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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 .
Or, a reader from Israel, has been trying to locate more information (especially the model number) about the Compact Willys Truck I have temporarily labeled a Tender. While doing that research, he spotted a brief clip of some Willys Wagons, Trucks and the Kaizer-Ilin plant in Israel (but no Compact Willys Trucks visible).
Look at minute mark 4.22 through 4.43.
Or also spotted another example of the Compact Truck in Israel:
Pete, who operates the OldWillysForum, contacted me the other day to let me know he lives just down the road from me near Hailey, Idaho. When not working on cars, Pete designs beautiful homes. Check them out at andersonarc.com!
Pete and his kids have been doing some work on a wagon that they recently made road worthy. He shared a video with me that you can view below. It’s always great to see a wagon on the trail, but the best part of the video are the short, funny comments made by his son.
UPDATE: This is also known as a “Jiffy Jeep”
I thought I had posted a similar video about a competition; maybe I just saw that video somewhere. Anyhow, this is a fun video to watch. Thanks for forwarding it Felix! If the video doesn’t work, try going here.
After reading the “Surviving a Nuclear Blast“, Rich forwarded this Civil Defense Video hosted at archive.org. At the 2:45 mark, you’ll see the red wagon below. I think it would be interesting to do a restoration like this. There’s a few other jeeps in the video as well, though no close up shots like this one.
HOG spotted this video. I really thought the river would win …
In 
an email today, Jeff mentioned a movie I had not heard of called DIRT (IMDB Link). Released in 1979, the movie follows a narrator around as he explores the wide-world of offroad racing. It’s got some especially great/scary clips of early auto racing. The rest of the movie shows all kinds of different offroad racing in the US during the late 70s (sand, water, hill climbs, baja, snow climbs, and more). One item I had hoped to see, but didn’t, was PNW racing, though I didn’t have time to watch every clip.
Currently, you can watch the movie for free via YouTube. However, you can also order a DVD from Turner Classic Movies (about $11) or from Amazon.com (About $6).
Here’s the first YouTube installment. At the end of each installment, there is a link to the following installment (10 total).
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=MfByldRKTo4
Well, it might be more marketing than history, but it’s interesting none-the-less. Here’s a look at the early toyota AK-10 & BJ.
Randy forwarded me this video about a recreation of a 1943 drive in a Willys Jeep around Killymoon Castle, Cookstown, Northern Ireland. The folks at the Wartimeliving History Association helped make this video. The video is dedicated to the men of the 505th regimental combat team 82nd Airborne Division United States Army, Stationed in Cookstown Northern Ireland 9th December 1943 to 13th February. I don’t have any history about the original drive.
UPDATE: These are also known as ‘Jiffy Jeeps’.
This reminds of the images from the Olyslager Organization’s book The Jeep which show the speedily assembly of a jeep from a crate.
Dave (HOG) pointed me to this video. Dennis was asked to do something ‘a little different’ so he came up with an idea to spell the word ‘jeep’ using jeeps. If this has been done before, I haven’t seen it. In the video, Dennis doesn’t mention the effort was like herding cats, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was. For the next trick, let’s try spelling WILLYS?
http://www.thonline.com/multimedia/?id=3226
Doug suggested I do a search at Youtube on “Willys Jeep Tracks”. I found two interesting videos.
In this video, a CJ-2A is fitted with tracks, one track on each side.
In this video, a jeep wrangler is fitted with tracks on each wheel
Thanks to Randy for forwarding this amazing footage from a color 16mm camera that captures Waikiki on VJ Day. Look at the number of people standing on vehicles — they are nuts! Also, check out the yellow Shore Patrol Jeep. I hadn’t seen a yellow one before.
VJ Day, Honolulu Hawaii, August 14, 1945 from Richard Sullivan on Vimeo.
If I owned one of these FC snowblowers, I’d move to a snowier climate. That looks fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=KNeXFziURtQ&feature=related
Dave spotted this Kaiser Era Commercial that was uploaded to Youtube by Brendan, who runs this-old-jeep.com. Brendan has found and uploaded a variety of similar videos also. Here’s the commercial:
UPDATE: Bruce let me know that there were three different windshields sported by the DJ-3A:
1. The typical 3A type with the vent that opens up;
2. It also came with what is referred to as the 3B WS frame. That green jeep (see below) probably has it’s original WS frame;
3. The 3rd style is the ventilating WS frame that is similar to the 2a frame in
that the glass tilts outward. This 3rd type is very rare and I have only
seen one DJ with the 3rd style
OVERVIEW
I’ve been meaning to write this history of sorts about the DJ-3A ever since I received this information from Bruce last October. Many thanks to Bruce for his tireless effort to understand the DJ-3A and his desire to share this information with the world-at-large.
I would still not consider this post finished, as I’m sure a few of you have some interesting details to add or correct.
THE GOAL:
My goal here is to take Bruce’s information and organize it in a way to make sense of this strange thing called the DJ-3A Dispatcher Gala Surrey Not-quite-a-CJ-3A colorful Jeep. I want to differentiate between these three models — DJ-3A/DJ-3A dispatcher, DJ-3A Gala, and the DJ-3A Surrey — so that I can better evaluate these vehicles when I run across them for sale.
So, let’s begin:
One of the more confusing series of jeeps I’ve encountered are the DJ-3A, the DJ-3A Gala and the DJ-3A Surrey. However, thanks to both information from Bruce (who also supplied Derek Redmond with much of the DJ-3A Gala Surrey information and pics on the CJ-3B Page) and an article in the December 2009 issue of Vintage Truck Magazine, I *think* I have a much better feel for this topic.
Importantly, and for clarification, based on all the research I have reviewed, there appears to be no such thing as a DJ-3A Gala Surrey (and I’m as responsible as anyone for describing them that way). The literature I have received from Bruce refers to either a DJ-3A Gala or a DJ-3A Surrey. The Gala’s were promoted as Gala’s at the international resorts and Hawaii (which became a state in 1959, which might explain why this was being handled like an international sale).
THE DJ-3A & DJ-3A DISPATCHER:
The DJ-3A was introduced in 1955. It used the body style of the older CJ-3A, along with the L-134 engine. Unlike the CJ-3A, it came with either a column shift or top loader three-speed T-96 manual transmission. It was offered with many different body options including a soft top, hard top, or even a full van body. Some of these body options made changes to the body necessary, including some that had no tailgates so the spare tire could mount in the rear.
Others, like the DJ-3A Dispatchers, had differently shaped passenger and driver sides to allow easy entry & exit of the vehicle (I assume those were the reasons). With all these different body options, it is no wonder many of us, and yours truly as well, were confused about what constitutes a DJ-3A.
Thus far, everything I’ve learned suggests that there were no 4wd DJ-3A’s produced. So, if you encounter a 4wd DJ-3A, it’s been modified.
Probably, the most distinctive, unique, and consistent body attribute of a DJ-3A is the large speedometer, similar to the CJ-5 and the post-1955 CJ-3B speedometers. It was the only ‘low hood’ flat fender produced with the large speedometer.
EXAMPLES:
Below is a Convertible DJ-3A. You can see the lack of 4wd in the front. Click on the picture to see more pictures. Though I thought the below windshield was from a CJ-3B, Bruce provided a correction to that statement. He says some DJ-3As came with a 3B SW Frame, and he believes that’s what we are looking at in this pic.
Here’s an example from Chris of a DJ-3A without a tailgate.
Here’s a DJ-3A Dispatcher example (note cutout sides) with a tail gate:
And here’s another nice dispatcher with a top:
THE DJ-3A GALA:
In early 1959, the DJ-3A Gala was introduced and marketed to vacation locations in an attempt to offer rentable transportation solutions for vacationers visiting resorts. According to the article below, the idea was the brain child of the Las Brisas Resort in Acapulco, Mexico, which painted a few jeeps pink and offered them to consumers. Louis Yocich, a Willys dealer, spotted them and brought the idea back to the factory. To this day, the Las Brisas resort and hotel still refers to itself as a ‘Pink and White Paradise” (see quality control comment).
MUCH MUCH More information. This post was simply too big to put on the front page:
This is an edited version of an ad for a Holden-modified ambulance for sale in 2010 (or maybe it wasn’t a Holden?). Now it contains some information on Holden-Modified Jeeps.
This video shows a Holden at Iwo Jima:
Here are some photos of a Holden modified jeep that was for sale in 2010.
A couple weeks ago some of the folks from the PNW4WDA put on another barrel racing show in the Tacoma Dome. There’s only room for two barrels, rather than three, but it still looks like fun. Here’s a few videos from the event.
This was fun to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmD6pbHKjn0
Somewhere, I think I have posted the pics from this place. But, I can’t find them.
Here’s some videos of what would best be called a Jeep Graveyard, located somewhere near Virginia I believe. There are four videos total. Obviously, not the best video, but still interesting. You can see still pics here: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f22/jeep-graveyard-657326/
Ever since I saw the movie about Preston Tucker I always wanted to check out one of his cars in person (which I talk about here). Despite the fact I found one near my Sister’s house in Roy, Wa, I still haven’t gotten there yet! Btw, here’s the official Tucker Car Club Site.
Prior to building the Tucker cars, he lead the development of a Combat Car. To my surprise, today I found a video of the Tucker Combat Car. Designed for World War II, but never purchased by the Military (to the best of my knowledge), the film mentions and shows the car; strangely, I never really thought this was real until I saw it in this video.
Here is an original video press release (parts 1 & 2) that explains Tucker and his new car.
And, a video promo of the movie Tucker- The Man and His Dream
I’ve been enjoying some fun time with my kids during the past week; driving the jeep has become one of the favorite activities, despite the freezing temps. I finally got brave enough to let Karson drive off in it by himself (well, only around the block). So, here’s a video of it for those interested.
One of the things I’ve been noticing as I watch the video is that the jeep slopes backwards more than intended. But, that doesnt’ trouble me too much, because I had planned to change out the stock XJ springs for some XJ springs with a 2″ lift. Well, either that or I can mount the springs over the top. For now, they’ll work fine though.
I stumbled upon this cool waterfall. Maybe some of you have seen something similar, but it’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it. It seems like to me that if you arranged a bunch of these in a row that you could create a 3D model out of falling water.
Here’s two videos I found today. The first video is a compilation of color footage that follows the landing at D-Day. I thought it was very good. I believe a little of this footage also was used in the WWII in HD series that was shown on the History Channel (some great footage there).
This video also includes a jeep called Hocus Pocus Focus. I searched for the phrase Hocus Pocus Focus, thinking I might come up with some meaning for it, but the only thing I found was that a band would name themselves Hocus Pocus Focus several decades after WWII.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvZCDfhoNxA
The second video is a nicely shot video that shows a rebuilt 1943 GPW and trailer. It’s one of the better videos I’ve seen on YouTube in terms of quality of shots and editing.
Bill, who runs this great Bantam Website, forwarded me a link to the below video which reveals the results of a four year Bantam Reconnaissance Car Pilot recreation completed by Duncan Rolls.
From the YouTube website, Watch a perfectly authentic re-creation of the original Bantam Reconnaissance Car Pilot (the world’s first jeep) go on-road and off in a demonstration by builder Duncan Rolls. The Pilot Re-creation required over 3500 hours of work to build. The drive components are original Bantam and Continental parts, as are the gauge cluster and other parts (a total of 60 per cent of the vehicle). Duncan made the chassis and body completely by hand. The only original sheet metal was a stock Bantam cowl, but even that had to be widened by six inches, just like the original was. The original Pilot, delivered to the Army at Camp Holabird, MD on September 23, 1940, was lost to history after successful testing.
While it’s not a jeep in form, it certainly captures the spirit of a jeep in function. Two alternators, three batteries, and a host of features make this an unusual vehicle. The most recent cheap jeep was launched in 1974 for the purpose of desert and mountain travel, not unlike the way original mountain bikers back in 1976 utilized old tough schwinn bikes to tackle the mountains. It’s singular purpose –the next ghost town or bust — was a cheap, but dependable vehicle capable of on road and off road travel for thousands of miles over the period of a week. This vehicle is still used and images and video from 2009 can be found on the website along with links to all the places these intrepid adventurers have visited over the past years (scroll to the bottom of the homepage). View the video below to learn a little bit about the unusual features of this vehicle (or go to their video page).
Steve Ricketts writes on the westernghosts.com website, In 1974, I acquired a 1966 Pontiac convertible from another customer. This time the price was $75.00. Like the Chrysler Imperial, the Pontiac needed a lot of work. After extensive engine repair and a transmission rebuild and modification, it was able to be driven to my house where the first Cheap Jeep (Chrysler Imperial) was stored. The transformation from old cheap jeep to new cheap jeep began. The finished product is what you see today.
It is highly modified, and works better for our purposes than anything we could buy today. It is easy to repair on the road, and parts are readily available. It carries more than “regular” jeeps and is a lot cheaper to replace should it become necessary to abandon. I would really hate to take a $30,000+, four wheel drive (Blazer/Bronco, etc.) on one of these trips. At the very least, the paint and body would be badly damaged. It would also be next to impossible to repair in the field, and a very real possibility exists that I would someday have to abandon it. After all these years of use and modification, I still have less than $800.00 invested in the Cheap Jeep…and that includes the original purchase price.”