Features Research Archives

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29th Annual Spring Willys Reunion May 20-21, 2022

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

Art let me know that the Spring Willys Reunion is on schedule for May 20-21. This is always a great event.

http://www.willysreunion.com/swr22.htm

2022-flyer-willys-reunion-lores

 
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CycleKart Video

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

This throwback sport to early racing carts was sent to me by Bill. This ‘large’ turnout of these race carts happens only an hour north of me and, coincidently, is where I bought my racing jeep last spring.

 
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Part 2: Epic Willys Oregon Trail Adventure

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

Here’s the just-released second video from the Epic Willys Adventure this past summer.

 
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January 22nd Auction w/Jeeps

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

This auction video was shared by Grant. It includes a CJ-2A trencher jeep and a GPW. Start around the 10:30 mark.

 
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Receiving a Ticket in an M-38

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

Bill shared this odd story of a jeep owner getting a ticket. The comments are odd/amusing, too. The writer claimed the jeep is a WWII jeep, but it looks like an M-38.

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-unprofessional-thing-a-police-officer-ever-said-to-you-while-giving-you-a-traffic-ticket/answer/Craig-Reid-17

jeep-quaora

 
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Kaiser SV-102 H Military Audio/Visual Wagoneer on eBay

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

Bill spotted this highly unusual audio/visual jeep called an SV-102 H.

View all the information on ebay

“Available for you to consider is a 1967 Kaiser Jeep 4×4 6cyl w/3spd manual 3 on the tree. This vehicle has been stored away indoors for years. Engine spins freely and will run you will need a radiator , carb rebuilt, 2) 12 v batteries (24volt system) most likely clean up brakes and will need fuel system flushed with new fuel. This is a very rare unique vehicle. This Jeep was used in Vietnam for Audio Visual. This Jeep is out of Fort Knox. I really know nothing of this particular history of actual usage and very little information to be found on the web.

I understand it was a very low production vehicle with very few left inexistence. What I do know it is a great conversation piece. It really grabs attention. Check underneath pics. Floors, frame all very solid. Floorboards all solid, rust free….The patina is awesome. Has not been touched since back in the day….Rear barn doors… Seat in great shape as well as dash. Just a unique vehicle..”

1967-Kaiser-military-audio-visual-jeep-wagoneer05 1967-Kaiser-military-audio-visual-jeep-wagoneer04 1967-Kaiser-military-audio-visual-jeep-wagoneer03 1967-Kaiser-military-audio-visual-jeep-wagoneer02 1967-Kaiser-military-audio-visual-jeep-wagoneer01

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Anyone Recognize This CJ-5 Toy?

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

This jeep toy appears at around the 4:30 mark of the video at the bottom of the post. Anyone know what company produced this toy jeep?

jeep-trailer

 
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Some Days, An Inch is a Mile!

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

UPDATE: I got things turned around and mounted the headers. I also got the sliding door done correctly, the first time :-). I think I measured about 17 times, lol.

2022-01-22-trim1-lores

Slider before trim:

2022-01-22-trim2-lores

Slider after trim:

2022-01-22-trim3-lores

==========

As mentioned, I’ve been working on trim for our master bedroom. Ann wanted a Craftsman look to the trim, so I put together this look to the header, constructed out of four pieces, two of which require the table saw and planer to meet the right specs (I love having the wood working equipment at the ready!!). The first iteration of this turned out great on Wednesday.

2022-01-21-trim2-lores

Still needing to finish two other doors, both 36″ wide (closet was only 29″ wide), I decided to do both headers at the same time on Thursday. I measured. I remeasured. I cut. I painted. Everything seemed to be assembling fine. But, somehow, I wrote down the wrong initial measurement, one inch too narrow, which led to this foul up (albeit, much stronger language was used when I set the header atop the boards in this photo!

2022-01-21-trim1-lores

Yep, I was exactly one inch short! *%@*@!! So, I spent Friday rebuilding another set of headers exactly one inch wider, lol …

On the bright side, it turns out, after walking through the house measuring doorways, that we have two different doors in the future tv/office that have 35″ doorways, so the now-extra headers will work perfectly in there … whew!

 
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2021 Fall Colors Tour Video

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

Here’s a neat look at a video from the Fall Colors Tour.

 
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Video on Rebuilding Headlight Rings

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

Jason put together this video on how he, just for the challenge of it, rebuilt a set of headlight rings. You can see his other videos here.

 
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Controlling a Lift From the Dash

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

A few years ago Barry finally solved the riddle of which hydraulic lift offered by Newgren used a dash control. You can read about it here:

https://www.farmjeep.com/2020/05/27/the-old-newgren-control-on-the-dash-mystery-finally-solved/

dash-lift

 
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Nate Tests “Snowshoe” in the Snow

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Nate got out his camera and his track-enabled CJ-5 named Snowshoe to see how it would do in the snow. He’s suitably impressed.

 
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Rescuing a 1949 Jeepster

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

Bill shared this TWO-HOUR video of a 1949 Jeepster rescue. I haven’t had time to review it all, but it looks like in pretty good condition and will make a good restore or drive-as-is project.

 
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Kid’s Jeep in Old Photo

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

Blaine shared this photo that includes this toy jeep. It was included in a thread on pedal cars, but I can’t tell if this is pedal or foot driven. There is no date on the photo.

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/featured-imagery/vintage-pedal-cars-your-posts-are-wanted!/

pedal-jeep

 
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Transport Motor Company

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

UPDATE: I’ve added information to the bottom of the post which discusses the shift of employees from the Transport Motor Company to the Kurland Motor Company in late 1948.

Unfortunately, I don’t have time to export this topic further, but Barry Thomas is doing research into California’s Transport Motor Company, which was the earliest supplier of Willys farm equipment in California. If anyone has more info about the company, Barry of would like to know about it. Comment below or email me at d@deilers.com and I’ll connect you.

Transport Motor was already a strong Willys reseller by the time WWII started, so they were were well positioned for post-war sales and service. This ad was published in the October 19, 1941, issue of the Oakland Tribune as part of a larger article:

1941-10-19-oaklandtribune-transport-motor-co

After the war, the company pushed Willys Jeeps and the associated farm equipment, though it is unclear which specific models/manufacturers of the equipment was being sold, as evidenced by this October 27, 1946, classified ad in the Oakland Tribune:

1946-10-27-oaklandtribune-transport-motor

This article from the March 28, 1947, issue of the Ventura County Star claims that Transport was the first company to make farm equipment especially for the jeep (I would need to see more evidence to believe that):

1947-03-28-venturacountystar-transport-motor-company

For unknown reasons, in late 1948 many key personnel from the Transport company left Transport for a new Willys dealer, Kurland Motors. Whether Transport survived this event is unclear (perhaps the Transport company was already defunct by this time).

 
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Bantam Jeep Festival June 10-12, 2022

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

This year’s Bantam Jeep Festival will be taking place June 10-12th.

2022-bantam-festival-ad

 
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Jeep Customized with Bandsaw

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

These Facebook photos from Alfano Mucci of Italy show a customized jeep with a bandsaw. The work was done by his father. Pretty cool!

italitan-mb-jeep-bandsaw-1 italitan-mb-jeep-bandsaw-2 italitan-mb-jeep-bandsaw-3

 

 
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Body Bars

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

Now that I’ve seen two of these repurposed bodies on Facebook, does that mean this is a trend?

Looks like some kind of replacement body:

body-bar1

 

1943 MB Body:
body-bar2

 
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Another Sedan-topped Jeep

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

Roger shared this photo from Facebook showing another example of a sedan hardtop on a jeep (link includes other car-like modes, too). I’ve been amazed at how many different times this was tried (see other examples here).

sedan-hardtop-jeep

 
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More About The Barrel Cars

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

A few days ago I posted a video about the oil barrel cars in Thailand. Here’s some more info about them thanks to Bill.

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Video Oil Drum Cars Out of Thailand

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

UPDATE: More info here.

Bill shared this video about little cars/go-karts made from oil drums. Nothing jeepy here, but they certainly are creative. I want to test drive one, but not in Thai traffic!!!

 
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Collecting Jeeps in the Dominican Republic

• CATEGORIES: Builds, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
antonio-domincan-republic-jeeps009

Antonio and his jeep collection.

Antonio reached out to me from the Dominican Republic the other day. He told me he collects jeeps and was working on restoring an M-38. He needs the following parts: A windshield, the hood and the radiator front grill. Can be used but in good condition to restore. (If you think you can help him out with the parts he needs, email me at d@deilers.com and I’ll share his email.)

I wrote back and asked if he could send some pics. He generously shared the following pics and a short history of how he got hooked by the Willys Sickness.

“My first vehicle was a Willys cj3 b that I bought in 1989, after several years using to work on it, I sold it. Several years later, in 2002,

I acquired another cj-3b which was very poorly rebuilt and I decided to convert it to military originality, (M-606 Sand desert in the photo), then I acquired an M-38-a1 and rebuilt too.

From, that moment I have not been able to stop. Now, I have several military Jeeps which I have rescued and rebuilt as best as possible.

I also have other willys from Japan and another from Spain, Ebro brand.

In the future I intend to create the first jeep museum in the DR. It would be located in my hometown, Constanza, a military city located in the center of our island, which is the coldest and highest city in the country.”

Here’s a good pic of his collection:

antonio-domincan-republic-jeeps008

This show one of Antonio’s sons jeeping with a 3B in the mountains of the Dominican Republic.

antonio-domincan-republic-jeeps011 antonio-domincan-republic-jeeps010
antonio-domincan-republic-jeeps007 antonio-domincan-republic-jeeps02

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The ‘Jeep’ As a Light Tractor

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

Barry wrote a version of this article for “Farm Collector” magazine. It has been accepted, but he’s not sure when it will print. I was gratified to see he was able to use some of my research in it. I hope others can leverage their research with other aspects of eWillys.

https://www.farmjeep.com/the-jeep-as-a-light-tractor/

jeep-as-a-light-tractor

 
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Mystery Hardtop and Doors

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

TJ shared this ad for the doors (hardtop not for sale) out of Everett, WA. The doors are priced at $50 on Facebook. I don’t recognize the doors or top. Does anyone else recognize it?

“These doors fit a hardtop like the one pictured. They contour to the jeep body nicely and are complete with glass. Unfortunately the top is not available.”

hardtop-doors-unusual-everett-wa2 hardtop-doors-unusual-everett-wa1

 
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1955 Blunder Boys Movie w/ Real Jeep?

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

Blaine spotted what appears to be a jeep in the background of this Three Stooges movie. The jeep appears at the 1:08 mark and is shot from a couple angles until the 2:35 mark.

Can you spot the jeep and what model does it most look like to you? To me there are elements that make it look like it was originally a jeep, but it also has some elements that don’t look correct for this particular model.

https://archive.org/details/166.BlunderBoys1955ShempLarryMoe

1955-3-stooges-jeep