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.
Features Research Archives
Bird Brains
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!
1948 Jeep Station Sedan Wagon Brochure
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:
This brochure opens horizontally to reveal this page:
This shows the backside fully opened:
Mid 1960s Cutlas Wheel Cover Brochure
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.
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:
Jeep Pics from Stumptownblogger.com
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.
The Caissons Go Rolling Along
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):
===================
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.
Birthday Card from the 1970s
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).
Old Photos and Family Stuff
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).
Dutch’s High Hood to Low Hood Project
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.
FC-150 Ashtray Sold on eBay
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.
This January 17th, 1957, article in the Modesto Bee shares the news about Macbride’s Willys Jeep dealership:
Later that same year, on July 17th, the Modesto Bee ran an ad for Macbride touting the new FC-170:
1985-1992 Pics of My First jeep
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:
Together and running with the original, used, mini-terra tires (also marketed as mini-terror tires):
Photos from Slides of a Modified Dually CJ-5 on eBay
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.
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.
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:
From the top of this photo:
WWII Jeep Gets an Honorable Discharge
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.
Photo of French Gladiator/SUV
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).
5×5.5 Railroad Wheels Juliustown, NJ eBay
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”
Some Days, Dogs are ‘Shitty’
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:
After the pasture:
1960s Sportliner Brochure
This brochure sold on eBay. It shares a Jeep-Approved bumper for CJ-5s, CJ-6s, FCs, Trucks, and Gladiators. It is form F144W.
Allstate Branded Hubs on eBay
These hubs have seen some serious wear on their faces. Evidence suggests it was Husky that private labeled this hub for Allstate (more on Husky history here).
What is interesting to me is that the back side of this hub looks identical to the backside of the early Husky, Dualmatic, and Free-Lock hub, too. I don’t have enough information to compared the eternals of each of these, but I suspect that some of the Husky and Dualmatic hubs reflect evolutions (or copies) from the early Free-Lock hub.
View all the information on eBay
Bottom of an early Husky hub (with more splines, but same underside design with the lock ring):
This version of the Husky hub, also appears to be identical on the backside (also private labeled with Allstate). See the rebuild of this hub here:
Happy Easter 2022
We had a surprise overnight visitor last night. Mitch was driving home from Moab yesterday, but the cold temps and long drive, especially over the Blue mountains, helped decide to camp at our place last night. It was a great surprise! So, no updates on this Sunday morning.
Here’s one of the accidents Mitch saw on his trip north. For those that have driven it, you’ll recognize this spot as the beginning of the downward stretch of the Pendleton grade when leaving the Blue Mountains on I-84.
1944 Anzio Beachhead Newsreel
Grant shared this narration of landing and driving inward into Italy during 1944. It includes a variety of jeeps.
“This black & white film shows the early stages of the Allied forces invasion at Anzio, Italy in 1944. The film lacks credits or other information, but likely dates to 1944. The Battle of Anzio took place from January 22 to June 5, 1944, when Rome was finally captured. The operation was opposed by German forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno. The landing operation was commanded by U.S. Army Major General John P. Lucas of VI Corps… ”
Marx Jeep & Trailer Boise, ID $115
Blaine shared this jeep/trailer from Marx.
https://boise.craigslist.org/atq/d/boise-vintage-willys-jeep-and-trailor/7470495346.html
“Nice Willy’s Jeep and trailer. Well looked after toy. Trailer is missing it’s tailgate. Everything else is there”
Toy Jeep Redwood City, CA $15
It’s a good-sized model for the price.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/clt/d/redwood-city-us-army-jeep/7464452477.html
“Vintage toy army jeep. 7″ x 4″”
1961 Animal Series of Brochures
During 1961, along with non-animal-related brochures, Willys Motors produced this series of ads using different animals. It appears they were only produced between January and September of 1961.
January 1961: Dog
February 1961: Busy Bee
March 1961: Horse
April 1961: Lion
July 1961 Willing Worker Brochure
I finally found an original of this brochure on eBay, so here it is. It’s another of the “animal series” of brochures that was published in 1961. This is Form DM61-07.
This is the front page.
This form is opened vertically to reveal this page:
The brochure is opened horizontally to reveal this page:
This is the back when unopened:
Snow, Power, and Moab
Forget April showers, it’s snowed here the last couple of days in Prosser, setting an April record for snow. We lost power for most of yesterday morning. Updates Wed morning.
Meanwhile, the snow followed Mitch Carter down to Moab, so the usually sunny Easter Jeep Safari week started with a blanket of snow.
At he got some good jeeping on Monday pre-snow (more pics on FB):