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Keith Buckley and Bob Westerman Narrates Cutaway Jeep Video

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

UPDATE: My apologies for leaving out Bob’s name from this post! Thanks Barry.

Keith Buckley (aka Joe Friday) and Bob Westerman (aka Bob W.) narrate a video for Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum showing off the museum’s cutaway jeep. It’s pretty neat setup. The museum is located in Chicago, Illinois.

 
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The Airstream-Jeep Rabbit Hole

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

Some of you may have seen an image of a CJ-2A setup to pull an Airstream trailer that has gone around Facebook. Unfortunately, there was no history attached to that image. So, that’ got me hunting for more information. Below is my quick education on the Airstream history. I’m sure some of. you folks know more, so correct me if need be.

I was able to find a few more images of that CJ-2A and trailer, which has led me to believe that Airstream founder Wally Byam used that jeep, probably purchased in Europe, to pull his trailer around Europe during Wally’s first trip in 1948, which he used to scout various countries for future caravans. However, I have so far been unable to find anyone explicitly saying that Wally did that. But, the jeep is a CJ-2A, so the timeline fits. The top looks similar to other European tops of the late 1940s, and in Europe I suspect there weren’t many vehicle options at that time. Here are the pics I found, the first being the one circulating on Facebook:

wally-byam-airstream-cj2a

Wally Byam sitting in one of his early trailers. A Cj-2A with a European style top appears to be the pull-rig. I believe this would be 1948.

This photo, clearly in Europe, was posted on this site taken in Turkey, from the 1948 trip:

wally-byam-airstream-cj2a3

And this photo posted on this site. I assume this is in Europe, but cannot confirm it:

wally-byam-airstream-cj2a2

As the Airstream trailer business grew, Wally began encouraging traveling, leading some international caravans himself.

In 1951, he led a trip into Mexico and Central America, using what looks to be an early Jeep Wagon.

wally-byam-airstream-wagon2

I found this example of a wagon pulling a trailer, but can’t determine when or where this occurred.

wally-byam-airstream-wagon1

Eventually, Wally assembled the first around-the-world Airstream caravan that travelled over the course of 1963-1964 30,000 miles through thirty countries with 104 people in 40 Airstream trailers. Here’s a video about one family’s take on the event.

According to the video’s summary, Journalist Mac Smith was hired to document the trip and brought along his wife Jackie and their three children, Lorie, Judy, and Scott. Mac would go on to write an account of the Around the World Caravan in his 1966 book, Thank You, Marco Polo: The Story of the First Around-the-World Trailer Caravan [which appears to be out of print].”

So, as you can see, I kind of fell down a rabbit hole of Airstream history.

 
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1964 Jeep News Volume 10 Number 6

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

Te eight-page 1964 Jeep News Volume 10 Number 6 begins with a record retail sales announcement. These revenue numbers were primarily driven by the three models shown at the bottom of page one, including the Tux Park CJ-5, the Wagonneer, and the Gladiator. Increasing numbers of dealers also helped. Page two mentioned how the golf partnership was already providing beneficial, with inquiries numbering in the hundreds arriving at dealers. Page three shows three of the new KJC-approved “ad mats” available for dealers to place in local newspapers.

Page four highlights a dealer in Ohio that tries to sell a Meyer plow with every jeep sale, claiming it isn’t that hard to do. Page five provides the results of a dealer contest. Page six shares the news of the National Search and Rescue group and their recent election. Page eight turns international, with pics and captions from around the world. On page eight you’ll find the results of Boulder, Colorado’s, 4th annual Jeep-O-Rama. The winner of a brand new CJ-5 was Donnie Beyer, whose father owned a jeep dealership. Pretty good for a 17-year-old kid! Lower on the page is a DJ-3A with an unusual door and top setup. Finally, on the lower right, is a fairly well-know pic of Barb Eden (right) and Shelley Fabares with a DJ-3A Surrey from the movie “Ride the Wild Surf” (see trailer at bottom).

1964-jeep-news-vol10-no6-1 1964-jeep-news-vol10-no6-2 1964-jeep-news-vol10-no6-3 1964-jeep-news-vol10-no6-4 1964-jeep-news-vol10-no6-5

(yes, a Surrey makes a quick appearance in this trailer):

 
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“Wanna See Something Cool” Video of FC-170 Camper

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

Thanks to Geoff for pointing this out to us: Kits Great Western Outdoor Adventure Tours. Now, how do I get ahold of one of those brochures? That’s a great bit of history and would make a great Dispatcher Magazine article.

kits-circle-o-adventure-trip-brochure2 kits-circle-o-adventure-trip-brochure3

 
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“Enter the Baby Buggy” Video

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

Just a few updates today’s , as we spent the day in Seattle and returned to find one of our dogs having locked herself in our garage (for who knows how long) … she was a bit traumatized …

This British “Baby Buggy Video” is an edited version of the Ford video that introduces the Ford GPs to the world, so much of the video may look familiar:

 
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1959 Jeep Commercial

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

I can’t find where I have published this 1959 commercial, so here it is.

 
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Nate’s Playing in the Snow

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

Thanks to Maury for spotting Nate’s snow video. While he plays in the snow, we are surviving the cold. First, our re-done trough water delivery froze, then our well-water seems to have frozen, which remains a mystery as to why. Anyway, we are dry camping at home for the time being. Temps start trending up today, so hopefully this cold snap will be behind us for the remainder of winter.

 
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Merry Christmas, 1983!

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

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.

 
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Jeep Frolics from 1958(ish)

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

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.

 
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1959 Jeep Commercial M-274 Mule

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

This 1959 Jeep commercial was run during the Maverick TV show (and probably other places, too).

 
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Louis Mattar and His Cadillac Fleetwood

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

Scott spotted a story about Louis Mattar and his amazing Cadillac Fleetwood, which he and friends drove non-stop from the west coast to the west coast and back. Later, he drove it from Alaska to Mexico City, again non-stop. The article is worth a read!

Here’s the article from Haggerty: https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/more-than-70-years-ago-louie-mattar-drove-6320-miles-non-stop-in-his-fantastic-perpetual-motion-machine/

And, I found this video:

]

And this earlier video from 1954, which shows them changing the front tire:

Finally, here’s a more modern CBS report about the car’s new home at a San Diego museum:

 
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SEMA 2023 FC-170

• CATEGORIES: FC150-FC170-M677, Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

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).

2023-sema-fc170

 
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Quickly Assembled Jeep Video

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

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.”

 

 
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Electrifying Philippine Jeepneys

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

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):

 
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Russ Lawton’s Interview at the Mason Dixon Event

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

Seth, from the Red Eye Cafe Garage interviewed our friend Russ about his modified wagon.

 
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Mercedes Vs. Willys

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

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.

 
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Patterson Runs Again .. $8000

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

2023-10-01-patterson-1

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.

fc-tour-jeep-worksheet

 
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Ann says, “I like it!”

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

2023-09-19-ann-racer

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).

 
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Jeep Transformers

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

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/

transformer-wagon

And then there is this one. It seems to be a Mitsubishi-jeep–>transformer:

 

 

And, we have this one with a newer jeep:

transformer-newer-jeep

And, if you got to this link, you can see even more of them. I had no idea!

 

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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.

mb-bumble-transformers-auction3

Continue reading

 
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Video: Salvage Workshop Saves Five Jeeps and Parts

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

Barry shared this cool video showing a Salvage Workshops great find: five jeeps and parts.

 
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Video: 1972 Darien Gap Adventure

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

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.

 
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Yakima Ridge Runners Early Jeeping Videos

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

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).

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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.

 
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Video Reviving a 1965 CJ-5

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

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.

 
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Wagon @ Magnolia Silos in Waco, TX

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

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.

waco-wagon-mike-lores

I also found a video online:

 
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Videos — The 1977 Yakima Mud Race Yakima, Wa

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

UPDATE: I haven’t recycled this point since 2009, so many might not have seen it.

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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: