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Photos from Wade

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

Wade shared these two photos with me yesterday.  He writes, “We were walking a site in Mission Hills of San Diego and saw this jeep at the end of a cul-du-sac in an older house’s driveway.  Also is a shot of my nephew and their jeep.  Thought it was just a good jeep shot.”

Here is his nephew and their nice looking flattie.

And this is just sad, even for a DJ . . .

 

 
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Willys Hubcap Thread

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

HOG spotted a great Willys hubcap thread over at the International Full Size Jeep Association Forum.

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=106352

 
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More Updates Tomorrow (Tuesday)

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

After a day down at the Seattle Waterfront, I’m turning in early.  However, Roberto forwarded some videos that ought to keep everyone busy until tomorrow’s updates.  So, check out the next two posts.

Mitch dropped by my parents’ house tonight to have me sign his book and to chit chat.  He told me he isn’t a big reader, but he sat down and read the book in only three sittings.  He loved it, which was great to hear, and has a waiting line of people who want to read it.  I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a booth at the Moonshiner’s Swapmeet in March (March 11 in Puyallup).  He suggested that someone might have an indoor booth they’d like to split or share with me.  I figured that was a good idea, so if anyone has a booth at that main hall and wants to split or have me stay there and sign/sell books, let me know.  For those that don’t know, the book has some PNW history, racing history, a few jeep trips and more in the book (though it is much more than just about jeeps).

In the meantime, here is Ann and I enjoying the beautiful scenery today (57 degrees and sunny!)

 

 

 
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Turning Points in History: Man and Jeep

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

Here is a three part video about the history of the jeep forwarded by Roberto.  It was produced by Canada’s History Television and is part of their Turning Points of History series.  Though not perfect in its accuracy, such as the clip of Marilyn Monroe in a M-38A1 during a discussion about movie stars and jeeps at the start of WWII, there is some footage I hadn’t seen. This lasts 45 minutes.

Part 1:

Turning Points of History – Man and Jeep – i by canajien

Part 2:

Turning Points of History – Man and Jeep – ii by canajien

Part 3:

Turning Points of History – Man and Jeep – i by canajien

 
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Short Jeep Film from France

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

I doubt that everyone will like this movie that Roberto forwarded, but I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=moEr8mgJkDQ

 
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Papercraft Template from 1944

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

Believe it or not, I did a search on Willys+Jeep+Superbowl and discovered the paper jeep project below.  Pretty cool!

From Paperkraft.net comes this papercraft template that dates back to 1944.  Agence Eureka scanned it and posted it online.

DOWNLOAD THE ORIGINAL SCAN HERE OFF OF FLICKR OR Click on the bottom image.

Here is a finished product:

 
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Toledo Lucas County Library Jeep Images

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

The images I shared last night came from the Toledo Lucas County Library.  If you have some time, check them all out here.
http://images2.toledolibrary.org/getdcdata.asp?typesearch=keyword&key=jeep&B1=Search&how=cp 

This is a beautiful shot of a 6×6:

Willys 6×6, year?, courtesy of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, obtained from http:///images2.toledolibrary.org/.

 

 
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Air Police

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

Buz forwarded me an “Air Police” jeep  for sale at eBay.  Clearly there are some issues with this ‘restoration’.  One choice I thought was strange was the “Air Police” label itself; but, then I started doing some research and found some references to Air Police Jeeps.  If Ann weren’t sleeping so soundly beside me, I’d wake her up and ask her about Air Force Jeeps.  Instead, I’ll let her sleep.   You can see more jeeps and learn more about them through the links below:

This is the “Air Police” M-38 for sale on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1951-WILLYS-MILITARY-JEEP-M38-U-S-AIR-FORCE-AIR-POLICE-SAC-KOREAN-WAR-VEHICLES-/380406872935?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item5892043b67

 

Below are just some of the images I found:

1. http://defensorfortis.info/AP/2010/07/11/air-police-jeep-air-police-kid-and-polizei/

2. http://www.ancientfaces.com/research/photo/405090/tom-wilson-air-policenew-castle-delaware-family-ph

http://www.modellautos.miniatures.de/

The link for the picture below doesn’t work, but I was able to capture the image.

 

 
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Flint’s Schoolbus Wagon

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

Flint got this modified wagon as part of a trade with a reader named Dan.  Since that time he’s been doing some additional suspension changes and having some fun with the paint job.  His faded school bus art fooled me into thinking it had been there for years.  Thanks for sharing Flint.

 

 
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Toledo Lucas County Library

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

These images came from the Toledo Lucas County Library.  If you have some time, check them all out here.
http://images2.toledolibrary.org/getdcdata.asp?typesearch=keyword&key=jeep&B1=Search&how=cp 

 

 
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CJ-5 Surrey

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

Speaking of unique Surreys, Mike wrote the following Comment:

“Back in 1962, One of my dad’s favorite hangouts, Lee’s tavern on Crooks Ave. in Clifton, NJ bought a special order CJ5 with a pink surrey fringe top and matching upholstery. It was the talk of the town. This Jeep was a double twist on the phrase “special order”. It was a first generation Tuxedo Park model with the featured color scheme of white body with red grille and red wheels, along with the surrey top and seat covers which were installed over stock upholstery at the factory. The local legend story at the time was; He had to wait 6 months for delivery.”

