Features Research Archives

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French Inventor Claims He Invented The Jeep

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

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.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2021/08/02/against-all-odds-french-inventor-albert-paul-bucciali-spend-decades-claiming-he-invented-the-willys-mb-jeep

One of the vehicles Albert-Paul constructed: The Buccali TAV8-32 …

 
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1941 Ad Published in Time Magazine – 3 Prototypes

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

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

1941-09-22-time-magazine-the-peeps-are-coming-ad

 

 

 
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2021 Heritage New Jersey Jeep Invasion September 18th

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

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

2021-njjpinvasion

 
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1960 Willys Motors Mailer Brochures

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

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!

1960-18-brochures

 
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Garton Pedal Jeep Portland, OR $475

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

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”

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Garton Pedal Jeep North Branch, MN $340

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

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”

garton-pedal-jeep-mn1 garton-pedal-jeep-mn2

 
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Unusual Clutched Hub; Possible Prototype?

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

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.”

unusual-clutched-hub-facebook1 unusual-clutched-hub-facebook2 unusual-clutched-hub-facebook3

 
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1960 San Juan Rockies Jeep Cavalcade Brochure

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

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:

1960-07-23-dailly-sentinel-GJ-cavalcade-lores

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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?
1960-san-juan-rockies-jeep-cavalcade-brochure5 1960-san-juan-rockies-jeep-cavalcade-brochure6 1960-san-juan-rockies-jeep-cavalcade-brochure7

1960-san-juan-rockies-jeep-cavalcade-brochure-4

 
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Unusual Summer Hubs Redlands, CA $40

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

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”

summerhubs-redlands-ca1

 
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1946 CJ-2A East Arlington, VT **SOLD**

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

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

1946-cj2a-eastarlington-vt1 1946-cj2a-eastarlington-vt2 1946-cj2a-eastarlington-vt3

 
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Josef Ganz and His Pre-War Prototypes

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

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.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2021/04/29/did-an-obscure-beetle-predecessor-influence-the-development-of-the-jeep?

swiss-vw

Photo Credit: Hemmings.com ,,, Ganz and his Swiss Volkswagen prototype

 
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Just in ‘Case’

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

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.

wood-cases-lores

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:

1929-willys-knight1 1929-willys-knight2

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.

 
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1945 GPW Early APU … Parts Available

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

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:

apu-jeep-germany0 apu-jeep-germany1 apu-jeep-germany2 apu-jeep-germany4

Here are the parts related to the PTO:

PTO APU Cover:

apu-jeep-parts-germany20

Continue reading

 
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1984 Herman the German Book

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

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:

1984-herman-the-german-photos-book-lores

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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.

herman-the-german-gerhard-neumann

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:

1948-01-13-kansascitytimes-jep-trip-gerhard-neuman

This article about the release of Gerhard’s autobiography came out in the June 17, 1984, issue of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

1984-06-17-cincinnati-enquirer-gerhard-neumann-lores

This obituary was published following his death on November 6, 1997, in the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Continue reading

 
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1960 Calvacade Changes to Multiple Weekends

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

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.

1960-07-23-the-daily-sentinel-calvacade

 
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Another 1959 Report on the Centennial Cavalcade

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

This report on the 1959 Jeep Cavalcade was published in Grand Junction’s The Daily Sentinel, August 25, 1959.

1959-08-25-the-daily-sentinel-jeep-cavalcade-colorado0-lores 1959-08-25-the-daily-sentinel-jeep-cavalcade-colorado1-lores 1959-08-25-the-daily-sentinel-jeep-cavalcade-colorado2-lores 1959-08-25-the-daily-sentinel-jeep-cavalcade-colorado3-lores

1959-08-25-the-daily-sentinel-jeep-cavalcade-colorado4-lores

Continue reading

 
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1959 Jeep Cavalcade Article

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

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:

1958-06-11-fort-collins-coloradoan-jeep-cavalcade

This article appeared in Grand Junction’s Dailys Sentinenl on August 23, 1959:

1959-08-23-daily-sentinel-gj-colo-cavalcade-lores

 
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The 1959 Jeep Cavalcade “Rush to the Rockies” Centennial

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

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:

1959-colorado-cavalcade-centential1

This is the back of the brochure:

1959-colorado-cavalcade-centential4This image shows the back of the brochure when fully opened:

1959-colorado-cavalcade-centential3-lores

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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.

rush-to-the-rockies-calvacade-photo-denver-post

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.

jeep-cavalcade-flags2

Here are photos of the 1959 Jeep Calvacade that appeared in the December 28, 1959, issue of Life Magazine (the one below).

Continue reading

 
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1957 Article and other Delaware & Hudson Hy-Rail Jeep Trucks

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

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.

willys-on-rail-hans-dondorp-lores

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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:

1957-07-30-press-and-sun-bulletin-binghamton-ny-hyrail-truck-lores1

1957-07-30-press-and-sun-bulletin-binghamton-ny-hyrail-truck-lores2

Continue reading

 
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Feeling Like My Ol’ Self

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

I am happy to report that rumors of my imminent demise were grossly exaggerated, though said rumors likely evolved from my own posts. So, you can place your pall-bearer suits (or jeans and t-shirts) and your mourning outfits back on their hangers. It looks like I will be around for a little while longer!

