Features Research Archives

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1953 US Navy Smalley Port-O-Spot on ProxiBid

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Unusual • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Andy shared this rarely seen US Navy Smalley Port-O-Spot. It’s another odd utility vehicle partly built with Willys-Overland parts. Only a couple hours left in the bidding; the high bid is currently $3100.

https://www.proxibid.com/Very-rare-very-early-rail-car-mover-track-mobile-1953-U-S-NAVY-Smalley-Port-O-Spot/lotInformation/68513627

“Made by Oxnard Heavy Maintenance & Mfg Co. Oxnard California. It has a Willys drivetrain, and it does run and drive.”

1953-navy-port-o-spot-track-mover-kent-oh0 1953-navy-port-o-spot-track-mover-kent-oh1 1953-navy-port-o-spot-track-mover-kent-oh2 Continue reading

 
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1976 DJ-5 Smoker/Grill Waxhaw, NC $4500

• CATEGORIES: DJ-5 & DJ-6, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Mike shared this DJ-5-transformed-into-a-smoker (in the back) and grille (under the hood).

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/734804307543868

“Pull up with this at your next party. Built from the shell of an old postal jeep. 18 ga steel welded in the cargo area(back) and sealed and all shelves (2) are on rollers so they pull out. Side back windows have shelf to keep things warm. Under the hood you have a 36″ flat top griddle for cooking. I built a fire box that only uses wood or charcoal. I used only hickory wood. Smoker is mounted on a trailer for easy towing. All lights on jeep except headlights work as they should .”
1976-dj5-smoker-waxhaw-nc2

1976-dj5-smoker-waxhaw-nc1 1976-dj5-smoker-waxhaw-nc3 1976-dj5-smoker-waxhaw-nc4

Continue reading

 
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Jeep Article from the National WWII Museum in NOLA

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

Bill shared this article by Tom Czekanski from the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, a place I have yet to visit (“yet” being the key word).

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/shop-talk-three-jeeps

national-wwii-museum-ford-gp

PHOTO CREDIT: 1941 Ford GP awaits assembly. Courtesy of The National WWII Museum.

 
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Pat Brady Coloring Book on eBay

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

Glenn spotted this Pat Brady coloring book on eBay. The cover shows a great illustration of the Nelly Belle jeep.

View all the information on eBay

“My Husband’s coloring book from his childhood.”

roy-rogers-pat-brady-coloring-book

 
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Jan 1976 Vintage Northeast 4WD Racing Newspaper

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

UPDATE: Happy May Day! Below are all the pages from this issue of the newspaper.

This unusual newspaper that popped up on eBay the other day. It was the seventh issue of the Northeast 4WD Racing News. There was no publish date, but one editorial puts this at roughly January 1976. It’s 14 pages published in a full-size newspaper format, so the pics are big! I’d love to see other copies if anyone knows of any (or knows how long this paper lasted).

(The images are extra large to allow folks to read the small text. Click on the image, then most likely you’ll need to click on it again to expand it to full size)

This is the front page:

1975-seventh-issue-northeast-4wd-racing-news01 1975-seventh-issue-northeast-4wd-racing-news02 1975-seventh-issue-northeast-4wd-racing-news03 1975-seventh-issue-northeast-4wd-racing-news04

Continue reading

 
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1962 Price/Parts Catalog for Various Models on eBay

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

This pics show that the M-38A1, M-170, Trucks and Wagons are covered by the catalog. I can’t tell if it covered all models, including CJ-5s, CJ-6s, DJs, FJs, or other models.

View all the information on eBay

1962-truck-wagon-m38a1-catalog81-lores 1962-truck-wagon-m38a1-catalog84-lores 1962-truck-wagon-m38a1-catalog83-lores 1962-truck-wagon-m38a1-catalog86-lores

“Vintage 1962 AMC Willys Jeep Military & Utility Vehicle Parts Catalog & Price List. I know very little about this, I am selling it for a friend whose family member was a mechanic.

The large book is marked on the front Parts List / Price Catalog – American Motor Company.It appears to contain two separate books from 1962.

The first is for the Jeep Military M38AI Truck Utility (MD) & M170 Truck Ambulance (MDA) – approx. 116 pages Continue reading

 
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MOD-AC Ford GPA/SEEP Model Kit Jeep on eBay

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

Likely from the 1940s, this seems a good price on an old amphibious model jeep kit. I have one already or I would buy it.

