Features Research Archives

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Bantam Testimony about the Jeep Origin

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

Gerad found this fascinating bit of testimony from Bantam about how the company and the Army worked together.  This seems particularly appropriate given the upcoming Bantam Festival.

BTW.  If anyone wants to take pics and send in reports from the Festival, I will try to do updates based on what I receive. email me about it at d at ewillys.com

Gerald writes,”A few years back I went to the Henry Ford Archives Library in Detroit to research the Jeep.  I found this document.  It is cool.  It was hand typed and the original, Henry read it himself.  The research librarian shook me down, I showed him I knew my shit, then he showed me the good stuff. The Le Croix collection.  I used white gloves and all. Anyways.  Good Bantam history for the record.  This is Bantam’s testimony of what went down.”

 
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Prototype? M-274 Mule

• CATEGORIES: Features, Other 4x4s, Unusual This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Brian spotted this.  I don’t know enough about these to know if this is a prototype or not.

1950? Prototype Willys – M274 Army Mule
Rolling chassis,
4 tires, both axles,
no engine.
Purchased by previous owner’s father
at Kaiser-Willys factory auction (Toledo OH)
Around 1960
(Kaiser bought Willys in 1953,
AMC bought Kaiser in 1970).
Price: $650
Information Email: jonharknes@yahoo.com

http://americandreamcars.com/1950prototypewillysm274armymule.htm


 
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Mike and his Electric M-38 Need Your Vote

• CATEGORIES: Features, M-38 • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

 

UPDATE 2: Bill says Mike needs your vote.  Click on this link and then click the “VOTE FOR THIS FINALIST” (You will have to fill out a short form).

UPDATE: I ran this post a couple years ago.   Mike is now entering an international electric vehicle contest and needs your support.  Head on over to the CJ-2A page to see how your vote can support him.  Thanks for the heads up on this Bill.

Here’s an M-38 that’s mostly original except for the electric modifications.   The owner, Mike Picard, plans on keeping it stock, but restoring it some more.  The drive motor is a Netgain Warp11 Permanent Magnet DC.  It’s got 18 NAPA GC8V, 8.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded Batteries. It is still in progress as of the date of this webpage.  View all the information here.

This picture was from December 2008.  Work is ongoing.

1952_electric_m38_colorado

Front Battery rack (8):

1952_electric_m38_colorado2

Back Battery rack (8):

1952_electric_colorado3

The charger, controller, fuses, etc are all here, under the driver’s seat where the gas tank used to be.  This provides good access and good ventilation along with protection from the weather.

1952_electric_m38_colorado4

Motor:

1952_electric_m38_colorado5

 
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2nd Annual Northern Ohio Flatfender Gathering

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

On September 25, 2011, Bob will be hosting a flat fender gathering.

The2nd annual Northern Ohio Flatfender Gathering will be held at his house on Sept 25th. Please contact Bob at jeep3b(at)gmail.com. He will provide lunch, restroom facilities and a camp fire.  He has plenty of room for parts to sell and trailers if you haul to it.

 
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Butler, Pennsylvania, with 70 2D Jeeps

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

Butler will display 70 2 Dimensional Jeeps as part of the Bantam Festival.

“Our town is taking its own creative spin on the Jeep.  Seventy 2D wooden jeep sculptures have been painted by local artists and are now parked all around Butler.  Be sure and stop by the Information Booth Friday night where you can get the locations of all of the Jeeps.  While you are in town, take some time to explore our streets and see how many Jeeps you can find!  Downtown Butler’s shops are also offering a shopping passport that you can pick up at Parade registration and the Downtown Information Booth.  If you visit several shops, you could win a gift certificate valued at more than $200!

The Associated Artists of Butler County is holding the “Man & Machine” art exhibit opening from 7 to 9 PM on Friday — concurrent with the parade. The exhibit will be held at The Art Center, 344 S. Main Street, below the Court House.  Admission to the exhibit is free, and light refreshments will be served.