So, I spent some time searching for a CJ-5 Surrey picture. I didn’t find any real ones, but I did find one toy:  A CJ-5 toy from 1960.
http://www.carhobby.com/page1960.htm (stock #875 3/4 down the page).

 
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The Best 4×4 So Far . . .

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

Steve forwarded this to me.  Pretty funny.

 
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Flickr Photo of a CJ-2A

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

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctlsmdesnd/4126030645/sizes/z/in/photostream/

 
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Video of two “SAS” Replicas

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

Not authentic SAS restorations, but still they look like fun.

 
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Front Page News from a Colombian Yipao

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

Sebastian was in Colombia last month and saw this amazing picture from a local Colombian festival.  I have got to see one of these festivals for myself sometime 🙂

Unfamiliar with Yipaos?  Check out these videos: http://www.ewillys.com/?p=55703

Or view these pictures: http://tinyurl.com/879wmge

 
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Update on Sam’s Bolt-on Rack and Pinion for early jeeps

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

Since sam last reported about the prototype bolt-on rack and pinion system for early jeeps, he has made a few changes to improve the ability to install the system onto jeeps that have been lifted.  He reports that the system is installed on a number of jeeps without any issues.  The system dramatically improves steering at low speeds and at highway speeds.

Finished Install before New Exhaust:

Here is close up view of drag link end:

Arrows point to Borgston Joint and shaft support bearing:

Upper View of Rack and Partial View of New Steering shaft and joint. Arrow indicates new steering shaft and joint:

 
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Wagner-Trac on a CJ-2A

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

Glenn spotted these Wagner-Tracs on a CJ-2A.  While it has a CJ-2A body, this is probably  a CJ-5 or CJ-3B frame, because the tracks require a wheel base of exactly 81 inches.  The tracks are one of six produced and bolt onto the axles.

According to the information at the video’s homepage:

“The Tracks were manufactured by a company called “A. F. Wagner Industries Inc.” of concord California. They were made sometime during the mid 60s and there was only 6 sets made and were apparently expensive and thus may be the reason there were so few made. They are called “Wagner-Trac” and were made specifically as a set of tank tracks for a jeep with a wheelbase of 81 inches. The wheelbase is not adjustable so the wheelbase is critical and just like a tank you would have to install turning brakes to drive the Jeep because the steering is null and void as soon as you bolt them on. They are all steel construction so were probably designed for offroad only.”

 
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The Jeep Guy Resotrations from Scranton Pa

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

For a while I’ve run across Craigslist Ads for “The Jeep Guy Restorations” out of Scranton, Pa.  Well, before I had a chance to contact him to learn more, the owner Bob Foster contacted me.  He shares his history and provided some pictures.  You can learn more about his restoration ship on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jeep-Guy-Restorations/273113772733381?sk=info  Thanks for sharing your story.  If you want to contact Bob, call him at 570 347-8998.

Bob wrote, “I inherited the business from my dad. He started the business in 1957. At first, we only did general repair work, but in 1963, my dad added bodywork and painting to our services. I helped him at a young age. Soon, I learned the fabrication of metal panels from my grandfather, who was a blacksmith that worked on the Erie locomotive shops here in Scranton, the anthracite capitol of the world. As a blacksmith, my grandfather even made his own tools. He passed down to me his knowledge of metalworking.

I started to help with the bodywork in earnest around 1969, eventually taking over the painting and bodywork. Most of the work was rust repair and full paints. Also, over time, I started to modify vehicles by cutting and shortening truck frames, adding dump bodies, making wreckers, and adding winches. I bought my first 4-wheel drive Ford in 1974 for $4,800 brand new. I still have it—I turned it into a wrecker. At my dad’s garage, we worked on Jeeps over the years, but not in large volumes. Not too many people in Scranton owned them in the 60s or 70s. To add to that, my dad did not like Jeeps: he had the impression that they did not hold up well.

In 1979, we bought a gas station, and my brother Ronnie joined us in running it. However, I had to oversee it and run the other shop, too. We later sold the station and bought 1 acre of commercial land, where I built a 40x30x16 garage for truck repairs. I still run out of the garage today. I added state inspections to the garage’s services in 1990. For most of the 90s and 2000s; truck repairs, vehicle inspections, bodywork, restorations, and modifications took up the bulk of my time.

However, in 2006, my wife and I were looking at projects that the boys at our church would enjoy, so I got the idea to find an old Jeep and work with them on it, getting it to run. So I advertised on Craiglist for an MB or CJ2A, and a young guy named Michael called in response. He lived about 20 miles away from Scranton, so we took our trailer and the boys along and bought one of his 40s civilian Jeeps. Michael is a WW2 reenacter, so he had his other Jeep painted OD green. It gave me the idea to do the same with ours.