View all the information on eBay

“Welcome welcome for sale we have a VINTAGE U.S. ARMY AMPHIBIAN JEEP WOOD AND PAPER MODEL KIT BY MOD-AC, CA.Also know as the quack! This model has been started and has a few broken pieces so please review the pictures I believe it’s all here and if your going to finish it I am sure you can fix those pieces”

mod-ac-seep-gpa-model0 mod-ac-seep-gpa-model1 mod-ac-seep-gpa-model2 mod-ac-seep-gpa-model3 mod-ac-seep-gpa-model4

 
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MPC “Bottoms Up” Jeep Model on eBay

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

Mike spotted this MPC-brand model that allows for the creation of either a Funny Car or a Service Jeep. It seems pretty pricey at $230. I would have been all over this as a kid, as I built model jeeps, Barret-mobiles, and other 60s rat rods. Note that the directions for this are not original (printed off the internet) and the tires have been altered slightly.

View all the information on eBay

mpc-bottoms-up-jeep-funny-car-servicee-jeep0 mpc-bottoms-up-jeep-funny-car-servicee-jeep1 mpc-bottoms-up-jeep-funny-car-servicee-jeep2 mpc-bottoms-up-jeep-funny-car-servicee-jeep3

“MPC Bottoms Up Jeep 2 versions. Road service or Funny Car with decals, nice-Rare kit seldom seen on eBay and never reproduced. Looks to be mostly complete. Supersize pictures and judge for yourself. I counted 100 white parts alone! All chrome looks to be there too When I found this rare kit someone had already removed all the wheels from the chrome tree and assembled the stock wheels into the stock tires. Some melting had happened over the years. I Dis-assembled the wheels from the tires and trimmed all the excess from the wheels. Once assembled you can hardly notice.Also there is a small tire burn on the drivers door. There were no directions but I was able to locate them on the internet and print a complete set. They look original. Decals look good with no cracking. Item will be carefully packed and arrive as you see it here.”
Continue reading

 
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Maine Willys Sales Company Bangor, Maine

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

The Maine Willys Sales Co, appears to have launched in 1946 in Bangor, Maine. By 1949, the company was located in multiple Maine cities, including Bangor, Rockland, Lewiston, Portland, and Augusta. At some point, circa 1949, the Augusta branch sold six jeeps to the Forestry Department. The below image posted to the Forest Fire Lookout Association’s FB page documents this purchase:

1947-1950-maine-willys-jeep-sales-forestry-trucks

Here’s an ad from the March 30, 1949, issue of the Bangor News. Note that multiple cities are listed under Maine Willys Sales:

1949-03-30-bangor-daily-news-maine-willys-sales-lores

It’s likely that 1949 wasn’t kind to the Maine Willys Sales Company, because the February 09, 1950, issue of the Bangor Daily News reported that Chrysler had taken over the Maine Willys Sales Company property, though nothing was mentioned about what happened to the company.

Later that year, on June 15, 1950, a large ad appeared in the Bangor Daily News, but only the Maine Willys Sales Company of Rockland appeared on this list of dealers.

1950-06-15-bangor-daily-news-maine-willys-sales

The above ad strongly suggests that Maine Willys had dwindled to just one city in Maine by the summer of 1950. The company’s name was rarely seen in the newspapers after this ad.

The last reference I found for the company was for a July 11, 1953, article in the Bangor Daily News that mentioned an accident where a driver backed into the Rockland Maine Willys Sales showroom, shattering two large windows.

 
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1945 Article on the Jeep’s Rough Ride

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

In his Conner’s Corner column for the Lewiston Evening News on October 16, 1945, Sam Conner didn’t have a “Kind Word For Jeep”, at least in regards to the pounding ride it offered. It was a fair complaint.

1945-10-16-lewiston-evening-journal-jeep-rough-ride

 
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Bird Brains

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

UPDATE: When we left for Seattle Friday morning there was no nest. However, upon returning from Seattle robin had fully rebuilt the nest (that would be the third nest in three days). So, grabbed some fending wire and have temporarily installed it over the cross beam. I think the problem is solved for now …

Yesterday on my way out to the shop I noticed a new addition: a Robin’s nest2. That’s it is over the sign really ticks me off. So, I checked for eggs (because I’m not a monster) and, not seeing any, I removed the nest.

This morning, I see ol’ bird-brain back at it, rebuilding the nest in the exact same spot (see pics of the new nest being rebuilt below). Well, that ain’t happening! Looks like there will be a battle of wills!

2022-04-28-bird-nest-shop1 2022-04-28-bird-nest-shop2

 
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1948 Jeep Station Sedan Wagon Brochure

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

This rare wagon brochure popped up on eBay. It’s the first time I’ve seen this one. When fully opened, it is only about 6″ x 9″. the brochure introduces the ‘Jeep’ Station Sedan wagon sporting the lightening inline 6.

This is the front page:

1948-wagon-brochure-lores1

This is the back:1948-wagon-brochure-lores2

This brochure opens horizontally to reveal this page:

1948-wagon-brochure-lores4

This shows the backside fully opened:

1948-wagon-brochure-lores3

 
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Mid 1960s Cutlas Wheel Cover Brochure

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

I don’t have a specific date for this brochure, but it shows that Cutlas Manufacturing was selling a couple different types of wheel covers, including the “J” covers. It is marked Form 105, but is not dated. This was likely published between 1963-1965.

1960s-cutlas-wheel-covers-brochure-lores1

1960s-cutlas-wheel-covers-brochure-lores2

Maury shared this example of a factory photo with the “J” hubcaps. He says, to the best of his knowledge, this was a 1966 CJ-5 factory photo:

1966-Jeep-CJ-5-01

 
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Jeep Pics from Stumptownblogger.com

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

Blaine spotted some jeeps on this blogging website with an Oregon State focus. This first photo shows an FC in the background.

This next photo shows an early wagon at the 1948 Strawberry festival:

This photo shows an ad which appeared in magazines, including early Four Wheeler Magazines, so I’m not sure why it appears in this blog.

 
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The Caissons Go Rolling Along

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

UPDATE: Grant spotted this video whose first segment includes the music at the bottom and glimpses of some early prototype jeeps (Bantams various points, mostly between :30 and 2:20 and a Ford GP around mark :50): 

 

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Originally published March 27, 2019:  Carl pointed out that the 1944 sheet music for “The Caissons Go Rolling Along” sheet music included a jeep on the cover (#1 below). After some searching on eBay, some other popped up. I bought the bottom one that features the Ford GP and Willys MA.

  1. This was posted on eBay in 2019:
    1944-the-caissons-go-rolling-along1
  2. Also available eon eBay in 2019:
    1944-the-caissons-go-rolling-along2
  3. Also available on eBay in 2019:
    1944-the-caissons-go-rolling-along3
  4. The music I bought in 2019:
    1944-the-caissons-go-rolling-along4
 
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Birthday Card from the 1970s

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

Another little treasure found while looking through the family stuff is this card drawn on heavy stock paper by my aunt. An architect, she was famous within the family for the cards she produced.

The card below was drawn for my dad’s birthday, likely mid 1970s. No doubt folks can relate to it (though I teased my aunt during a phone call yesterday about the poorly drawn jeep … she is usually attentive to details).

karl-eilers-bday-card-marilyn-perry-lores

 
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Old Photos and Family Stuff

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

On Friday, Ann and I headed over to Seattle to help wind down mom’s house and clean up what’s left (spoiler alert, still more to do …).

The house is pretty much ready to sell, though we still have some odds and ends to remove. We had though the house would hit the market this week, but it turns out that there is a title snag with one of the two parcels. One parcel was some land and the house, while the other parcel was just a piece of land. The land’s title wasn’t filed correctly, so we have to fix that (and of course everyone related to the title purchase and payments has died).

Among the items I brought home on this trip was a surprising collection of dad’s baby congratulations, cards, letters, and wester union cables, from 1933. Also in the mix were condolence letters from the death of my aunt Anita (apparently, my grandfather said Anita was shorthand for ‘little Ann’ (Ann was my grandmother’s name, which I thought was a sweet reference) when she was only 13 in 1944.

Some of the more surprising letters and postcards were from my great grandmother (Leonie Wurlitzer Eilers), who sent my father letters, whom she addressed as Master Karl E. Eilers, II. This rather weighty title for someone under 10 years old partly reflects the fact that Dad was named after his grandfather (and Leonie’s husband) of the same name.

Another surprise was that my grandfather wrote a letter to dad in 1971 a month before he passed. In the letter he discussed his prostate cancer and the pain of urination. He still had three weeks to go before he expected to be done with his treatment (unfortunately, he didn’t last much longer).

 

 
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Dutch’s High Hood to Low Hood Project

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

Bill shared this post about a rough CJ-3B that was rebuilt into a CJ-2A-looking jeep. The result looks good, but it is also a good reminder that what appears to be a particular model may not be so thanks to the interchangeability of parts.

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1946-jeep-cj-2a-1953-cj-3b-mechanical-mules-and-a-covid-project/

 
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FC-150 Ashtray Sold on eBay

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

This R.B. Macbride Ashtray sold on eBay for just over $20. R.B. Macbride was a long time vehicle dealer in Modesto, California, that didn’t get a jeep dealer agreement until early 1957. Here are photos of the ashtray.

FC-150-ashtray1

FC-150-ashtray2

This January 17th, 1957, article in the Modesto Bee shares the news about Macbride’s Willys Jeep dealership:

1957-01-17-modesto-bee-macbride-dealership

Later that same year, on July 17th, the Modesto Bee ran an ad for Macbride touting the new FC-170:1957-07-13-modesto-bee-macbride-dealership

 
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1985-1992 Pics of My First jeep

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

I’ve been going through old photos, from both my collection and my parents, to discard the ones that will mean nothing to anyone else (and save my kids from having to throw them out later). Among the photos were some of these early pics of my first jeep, which I eventually called the “Great Escape”.

I started building it when I was 20, a rig for racing, street, and trail. It was built on a part-time cook’s salary, so most everything was hand-me-down parts or hand built parts (example: the spring-shock plates were hand-saw cut from very old railroad-tie plates similar this. Why? Because it was steel we had laying around the garage. The ones we had were about a half-inch thick.

The earliest build pics:

bluejeep_inprog bluejeep_inprogress bluejeep_inprogress_cage

Together and running with the original, used, mini-terra tires (also marketed as mini-terror tires):

1985-blue-jeep-assembly-renton5

Continue reading

 
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Photos from Slides of a Modified Dually CJ-5 on eBay

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

UPDATE: Barney Goodwin (of Barney’s Jeep Parts) sent this 1973 photo out of Houston showing another possible example of an orange city-of-Houston CJ-5 painted similarly to the jeeps below.

1973-houston-barney-goodwin

Barney added, “This photo was taken in June, 1973 in my hometown of Houston. A neighbor who was an official for the City of Houston owned it. (His city car is to the left of the Jeep in the photo).

Like the Jeeps in the posting (below), I believe this had been a fleet Jeep, special ordered for a construction company, municipality or county. It had the same hard top as in the photos (see the doors propped against the wall behind it. Out of sight but in my copy is the windshield. It is orange also) Note the orange hinges, mirror arm, etc.

The changes he made to it were sand tires (the beach was 50 miles nearby) which I believe were on the Kelsey deep dish rims used on the Renegade and Renegade I, and also the white upholstery .

It was neat to see him cruise around on hot Houston summer days in this- just as it appears.”

==========================

A 1968 image from a slide on eBay shows a dually CJ-5 that’s been modified in an unusual way. Too bad the quality isn’t better.

1968-dually-jeep-custom-image-scan-tx-2

From this pic:1968-dually-jeep-custom-image-scan-tx

A second photo on eBay reveals there were two jeeps at the 1968 equipment show in Houston, the jeep above and a second dually CJ-5 with a back hoe. Unfortunately, the image isn’t hi res enough to reveal much about the jeeps:

1968-dually-jeep-custom-image-scan-tx-34

From the top of this photo:

1968-dually-jeep-custom-image-scan-tx-3

 
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WWII Jeep Gets an Honorable Discharge

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

UPDATE: I had something else planned for today, but my email turned flakey, so those pics will have to wait until tomorrow …. This is the third time I’ve reposted this, as the first two links turned back.  I first posted the video below in 2015. It’s worth a second third look.

This video is called “WWII Jeep Gets an Honorable Discharge” and shows Mayor Fred Heine’s Ford GP. The video shows the jeep working on the farm. Lots of great shots. Wyatt’s father was the first person to work on it when Fred Heine couldn’t get it started. The jeep is now at the U.S.Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville Alabama, which was featured last week.

 

 
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Photo of French Gladiator/SUV

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

Roger Martin shared this pic with me from Facebook. Was this custom or production model (don’t have time to check it out right now).

gladiator-suv-france

 
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5×5.5 Railroad Wheels Juliustown, NJ eBay

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

Steve spotted these rarely seen wheels for sale. They were made by Fremont (MII40IK … Model #?).

View all the information on eBay

“RIMS ARE 20″ DIA X 4.5 WIDE WITH A 3 1/8″ BACK SPACE LOCAL PICKUP FROM PEMBERTON NJ 08068 OR CAN DELIVER TO HAGERSTOWN MB/FINDLEY OHIO MILITARY VEHICLE SHOW”

jeep-train-track-wheels

jeep-train-track-wheels0

jeep-train-track-wheels1

 
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Some Days, Dogs are ‘Shitty’

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

So, this happened the other day ….

Per Ann’s FB post, “Today the girls went to Doggie Details Pet Grooming where Shana, as usual, did an AMAZING job on them. They were soft and pretty and smelled so nice for all of about an hour.

Lizzy proceeded to escaped David’s fence redesign (expanded while the dogs were being groomed). Then, Lizzy got into the Pasture where a cow pooped on her. David then chased her back into the yard where a pensive Betty Page excitedly attacked her before they both bolted through the doggie door, into the house and across the white couch.

Needless to say I had to disregard Shana’s warning about too frequent bathing and bath them for a second time today. We’ve also had to shampoo the sofa, clean the floors, clorox the entire bathroom, wash the slipcovers and finally we got ourselves cleaned up.

I think it goes without saying…..Lizzy is so grounded.

Before the pasture:

2022-04-19-lizzy-clean

After the pasture:

2022-04-19-lizzy-shitty