The theme is anything related to the interaction of humans and machines, from the art and inventions of Leonardo DaVinci to the development of the Bantam jeep and other modern machines.  The original artwork and unique jeep-related souvenirs and T-shirts will be available for sale.

 
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Bantam Festival Update

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

The Bantam Festival is nearly here.  Below is an update.  Click on it for more info.

 
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Sebastian Enters a Car Show

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

Sebastian has been busy touring Pennsylvania and getting to know the locals.  In these shots, his CJ-3B hob nobs with some sophisticated friends.

He writes, “Last Monday I attended the Walnut Street Invitational Car Show here in Pittsburgh with my 1953 CJ-3B. It was a great event; I was amazed by the neighbors I got at the event, a couple Lotus, a Ferrari and an Aston Martin. Take a look of the pictures at the blog (bottom 5 pictures at the link): http://flatfenderclubofbutler.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/welcome-28/

You can see Chuck Curty in one of the pictures. He is the one that restored my Willys and in a very irresponsible moment decided to sell it to me! haha. Unfortunately he left the event early because of rain and I did not have the chance to take a picture of the military jeep he took to the show.

 
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Jeremy’s Fan Stand

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

Not letting anything go to waste, Jeremy has put an old rim to good use.

He writes, ” The TRUE Willys enthusiast uses old Jeep tires and rims as a fan stand, rather than donating to the scrapyard. Behind the fan you can see the newly restored frame from my 43 Willys.”

 

 

 
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Sebastian Finds a Jeep on Bimini

• CATEGORIES: CJ-7, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Sebastian snapped these photos of this right hand drive jeep.

He writes, “Last Saturday I spotted this beautiful Jeep in Bimini Island (Bahamas). See attached pictures. Some very interesting features such as the steering wheel at the “wrong” side, a quality roof, lateral seats, nice speakers, and extended back. I did not see anyone around so I don’t know who the owner is or what is the car for, maybe a private recreational vehicle? or a public taxi like in Colombia? not sure, but definitely I envy the person that drives this jewel on the beach.”

 
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A “True Jeep” From Fiat

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

My son spotted this as the dentist’s office.  Motor Trend is reporting that Fiat is producing a true jeep for Europe, one that will be both crossover and a trail rated versions.  No pics of the concept or final version have been released just yet.  There are plans to sell this in the US, too.

“Jeep is preparing a new subcompact SUV crossover for the middle of calendar year 2013. It will be built in Europe on a Fiat platform, but Jeep promises it will have significant off-road capability. Jeep CEO Mike Manley told Motor Trend, ‘It will be a true Jeep. It has to be, for us. There will be an all-wheel-drive version, and a Trail Rated version.'”

View more here at Motor Trend (Note:  The vehicle pictured is a disguised version of what they will produce.)

 
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Air Force Special Forces Seek Robot Jeep

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

Thanks to John for sharing this with us.  The final design of these vehicles could be very interesting. It has to carry two fighters, gear over rough terrain under cover of darkness.

“Self-driving cars may already seem like a dubious idea to most drivers, but the U.S. Air Force wants to raise the stakes. U.S. Special Forces soldiers may soon trust their lives to a stealth robot jeep that can autonomously carry them to their target and back, through mountainous terrain under the cover of nightfall, without alerting enemy patrols.

The robotic vehicle must have the ability to carry two warfighters and up to 700 pounds of gear over more than 18 miles of rugged terrain, according to the request for information issued by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). And it must be capable of navigating enemy territory stealthily, day or night, under any weather conditions. “The mission will be executed under the cover of night and the system must be able to work autonomously with only minimal inputs from the warfighters,” says the AFRL. “The hostile area does not have radar, but they do have patrols who will respond to visual and audible cues if they detect something out of the ordinary.”

The AFRL also requested that the robotic vehicle must fit within the cargo hold of a CV-22 Osprey, the tilt-rotor aircraft that carries Marines around Afghanistan and ferried Osama bin Laden’s body out of Pakistan.

