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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 .
Thanks to Scott for scanning and sharing this rare set of instructions from a Jeep-A-Trench manual. I know there are a few of you who are interested in this.
Here’s a useful item for a Go-For-Digger trencher owner.
View all the information on eBay
“Up for sale is a subdued brass plate from a Go For Digging Machine attachment for a military issued Willy’s Jeep. This brass plate 8″ x 5″ and is a really cool piece of military and Willy’s Jeep history.”
This is awesome! Lots of interesting mods on this gas/service station vehicle.
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/colfax-1951-willys-jeep-cj2a/7364049159.html
“1951 Willys CJ2a
Chevy v8 conversion
Was converted to a service vehicle by local county
Has air compressor and tank, water tank and oil tank with hoses.
Heater
Everything works
Jeep runs and drives”
UPDATE: A few more pics .. .made some more progress hanging tools and also built a way simple way to store cans of spray paint. I even cleaned everything out around the race jeep, so it won’t be too long before I can address those spacers again (that should answer your question Mark). Over the next few days I hope to complete the rolling work table (and removed the long narrow table). I’ve also ordered some LED shop lights, which have received favorable reviews on Amazon. I’m hoping them will give better light and be easier to hang than the big florescent ones I already have. I will report on those when I get them.
The tables with the paint on them are the free tables given away by the local high school. I scraped the gum and washed them up. I also painted the legs on two of the tables black, as they were pretty scratched.
Here, I’ve started experimenting with hanging some of the tools. The wrenches on the right are standard, while the ones on the left are metric. The peg board on the left will have wood-working tools for now. We’ll have another load of dad’s (and grandpa’s) tools in a couple weeks, which will add to the boards and the tool boxes.
The race jeep is ready to receive some attention now that it is freed from stuff.
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Originally posted August 19, 2021: In between everything else, I’ve been slowly working on my workbenches and places to hang tools, etc. One bench is about 8 ft long and the other 14 ft. They are made almost entirely out of recycled wood and reused screws. Now, I can start hanging tools and organizing the remainder into tool boxes.
My next project is a large, rolling work bench that will be the same height as the work benches. After that, I need to hang some lights over the benches to provide better light. Here’s a quick look.
UPDATE: The Crew made it to Ontario, Oregon last night. They should have some beautiful weather for the remainder of their trip. Unfortunately, the group will not have the time to swing north to our place. Having done our fair share of trips, we totally understand and wish them luck!
On another note, I finally officiated the wedding this past Saturday. It went off with only one hitch … that would be me hitching them together 🙂 … this is why I never went into comedy … so, becoming a minister and marrying someone can now be checked off my bucket list!
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Originally Post August 18th –The Epic Willys Crew (view on Facebook) has made considerable progress, reaching deep into Wyoming (last I saw). Despite several unscheduled stops (err .. breakdowns), the group has soldiered forward through temps reaching 100 degrees.
We expect they will arrive here in Prosser sometime midweek next week, so we’ve been making sure the place is ready. The small house has new floors and (hopefully, new interior paint). I’ve made progress on the shop and (again hopefully) I will have it somewhat organized by their arrival. With no heat domes forecast for next week, the weather should be warm and dry. Apart from preparations, Ann’s surgery recovery, her mother’s doc appointments, presiding over a wedding (this weekend) and unexpected dog issues have kept me from providing any eWillys updates.
Here are some pics from the Epic crew so far (in a fairly random order) …
Steve spotted this Topeka Hi-Way Mower. It runs and plows.
https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/504250164003346
“Topeka Hi-Way mower with plow. Willy’s jeep frame. Continental motor.. Professionally rebuilt radiator, reupholstered seat, previous owner rebuilt the motor. Starts right up and runs smooth.”
Sam shared this interesting historical article from Hemmings. As Daniel Stroll notes, it seems odd that the inventor, Albert-Paul Bucciali, chose to sue Willys-Overland rather than Spicer. Moreover, my argument would be that it was the transferase, and not the front pinion, that was the unique key to what became the jeep, so his lawsuit was misguided no matter who he sued.
