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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 .
Claus is curious about the size of a Kong body-extension data tag size. Anyone have one they can measure? Alternatively, anyone know the size of a Koenig hardtop data tag?
Using photoshop, I was able to figure out that the body-extension data tag size is about a 2-1 ration, meaning if the height is 2″, then the width is about 4″. My guess is that the tag may be 1.5″ x 3″.
Here is a body-extension data tag example:
Jake shared some pics of a t-shirt he found at the Soul City Dry Goods store in Missoula, Montana. The shirts do not appear available on line. I also don’t know the price or how much inventory the store has.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/837017479769475/permalink/2683153998489138
This upcoming year of the Dragon marks the seventeenth year of eWillys; it continues to be the longest ‘job’ I’ve ever had. The site seems to have its own inertia that pulls me along. Despite all the posts, approaching 65,000, interesting new stories still appear, which keeps me energized, as I think it does you all.
To that point, in 2023 I spent more money on old docs than ever before, mostly in the form of Willys and Jeep News issues. I’ll be publishing more issues throughout January, into February. Most of the issues are early to mid 1960s, so you’ll see more full-size jeeps, but most still contain information on the older jeep models as well.
My goal for 2024 will be to continue on the every-two-day or three-day-update schedule. Now that I have so many Willys Jeep News issues, my hope is to weave together interesting stories that span across the various issues. Two post that I know I will do are 1) a post on the range of custom campers built from FC-170s and 2) the wide range of ice cream jeeps. I also hope to create more of an index, so that jeep news, brochures and other documents can be arranged along a timeline. Again, we’ll see how things go.
With the chaos of family illnesses and death behind us for now (fingers crossed) over the last six years, I had more free time to read in 2023. At six hundred pages, “And The Band Played On” by Randy Shilts, a book about how HIV and AIDs unfolded in the 1980s, is one I just finished and proved the most interesting book of the year, even though it was written in 1987. Another fascinating book is a new one by Kashmir Hill called “Your Face Belongs to Us”, which highlights the scary way in a company called Clearview can locate your image in videos based on the company’s ENORMOUS database of video and still images (I can guarantee it is worse than you think it is). Big Kibble was another interesting book, this one covering the history of dog food (I like history-of-food books). Other books I read include Deluge, Zoobiquity, Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive and American Wildfire, Sedition Hunters, Angle of Repose, among others.
Speaking of books, it’s crazy that this year will mark thirteen years since I published my first book, Finding Virginia, and seven years since my last one, Slag. I have returned to researching my next book about Rossiter Raymond, once the pre-eminent mining engineer in the world. I’m still looking for the right narrative to tell his story (maybe I can sneak in a jeep?). We’ll see how things go.
On the jeep front, work has begun on the FC Tour Jeep. I’ve removed all the rear seating and carpet. Given I want to raise the rear bed to a point that more closely reflects the original tour bed, I must decide whether to build atop what’s there or remove all the rear bed and build a new rear floor altogether, then reimplement the existing sides and rollbars. Also, I was able to secure a set of original FC-170 seats (thanks to Craig) that can be reupholstered, so that’s one less thing to worry about!
Meanwhile, the race jeep gets started and run once a week. It still needs some graphics, but that’s pretty trivial. I hope this spring to take it somewhere local to give it a few workouts. When I was driving it around our pasture last fall, it seemed to be missing slightly in the high end, so I want to test it a little more to explore that more once the weather warms.
As for 2024 trips, Ann will likely be in DC at some point in January. She has spent the last two months working on a bill for the existing victims of state sponsored terrorism, which attempts to fix and tighten an original bill passed by Congress in 2015. Later in the year we may be in Sea Cliff, New York, so that I can give a presentation as part of a museum exhibit related to my family’s history in Sea Cliff. Of course, we also plan to attend a few weekend jeep races here in the Washington State this summer. Depending on what happens over the next couple of months, we are considering a trip to Europe, but we’ll see how that goes. If we don’t go to Europe, and if the FC Tour Jeep gets done in time, we may take it to one or more summer events. However, finding someone to stay and manage our property, and especially our dogs, is our biggest hurdle to travel.
That’s all for now. Stay safe and have a wonderful 2024.
This eight-page Jeep News was published in March of 1960. On the front page, the company announced the 1960 ‘Jeep’ Approved Equipment Sales Program to further push third party equipment sales, which rose 33% in 1959 vs 1958. Willys Motors also welcomed a new Jeep Approved Equipment sign.
In addition, the front page highlighted the Surrey, noting that Pepsi had purchased 100 surreys, making it the largest Surrey purchase to date. Eighteen of those went to Tulsa in custom colors of Code N-57 Pepsi-Cola Yellow and Pepsi-Cola Creamed Striped Vinyl, but it is less clear to me what colors were used for the other surreys. Finally, the front page noted that the Surrey would appear in “Seventeen” Magazine on April 04, 1960 (see full ad in black and white here).