Plenty of academic and private teams have developed robotic vehicles capable of some autonomous driving, either on their own or as part of DARPA’s Grand Challenge. Google has even tested its self-driving vehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area. But driving on paved roads is a far cry from navigating rough terrain and perhaps having the capability to actively avoid possible enemies. Still, the Air Force lab has wisely sought out “new ideas from hobbyists, enthusiasts, teams and organizations that have not typically done business with the government in the past.”

The recent notice precedes an upcoming request for proposals that would award $200,000 to each of up to five teams for stealthy design concepts. Each team would eventually have the chance to compete for a $2 million contract to build a prototype of their dream robotic jeep.”

 
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Black Diamond Auto Parts Sign Black Diamond, Wa

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

On the way back from picking up the new top for Biscuit a couple of weeks ago, Karson and I took the scenic route back to Renton and passed through Black Diamond (a very small town).  We pulled into a local mini mart and as I exited the car I looked up to see this old sign, still standing.  It is a very tall sign and I did my best to get as close as I could, but my phone’s camera just didn’t do a great job.  However, if you could see it clearly you would see what appears to be a CJ-3A on the left side.


 
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1977 CJ-7 + 1984 Corvette **SOLD**

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

UPDATE: Was on ebay.

From the “I had this corvette and jeep sitting around see … and it suddenly ocurred to me to combine them” department comes this unusual combo.  There is work left to do.

“This vehicle was built by taking a 1984 corvette, removing the body, moving the radiator back and the gas tank forward.  Then I wrapped the jeep body around it. The jeep body is welded to the steel corvette chassis. I took the jeep body panels down to bare metal. I painted the car myself. It was the first time I ever painted a car (although I have built several other major conversions). The paint looks good from a few feet away but it does have some major runs in places. It was painted approximately 1 year ago but I think the runs can still be sanded out. Although there is very little body filler there are some dents I didn’t fix before painting. Most notably a couple dents on the hood and around the rear corners.
The car runs, drives, stops, steers, shifts, etc. I have driven it but never more than a couple of miles. The motor runs and sounds really nice.
I installed a gage cluster from a 2001 Silverado. The speedo, tach, oil pressure and voltage gage all work.
The chassis is all corvette so it has the legendary C4 aluminum wishbone suspension, aluminum independent rear suspension, aluminum driveshafts, four wheel vented disc brakes, etc.
The car is titled as a 1969 Specially Constructed vehicle, body type: CV for convertible. The title is clear and in my name. It is on planned non operational status right now. The car is smog exempt in California because of the year. The VIN has been welded onto the frame in the front but it should probably be stamped in a couple more locations. The old Corvette VIN is still on the dash and needs to be removed. …. See more on ebay”

 
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Jiffy Jeep Performance at the Bantam Festival

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

Here’s a look at another quick-assemble jeep performance.

 
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Norm’s 1962 Wagon

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

Norm shared a pic of his 1962 Wagon.  He notes that yes, the split windshield is from the wagon, but the chrome is from a 50’s wagon.  Nice looking rig Norm!

 
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In N Out Burger Stickers

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

A while a go Brian discovered that the west coast In N Out Burger chain of burger restaurants had stickers with an old jeep on it.  It took him a while to find a 2nd sicker which he could scan.  So, here it is down below.

In N Out Burgers are one of my favorite places, as they have fresh fries and reasonably sized, great burgers. And, if you are in the ‘know’, you know you can order several items not shown on the in-store menus, but are shown on the internet.  For example, try your burger “Animal Style” the next time you are there.

 
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Allen Boyd has Passed Away

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

Bob sent me a note that Allen Boyd, Aka West Fork Boyd, passed away.  He was a good friend to many CJ-2A Page readers.  You can learn more here at the CJ-2A Page.

 
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Paddle Tires and the Art of Introspection

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

My mother tells me the month of July in Seattle is on pace to be one of the coolest on record. Fortunately, I didn’t move here for the heat!  And as I took a relaxing walk this morning (sunday) dodging tourists through bustling Pike Place Market, with new female friend in tow, to the Seattle Art Museum in the drizzle that defines Seattle, I rather relished it.  I relished the cool rainy July day, weather I ran away from back in June of 1992 as fast as the moving van would travel on a journey that seems otherworldly at this point.