One of the vehicles Albert-Paul constructed: The Buccali TAV8-32 …
PHOTO CREDIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucciali
Mario posted this ad to Facebook. It was published September 22, 1941, in Time Magazine. It’s unique in that it shows three of the prototype jeeps .. The Bantam BRC-60, The Willys MA (2 of them), and the Ford GP. The ad was created by DeVilbiss Spray Systems of Toledo, Ohio.
https://www.facebook.com/mario.r.maipid/posts/4637446769598838
Kyle let me know about Heritage New Jersey’s first Jeep invasion for pre-1986 jeeps. Learn more at the event’s website: https://www.njjpinvasion.com/heritagenjjpinvasion
This photo shows the full set of 18 Willys Motors Mailer Tri-Fold Brochures for the year 1960. I have most, but not all of them. I did not expect that these would sell for $160 on eBay late last week!
Blaine shared this refurbed pedal jeep.
https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/atq/d/portland-1950s-garton-pedal-jeep/7353933822.html
“Up for sale is a wonderful old vintage 1950’s era Garton Pedal Jeep. This was restored about 2 years ago and is in very nice shape. This is the Army version. Garton also made an Air Force version. Pedal Jeep is in great working order. It measures approx. 40 in. long x 16 1/2 in. wide x 15 in. tall. (not including the windshield frame). Overall, just a super cool and very rare Pedal Jeep”
It needs some work.
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/atq/d/north-branch-pedal-usa-army-jeep-rare/7337853531.html
“1950’s USA Army Jeep good condition rare”
Brian posted these pics of a hub he has to FB’s Flatfendering Aficionado Monthly group. It’s not something I recognize. The work looks good enough to have been a prototype hub that never made production. It may have been an auto-engaging hub? Some commenters suggested a type of limited slip hub, where when a wheel begins to slip it auto-engages.
Brian wrote, “Has anyone ever seen these locking hub contraptions? Were these produced or is it a one-off? It appears to use 3 clutch plates and the ring in the center moves down over the roller cams to apply pressure to the plates. The covers look to be welding bottle caps that have 2 access holes to pry the collar from the outside.”
UPDATE II: A July 23, 1960, article in Grand Junction’s Daily Sentinel newspaper included a variation of the map that was published in the 1960 brochure:
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UPDATE: (See the 1959 Cavalcade brochure here).
Originally Published December 23, 2018: Many thanks to Chris for sending this wonderful Christmas present: An original 1960 3rd Annual San Juan Rockies ‘Jeep’ Cavalcade brochure he bought off of eBay. It was completely unexpected!
This tri-fold brochure opens to an 11″x17″ size, with photos, information and a map. Anyone know offhand if the entire route is still jeepable?
These are an unusual set of Summer Hubs. I suspect they were custom made.
https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/547364619804942
“Selling this pair of free wheeling hubs “summer hubs” for dana 25/27 front axle. Asking $40 plus shipping”
This jeep recently sold, but the ad included several good photos of a Worman hardtop. Based on the door rivets, this might be the “mail carrier” model, which included roll up windows.
https://vermont.craigslist.org/cto/d/east-arlington-sold-willys-cj-2a/7346225735.html
Bill forwarded this article from Hemmings, which expands on the argument that Josef Ganz may have had a hand in, even if indirectly, aiding the push for a small reconnaissance vehicle.
Photo Credit: Hemmings.com ,,, Ganz and his Swiss Volkswagen prototype
Today I picked up these two former sporting good, lighted display cases. One is 6ft long, the other 5ft long. Between the two of them, I ought to have enough room for all the jeep toys and the small jeep items in my collection (and, I shouldn’t have to dust them very often). They could use some work, but I’ll use as is for now until I have time to properly deal with them.
The guy I got these cases from ran a mostly outdoor antique/junk shop out of his yard in remote Irrigon, Oregon. He had stuff all over the place!
Inside a hut, he showed me a 1929 Willys Knight he owned that had been restored, but is now dusty from sitting for a year. Apparently, he has difficulty with the timing advance on the steering column, so he doesn’t drive it anymore (though he said his son drives it just fine). So, the guy is interested in trading it for a late 1930s vehicle. Basically, he wants an old vehicle that he can easily hop into and drive. Here are a couple pics:
I spotted a selling price of $15,000 on a sign in the car, but he flat out told me that he’s not so much interested in making money on the deal as he is finding the right car. If interested, email me at d@deilers.com and I will send you a scan of his business card.
UPDATE: As of July 13, 2021, this GPW APU is now in Stefan’s hands in Germany. As you can see, by the time he acquired it parts had already been removed (see original post from 2017 at the bottom of this post). He does not want the APU parts. I figured it is a long shot, but that I would check to see if anyone had an interest in the APU-related parts (some are O.E. Szekely); Stefan is willing to part with them. Comment below if interested or email me at d@deilers.com and I’ll connect you with Stefan.