Over time, WW2 and Korean War veterans that were my customers would come to the shop and tell stories about the Jeeps they drove in the War. As they grew older, I started to lose them as customers. However, because of their stories, I found a passion in restoring the Jeeps to remember the GIs that drove them. So after that, I bought two more Jeeps—they are like potato chips. This is the story of how I discovered my passion for army MBs and civilian Jeeps. They are a tribute to the men who drove them and worked on them.

As we were working on the Jeeps, getting them in running condition, people learned about my project. A worker at a local auto supply shop, an army veteran, told customers that had Jeep problems, “Go to that Jeep Guy over there. He’ll be able to help.” And the name stuck. For 40 years, I’ve worked on all types of vehicles, but now I’m looking to focus on Jeeps, both the old and the new.”

Here’s a project:

Here is another finished project:

Continue reading

 
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Wooden Jeep in Chateau in Europe (France I think)

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

I spotted this on Flickr.  I thought it was the same wooden jeep that was spotted in France here, but I think this is a different one (the jeep below only had 8 slots, while the one in the link above has 9 slots).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7430965@N05/4961130135/#DiscussPhoto

According to the photographer Spottedlaurel, “There was a ruined Chateau just outside the village near where we stayed, and in one of the beautifully refurbished buildings there was a museum full of life-size things made from wood. F1 car, tractor, motorbikes, all sorts of things. The bonnet lifted up on this to show a wooden engine inside.”

 
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The Malt Jeeps: #1, 2, 3 & 4

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

A couple of us commented on that Hotchkiss jeep that is for sale (view here).  I mentioned that Hotchkiss didn’t start building jeeps in 1942, so I doubted the year.  Alex noted that a variety of early jeep parts were recycled through the E.R.G.M. works at La Maltournee.  Since it had been a while since I had checked out the Hotchkiss related m201.com website, I went there to learn more about the Maltournee  jeeps, which are sometimes called “Malt” Jeeps.

Well, it turns out that the name “Malt” actually refers to four specific jeeps:  Malt 1, 2, 3 & 4.  According to m201’s website:

Jeeps re-manufactured from WW2 parts at La Maltournée are often referred to as ‘Malt jeeps’. However, the term more correctly applies to four specially prepared jeeps, Malt 1, 2, 3 & 4. These were used at shows where they would be driven into the arena by a team of four men who proceeded to dismantle the jeep. The parts were then passed through a small opening before being reassembled on the other side and finally driven back out of the arena – all in less than ten minutes! Various special modifications made this possible, e.g. the bodywork being divided into two parts.”

I searched and searched, but could only find one picture of a “Malt” Jeep, which is at the m201 site.  Note there appears to be a seam in the body at the rear wheel well so it can be disassembled (SEE PIC UPPER LEFT).  The bigger question is, what happened to those special jeeps?

I suppose it is similar to competitions like this back in 2009: http://www.ewillys.com/?p=39373

Or the more widely seen parade jeep that is quickly disassembled and re-assembled.

Or like this competition captured in Olyslager Organization’s book “The Jeep“.

 
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Jeep on Fire

• CATEGORIES: CJ-3B, Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Steve spotted this former police jeep in India on fire.  Nothing safer for kids to do than beat on a burning vehicle.  I’m sure the toxic fumes aren’t too bad . . .

http://www.latimes.com/search/la-0804-pin01,0,67270.photo

 
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General George Patton’s Jeep

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

Located at the General George Patton Museum of Leadership, this jeep certainly has some unusual modifications.  I found the pictures below on Flickr.  They were taken by Greg in 2009.

The Patton museum is located on the Fort Knox installation along US Highway 31W, just south of the US Highway 60 intersection.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregf422/3903068384/in/set-72157622192028989/

 
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Jack Benny in Korea

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

Here’s a line-up of Military Police with Jack Benny in the front left jeep.

http://www.koreanwar.org/html/images/newsletters/Jack_Benny_Korea_1359.jpg

 
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Photographs from the LA Times

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

Bruce spotted these photographs from April 20, 1942 by George Watson.  These jeeps are practicing under the supervision of Major General George S. Patton.  These photos are part of the Watson Family Photo Archive.  In them you can see some Willys MAs, MBs and Ford GPs.  http://framework.latimes.com/2012/01/27/desert-training-with-gen-george-patton/#/0  

 
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Builds: Gary updates his CJ-5

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

Gary sent me an update on his CJ-5 project.  Thanks for sharing Gary.

Gary writes, “I wanted to share a few pics of my project. I am very close to putting my body back on. (hopefully this weekend)

Also, I included a couple pics of an idea that I have for the old style master cylinder. I always hated having to unbolt the plate to check the fluid.

This is my solution- I took the cap and drilled and tapped it to 1/8 pipe threads. Then I took a small drill bit and opened up the vent hole that is on top of the cap so it could be filled with a JB weld type material. I threaded a tubing adapter to the top of the cap.

I purchased a fluid reservoir off ebay for around $10, this has a cap with a modern style vent and your brake fluid can be checked at a glance.

I don’t know if anyone else has tried this, but I see no reason yet why it will not work, but I will let you know if I have problems with it.