So, 19 years later, here I was walking only a few blocks from the very spot from which I moved, an apartment at the base of Queen Anne hill in downtown.  As I walked down 1st Ave towards the SAM, I realized I’m older, yes;  I’m grayer, slighly; I’m richer, financially no, experientially yes; I’m wiser, maybe; more introspective, absolutely! I sold my jeep to finance the move so long ago and arrived back with a nicer one; maybe that was worth the entire adventure?

I guess I can’t help but be introspective at this time.  A heady move followed by a delightful time with my kids, which after their summer stays, I’m always simultaneously proud at who they have become and disappointed that their time with me is up for another summer.

And, of course, there was the added element of my father, whose dignity we fight to preserve as time weighs heavily on his formerly stout constitution.  The truth is dad is a little south of odd for the kids to recognize, as they really did not know him the way I did. I wanted to show the kids he is facing his mortality head on, despite infirmities and incontinence, and fighting for his end goal, to live to the age of 80.  Will he make it?  If he has any say about it, he will.

During all these events eWillys has suffered a bit, as time demands bit into my updates. Whenever that happens, I wonder if I have run out of time and energy to keep running the site.  And it always seems that when I start feeling that way, when I think there are better things (money making things) I could do with my time, some far flung reader I have never heard from sends me an email.  In this case, the reader’s name was Joe who hails from the Nashville area.

He writes, “Ewillys has refueled my passion for old flatfenders. I never knew much about them growing up, other than I wanted one and they were cool as all get out in all the old black and white war movies. I have wanted one ever since I was a kid. Two years ago I finally got a 46 cj2a. I traded a Harley for it, straight up. Figured both were about 3000.

I put 2000 miles on it in the first year and I am currently replacing the motor and catching up on some long over due maintenance. I will send a pic or two.  I took my mom for a ride in it last winter through the snow and it was 21 degrees out side, no heater. I have created a monster of her now. This past November she called me and told me that she wanted an “old” jeep. I figured a cj5 or 7 so she could get around, go fishing, and wat knot. She said “I want one like yours!” She wanted a flatty! After searching all over the craigslist and ewillys we finally found her a beautiful 48 cj3a in GA. She drives it everywhere! I will send you pics of it as well. Now my son is 5 and I have created a jeep nut of him as well.

I bought a parts 2a and it ended up having a title. So my son and I have tinkered with it and after getting his little hands greasy he’s hooked. He can see the corner of a hood behind something and he will shout, “JEEP DADDY!” He is also convinced that they don’t make “real” jeeps anymore and he loves cj’s. We plan on building from the ground up(with a lot of help) the parts 2a into a daily driver. When he turns 16 I am going to sign it over to him.

My father and I never had a project like this and its been great and created an even larger bond with my son. He will sit with me in the recliner and look through eWillys and give me full commentary on all the jeeps. My father is now retired and has run out of projects around his house……until now. We have dissasembled my 2a and replaced the motor and are working on the body. My family is now 3 generations deep in jeep and I hope it continues. So a BIG THANK YOU for ewillys! I hope there is many more years of it.”

I shared that letter with my kids and they thought it was pretty cool.  So did mom.  She wonders less and less why spend time on the site.  A few letters like that and she is a 100% backer.

Karson, my oldest, also informed me near the end of his stay that he’d like to have a jeep to drive around here.  With the perfect warm weather we had at the beginning of the month coupled with the hills and valleys of Renton’s East Hill, he finally got it.  He understood why I thought it was so fun to drive a jeep around here, even on the roads.

To be honest, it was funner to drive here than in Boise.  I was having a blast driving the kids on the roads I had grown up driving.  While driving,  I tortured my kids and their cousins with the history of my old jeep and where I had driven around the area.  “Oh, here is where I did such and such” and “this is where I got stuck” and even the rolling of their eyes at the sound of my history-lesson voice did little to dissuade my lesson. I was having too much fun.

So after all of this introspection, with the kids gone and my life sort of re-orienting to normal, with Joe’s passionate call for another few years of eWillys, updates will commence on a more regular schedule starting tomorrow.