Page two referenced three different brochures. The first brochure was highlighted to announce that an updated version of the value-rater with 1960 data had been published (view the 1959 version here). The second two brochures were intended as mailers for a targeted audience of contractors, engineers, and other building trades people. The first mailer was titled “When The Weather Outside Is Frightful” (DM60-01), while the second one was “Building Up? Or Down?” (DM60-02). At least nine 1960 DM60-XX brochures were produced, though I am still missing DM60-05, DM60-07, and DM60-08.
A story on page three describes the use of a Surrey by the fashionable “Togs for Women” stores as “a trailing fashion show, with a trailer loaded of the latest in women’s clothing.” Pages four and five cover the rise of jeep clubs from across the country, both for fun and for community service. Pages six and seven have a variety of FC stories.
Page eight has another Bonners Willys story, this time highlighting a DJ-3A Dispatcher, though the hardtop on the dispatcher looks most like a very early Willys Overland top like this one. Meanwhile, a different article shared the news of a thirty-two Dispatcher purchase by Sommers Drugs, a San Antonio, Texas, drug store chain.
Page 140 of the April 1960 issue of Seventeen Magazine included a photoshoot titled ‘Swingy Surrey Stripes’ that used a jeep Surrey (as reported in the March 1960 issue of Jeep News). I looked into buying a copy of that issue on eBay, but it would have been $50 with shipping. Instead, I found a black and white version from archive.org. In August of 1960, a contest ad for a Surrey-give-away would appear in a Seventeen Magazine ad for Miss Gotham.
These are photos from eBay of a 1960 brochure, though I can’t tell the exact form number. My guess is that it is Form DM60-01, based on this March 1960 Jeep News issue. I had a chance to buy this once on ebay, but missed out on it.
This February 1960 Building Up? Or Down? brochure had some older photos, so I’ve updated them.
This six-page January 1959 issue of Jeep News is only six pages.
Page one shares dealer news, as does much of page two. Page two (and page six) also has a ‘history’ of the jeep, which at that point was only eighteen or nineteen years old, depending on the start date of 1941 or 1940. Page three devotes a whole page to Jarvis Jeep out of Portland, Oregon. An article on page four tells the story of an FC-170, with an unusual bed, that was used as part of a Christmas tree business. Page seven has a story about an FC-170 out of Hutchinson, Kansas, with a variety of extras. Page eight covers the newly formed Tulare County Four-Wheel Drive Club.
UPDATE: Colin estimates 1949 on this brochure, figuring there were new forges installed for some 1950 products.
I won this odd ball item as part of a 3-item auction where nobody else bidded! This twenty-eight-page Willys-Overland Forge booklet provides some background and highlights about the company’s forging process. My guess, based on the last page, is that Willys-Overland was attempting to find corporate customers that needed parts or other items forged, suggesting that the forge may not have been running at full capacity making jeep parts. There’s no date on this, but my guess is that this was produced around 1950.
This is a second card sent by Chris. There’s no date on it, but given the Surrey top looks in good shape, I’d guess mid to late 1960s. The Tides Motel, still at the same location, sits in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. I suspect the jeep is no longer there …
Chris sent this postcard with a Christmas letter. It shows one of the motor pools and Camp Landing. The postcard describes Army life as “busy” and “never a dull moment”. At the end, the author Bob asks how deer hunting was. It’s dated December 8, 1943. Many thanks Chris!
UPDATE: As far as I know, this was last listed in 2014.
(04/12/2013) It reminds me of the San Juan Scenic Jeep Tour wagons.
“Willys 2 door wagon converted to Surry. 4cyl. F engine 4×4 converted to12v. 3 speed overdrive new tires needs nothing. Also comes with rear enclosure for back that matches top. Very fun always garaged. Price is O.B.O. will accept best cash offer. if its posted its for sake no b.s. no tirekickers”
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/275285585513826/
At twelve pages, the November 1958 Jeep News is one of the largest issues published.
Page one contains various dealer info stories. Page two discusses the growth of jeep clubs and their potential as unofficial ‘salesmen’ for the product and brand. Also on page two is a discussion of the jeep-name origin. You’ll note the appearance in that discussion of the term “G P”, which I’ve yet to see definitive proof to if being used prior to the introduction of the Ford GP in early 1941. Bill Norris was able to locate a blurb, possibly from May of 1942, that suggests the letters “G P” that “appeared on all orders for the specifically made car”, however it’s not clear which orders such letters appeared on or when they appeared. But, it’s an avenue worth exploring.
Page three highlights dealer news, while page four shares how popular jeep exhibits had become at local and state fairs. Page five covers the importance of lighting to jeep dealerships, while page six and seven announce that dealerships have penetrated areas all over the US, though none of the dealerships shown are west of Oklahoma (still 1300 miles to LA from OK). Page eight and nine are again mostly dealer news, though page nine does cover a druggists satisfaction with the new DJ-3A dispatcher.
Pages ten and eleven have a wide variety of stories, but I thought the custom DJ-3A “The Goody Cart” ice cream jeep on page ten was particularly interesting. Page twelve covers a story about some jeepers capturing California horse rustlers.
I thought I had posted this issue a few years ago, but somehow I missed it. So, here is the 8-page May 1956 issue of Willys News.
Page one highlights that thousands of feet of film was taken as part of creating new promo films for Willys Motors. No doubt that film is long gone. Page two has an article explaining the importance of jeeps to rural readers of North Carolina’s Statesville Record and Landmark newspaper. Page two also claims that the first registered CJ-2A appeared in Mt. Kisco, New York, a claim debated on this post.
Page three has a great photo of Bonner’s Willys Motors out of Texas, a part of which eventually became Barney’s Jeep Parts in Ohio. Page five indicates that at least 100 audio-visual wagons (though the paper calls them ‘trucks’) had been assembled. An article on Page six shares the news that Dispatchers were proving popular as delivery vehicles, with an accompanying testimonial from Carolina Tool.
Page seven highlights “Miss Maude”, an excerpt of which I posted back in 2014. Page eight covers the April 1956 Truth or Consequences “Journal de Jeeps” cross-country race.
Barry just updated Farmjeep.com with this great bit of research into Santa’s appearance in jeeps.
https://www.farmjeep.com/stories-shows-questions/stories/santas-jeep-a-brief-history/
Joe shared this shamelessly hacked poem he wrote for this Christmas season … Thanks Joe!
A Shop Visit from St. Nicholas
(BASED IN ITS ENTIRETY ON THE CLASSIC POEM OF CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE, WHO WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE APPALLED BY ALL OF THE SHAMELESS HACKS THAT HAVE BEEN PERPETRATED ON HIS SKILLFULLY WOVEN DEATHLESS PROSE.)
It was the night before Christmas, and all through my shop,
Not one project was running, not a brake drum could stop;
Some small bits were hung on the paint rack with care,
But I’d blown my parts budget buying presents and beer.
The Grandkids were all nestled at their folks in their beds;
While memories of “ice cream runs” played back in their heads.
And their Grams in her nightie and our dog in her lap,
They were all settling down for some long winter’s naps.
Then when out in my driveway I heard such a clamor,
I climbed up from my creeper to see what was the matter.
Off to the garage door I sped like the Flash,
I peered out one small window, my chin on the sash.
The moonlight shining off of the near-record snow,
Gave the luster of midday to my yard art below.
And then what to my bifocaled eyes should appear?
But an engine-less Jeep pulled by tiny reindeer,
With a portly old driver so rotund and so thick,
I got a weird feeling the dude was Saint Nick.
As if powered by hemis his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and bellowed, and shouted their names:
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the right of that flagpole! Look out for that wall!
Bang a left! Hang a right! Jeez, follow my calls!”
As leaves that behind a Super Hurricane would fly,
Should they meet with an obstacle, watch out for this guy!
So out towards my backyard this lash-up it flew,
With a bed full of packages, and Saint Nicholas too —
And then, in an instant, I heard on the roof,
The screeching of tires and banging of hooves.
As I covered my head, and began scrambling around,
Through the back door Saint Nicholas crashed with a bound!
Dressed all in red Carhartt, from his hat to his boots,
His duds were all covered with grease stains and soot.
A boatload of stuff he had crammed in a sack,
And he looked quite the character. (Hey, what’s in that pack?)
His eyes — they were bloodshot, his balance… was scary!
His cheeks were quite stubbly, his nose red as a cherry!
His mischievous grin was curved up like a bow,
The mustache on his lip was as white as the snow.
The stump of a stogie was clenched in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath.
He clutched a cold brew and had an ample beer belly,
Both sloshed as he moved, just like pools full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right pudgy old elf,
And I knew that I liked him, in spite of myself.
A wink of an eye and a nod of his head,
Made me strongly suspect I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Laid new parts on my workbench; then he turned with a jerk,
And sliding two fingers up inside his nose,
Then forcing a toot, out the back door he blows!
Bounced back in his Willys, and to his team he did whistle,
And away they all shot, like a ballistic missile.
But I heard him yell out, as they streaked out of sight —
“Pleasant wrenching to you, and to your loved ones — good night!”
Merry Christmas (eve) everyone!
I must have seen this commercial when it aired back in 1983, but I don’t remember it. I guess I had other things on my mind? I graduated in the summer of ’83, for which my parents bought me the first jeep of my own (I’d driven Dad’s CJ-5 for a couple years), a patched together, blue, modified CJ-3A with a Buick V-6 and T-15 for $1500. I spent the summer cruising around in it, then the Fall driving it to my first (and last) quarter at a community college, before pretty much flunking out (I just didn’t care about college at that point).
Instead of college, I traded labor for a rundown, hacked together racer, took that apart, and started building what would become my first project jeep. Too young, dumb, and stubborn to fail, I got a part time job cooking and used those meager funds to cobble together a custom jeep over the subsequent year and a half.
The December 1961 issue of Jeep News was only six pages, but still packed into a few interesting items. In the center column of the front page you can see the California Association of ‘Jeep’ Clubs had already come up with rules for jeeping on publics lands. Here in the PNW, we’ve seen a small contingent of folks doing stupid things that ruins it for everyone else. Such is life. Also note the bottom of page one showing the two giant billboards. I’ve never seen pics of these.
An article on page two references a 28-page two-color booklet titled “Your Ten Major Retail Markets”. That’s not one I’ve seen. Anyone else run across it? There’s also a reference to a Fleetvan comparison brochure. You can see pics of that here: http://www.ewillys.com/2016/03/29/1961-fleet-van-c…brochure-on-ebay/ (Not sure if I have a copy).
Page three contains something really unique: An Army FC-170 with a camper! The FC camper, an Army FC-170 with a Stahl bed, and an Army Traveller wagon were all headed to Alaska. Page three also has pics from a Billings, Montana, Rough Riders Jeep Club road event.
Page five and six contain a variety of stories, with several photos of FC-170 Fire trucks. Page seven shares the story of a New Jersey firm that operated pizza delivery wagons. Anything you can add to that story Mike?
John shared this neat photo from the Warbird Website. You can even see the Ford tires on it. I tried to find the hood number (20145236), but it appears the G503 search has changed. Maybe someone else can have more luck determining if it is in the database.
Mark shared this image of Elvis holding a Bazooka posted to the Armory Life website. Even more interesting, this M-38A1 has a rare defroster mounted on the windshield.
UPDATE: This was supposed to publish Friday morning, but didn’t for some reason… just discover this Friday night!
This eight-page February 1959 issue of Jeep News begins with a recap of the 1960 Chicago Autoshow, where the all-white jeep lineup on display was called, by some industry veterans, the most attractive commercial display at the show. Page three shows several different FCs adapted to various speciality tasks.
Page four and five share a report and multiple images from the auto show. There’s also a reference to two films played at the show. One was Jeep Frolics, a video shown in the post below, and another video showing a wide variety of tasks jeeps could perform (not sure which video this might be).
Page six contains an article about Warn’s successful hub sales. the article estimated that by 1959 there were 135,000 jeeps using Warn hubs. Page seven covers the use of jeeps in Detroit’s underground salt mines (also captured in pics from this post). Page eight features several stories, including another example of a custom FC camping unit.
Willys Motors featured this Jeep Frolics film at the 1959 Chicago Autoshow, as explained in the February 1959 Jeep News. It features color clips from the Jeepers Jamboree out of Georgetown, California, ‘Jeep’ Roadeo racing from Yakima, Washington, and the ‘Jeep’ Endurance run staged at Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. According to the Jeep News issue, the film was a popular attraction at the auto show.
UPDATE: More on the Detroit Salt Mines from this February 1959 issue of Jeep News.
I saw a reference to jeeps in Detroit’s salt mines on Facebook. After a some research, I found a few more images. The salt is used exclusively as road de-icer.
https://ephemeraldetroit.blogspot.com/2015/06/salt-city-beneath-detroit-booklet-1971.html
UPDATE: A version of this issue was previously run in Oct 2020. I’ve improved the pics and added a little more detail to the introduction.
Here’s another six-page issue of Jeep News for the months August and September, which is followed in the post below by a special four-page “MAVERICK” Extra edition for the month of September.
Page one includes a short article about the US Post Office purchasing ninety FC-170s, all with power tailgates, which could mean that if you find an FC-170 with a power tailgate, it might have been a USPS jeep. Of the ninety, sixty-two had snow plows. All were stake bodies and painted red, white and blue.
Page two is all dealer-related info. Page three is mostly devoted to the Mile High ‘Jeep’ Club’s second annual ‘Jeep’ Endurance Run at FairPlay, Colorado.
Page four shows off a pretty neat truck, set up for fishing and camping. Also on page four, under “1943 Military ‘Jeep’ Vehicle Stars in Big Portland Rose Parade”, the article shares a little about the jeep and the parade. However, the jeep that’s pictured is actually an M-38. I can only suspect that the wrong photo was added to the article?
Page five has a misplaced headline for the Jeepers Jamboree (story on page six), when the story is actually about Meyer snow plows and other equipment (headline on page six). Page six is devoted to the Jeepers Jamboree.
This September 1958 four-page issue of Jeep News is devoted to the Maverick show.