Here’s how the jeep looked prior to pulling the parts:
Here are the parts related to the PTO:
PTO APU Cover:
UPDATE: I have to second Mark’s reaction to this book. This has been a great read! Gerhard Neumann feels Forest-Gumpian at times, as his life bebops from adventures to mis-adventures. The jeep trip is a neat aspect to the book, and kudos to his good natured wife for suggesting it. But, his life story is so much more than just the jeep trip. His good natured attitude bubbles through his prose. And, don’t miss his tips and tricks, such as using horse manure to plug radiator holes.
Here are two pics from the jeep trip:
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Originally posted Jun 27, 2021: Mark Doepel shared news on Facebook of a book he found at his local Goodwill called Herman the German: Just Lucky I guess. It’s an autobiography by Gerhard Neumann. Mark really enjoyed the read.
A paperback version of the book is available on Amazon and you can probably find hard copies out there as well (I just bought a hard copy version). Here are some general reviews by a couple influential folks from the Amazon page:
“This fascinating and amusing account of his life is told by a colorful and highly capable German who became one of America’s most successful technical managers in the development of jet engines for aircraft.”-David S. Lewis ChairmanGeneral Dynamics Corporation.
“Not only has Gerhard Neumann’s life been filled with exotic and exciting adventures, but he was a highly successful engineer and executive-truly a superior individual and one of my favorite people.”-Sanford N. McDonnellChairman, McDonnell Douglas Corporation.
“Readers of Gerhard’s book will probably come to the same conclusion I formed while doing business with him; there is still room in industry for free spirits.” -T. A. WilsonChairman, The Boeing Company.
His colorful life included a jeep trip across Asia in 1947 documented in part by this 1948 Kansas City Times article from January 13, 1948:
This article about the release of Gerhard’s autobiography came out in the June 17, 1984, issue of the Cincinnati Enquirer:
This obituary was published following his death on November 6, 1997, in the Cincinnati Enquirer:
One more article on the Colorado Calvacade, this time from the July 23, 1960, issue of Grand Junction’s The Daily Sentinel. The newspaper reported that the Cavalcades had escalated in popularity to the point that instead of one grand event, it was divided into four weekend events.
This report on the 1959 Jeep Cavalcade was published in Grand Junction’s The Daily Sentinel, August 25, 1959.
When looking over the 1960 Jeep Cavalcade brochure, I noticed it was the 3rd annual event. However, the 1959 brochure doesn’t mention it being the 2nd annual event. A newspaper clipping from 1958 solved that question. It turns out there was a 1958 advance trail exploration in 1958 to prep for the 1959 event, though it seems to have been more of a low key event when compared to the 1959 and 1960 cavalcades. This short newspaper article in the June 1, 1958, issue of the Fort Collins Coloradoan explains it:
This article appeared in Grand Junction’s Dailys Sentinenl on August 23, 1959:
UPDATE: Will Corbett shared this 1959 ‘Jeep’ Cavalcade “Rush to the Rockies” Centennial event brochure with Gone-Gpn on Facebook. It is a tri-fold brochure that opens up with a full-page on the back. I’ve pieced together the back page from two separate pages, so it isn’t quite a perfect example.
This is the front of the brochure:
This is the back of the brochure:
This image shows the back of the brochure when fully opened:
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Originally Posted October 18, 2018:
This information covers the 1959 Jeep Cavalcade “Rush to the Rockies” Centennial. The 1959 Cavalcade was part of the 100th anniversary of the John Gregory’s Central City May 1859 strike, which led to a wave of hopeful miners descending upon what would become the Denver area. The Centennial was celebrate throughout Colorado through a variety of celebrations and merchandise (like these bottles and this Centential booklet).
A subsequent ‘Jeep’ Cavalcade was organized for 1960, as shown in this brochure.
Photo from the Denver Post. Both Life Magazine and the Denver Post covered the event. Note the white wagon above. It appears in a couple of the color photos below.
Some folks attached these flags to their rigs.
Here are photos of the 1959 Jeep Calvacade that appeared in the December 28, 1959, issue of Life Magazine (the one below).
UPDATE II: Hans shared this photo of a Willys Rail truck’s speedometer. The Auf Schiene appears to translate as “on track”, meaning the interior speedometer should be used while driving on a track.
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UPDATE: This article features the third Delaware & Hudson Hy-Rail Jeep Truck. It appears to be either #152 or #162. The article appeared in the July 30, 1957, issue of the Press and Sun Bulletin out of Binghamton, NY:
