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Welcome to eWillys.com, a website for vintage jeep enthusiasts. I update this website nearly every day with jeep deals, jeep history, interesting reader projects, jeep related info, and more.
These quick searches can help you find things on eBay. People list in the wrong categories all the time, so don't be surprised to see brochures in the parts area for example.
The links to posts below show jeeps grouped by models, condition, and other ways. Some of these jeeps are for sale and others have been sold. If you are unsure whether a vehicle is still for sale or not, email me at d [at] ewillys.com for more info.
There are plenty of interesting, unusual, historic and surprising stories related to Jeeps and their owners. In addition, some of these features have nothing to do with jeeps. This link will display all featured stories starting from the latest.
Looking for parts and not sure where to go? There are a variety of large and small new and used parts sellers both online and offline.
Importantly, the allure of buying a project jeep can be romantic. The reality of restoring a jeep can be quite different, expensive and overwhelming without the right tools and resources. So, tread carefully when purchasing a "project". If you have any concerns about buying a vintage jeep, or run across a scam, feel free to contact me for help, comments or concerns .
This ad took me by surprise. I’ve never heard of the J-Bird Fiberglass hard top made by Stanley Aviation. I wonder if there are any left anywhere? I’m guessing it was made in Colorado given this ad was in the Mile-Hi Jeep Club archives.
I was able to find some information about Stanley Aviation, but nothing related to Snaley Aviation and a jeep top.
Rick Krueger is hoping to pull together some information for the folks at the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. So, if you think you might have some information that would help Rick, email him at das.krueg @ gmail.com (remove the spaces around the @).
Rick wrote, “I have a line on Larry Hughes son Cameron. Dean Richards, Lonnie Richards grand father was a friend of my fathers and Gary Lowes. Dean and Gary played an important part in a boating accident I was in. The name Toy Hall has come up as Commander on a certificate I have found for and award to SNORE in the 70s. So any info from Lionel would be great. Also tracking down a ambulance buggy snore donated to the posse in the 70s. The ORMHOF seems interested so I would like to pull as much together as possible.”
MILE-HI Jeep Club History: Among the online collections at the ORMHOF are some great old photos and history from the Mile-Hi Jeep Club (How is there no PNW4WDA history/race-history here?): https://ormhof.org/mile-hi-collection
Here is one example of what is posted there. This photo shows the inaugural issue of the Mile HI Club’s Jeep Club News in December 1956.
PHoto Credit: The Mile Hi Jeep Club and the ORMHOF
Here’s. neat photo of a “dummy jeep” cobbled together in Australia, posted by Morihisa Ochi to G503.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WWIIG503/permalink/10158341777561046/
Robert Baxter posted this “CJ-3B” to Facebook the other day. He spotted it at a car show in El Segundo, California. The chassis is a deuce-and-a-half. It looks like the body is extra tall and stetted, which gives it an unusual look. Cool rig!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/502884336980336/permalink/1100033907265373
Our final view of the motorhome. We sold it on Saturday. We weren’t using it and it would only be declining in value, so we felt it was prudent to let it go. We will eventually buy something else, but unsure whether that will be a slide-in camper (which requires a new, beefier truck, which we need anyway), another motorhome (likely not), or a fifth wheel (maybe).
More updates later today …. It’s been a busy few days. We sold our motorhome to the folks that own the water system company that installed our filtering system (we hadn’t used it to camp in two years). So, as a part of the deal, we are getting a new water system for our house, a new drinking system for the kitchen, and a water filter system for the bunkhouse.
We have rented a bull for our heifers, but there isn’t a whole lot of action (a regular Ferdinand perhaps?), other than chewing down our grass, which has meant getting some hay to supplement their diets. Thankfully, our next-door neighbor just swathed his grass hay yesterday, so we’ll be buying up all his hay.
We are shopping for a squeeze chute and panels so we can build a corral.That way, we can just artificially inseminate them rather than host a bull, which is more expensive than insemination, something another neighbor of ours can do.
The side deck on the bunkhouse is near done, another stretch of triple digits looks behind us now.
UPDATE: Still Available.
(01/20/2022) Bill shared these two structo kids’ toys for sale.
