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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 article from the May 24, 1965, issue of the Capital Journal, Salem, Oregon, follows the Salem Jeep Club’s trip with the Yakima Mountaineer’s Jeep Club (I’m not familiar with that club name) into the Cascade Mountains, specially the Ahtanum area west of Yakima.
Gayland spotted this unusual setup for painting tall places from a jeep. This was published on page 114 of the January 1950 issue of Popular Mechanics. Just hope it isn’t a windy day!
The is a better look at the rigging:
And a close up of the jeep:
This April 02, 1943, photo highlighted Sioux City’s North Junior School’s purchase of not one, but two jeeps as part of the “buy a jeep” bond campaign. They were the first school to buy one (and the first to buy two) jeeps. The Secretary of the United States Treasury presented the school with an award for its efforts.
April 02, 1943, Sioux City Journal
The photo is dated May 5, 1985, probably because it was placed into a newspaper on that day. In my opinion it looks like a staged photo, given all the decorations on the jeep and the way the soldiers exit the landing craft, yet still provide the photographer a great look at the jeep. No description provided.
View all the information on eBay
UPDATE: Ooops. It turns out I had forgotten that I’d already posted this photo last year …
This photo can be found within the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection. It depicts a CJ-3A owned by the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Posse. There are other jeep-oriented photos as well held by the library.
https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/search/searchterm/HCNVT_d042_f11_i9 .. Los Angeles Public Library, November 03, 1953. ….. Caption reads: “Members of Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Posse No. 11 take their jeep and mobile kitchen on trips into isolated areas to search for lost children and hunters. The men serve as volunteers in the rescue work on a 24-hour-a-day schedule. Viewing the new 1,200-watt auxiliary power plant are, left to right, Capt. R. M. Boyd, Lancaster Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, commander of the posse; Sgt. R. F. Brown, co-ordinator, and Capt. Jack Bones.”
The arrival of the FJ-3s made the newspapers in a variety of states. This first article appeared in the February 02, 1961, issue of the Bridgeport Post out of Connecticut:
February 02, 1961, The Bridgeport Post, Bridgeport, CT.
February 02, 1961, The Bridgeport Post, Bridgeport, CT.
This next article appeared in the October 04, 1961, issue of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Messenger and Inquirer.
October 04, 1961, The Messenger and Inquirer, Owensboro, Kentucky,
The Mitchell, South Dakota, Post Office may have only purchased one FJ, but it still made the paper:
November 11, 1961, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD.
Here’s an add for the followup model, the FJ-3A .It appeared in The Lawton Constitution out of Oklahoma on January 07, 1962.
This is the more common version of the FJ-3A ad published across the country:
December 20, 1961, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ.
These two Oregon Dealers landed in the news, eleven years apart.
In the first photo from July 01, 1951, Medford Mail Tribune, The Medford Corporation purchases a fleet of eight jeeps for its logging operations from William Leever of the Leever Motor company.
July 01, 1951, Medford Mail Tribune
The second photo and caption are from nine years later and 15 miles north of Roseburg in Umpqua, Oregon. The February 26, 1962, issue of The News-Review published this Umpqua Tractor ad for tractors and jeeps. You’ll note the rare site of an FJ-3A on display along side an FC.
February 26, 1962, issue of The News-Review, Roseburg, Oregon.
This June 20, 1946, photo and caption on the Gustine Standard shows six jeeps purchased by the city of Merced for Mosquito Abatement. I didn’t realize jeeps were used so early for anti-mosquito work in California.
This August 21, 1960, article in the Ogden Standard Examiner out of Utah includes a photo of a CJ-2A with a home made, odd hardtop.
This October 09, 1954, article form the Longview Daily News puts the launch of the Trailerbreakers Jeep Club in April of 1954. That’s one view of Mount St. Helens that no longer exists!
UPDATE: This is back up for sale. Note that this is a column shift. As Carl noted, this is the correct orientation for the image, because if reversed the “WILLYS” would be backwards.
