Four-Wheeler-Magazine Research Archives

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September 1966 Eastern European Caravan

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

UPDATE: More information on the goal of Kaiser-Jeep’s 1966 Eastern European Caravan. This article was published on page 7 of the May 14, 1966, issue of International Commerce, a US Department of Commerce Weekly magazine. In it, the Commerce Department’s ostensible goal was as an “imaginative technique to promote U.S. Exports”, as part to the U.S. Government’s continuing effort to promote East-West Trade. It’s possible the trip was underwritten in some form (cash or government favors or both) to encourage Kaiser-Jeep to participate.

1966-05-14-international-commerce-jeep-caravan-eastern-europe1-pg7 1966-05-14-international-commerce-jeep-caravan-eastern-europe2-pg7

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This September 1966 Four Wheeler Magazine article describes the scene when the Kaiser-Jeep sponsored Eastern European Caravan crossed into (then) Czechoslovakia, as a line of restored and refurbed jeeps awaited them. Remember, that no new parts had even available to these die-hard jeep fans since 1946, making their rebuilds even more remarkable. The Prague Jeep Club alone had more than 300 jeeps and 400 members.

The 1966 Jeep News Volume 12 Number 3 has more information.

1966-09-four-wheeler-european-caravan1 1966-09-four-wheeler-european-caravan2 1966-09-four-wheeler-european-caravan3

 
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June 1959 Jeep Service and Parts News

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

This issue of Jeep Service and Parts News is one of about twenty issues I obtained. This is the earliest one I have. I am unsure when these bulletins began, but given this is volume eight, then this must have started someone around 1953? These likely were tossed or destroyed pretty quickly.

1959-06-jeep-parts-and-service-news1 1959-06-jeep-parts-and-service-news2 1959-06-jeep-parts-and-service-news3

 
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Oct 1968 Review of the Wagoneer V8

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

Kaiser-Jeep must have arranged to have this article, originally printed for Four Wheeler Magazine, printed as a stand-alone ad piece for dealers and prospective customers. It’s printed in black and white, rather than color, and is eight pages. The form number is 69-02, suggesting this run was printed in Feb of 1969.

1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler1 1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler2 1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler3 1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler4 1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler5

 
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Oct 1968 Review of the Wagoneer V8

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

Kaiser-Jeep must have arranged to have this article, originally printed for Four Wheeler Magazine, printed as a stand-alone ad piece for dealers and prospective customers. It’s printed in black and white, rather than color, and is eight pages. The form number is 69-02, suggesting this run was printed in Feb of 1969.

1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler1 1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler2 1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler3 1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler4 1968-10-wagoneer-v8-review-four-wheeler5

 
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Parmley Engineering’s Jeep Replacement Body

• CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine, Old News Articles • TAGS: , , , , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Zac shared a Parmley that he inherited along with a document that shows some pricing and states it was designed for the 81″ chassis.

parmley-receipt1

parmley-receipt-blue-body2

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Originally posted in 2013, with some pic updates over the years:

As many of you know, I am very curious about the fiberglass aftermarket bodies made for the jeep.  While I’ve seen most models for sale over the years, I have yet to run across Parmley Engineering’s fiberglass body, one of the more unique ones ever created.

After wrecking his CJ-5 in the early 1970s, Californian Tom Parmley, a machinist by trade, decided to build himself a better body for his still-good chassis.  He wanted the body to legally accommodate  wider tires, a dash box with more room, a hood that was lower, and other features.  So, he built and tested his dream body with great success.  Along the way, he received so much positive feedback that he created a kit so others could easily install a Parmley body on their CJ-5 Chassis.

So far, I have only located two resources that document this body.  One is the February 1974 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine, which featured a multi-page article about the new body.  Additionally, at least two issues of Four Wheeler Magazine also have ads for the Parmley body kit.  The other resource is a June 1975 Popular Mechanics article.  The Pop-Mech article also shows off the fiberglass top he invented (at least I assume it is fiberglass).

Here are a couple publicity photos taken by Tom Parley and published in the Feb 1974 issue of Four Wheeler:

1974-02-four-wheeler-parmely1-lores 1974-02-four-wheeler-parmely2-lores 1974-02-four-wheeler-parmely3-lores

This image shows the Parmley with a top and is from Popular Mechanics.  Note the top example sports Desert Dogs …

1975-06-pg11-parmley-fiberglass-cj5-body

Here is a Parmley-bodied jeep on the cover of a the May 1978 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine.

1978-05-fourwheeler-parmley

This Parmley Engineering ad appeared on the back of January 1974 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine:

1974-01-fourwheeler-parmley-ad-backcover-lores

Bob Christy wasn’t sure what this vehicle was when he photographed it in 2008, but now we know.

bob-parmley-jeep-ohio

This Parmely sold in 2015 and included a rare top:

parmley-bodied-jeep-lores

This one sold in 2017:

1970-cj5-parmley-loveland-co3

This one sold in 2022:

parmely-jeep-body2

 
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1962 Article on a CJ-5 Build

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

This May 1962 article in Four Wheeler magazine highlighted a few things. First, it’s a really clean build. I wish the pics were in color, as it’s deserving of some great photos.

Second, if I understand correctly, the rear bumper is actually a gas tank. I’m not sure I like that plan so much.

Third, given this jeep is near Colorado Springs, it probably has the Thor Electro-matic hubs, which allow a push button engaging of the front hubs. And, because they are short hubs, the front wheel covers can be placed over them.

Fourth, this has an early vacuum brake assist. Herm carries a newer version of this.

Fifth, the White top on this jeep is beautifully styled in my opinion.

Photos

 
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Desert Dog History and Ads

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

UPDATE: After spotting an ad I hadn’t published yet (seen below), I realized that there was Desert Dog history that existed among various posts. So, this combines all that into more of a narrative.

Scannable Document

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If you have read eWillys for any length of time, you know I’ve been a fan of Desert Dog tires for years. I still have eight desert dogs, some solid lettering and some outlined, as shown in the pic below:xmas_2011_biscuit19_ditch3_lores

According to Louis Larson, the Desert Dog tire was launched in 1970. He knows this, because in 1970 he became the first person to test out the new style of tires (see the bottom of this CJ-3B Page article). The tires were given to Louis for testing and photographing.

David Maxwell, a former Formula tires salesman, reported that the tires were always made by Armstrong, but marketed through the Formula brand, the president of which was a friend of David’s (see David’s comment and many others on this post). The company made a large number of retreads, so a number of tires also had Firestone on the side, too.

The tires proved popular quickly. Les Schwab was a big fan of them and ran them on his jeep (jeeps?). He also sold both new and retread tires out of his main shop in Prineville (see Les Schwab’s biography here).

For PNW jeepers, the tires were a perfect blend for racing and for jeeping and the varied terrains of the PNW (sand, gravel, rocks, mountain sides, mud, etc … as Joe1148 highlights in his comment here .. though I can attest to it as well). On the downside, their road life was short (some estimate about 10k miles) and they tended to be noisy. The tires’ popularity gained them prominence, and soon they were added to charts showing tire options, such as this January 1972 ad:

1972-01-mini-terra-trail-blazer-desertdog

By 1973, Desert Dogs were being advertised in Four Wheeler Magazine (ads at the bottom of this post) and sold across the country. This Smith Jeep, Inc. ad from North Franklin, Connecticut, in the July 1973 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine is one example of an East Coast offering:

Scannable Document

Eventually, the Formula brand expand its offering. I don’t know when each of these tires was introduced (I think this ad is from 1975, but have to confirm it), but Formula was soon offering more tires choices:

desert-dog-X-tra-Formula-Tires

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King Top Manufacturing Company

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

UPDATE: This post has been merged and reworked after I figured out that the two tops were actually related. 

In July of 1963, Fresno-based Automotive Fiberglass Company placed an advertisement in Four Wheeler magazine for its new fiberglass hardtop. I wonder if the builder of this top was also a member of the Fresno Jeep Club?

This is the 1963 ad:

1963-07-fourwheeler-fiberglass-top-ad

July 1963 Ad from Automotive Fiberglass

This Automotive Fiberglass top appeared on a CJ-5 for sale in Fresno in 2010. It is the only jeep I’ve seen with an Automotive Fiberglass Top:

CJ-5 with 1963 fiberglass hardtop from Automotive Fiberglass. 

TIMELINE —
July 1963:
Automotive Fiberglass places ad in Four Wheeler Magazine;

November 1963: Top King Manufacturing files design patent for an altered version of the Automotive Fiberglass top;
February 1964: Top King top is advertised in the Four Wheeler Magazine;
September 1964: A more detailed ad is placed in Four Wheeler Magazine.

A few months after the Automotive Fiberglass advertisement, two design patents were filed and assigned to Top King Manufacturing. You’ll note that the rear side-angle has been reversed. The mid-section insert piece for the side was also changed, altered from a triangle shape to a rhombus shape.  Here’s the design patent information from the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office:

 

1963-design-patents-jeep-top-king

November 1963 Design Patent filing for Top King. Note that I haven’t had the time to investigate the designers mentioned in the patent. 

By February 1964, King Top was advertising the newly redesigned top in Four Wheeler Magazine. Curiously, the company listed its name as the Top King Fiberglass Company rather than Top King Manufacturing (could be a relic from the Automotive Fiberglass company days):

1964-02-fourwheeler-pg42-king-top-fiberglass-ad-lores

February 1964 Ad from Top King.

Seven months later, this second ad was placed in the September 1964 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine. The company had corrected its name for the ad back to Top King Manufacturing. Additionally, Top King announced it would soon have flatfender versions of the top available, along with a half cab version. Have any of these survived?

1964-09-four-wheeler-top-king-fresno-ad-lores

September 1964 Ad from Top King Manufacturing.

 
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1968 Tierra Del Sol Jeep Club Desert Safari

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

UPDATE: This 2008 post is incomplete. I will update it with the full story when I get a chance.

The 1968 issue had an article that underscores how popular jeeping had become.  One event in California, the Desert Safari, organized by the Tierra Del Sol 4wd club, brought in 600 jeeps and over 2500 people.   Below is the cover story’s picture.

 
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Fred Weis and the Bobcat History

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

Yesterday morning, SteveK asked to know more about the Bobcat products. Were they race products or something else? The terminology is so second hand, that I thought everyone knew it by now. I decided to send him a link to an article I thought I had published about Fred Weis and the Bobcat body from the February 1970 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine. It turns out I never published that article!

So, I’d like to publish (perhaps I am republishing it) to better explain the Bobcat body and products. At the post’s bottom I’ve included a number of additional examples and information about the Bobcat. Then, on the next post, I discuss the Bobcat & Parkette fiberglass body histories.

1970-02-fourwheeler-fred-weis-bobcat4-lores

Note the Cascade 4×4 club sticker on the hood.

1970-02-fourwheeler-fred-weis-bobcat-text

1970-02-fourwheeler-fred-weis-bobcat-lores

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Ad for an Autodyne Hardtop

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

UPDATE: A search revealed a second ad, this time in the December 1968 issue of Desert Magazine (pg 34). That same issue also included ad for VW fenders by the same company (pg 42). 
1968-12-desert-magazine-autodyne-hardtop-ad

This fiberglass hardtop for CJ-5s was advertised in the November 1968 issue of Four Wheeler. I’ve never run crossed one.

1968-11-four-wheeler-magazine-autodyne-hardtop-ad

1968 Desert Magazine Ad of the VW fenders:

1968-12-desert-magazine-vw-fenders-autodyne

 
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Directions for Muller Custom Top

• CATEGORIES: Artists/Drawings, Features, How To, Magazine • TAGS: , , , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Hard to believe it has been almost three years since I published this post!

I discovered these directions for the Muller Custom Top in the August 1965 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine that we’ve seen on nicely modified Fresno area Jeeps.  I’m considering building one of these for Biscuit and selling my Kayline.

Page 40 (last page of article) below:1965-08-fourwheeler-muller-top-pg40

 
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The McCain Hub Winch

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

UPDATE: Not many of these winches around.

