Popular-Science Research Archives

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1953 Photo of an Early Experimental Mail Jeep

January 6, 2020 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine, Old Images • TAGS: .
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This photo and caption appeared in the October 1953 issue of Popular Science (page 124). There are several interesting things in this photo. First, this jeep is setup with right-hand-drive; second, the body has been cut similar to the way some of the DJ-3As would be trimmed on the sides; third, this vehicle is only two-wheel-drive. This is the earliest photo that I know showing an experimental mail jeep that, arguably, led to the DJ-3A Dispatcher/Delivery/Convertible production models. The picture, without the caption, can also be found on the CJ-3B page about mail jeeps.

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The Pee Wee Jeeplet

January 6, 2020 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine, Models, Old Images • TAGS: .
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This 600lb jeep-like vehicle was built by O.L. Munding of Glendale, California. It was included in the October 1953 issue of Popular Science (page 124). On the same page, the magazine also featured a rat rod vehicle built by Munding that was powered by two air-rolled Ranger engines, war surplus items originally used to start big bomber engines.

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1952 Article Introducing the M-38A1 in Popular Science

October 13, 2019 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: .
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This article appeared in the July 1952 issue of Popular Science (pgs 79-82). This is article is interesting in that is covers some of the complaints GIs had about earlier jeeps and how the M-38A1 attempts to address those issues.

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1952 Navy Foam Fire Fighting Jeep Prototype

October 10, 2019 • CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, videos • TAGS: .
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UPDATE: Thanks to Ted, below I’ve added an article and more images from a March 1953 Popular Science article about the little fire fighting jeep, also known as the “Little Squirt”.

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This video from the National Archives Catalog shows a special-purpose fire fighting jeep the Navy was testing. The video is divided into two parts. The first part shows the jeep fighting a fire. The second part shows the jeep from various angles. I’ve also included some images from the video below. (If the video is slow or doesn’t work, go here to download the video).


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1949 Voice of America Jeep

January 16, 2019 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine, Old Images, Old News Articles, Unusual, Willys Wagons • TAGS: .
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UPDATE: Terry pointed out that this same vehicle, a SPEN self-sustaining motion picture unit, appears in a Willys Industrial Equipment book brochure. Here it is below:

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Talk about a rare jeep. Anyone ever seen one of these (if there are any left). It’s a specially outfitted jeep for the State Department for carrying the story of America to the world. The first pics below were from a September 1949 issue of Popular Science, while the newspaper article was carried in the Sunday Star on Sunday, April 17, 1949.

From the September 1949 issue of Popular Science:
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From the Sunday Star, April 17, 1949:

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1946 Popular Science Steering Article

March 19, 2018 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: .
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This April of 1946 article in Popular science highlighted the steering mechanism used on the four wheel steel “Circus” jeeps.

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Custom Built Woody on Jeep Chassis

September 3, 2017 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine, Sedan-jeep, Wood bodies • TAGS: , .
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The February 1948 issue of Popular Science included a small blurb about this custom wood jeep out of Seattle built on a WW2 chassis.

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1944 Article on Tandem Towing in Popular Science

February 18, 2017 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: .
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A December 1944 article in Popular Science highlights tandem towing:

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The Free-Lock Corporation and Their Hubs

February 12, 2017 • CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: , , .
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UPDATE: IV: This page contains two later model Free-Lock hubs that resemble Selectro hubs. My theory is that Free-Lock might have evolved into the Selectro Company: http://www.ewillys.com/2019/07/08/selectro-husky-dualmatic-overview/

UPDATE III: Thanks to Steve, we’ve discovered an additional version. It is now number 5, which seems to be an evolutionary step between 4 & 6.

UPDATE II: Thanks to Frank Day and his grandfather Merton, who saved this rare piece, here is a scan of an eight page brochure related to the Free-Lock corporation. 

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1942 Popular Mechanics “Miracle on Wheels”

July 29, 2014 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: .
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This November 1942 article from Popular Mechanics titled “Miracle on Wheels” featured the jeep and shared some of the success stories from its use internationally. You can read the entire issue on Google or purchase a cheap copy off of eBay

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Love Tractor and Hydraulic Lift System

July 25, 2014 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: , .
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Speaking of Hydraulic Lifts, the Love Tractor Company (or perhaps more accurately Love Industries — I’m not clear on the difference) made a lift and also sold a willys-engine powered tractor.