Of course, God, with a sense of humor unmatched, plucked me off that frying pan (the first bed they gave me seemed hard as one) and dropped me into the fire, that being the record heat we had around here. For all my Arizona brethren, you can have your crazy 115+ temps! Though, I will say the hot temps made it very easy to stay inside and get well.

Back on the fateful day when I checked myself into the emergency room, and once they determined my near death seemed avoidable, I had plenty of time to kill and a full charge on my phone: dangerous bedfellows!  Yet, I didn’t know if I was out-of-the-woods totally, so I figured I might as well let folks know that, as my father used to say in his understated manner, ‘there’s a problem’. Thankfully, I now feel reassured enough to say that, there is currently no longer a problem (knuckles meet wood).

But, that doesn’t mean eWillys will be back anytime soon. I’m enjoying this extended break. It may be that eWillys never returns to its original format. Instead, I’ll take this time to figure out a way that the site can be of use without the time demands of the past.

Before I go, I once again have to thank everyone who shared their stories about eWillys. It is always gratifying and humbling to see strange idea of mine evolved into something worthwhile.

Finally, I will leave you with two posts below, both oddities deserving of attention.

Dave

 
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A VW Beetle Seen in Europe

• CATEGORIES: Features, VEEP (VW Jeep), Scamp, Others This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

While some may question the design, there is certainly some good workmanship here.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=4249207585132186&id=304123822973935&comment_id=4249958945057050&notif_id=1625519251274042&notif_t=feed_comment&ref=notif

vw-jeep

 
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German’s Re-style a Jeep

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

UPDATE: This post was first published September 25, 2014:

Joshua Regula-Morris has a neighbor who had an MB in Germany. The first photo shows him on his Jeep in 1946. The second photo shows the text on the back of the first photo. Apparently, some Germans restyled the jeep, resulting in photo #3. Joshua’s neighbor swears this is the same jeep. Before leaving Germany he sold it to a friend. You can just make out the shackles at the front below the bumpers. Unfortunately, there aren’t any photos from the side.

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1944 “Flooded and Mud Bound Roads” Video

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

UPDATE: Sorry, but just this one post for Saturday. Besides the long day,  I’m just not feeling my best (not Covid or virus-related). It’s been an on-off issue for the last week or so. I see a doc about it in a few days.

At the start of this video is a modified jeep named ‘Deloris’ built to keep the driver pretty mud free inside the cab.

0:00 “Doloris” on jeep with unit sign and formation sign painted out.
0:09 Artillery tractor also has unit and formation sign obscured. Transfer of Canadian forces from Italy to the Netherlands had been kept a secret. The obscuring of the signs may be part of that effort.

 
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Stripped Allen Bolts and Smoking Hot Weather

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

I’m sure you are as shocked as I am that this post is about yours truly working on a jeep! It’s truly a miracle!

This all started because this weekend and into the early part of next week, we will have record hot temperatures, the hottest of which seem to be centered on ol’ little Prosser, Washington! (See the Axios story here) … records are going to fall.

2021-06-23-10-day-weather

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Because things are supposed to heat up, I wanted to clear room in the shop so we could move a couple more vehicles in there. To do that, I wanted to move the racing jeep underneath Patterson (which would be lifted up on the hoist). But, to drive the racer within the hoist stands, I wanted to remove the wheel spacers to reduce the width.

Sounds simple enough, right? So, I jacked up the rear, pulled one rear tire. That’s when I saw this mess: several of the Allen bolts have been stripped. Ugh. WTF?

 

race-jeep-allen-bolts3 race-jeep-allen-bolts2 race-jeep-allen-bolts1

I figured I had a minimum of 2 solutions:

  1. I can weld Allen wrenches on each of the stripped bolts, then (hopefully) spin them off.
  2. I can drill out the Allen bolts.

Thankfully, I don’t want the spacers anyway; if they get ruined in the process, so be it.

But, before I started, I figured I would throw my dilemma out to you folks to see if there are any other ideas floating around?

 
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Thanks For the FC-150 Sign!

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

Joe-in-Mesa was kind enough to donate an FC-150 sign he won a few years ago while attending the FC-Roundup to eWillys HQ. It will have a ‘most excellent’ place of honor in the shop. Thanks Joe!

To keep it safe for the moment, I put it on the fireplace mantle. It is covering a lithograph my great grandfather bought in the UK in 1924.

fc-sign-joe-snodgrass1 fc-sign-joe-snodgrass2

In case you are curious, this is how it normally looks. Upon his return from Britain in 1924, my great grandfather Karl Eilers gave it to the Engineer’s Club (this was shortly after the club built their golf course and country club near Roslyn, NY, on Long Island), where Karl was a member. At some point, my grandfather, who was also a member of the club (and President in 1930) was given the lithograph back. Subsequently, the lithograph hung for years at my grandparents house over their fireplace, which was a done floor to ceiling in rock.

fireplace-lithograph

You can just see the edge of it in this mid-1960s Christmas time photo of their house on Hayden Lake. It’s interesting how much lighter the matte looks in this photo. It must just be the light, as I doubt the matte was ever changed.

1970s-grandma_grandpa_martha-hayden-lake

Grandfather Eilers on the left. My aunt Martha on the swivel chair. My grandmother Eilers standing. That place looks smaller than my the way my child-self remembers it, lol.