While going through some old Four Wheeler Magazines, I came across two different ads for a McCain Hub Winch.  As best as I can tell, you attach it to the front hub, wind a cable or rope around it, and then start the front wheels turning, which would pull the jeep forward.  Also, the February 1969 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine has an article about the winch, but the seller wants $25 for it.  I’ll wait until the price drops.

This first pic is an ad for the winch:

This second pic shows an ad for Chachua’s Four Wheel Drive Center.  If you see #2, you can read about the hubs:

 

 
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National Four Wheel Drive Association Photo From Ad

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

This National Four Wheel Drive Association Photo appeared in the February 1964 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine near the back cover.

1964-02-fourwheeler-photo-insidecover

 

 
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Ad for Hickey 4×4 in Four Wheeler Magazine

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

I ran across this unusual ad for the complete setup for an unusual 4×4 in the February 1964 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine. The prototypes and parts were being sold by Vic Hickey (or he was acting as an agent). Anyone have more information on this? It appears to be a four wheel drive dune buggy.

1964-02-fourwheeler-hickey-fourwheeler-ad

 
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March 1964 Issue of Four Wheeler Magazine on eBay

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

I like the cover photo.

“Some of the articles in this issue
supercharger kit for jeep and scout
land rover conversion chevy V8 swap
jeep wagoneer can holder easy way to solve a tricky problem
lady on the trail wives take to four wheeling too,with a little humoring
mighty 1944 military jeep the fanciest military in years
new convertible top for jeep gladiator
pancho villa land four wheel drive trip over old mexican trails
ghost towning in southern CA in the pinto mountains”

View all the information on ebay

1964-03-fourwheeler-magazine

 
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Shot of Jim Carter from Vintage Four Wheeler Magazine

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

I bought a May 1975 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine, because it was cheap. I didn’t find anything interesting in it until stumbled across a picture of Jim Carter racing through mud on the last page. Jim and his wife Patti were long time friends of my parents and encouraged them to join the fledgling Wandering Willys Jeep Club. Those that have read my book might recognize the name.

For an unknown reason, JIm isn’t racing their jeep Otis, but someone else’s (or this photo is earlier than 1975). I do recognize that helmet though.

1975-05-fourwheeler-jim-carter-peak-putters-lores

 
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Mini Terror Tire Ad

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

I always thought these were mini-terra tires, but they were advertised as “mini-terror” off road tires.  I found this ad in the February, 1974, issue of Four Wheeler.

1974-02-four-wheeler-mini-terror-ad

 
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Bountiful Jeep Posse and Racing

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

Having lived in Salt Lake City for ten years, I know the area pretty well. So, I’m surprised by just how active the four wheel drive clubs were in the valley.  For example, I just read a short article about the Utah County Jeepettes, a group of women (I think wives of jeepers) that organized events.  In addition, there were Jeep Posses in Utah County, Salt Lake City, and Sevier County, Utah.

As you can see in this picture, taken at the 1970 Pioneer Jeep Rally in Bountiful, held by the Bountiful Jeep Posse, this wasn’t just about Search and Rescue. Racing had become popular, too, just as it had taken hold in many other places. The first Pioneer Jeep Rally was held in 1965. By 1970, the event attracted racers from several intermountain states.  Two main events were held at the Pioneer Jeep Rallys, a hill climb and an obstacle course.

The article and picture below were published by Four Wheeler Magazine in July, 1971. To me this picture could easily have been taken above the city of Bountiful or Centerville.  It looks like the staging and parking was done along the valley’s bench.

 
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Contourtop from an April 1967 Four Wheeler Ad

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

**** If you have any Four Wheeler Magazines from the 1960s or 1970s and you don’t want them, I’d love to get them.  I’d like to record more of these unusual aftermarket items. Just email me at d@ewillys.com ****

I ran across this unusual Controurtop Hardtop in an ad from the April 1967 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine.  I’ve never seen one of these for sale on Craigslist.

Continue reading

 
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Topless Top in Four Wheeler Magazine on eBay

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

This “Topless Top” article appeared in the March 1966 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine.  Given the top was made of plexiglass, I suspect it is unlikely there are many remaining (if any).  I have bid on the issue, so I hope to have better images and more information if/when I win it.

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