The other day I saw reference to some sites that allow users to use a string of words to automatically create images. As an example, I inputed “Willys Jeep” into the entry window at Craiyon.com. These images were auto-created. As you can see, the images aren’t exactly perfect.
UPDATE: To download the file, I clicked on the “download” (See red-highlighted square in the pic below). (or just click here ==> http://www.deilers.com/1946-texas-ag-test.pdf)
Ed spotted this PDF document (downloadable for free) that covers the agricultural testing of an early jeep. I don’t believe I’ve read this document (and don’t have time at the moment to go through it). So, let me know what you think.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=txa.tarb086630&view=1up&seq=3&skin=2021
David shared this unusual pre-WWII clock with some Willys-Overland history. Unclear if this is a good or bad price for this style of clock.
View all the information on eBay
“CHELSEA ANTIQUE SHIPS BELL CLOCK~ADMIRAL MODEL~3” DIAL~1926.
Plaque screwed to top shows 1926 date; plate can be removed easily.
Runs and needs polished, but still a beautiful specimen!”
Jack shared a couple photos from the 2022 Idaho Vintage Jeep Rally. He told me he had a great time! The funky oddball jeep on the trailer is one owned by Jack. He acquired it out of Montana about a decade ago.
There are many more pics and videos on the site’s Facebook page from this weekend.
Dana Wasserburger posted this and other photos to Facebook:
Michelle Jenkins also took a variety of photos. Here is one:
This November 22, 1941, article in the New York Daily news about a British strike force in Libya that used some jeeps. The jeep pictured appears to be the original Ford Pygmy.
The shipping on this is $25US; otherwise, I’d get this rare brochure.
View all the information on eBay
“Original Willys Jeep 1 Ton Truck brochure”
Blaine spotted this Metamet-modified jeep that was owned by the Metamet family. This doesn’t seem to match any of the models on the list of models from the Metamet brochures. The split window windshield doesn’t not appear to fold down, the doors look to be of a suicide style, and the top appears to be a soft top. It’s kind of Jeepsterish.
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1468062
“This is actually a 1943 ww2 jeep that has been converted into a 4wd roadster , lots of the original inner bodytub remain, Its running and driving but will need renovating , chassis is superb condition , there are lots of options with this jeep, leave as is, change it a bit or revert it back to a ww2 jeep again, Its the only one made by the Metamet company back in the late 1950s, TAX and MOT exempt, UK registered, this unique ww2 jeep conversion, been stored unused for 40 years, this conversion done by the well known metamet jeep conversion company in the 1950s/ 60s, this model never ended up going into production and this is the only one made despite it being shown in the sales brochure, I have fitted original jeep wheels and personally think it looks better and gives it back a bit of its former DNA but the original wider road wheels and tyres go with it
It was kept by a member of the Metamet family as his private vehicle until he recently passed away , this willys mb jeep was built in 1943 and served in the war , the dvla mot history records show that it left the military service and was registered for road use in 1958, sometime after this date the conversion was done , Its been stored unused for the last 40 years , engine is now running , I have a whatsap of the jeep driving, it will need recommissioning brakes refurbishing, fuel line checking through but the chassis is excellent , exhaust all good, radiator holds water and it starts and drives , the engine is smooth, includes extra fitments like free wheeling hubs, radio, clock, folding front bench seat , sports car type fold down hood, hinged doors, drop down boot, this is the only one of its kind in the world and should really be in a collection or museum , most of the original bodytub remains , It could easily be re bodied back to its former ww2 jeep bodywork with a new reproduction body tub , large leather bound file containing many photos and drawings of the build has since been found and I’m hoping to collect that soon”
I just missed out on these postcards. There were no other bidders when I made a high bid of $31, but apparently someone came in at the last second with a higher bid. Well, they can have them for that price (besides, I already have the “Snug and Warm” card).
Still, these cards are pretty interesting. I would guess based on the Worman hardtops and CJ-2A styling that they are likely from the late 1940s.
UPDATE: I finally found an original of this brochure by Laurel Worman, Inc. I was surprised to see it printed as late as October of 1953. It is an 8.5 x 11 inch brochure that folds out to 17 x 11 inches.
Its primary purpose was likely to promote the new Worman hardtop for the CJ-3B. I’m not sure how many of that style of tops sold, but I sure haven’t seen many. Instead, I’ve always wondered if the design was sold or made for Sears, which promoted a similar “Deluxe top”. Interestingly, this was more than just a top. The brochure highlights that the top was the result of Worman’s 5-year attempt to turn the CJ-3A into a station wagon type vehicle. Given Worman faded quickly after this brochure was made, it seems the company’s goal wasn’t met.
Ed shared the news that there will be some pedal jeeps auctioned by Mecum this September. They are a part of the ELMER’S AUTO & TOY MUSEUM COLLECTION 2022 auction September 14-17 in Fountain City, Wisconsin. I’ve never been, but the pics make it looks like an interesting place. Unfortunately, 2022 is the last year for the museum. Learn more about the museum here.
The past month has kept me busy not with jeeps, but with the “bunk house”. To be fair, our triple digit days made it a bit too hot to be toiling away on a jeep.
After taking over the job of painting the bunk house, I elected to complete a variety of other changes, such as completely rebuilding the deck (mostly using leftover materials), regrading the area under and behind the deck, installing a better drain system for the gutter, and more. There’s still work to be completed, such as building the steps up to the decking, installing a deck-skirt, adding landscaping, pouring a walkway to the shop, and more. But, we’ve made significant progress to date.
We even had our first guests from eWillys. Jack and Lori spent the night on their way to picking up that real nice CJ-3A I listed a couple weeks ago in Zillah. I hadn’t seen Jack since our visit with him in Boise in 2013, so it was great to get caught up. They invited us to stay with them on the east side of Idaho and they will take us up into the mountains jeeping there. We hope to get over there soon!
Below is a before and a to-date photo.
This article appeared in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper on August 08, 1949. The newspaper titled the photo caption “Morality Jeep”, though it’s not clear that the police department ever revered to it as such. It seems a mischaracterization of a patrolman who used a CJ-3A to patrol the beach.
Here’s a different kind of Willys-themed bench.
https://wenatchee.craigslist.org/for/d/omak-willys-jeep-tailgate-bench/7506415863.html
“Custom Willys Tailgate Art Bench… created from recycled, reclaimed and salvaged materials. Was an order for a business that fell through… asking $1600 for this piece of functional art. If you like this sort of artwork please feel free to check out my Facebook page * Salvage Artistry * https://www.facebook.com/upcyclejunkyard/”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
This is a reprint of the first page of the March 1963 Jeep News. Notably, it discusses the two main reasons behind the change. 1) Kaiser Jeep was meant to identify the company as ‘one of the growing Kaiser “family of industries”‘. 2) It was meant to align the company with the ‘Jeep’ trademark and insure ‘Jeep’ was applied to the entire line of products around the world.
UPDATE II: Thanks to Barney for sending this version of the Service Station brochure shown just below. It is exactly the same as the brochure below it, except that this one has a form number of WO-1257 (which almost seems added as an after thought and seems a random number, as I can find no other brochures with numbers near it), where as the other brochure lacks any form number. My guess is that this was a transitional brochure around the time Kaiser was buying Willys Overland assets. T
===================================
Originally published July 4, 2020:
UPDATE: This redone post now shows the four single-page double-sided tri-fold mailers published by the newly established Kaiser Willys marketing team. The first one, “Facts about the Universal ‘Jeep'”, does not have a form number, but the others do. Much of the content is recycled from mailer to mailer.
This Facts About the Universal ‘Jeep’ For Service Stations mailer lacks a form number. It also lacks the KW stamp that is seen on the others. Finally, it labels the f-head as a 72-horsepower engine, while the other mailers have it marked at 75-horsepower. Given the changes, I’d guess this “Facts” brochure was the first one of the four printed:
This The ‘Jeep’ Makes its Roads as it Goes! mailer is marked form KW-1702:
This ‘Jeep’ Transportation for the Oil Industry mailer is marked form KW-1703:
Chris put his CJ-2A to work the other day. His extended bed came in very handy for moving parts.
I couldn’t resist this curious, wooden representation of a jeep. It has some damage, which kind of adds to the oddness. It is about 10″ long, so it’s a good size.
Thanks to Roger Martin for sharing more pics of his 2022 FC event.
This is Rogers “new” M-677:
