go through it yet.
In addition to the M-38, there are two more M-38A1s, a Slat Grille MB, and a M-151, a Mule, and a Jeepster for visitors to see. There is a Pedal Jeep in the toy section, a few hot wheel-like jeep toys. I also spotted several posters, cards and brochures in the war-related areas.
The Miracle of American museum is a gem. It reminded me of my experience to House on the Rock in Wisconsin, where each corner was a feast for the eyes. But, unlike HOR, there’s a better educational and museum experience. I can see why it’s been called the Smithsonian of the west. There is enough wonder — cool stuff, historic stuff, and odd ball stuff — to keep a whole family entertained. Military buffs, car buffs, farm buffs, motorcycle buffs, history buffs (how about a whole shed of old washing machines?) will love this place. It is worth the trip, especially since you get to talk to the guy who made it happen.
Here’s a bunch of pictures we took:
1943 Photo of Wrecked Jeeps on eBay
This looks more like a jeep fight than a pair of wrecked jeeps.
1973 Trip Trap Book **SOLD**
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay
I’ve never read this. But, it comes with a wagon on the front. How bad could it be?
“A rich slice of Beat history, Trip Trap is Albert Saijo’s account of driving Jack Kerouac with Lew Welch from San Francisco to New York in 1959. It includes the poems they jotted down in notebooks along the way; their experiences in the city; a visit to Jack’s home in Northport, Long Island; and Lew’s letters to Jack about the return trip and his life in Reno.
This newly-revised edition-originally published in 1973-of the haiku Jack Kerouac, Albert Saijo, and Lew Welch jotted down on the road from San Francisco to New York in 1959, are dense, earthy incarnations of life on the road: “A coral colored Cadillac/ in Texas/ Threw gravel all over us,/ our beat jeep/ -Our windshield is nicked/ but our eyes/ are/ CLEAR…” Albert recounts their November trip in Lew’s Jeepster, making the big city scene, visiting Jack’s home in Northport on Long Island, and the long drive back west. The book also includes letters to Kerouac from Lew Welch in Reno.”
2013 Cross Country Tour: Summary
Our seven week journey was the most memorable trip I’ve ever taken. There were so many unexpected opportunities only made possible by all the wonderful people we met along the way. We appreciate everyone’s patience with our ever changing schedule as folks contacted us and said “if you are near, come visit!” We tried to meet as many people as possible, but at times the timing just didn’t work out.
Here are some stats from the trip:
1) We drove over 10,043 Miles
2) Trip lasted 49 days
3) We passed through 27 States (It would have only been 26 states, but Ann accidently drove into Colorado, before I looked up from my computer to see we were going the wrong way . . . lol)
4) We saw all 5 Great Lakes
5) We had 0 car problems!
6) Number of tickets . . . 0 (warnings 0)
7) Total cost of trip (unknown at this point, but would have been higher without all the generous jeepers)
8) Amount of debt from trip — $0. We don’t use credit cards.
9) Number of museums visited: 20
10) Number of National Parks: 4
11) Number of fights between Ann and I: Zero
12) Total amount of fun we had: incalculable!
All the posts related to the trip:
- Overview: 2013 East Coast Trip Overview
- Day 1 – Sat. May 4th: Miracle of America Museum, Polson, MT
- Day 2 – Sun. May 5th: Cowboys, Vistas, and Pirates
- Day 3 & 4 – Mon. May 6th & Tues. May 7th: Bismarck, ND For Two Nights
- Day 5 – Wed. May 8th: Don’s 1962 Wagon and Mr. Jangles
- Day 6 – Thurs. May 9th: Rain Rain Go Away
- Day 7 – Fri. May 10th: From Iron Mountain to Mackinaw City
- Day 8 – Sat. May 11th: Fire Engines, 16,000 Toys and A Destroyer
- Day 9 – Sun. May 12th: Tuckered Out? Then Visit a Firehouse
- Day 10 & 11 – Mon. May 13th Rest & Tue. May 14th: Crust, Raisins, and Smoked Pork
- Day 12 & 13 – Wed. May 15th & Thurs. May 16th: Mixers, Foodies & Heavy Equipment
- Day 14 – Fri. May 17th: Day 1 of the Midwest Willys Reunion
- Day 15 – Sat. May 18th: At the Reunion; A Brick Shy of a Full Load
- Day 16 – Sun. May 19th: On the Road to Gettysburg
- Day 17 – Mon. May 20th: Gettysburg and A Little Slice of Heaven
- Day 18 – Tues. May 21st: Food and Jeep Rides
- Day 19 – Wed. May 22nd: Old Cars and Chocolate Shots
- Day 20 – Thurs. May 23rd: And Then it Started Raining at the Worst Time
- Day 21 – Fri. May 24th: Jeeps, Meats, and Beeps
- Day 22 & 23 – Sat. May 25th & Sun. May 26th: NYC & Family With Karson
- Day 24 – Mon. May 27th: Peter Debella Jeep Parts
- Day 25 – Tues. May 28th: Some Family History
- Day 26 – Wed. May 29th: Exploring Mystic
- Day 27 – Thur. May 30th: A Submarine, A Lighthouse, and Lobsters
- Day 28 – Fri. May 31st: The Breakfast Club and Vintage Wiring
- Day 29 – Sat. June 1st: Acadia National Park
- Day 30 – Sun. June 2nd: State #49 Was Exciting!