Well, at least until early September when I hope to get to New York to spend one to two weeks doing research in NYC and Yale on a family project.  I will finalize that schedule this week, which will include several jeep specific stops that I know will interest readers.

Until tomorrow’s updates, I am happy to report, for the record, that four paddle tires will fit inside a BMW 540i.  Matt, who specializes in early Dana axles rebuilds (if you are near the Boise area and need axle or drive train work done, drop me a note; Matt has about 18 years of drive train experience.) sold me this set at a great price.  Since I only need two, if anyone has an interest in the other two, drop me a note.  The tires will hold air, but they really should have some inner tubes put into them.  Thanks Matt!

 
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My Newish Kayline Top!

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

Good news, for the next two days you can admire my new top!  That’s because I will probably not do any updates until then.  I had hope to get some updates out, but it has gotten to late and I have to get up early for a very long drive to Boise and back tomorrow.

It is a Kayline canvas — yes not vinyl — top that I bought for $200!!!  It is in beautiful condition, having sat unused for nearly 10 years. I am very pleased.  I bought it from Daryl, who is a full time firefighter and part time jeep nut in the Bonney Lake area of Washington and whom repairs flatties.  If you need any work done and are near him, let me know and I will forward his number to you.

He was also kind enough to give me and my son Karson a tour of his jeep collection, which includes a recently purchased FC-170 and a jeep truck converted to a tow truck.  So I want to send a big thanks to him!

Here is the top draped on the jeep. Of course, the rear seat and spare tire unbolts and will be removed when the top is mounted; I have an alternative mounting bracket to mount the spare inside the back area when a top is installed.  I am pleased that the contrast in colors doesn’t look too bad (he was selling it cheap because few people want that color).

 
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Mail Jeep JeepRod

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

I spotted this on the internet.  I don’t know whose it is or where it is located.

 
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A Retired CJ-5

• CATEGORIES: CJ5, Features, Last Ride This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I’ve seen Willys treated worse.  This image comes from Tumblr.

 
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Motorcyle Jumps a Jeep

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

Gerald spotted this great image on tumblr.

 
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Some Pasture Jeeping

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

The weather has been perfect for driving in the jeep.  So, the boys and I have been cruising around Renton.  I have to say it’s a bit surreal to be driving along both the backroads and city roads in Biscuit, many of which I last drove 25 years ago in my last jeep.  No doubt my kids are tired of me saying things like, “I remember when ….” at which I go into some tale from my youth.

Yesterday I put the jeep into the horse pasture, or at least what was the horse pasture and is now an area full of grass, trees and bushes.  Karson got to explore a bit in the jeep, testing out the 4wd and learning to dodge trees.  He seemed to be having fun.  Here are a few pics.

 

 
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4th of July the FC Way

• CATEGORIES: FC150-FC170-M677, Features • TAGS: , , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Check out the pics on thefcconnection site.

Steve reports on the Ouray 4th of July Festival.  Learn more at the Forward Forum.  See all the pictures here.

“Here is Craig and Jason’s big day in Ouray (You-ray), Colorado.  It’s the mountain town’s signature event of the year, The Fourth Of July.  They asked Craig to bring his restored San Juan Mountain Tour Truck to join in their parade.

Jason found one of the other original tour Jeep Forward Control trucks and surprised them with twins.  He just finished the restoration just last week and headed strait for Ouray.  Jason’s truck has the yellow signs that say, “Think.”

This links you to the Town’s website describing their 4th of July Festivities. Here are photos of the Two coolest FC trucks ever restored joining their parade.  The red FC trucks came from the states of Missouri and Texas to join the reunion in Colorado.  They even went on a trail ride across the old routes where the trucks carried tourists through the beautiful San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado.  What a cool experience; I wish I could have been there.”

 
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Another ’42 GPW Scam

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

This is the newest GPW scam on Craigslist.  There were a variety of ads for this jeep appearing across the US. I have flagged the ones I found.

See an example of the full ad here.