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This August 1960 article in the Longview Daily News out of Longview, Washington, notes that the Armstrongs, members of the Trailbreakers Jeep Club, chaired the two-day convention that resulted in the formation of the Pacific Northwest Jeep Association (Iater changed in 1965 to the present-day PNW4WDA — Pacific Northwest 4-Wheel Drive Association). Note that the article refers to the association as the “Pacific Northwest Jeep Club Association”, but a decision must have been made to drop the word “Club” from the name. (some historical PNW4WDA info on the Webfooters page).
August 02, 1960, Longview Daily News
The Trailbreakers still exist and were one of six charter clubs in the Association. In order of formation (or incorporation), I believe the six charter clubs were the (1) Yakima Ridge Runners, (2) Vancouver Four Wheelers, (3) Longview Trailerbreakers, (4) Brush Busters (?), (5) Tacoma Webfooters, (6) Seattle Jeep Club. (The Brush Busters out of Portland were formed in early 1958, but I haven’t confirmed they were at the convention, so please correct if I’m wrong).
The Tacoma Webfooters have a particularly unusual name. The story goes as follows: “It was time to name the 4th jeep club [ed. note I guess they didn’t know about the Brush Busters]. Who’s got any ideas? Burt Severeid said, “How about the Tacoma Webfooters Jeep Club? Oh, the complaints poured in about how silly that name was, but no one else came up with anything else, so it stuck!! The 4th jeep club in the northwest was to be called, “The Tacoma Webfooters” , with Bruce Cole as the first president.”
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Original Post from 2016: This is a great photo from the very first Pacific Northwest Jeep Association Summer Convention, prior to being renamed the PNW4WDA.
Arlene Brooks found this photo.
This May 9, 1952, ad for Aero Willys highlights dealers across the US, but especially in the Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho area. To hit 35mpg these cars had to have been traveling down hill!
This photo was on eBay, but will be sold by Monday morning. Still, a neat early look at the Ford GPA.
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“1943 Press Photo Amphibious Jeep at Schenectady Quartermaster Depot. This is an original press photo. Schenectady Quartermaster Depot – Amphibious JeepPhoto measures 9 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 04-05-1943.”
This is a great early photo of a CJ-3A out of Venezuela.
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“1 Original slide as shown. K5 013 Amazing old car JEEP WILLYS Caripito Monagas Venezuela 1951 Red Border Kodachrome”
Thanks to Maury, I was able to get this 1991 press packet off ebay and shipped for under $10. That’s a good day. It wasn’t clear to me all that was inside, but it turned out to be a heck of a deal. The three-page tri-fold stores photos, old press releases, histories, and a few miscellaneous items.
Here’s the front of the packet:
These are the materials that are stored inside. There are four press releases, fourteen reproduction 8×10 photos, a 40-page AMC/Chrysler history, a jeep history that’s attached to the binder (see upper right corner), one March 1963 Jeep News front-page reproduction and a late 1940s wagon ad reproduction. Just the reproduction of the Willys Quad photo was worth the cost of this package (I’d never gotten around to getting one).
I haven’t read this history just yet, but wasn’t in a hurry as I’ve already read this book on AMC’s history:
Here’s how the binder looks when opened. The jeep history starts at the page in the middle.
Under the last page of the jeep history is a holder for all the photos and other documents:
Here are two 1990s press releases (I only took photos of the front pages):
These are two 1980s press releases:
The press release on the left is from early 1942 and covers the changing situation with America’s entry into WWII, while the one on the right is from 1965:
The Jeep News reproduction page from March 1963 is shown on the left. It includes a report on the name change from Willys Motors to Kaiser Jeep and the Willys-Overland Export Corp. to Kaiser Jeep International Corp. The reproduction wagon ad on the right is from 1948 and includes details on which magazine and dates it appeared (I wish I had that database of information!).
Great DJ-3A press photo.
View all the information on eBay
“This is an original press photo. Autos-Willy’s. Willys Jeep Dispatcher, above, designed for light delivery work particularly in congested traffic areas, is now being introduced by Willy’s Motors, Incorporated. Highly maneuverable and economical to operate, the Dispatcher is offered in a hardtop model (illustrated) a convertible canvas soft-top, and a basic open model. All models are powered by the Jeep four-cylinder 60 horsepower engine.Photo measures 10 x 8.25inches. Photo is dated 6-3-1956.”
