emailNeed to contact me and don't have my email? Click on email button.
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 .
There were some jeeps at SEMA 2023 this year, but one of the most interesting was a rebuilt FC-170 by Roy. The excerpt starts at 2;27. (I can’t tell what the narrator is saying, because my sound isn’t working tonight for some reason).
Bill shared this quick-assemble jeep video, though this doesn’t quite look as quick as others we’ve seen.
What’s more interesting is that one of the comments under the video shares how some US jeep dealers ran some contests challenging folks to assemble actual jeeps completely taken apart. This is the first I have heard about this type of contest. I wonder if it was ever documented in any news articles or magazines. Here is the full comment:
“My grandfather’s garage did this in the 1950’s. He owned the first Jeep dealership in Manhattan, because he was selling Willy’s before WWII, so automatically became a Jeep dealership after the War. [Willys] did a promotion where they set up this contest in different dealerships, to see how long to assemble an entire Jeep. But it was completely apart, not in sub assemblies like here. My grandfather won with a time under 4 hours, and they presented him with a solid gold Bulova watch. On the back was engraved his name, the date, and the time it took to put the Jeep together.”
With the Philippine government’s decision to modernize public transportation comes the need to make the famous Jeepneys more environmentally friendly. To that end, the 76-year-old Franciso Motors company has partnered with Tembo, who will provide electrification kits to Franciso Motors. Francisco spotted this older Jeepney, noting it was one the company built.
Francisco Jeepney makes both public transportation-sized Jeepneys and smaller, more familiar-sized jeep-like vehicles called Oners (if I understand the site correctly). .
Here is Elmer Francisco describing his goal with electric Jeepneys (takes a about a minute to get to the interview):
Seth, from the Red Eye Cafe Garage interviewed our friend Russ about his modified wagon.
Ann spotted this video by the Jeep Guy. It’s part of a series of videos spoofing high end vehicles vs. not-so-high-end vehicles.
I spent Saturday and part of Sunday working through some fuel system issues. What I thought was a bad fuel pump (I spent a short time on it this spring) seems to have been some kind of blockage in the line. So, I drained the tank (the updated stainless rear tank has a drain at the bottom), blew the line, then refilled with new gas and, viola, it ran. I think it just sat too long at mom and dad’s. I also replaced the old generator (which didn’t work) with one given to me by Joe-in-Mesa during our Feb visit. So far, it seems to be working.
Below is a short video clip. So, that makes 2 of 4 jeeps running! That’s progress!
The downside for me with this jeep is that I don’t fit in it well (too long of legs). it could also use an alignment. Finally, I wish the brakes stopped a little better, but that’s not a priority at the moment.
The body is rust free. You can drive it as is or repaint and restore it. The jeep includes a very rare Allstate window wash spray system and an equally rare Vacuum tank that adds power for operating the windshield wipers (one is missing a blade .. I haven’t needed to use them).
Being a convertible model, it has the original windshield with twist knobs across the top. I have nearly all the convertible top parts that attached to the body. The convertible loop only has the main bar, not the secondary bar that leaned off the back of the main bar. There is not soft top either.
The tow setup includes a towbar (not shown) that connects to a bracket mounted on the front bumper that uses stock holes, so the bumper remains unmolested.
So, if someone wants to buy this from me for $8000, contact me at d @ deilers.com.
I’ll throw in this three axle trailer for another $8000. I bought it along with the FC Tour jeep, but I think this trailer with just be sitting around and not used much. Since we already have a tilt trailer that can handle the FC, I don’t really need this one. I can take more pics or supply more info if anyone is interested. We towed it from Arizona and, once we got the wiring sorted out, it worked great for us.
I installed the new master cylinder for the clutch. The pedal is a bit more stiff due to the larger bore, but it does the job. I wanted Ann to test it to make sure she could operate the clutch, so she took it for a cruise (and kept the speed down to keep the grass intact).
At the bottom of this post is the Bumblebee jeep that became a transformer in one of the transformer movies. A couple days ago, Frank sent me another example (only an image) of a transformer jeep, which led men to a few more as well. I don’t know who created this wagon–>transformer image, but here is a link to where I found a copy: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/290904457152965781/
And then there is this one. It seems to be a Mitsubishi-jeep–>transformer:
And, we have this one with a newer jeep:
And, if you got to this link, you can see even more of them. I had no idea!
=================
August 24, 2019: Tim discovered that this is back up for sale. The auction is set for August 31, 2019. Starting price is $20,000.
https://www.auctionzip.com/auction-lot/Bumblebee-2018-Screen-Used-Hero-Willys-Jeep-W-L_A3540B7B53
======================
Previous post from August 2018 with updates:
On August 25th, the jeep (GPW frame with MB body?) used in the upcoming Transformers was up for auction. It’s unclear whether it sold or not (I suspect not). The starting bid at that time was $19,000.
As you can see in the pics, this MB isn’t all stock. It appears to have a GPW front crossmember. Another pic, from the top rear, suggests it has MB toolboxes.
In the movie, the Bumblebee character starts off as a jeep, but soon becomes a VW, remaining a VW for the remainder of the movie.
Barry shared this cool video showing a Salvage Workshops great find: five jeeps and parts.