According to the Standard Catalog of Farm Tractors 1890-1980, by C.H. Wendel, Love Tractor offered model J51 that was built around a Willys CJ-2A engine. This may have been a repurposed Empire Tractor, because at least one source suggests Love purchased eighteen Empire Tractors when Empire dissolved. Anyone know more about the ‘Willys’ Love Tractor?

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Standard Catalog of Farm Tractors 1890-1980, by C.H. Wendel

Love Tractor also created a hydraulic three-point lift system. At CJ3a.info is a page devoted to the lift. At the Farm Jeep site is a scan of the brochure.

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The February 1947 issue of Popular Science has an article on the Love Hydraulic Lift System distributed by Newgren.

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There is also an article about the Love system and Newgren in a 1949 issue of Farm implement news – Volume 70 – Page 56.

 
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Leaping Lena Article from Popular Science

May 15, 2014 • CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Magazine • TAGS: .
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David Silberman pointed out the ‘Leaping Lena’ article from the October 1941 issue of Popular Science (I thought I’d purchased this issue to scan, but apparently I didn’t do that). It’s an interesting review of the prototype jeeps. You also can view the entire issue on Google.

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The Odograph: A Robot Mapper

October 1, 2013 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: .
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An article about the Odograph was published in the December, 1944, issue of Popular Science. At 200 pounds, the Odograph auto-created maps as soldiers navigated towards some objective. I couldn’t locate any records that indicate how many were made (anyone know), but there it appears there are nine jeeps that still have them (based on the latest info I could find). I found a few different references about it over at G503.
1. G503.com Message Forums • View topic – JEEP MOUNTED ODOGRAPH
2. G503.com Message Forums • View topic – Odograph survey
3. 1944 Willys MB Unrestored Odograph Jeep – g503 …

Here’s a photograph of a diagram from an Australia site:
http://www.aussiejeepimages.com/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=28&g2_itemId=75011

Here’s a copy of the Popular Science Magazine on eBay:
View all the information on ebay

Here’s a link to magazine on Google

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Jeep Sweep in Popular Science

April 7, 2013 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: .
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The December 1949 issue of Popular Science highlighted this unique attachment for the jeep. You can view this article on Google books.

You can also buy the issue on eBay

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Jeep with 2000-Watt Searchlight for Border Patrol

February 7, 2013 • CATEGORIES: Features, International • TAGS: , .
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The July 1956 Popular Science article doesn’t indicate which country ordered this special search light, but this mobile, self-contained spotlight put out some serious light.

You can find this issue for sale on eBay

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June 1943 Popular Science “This Jeep Can Swim” Article

January 18, 2013 • CATEGORIES: Features, GPA (SEEP), Magazine • TAGS: .
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Popular Science published a January 1943 article with a variety of GPA / SEEP pictures, including a nice breakdown of the dashboard (handy for my description of a seep dashboard in my upcoming book).

You can also find this issue for sale on eBay

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Welders on the Battlefield from Popular Science

January 4, 2013 • CATEGORIES: Features, Industrial-Welder-Generator, Magazine • TAGS: .
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Here’s an interesting article in the May 1945 issue of Popular Science about welding on the battlefield that includes several references to using jeeps as portable welding units. There is a copy on eBay for only $5.99. Here are a couple images from the article:

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The Last Chancer: A Jeep Train in Helena, MT

December 31, 2012 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: , .
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The Last Chancer, a wooden train built on a jeep platform, is documented at the Helena History Museum.  You can view additional pictures at the Museum page.  A Last Chance Train still exists, but has been upgraded.

In this early picture taken in 1954 you can see what appears to be a CJ-3B peering out from it’s enclosure.

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Here is the Train as of 1957.

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The Last Chancer made an appearance in the 1956 issue of Popular Science on page 104:

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Photo of Truck Powering a PTO Saw

December 3, 2012 • CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: .
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The September 1947 issue of Popular Science has this cool picture of a truck powering a saw.

Popular Science – Sep 1947 – Page 111