UPDATE: Thanks to Colin for the corrections
Great photo of Roy Rogers Pat Brady at the helm of NellyBelle with Dale Evans beside him.
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“For sale is this original and vintage slide, Roy Rogers in Nelly Belle Willys Jeep in early 1950’s
The first number in the listing title is the year the slide is from.
Slide Brand: red border Kodachrome from the early 1950’s”
This is an original 8″ diameter sticker from the Lockeed Employees Recreation Club (LERC), located in Burbank, California. I don’t know how many jeep clubs were formed out of Lockeed, but there were several Seattle area jeep clubs with members from Boeing (the Wandering Willys Jeep Club was one).
View all the information on eBay
“ONE 8” VINTAGE “MAVERICKS” 4WD CLUB VEHICLE
STICKER – LOCKHEED, BURBANK, CA – Circa 1968
★ 52 Year Old Never-Used Ephemera ~ Outdoor Sticker for Vehicle Front Quarter Panel ★
• Very, very rare collectible Lockheed, Burbank, CA ephemera! In fact, this is probably the only one left in the world!
• One (1) VINTAGE ORIGINAL “MAVERICKS” FOUR WHEEL DRIVE CLUB 8″ VEHICLE EMBLEM STICKER from the Lockheed Employees’ Recreational Club (L.E.R.C.) in Burbank, CA circa 1968. Never used. Still has it’s original kraft paper backing (for peel-&-stick) in very nice condition.
Age:
About 52 Years Old (although it has never been used, the adhesive is not guaranteed due to item’s age).
Original Use:
Typically these were placed on the 4WD vehicle’s front quarter panel to identify club membership.
L.E.R.C. = “Lockheed Employees’ Recreational Club” originally on Empire Road, Burbank, CA in the 1970’s.
Size:
About 8″ in diameter (see photo with measuring tape).
Note:
The ink on this decal is very heavy, almost with a brush texture (see photo #11), to be robust for outdoor use back in the day.
Details:
Has been stored in a file cabinet for about 40 years.
This is the ONLY one on eBay.
Very rare collectible Lockheed, Burbank, CA ephemera!
• Quote from the January 1968 Mavericks BULLHORN newsletter, the description of a four wheel drive club —”A bunch of damn fools driving out across the desert in a wide variety of corrupted vehicles looking for a place they can’t go so they can.” From back in the days when Joe Mokracek & Doug Carter were club presidents.
UPDATE: Additional content has been added about Sandifur Motors.
Originally established in 1937, the Sandifur Motor Company out of Spokane, Washington, was operated by Charles and C. Paul Sandifur. Brothers and business partners, by 1938 the two men were involved in taxi cabs, used cars, life Insurance, and other business pursuits in the Spokane region.
The Sandifurs became a Willys distributor in the autumn of 1945 soon after the launch of the CJ-2A. An ad in the October 21, 1945, issue of the Spokesman Review confirms this.
October 21, 1945, ad published in the Spokesman Review
As best as I understand it, being a distributor meant Sandifur Motors could both sell jeeps and signup other dealers.
The company seems to have followed the standard line of advertising, as this 1947 farming ad shows:
As we’ll see in a moment, Sandifur was successful at selling jeeps, but I can’t imagine CJ-2A was very practical for farming in the Spokane region, in part due to the size of the farms. For example, my maternal grandparents obtained a 160 acre farm 35 miles southeast of Spokane on the small banks of Fighting Creek, Idaho, a place they won in a lottery around 1910, then secured by homesteading. In the 1920s they founded the local Fighting Creek store and operated one of the first phones in the area (we still have some of the books that documented the calls). They also made money logging the local forest and, after WWII, electrifying the area. Had they thought a jeep was practical, I believe they could have afforded to purchase one. Instead, they preferred to use tractors.
My family’s decision to abstain from buying a jeep did little to slow the success of Sandifur Motors. It’s possible the company was doing better selling wagons and trucks versus CJ-2As. I could imagine four wheel drive versions of the trucks and wagons being very handy navigating the endless forests and deserts of the Inland Empire area. This may also explain why both long-wheel base CJ-2As (likely the CJ-2Ls) and CJ-2As with 6ft extended beds were available for sale from both Spokane and Montana dealers (more on this in an upcoming post).
Here’s a 1949 ad promoting the wagon:
October 17, 1949, Spokesman Review
Whatever the company was selling, it was selling enough of them to justify new digs. In early 1951, the Willys dealer moved from its original location at W419 3rd Avenue, to W228 2nd Avenue in downtown Spokane:
February 27, 1951, in The Spokesman Review
I can only imagine how awful those suits were to wear in the California desert, even in March. My wife tells me that even the modern-day chemical warfare suits are terrible.
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“SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA — Even deadly mustard gas holds no qualms for these soldiers in the chemical warfare service who are ready to fight poisonous, skin-burning gas by wearing clothes–treated in a secret solution–which resist and neutralize any dangerous vapor. They’re shown here decontamination a jeep which was sprayed with mustard gas. 03-19-42”
(Given fireworks have arrived, this article seemed appropriate …) This August 07, 1949, article was published in the Spokesman Review out of Spokane, Washington, but it likely originated from a Wisconsin news report. The article mentions Nicolet National Forest, which is located in Northern Wisconsin, and the event was sponsored by E. W. Schwartz Motors out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One interesting statistic noted was that conservative estimates put the number of jeeps in service in state and national forests at over 1,000 jeeps by the summer of 1949.
Doing some random searches, I learned that during the summer of 1946 several jeep races popped up across the country. One of them was very organized (#2), one was more of a performance (#1), one was impromptu (#4), and one provided no additional information (#3)
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In unrelated news from 1953, this Yakima Ridgerunners photo hit some newspapers across the country. The example below was published in the June 24, 1953, issue of the Spokesman-Review, out of Spokane, Washington. Chet Thompson and Wally Klingele, both names synonymous with the early days of the Ridgerunners, are shown practice-racing for a July 4th event.
The threes article and photos appeared over a series of years. Each shows a different model of the Zamboni Ice Resurfacer. You can learn more about the jeep-chassis models in this post.
MODEL E CJ-3B Version: Based on the ice-delivery-chain-system design on the front, I’d say this is a CJ-3B version of Model E. You can learn more about the CJ-3B versions here.
December 09, 1956, Boston Sunday Globe.
MODEL E CJ-5 Version: This model was the last one to include the jeep body, in this case a CJ-5 body.
March 09, 1955, The Gazette out of Montreal, Canada.
MODEL F: This photo and caption shows a good example of the final jeep-related Zamoni Ice Resurfacer.
December 06, 1957, The Record-Argus out of Greenville, Pennsylvania.
A July 19, 1945, article in the Dayton Herald, out of Dayton, Ohio, covered the jeep demonstration at Charles Sorensen’s farm. Two things about the article stuck out to me. 1) I was surprised to learn that there had been no sales price shared with reports as of the demonstration. 2) The reporter who wrote the article noted that the most interesting piece of equipment was the John Bean Haymaker, which apparently never became a Willys-Overland Special Equipment item, at least not one of which I’m aware. I did find a brochure from a few years later that covered the John Bean Haymaker (see the cover at the bottom of this post).
July 19, 1945, Dayton Herald out of Dayton, Ohio.
What the above article doesn’t mention is that Willys-Overland had hoped to build 20,000 jeeps over the remainder of 1945, at least according to an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer on July 18th:
July 18, 1945, News Messenger out of Fremont, Ohio.
So, why wasn’t the company able to see the 20,000 production figure and instead produced only 1824 CJ-2As? One big factor was that Warner Gear had gone on strike for 12 weeks, stopping production of transmissions that Willys-Overland needed to complete the jeeps. There were probably other reasons as well, but had W-O been able to produce over those 12 weeks what they subsequently manufactured throughout 1946, the company could have come very close to the 20,000 production figure for 1945. In other words, there likely would have been a lot more VECs!
December 22, 1945, Daily Times out of New Philadelphia, Ohio.