Over the weekend I had time to bend the side bars and create the initial mounting brackets for the side bars. But, my metal saw blade for my evolution chop saw (which has been great) gave out due to an unanticipated dust bag mount project–to help deter flies– for the cows.
I had planned to do updates last night, but, as seems to be a regular occurrence, life got in the way, again. But, thanks to Bill, I found this interesting adventure through the Darien Gap from 1972.
UPDATE: I first posted this March 29, 2011. It includes a dialogue with my late mother, where she explains that the Naches Trail was my first jeeping excursion (it was likely 1966 and I would have been around 1 year old).
================================
JPZombie has posted several vintage videos on Youtube. Here are a few showing the club in the Naches Trail area west of Yakima in Washington State.
Mike shared this video of Davin and Jeff working to revive this 1966 CJ-5 with a Meyer Cab. Made in Canada, the serial number places the production of this jeep at the end of December.
Mike shared this photo with me a few weeks ago during this trip through Texas. The wagon looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it, so I’d planned to circle back when I had some time for research.
I finally discovered why I recognized it. Tim Evans and his wife had their photos taken in front of it during their visit in 2017, which I posted at that time. Tim noted in his email to me that Magnolia Silos had been featured on HGTV, and those folks who know of the Silos are also familiar with ChIp and Jo Gaines (my mother was a big fan). The wagon is a popular photo op and you can see some of those photos here. Given we were in Waco in 2017, I’m not sure how we missed doing our own photo op there.
I also found a video online:
UPDATE: I haven’t recycled this point since 2009, so many might not have seen it.
=====================
Originally posted Feb 26, 2009: This is another set of excerpts from an episode of Exploration Northwest called ‘Mud Race’. As I reported in the post about the Meeker, aka Naches, Trail post, Linda McCune from the Don McCune Library kindly has given me permission to provide some clips from the Jeeping1 DVD, a collection of 3 episodes of Exploration Northwest related to pacific northwest jeeping. To order this DVD, you can contact Linda McCune at 206 726-2650 and ask for the Jeeping1 DVD. It costs $24.95. I encourage you to purchase is as she has the video for a Jeeping2 DVD, but has not created it yet.
The race was sponsored by the Yakima Jeep Jockeys, a club formed in 1963. They began their 4×4 Championship Racing series in 1971.
The Mud Bowl episode was shown in 1977. Mostly, it follows Jim Merritt as he prepares for the race, discussing a little about how they silicone various items to keep out water. Plenty of video showing different stages of the race. It’s a bit reminiscent of the Florida swamp races, though the water holes aren’t quite as deep or long (If you have never heard of it, you can read about the Florida swamp races at four wheeler’s online magazine and here’s a you tube video from a 1996 race).
From the Mud Race episode, I selected two clips. Clip one shows Jim getting ready to race and shows the driver’s pre-race meeting. The second clip shows the final race with Bill Smith from Tacoma taking the win.
Here’s Clip One:
Here’s Clip Two:
Bill shared this video overview of the Mitsubishi jeep history.
Maury shared this video from AMC Jeep. I was 18 when this came out in 1983. I’m sure I must have seen this on TV and I hazily remember the folks riding a bison, but don’t remember the full commercial.
Bill shared this article from Silodome on the Austin Champ. It included the below video.
Bill shared this link to a Roxor owner’s review after having owned and driven a Roxor for one year. He seems to be enjoying it!
I just don’t see owning Roxor over owning the Polaris Ranger we have. That rig has been great for farm work.
Bill shared this video of a 1950 CJ-3A extracted from a collapsed barn.
Roger Martin shared this link. This Golden Eagle isn’t for sale, but this low mileage CJ-5 would have been fun to find. The video is from this page: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/world-s-lowest-mileage-1979-jeep-golden-eagle-comes-out-of-the-barn-after-36-years-213508.html
Steve let me know this video of the 2022 Summer Convention had been published.
After our wayward trip to Phoenix, I’m back in the shop making progress on the racer. The rear sway bar has been added and some rear bump stops should be done soon (once I get some more welding rod). That will complete the rear suspension repairs/mods.
Once I finish the mount for the gas tank and battery, the rear area will be complete. Then comes the floors and cowl area, after which is the seats, the wiring (most of it just needs to be re-run), and, finally, mounting, prepping and painting the body. May 1 is still the goal.
Chris shared this footage from a 1962 ‘Jeep’ Commercial hosted at Indiana University’s Media Collections Online.
The video’s summary: The commercial shows which Jeeps were used in the movie “Hatari!”. The commercial portrays the different Jeeps as actors that were cast for specific roles and worked with the movie stars John Wayne, Red Buttons, and Elsa Martinelli. The Jeeps are shown in several movie clips driving across Tanzanian and herding animals.
Mike shared this video from Steve Magnante as he showcases an early Wagoneer.
Chris shared this footage from a 1962 ‘Jeep’ Commercial hosted at Indiana University’s Media Collections Online.
The commercial’s summary: A man receives a distress call from someone stuck on the side of a cliff. The man race across difficult terrain in his Jeep. The man rescues the person from cliff by using the winch on his Jeep
Here’s the link: https://media.dlib.indiana.edu/media_objects/cz30qc90p
Mike shared this video of Steve Magnante’s close look at an FC-150 in a junkyard. There’s some parts value. For information on buying this vehicle, send email to: paulcrosiervt @ gmail.com (remove spaces around the @).