- Day 31 – Mon. June 3rd: Through Russia With Love
- Day 32 & 33 – Tues. June 4th & Wed. June 5th: Rudeness at the Parkside Diner
- Day 34 – Thurs. June 6th: Carousels and Awards
- Day 35 – Fri. June 7th: An Old Building and New Cars
- Day 36 – Sat. June 8th: Escape to the Movies
- Day 37 – Sun. June 9th: Defecting to Canada
- Day 38 – Mon. June 10th: Trains and Planes
- Day 39 – Tues. June 11th: Checking Out Butler
- Day 40 – Wed. June 12th: A Collection Worthy of a Kaiser
- Day 41- Thurs. June 13th: Heinz History Museum
- Day 42 – Fri. June 14th: At the Bantam Festival
- Day 43 – Sat. June 15th: The Crowds Arrive; As Does a Storm
- Day 44 – Sun. June 16th: Escaping the Rain to Packard-ville
- Day 45 – Mon. June 17th: Three Museums & Steve
- Day 46 – Tues. June 18th: Shabu Shabu and Pipes
- Day 47 – Wed. June 19th: House on the Rock & Steve
- Day 48 – Thurs. June 20th: Meeting Karson’s Team
- Day 49 – Frid. June 21st: Arrive home (No link)
Paper FC-150 at Papercruiser.com $7.00
Marc spotted this Papercruiser model.
“My Willy’s Jeep FC-150 paper model now for sale! You can grab it here for $7 – or check out thephoto gallery here. It’s available in 8 colors, shown below.”
The Peach Truck
What do you get when you combine marriage, business, a Gladiator, and peaches? Check out the Peach Truck story over at jeeptruck.com.
Nags Head, NC, Jockey Ridge Sand Dunes Postcard on eBay
Wish we could see more of the jeep. The Jockey Ridge Sand Dunes show here are the tallest sand dune system in the Eastern US. This area is now Jockey Ridge State Park. I’m guessin that driving over the sand dunes like the jeep below isn’t possible anymore?
From Ducks Unlimited to Shore Patrol
Joe has this story to share:
A few years back, a friend purchased a stretch-version of a 1947 Willys CJ2A that had actually been raffled off to benefit the organization “Ducks Unlimited”. We assume the jeep was modified before the raffle to better accommodate the duck hunting sport but the winner sold the rig instead.
The frame on the 2A and the drive shaft were lengthened about 12 inches by bubba in a back alley somewhere, based on the welding technique used. They used heavy grade angle steel and welded it like it was a Navy ship. The rear of the body was also lengthened about 18 inches and cantilevers over the frame to accommodate longer troop seats. When we first saw the jeep on the trailer, the rig looked like a CJ-2A;
The new owner happened to be a US Navy veteran and decided the jeep would better serve as a “Shore Patrol” replica jeep than a hunting jeep. The large oversized tires were replaced and the windshield frame was straightened, among other things too numerous to mention. And a few other items were added (ie. siren, 50 cal. MG, etc.) to complete the new image. Here are the before and after pics of the transformation of Ducky. Needless to say that “Ducky” was a huge hit in parades and car show.
After the Restoration:
A Couple Dock Shots
Marc spotted these photos on eBay. The auctions are over.
This photo included some information: 0248 Orig 1946-49 Japan Kodachrome Slide Utsunomiya US Army Offloading Jeep Dock. Taken by a US Army CID officer who lived in Japan unti; the mid 60s.
2 Viasa Fire Jeeps in Barcelona on Flickr
This 1974 shot show 2 Viasa Fire Jeeps in Barcelona, Spain.
“1974 – Barcelona – Parc de l’Eixample – Parque Central.
Vehículos auxiliares A-5 y A-6.
Jeep Viasa.”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimpol/7825805328/in/pool-1634177@N23/
Postcard of Commando in Ouray, CO
Studio Prop Jeep Postcard on eBay
I can’t tell if this is a photgraphic studio prop jeep or a movie studio prop jeep.
“Original World War II Real Photo Postcard, (An actual photograph), Postally Unused. Women in Unusual Military Jeep Studio Prop. The photo’s in very good condition, but does have a band of very fine cracks running vertically up the middle of the photo, about 1″ wide. They are extremely fine and not visible at all unless photo is held in reflected light. It has very sharp detail, better than scan”
Photo of Unusual Hardtop for Radio Station Jeep on eBay
Marc spotted this odd hard top. I looked up the radio station and WXCG now broadcasts in New York State. I can’t tell where the photo was taken.
“Amateur photo negative. This is no print, just the negative.. The negative measures 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches.. I do great combined shipping !”
1942 LA Times Article about Guadalcanal on eBay
This article from August 31, 1942, shows jeeps and GIs in Guadalcanal. Below is the top portion of the page. There is more to the article.
Culloden Sales Company Matchbook **SOLD**
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
Here’s another matchbook with Jeep advertising.
“Culloden Sales Company, Naples, FL, Jeep and Avis Rent A Car Matchcover”
Three Jeep Photoshoot
Joe wrote me the other day and offered to share some photos from a photoshoot of a CJV-35, a M-38 and a M-151A2. I’ve included a few pictures. All the vehicles look great!
You can view many more photos at the link below.
https://picasaweb.google.com/104505857821632570507/ThreeVintageMilitaryJeepsAPictorialComparison