Monthly Archives: March 2021

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1973 Bobcat Introduces New Products

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

UPDATE: Richard Darr from Washougal Classic Jeeps owns a Bobcat body that still had a pair of the fiberglass gas tanks. Here are two pics of each tank. He told me they fit really well inside the bobcat body. He’s working on reproducing the tanks in aluminum for himself.

Here are the pics of the passenger side tank. Above you can see a Bobcat body.

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This is the top of the passenger tank.

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This is the bottom of the passenger tank.

Here is the driver’s side tank:

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This is the top of the driver’s tank.

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This is the bottom of the driver’s tank.

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Published March 17, 2021: For a great price, I bought some 1973 issues of Four Wheeler off of eBay. In turns out that the July 1973 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine had a special section devoted to new fiberglass products. Even better, Fred Weis’ Bobcat business introduced three new products in that issue, answering a couple questions that I had.

Before I begin, there are several posts about Bobcat bodies and the related Parkette bodies. At some point I will combine them into a longer narrative, but, for now, here’s a quick timeline:

1969 – The First Bobcat body: Fred Weis built his first body, an approximately 150lb body using plywood for strength, per this February 1970 article in Four Wheeler Magazine.
1970 – Lighter Race Body: Fred builds a lighter body design more for racing, dropping the body weight to around 100lbs. One these first bodies was used successfully by Roy Williams during the 1970s for racing. (This weight info comes from a September 1973 ad shown below):

Scannable Document
1971- Announces the CJ-3B Body:  An Advertisement in the PNW4WDA’s Region 1 contact booklet included an ad from Fred indicating he was making CJ-3A AND CJ-3B bodies.

It might seem strange to see the “Not a copy!” phrase at the top of the ad, followed by “The Original Fiberglass Replacement Body” within the ad. I believe this reflects Fred’s frustration at Paul Parker rebranding the Bobcat body with side stripes and calling it a Parkette body. Assuming that explains the inclusion of the phrases, this puts the introduction of the Parkette body around 1970. The 1970 timeline also fits the purchase of a Parkette by Jim Carter, which must have happened around 1971 or 1972.

Now for our current post. In 1973, Fred introduced perhaps the most iconic item he ever produced, the Bobcat hood. I don’t know how or why he designed it the way he did, but it became a signature piece. Below is the July 1973 listing in Four Wheeler Magazine.

First, you can see that Fred was experimenting with a new type of body style. It appears he increased the size of the lip around the edge of the body’s rear, perhaps to strengthen it so he could lay thinner glass. It’s likely that this was the style of Bobcat body I bought back in 2008:
Scannable Document

The fiberglass gas tanks were a surprise to see. I’ve never run across these. They likely failed to hold gasoline safely. It would take a special resin compound to be effective over the long term, at least that’s according to this motorcycle thread.

Finally, we have the brand new fiberglass Bobcat hood. Whether this came before or after the Bobcat teardrop hood isn’t clear, but it would seem to me that the teardrop is so much less sophisticated of a design that I could imagine he made some of those first before creating the classic Bobcat hood. Here’s a great example of the hood: (see more examples of the low hood and high hood versions of this iconic hood)

Bobcat-hood-fiberglass-maplevalley-wa

Also included in the July 1973 fiberglass section was this ad. It seems Willamette Wheel was offering the Bobcat body for sale, without labeling it as such in the ad. However, a close look at the tailgate clearly shows it is a Bobcat tailgate.

Scannable Document

It’s not clear how many other parties were working with Fred, but at least one, Don Prine, managed to get his business card inserted into a CJ-3B version of the classic hood:

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As I collect more 1970 Four Wheeler magazines I hope to learn more about the Bobcat and Parkette timelines, though I’ve yet to find anything printed about the Parkette body (no ads or articles yet).

 
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Another Pan Brush Available on ebay

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

Maury shared this link to another Jeep Pan Brush that’s available on eBay. This item doesn’t seem to be related to Willys-Overland or jeeps in any way that we can tell, other than you could clean jeep parts with it.

View all the information on eBay

jeep-pan-brush

Here are a couple previous examples of the Jeep Brush. 

1. This brush was available back in 2012 on eBay. It, like this other example, has 1014 stamped on it for some reason.

2. This brush was available for sale on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/778429607/vintage-jeep-pan-brush-1014

jeep-pan-brush-2

 
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Hoosier Machine Products’ Jeep Conversion Kits

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

UPDATE: I was surprised to see that Hoosier advertised in Four Wheeler Magazine for several months during 1973 (possibly longer).

Scannable Document

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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JUNE 6, 2019: In the early 1960s, Hoosier Machine Products out of Pendleton, Oregon, (just an hour south of me) began selling conversion kits for jeeps. The company’s kits allowed the repowering of jeeps using Ford, Chef, GMC, Mercury, Dodge, Studebaker and Pontiac engines. That’s a pretty impressive, wide range of options, especially for a company out of Pendleton, which was pretty remote at the time. But, given the long distances Pendleton owner’s jeeps had to travel to reach other towns and the existence of the nearby, steep Blue Mountains, which provided endless jeeping possibilities, perhaps there was a reason Pendleton jeeps need more power?

Also, a big thanks go to Maury for spotted this brochure for me!

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June 1950 Ad for 1/2 Ton Truck on eBay

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

This June 1950 Ad highlights the new Hurricane Powered half-ton truck from an unknown magazine.

View all the information on Ebay

“Original magazine advertisement measures 10 X 13 inches (approx.).”

1950-06-truck-half-ton-ad

 
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1954 CJ-3B Burney, CA $13,500

• CATEGORIES: CJ-3B • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This looks in nice shape. Has an unusual front bumper setup. I’m not sure how the seller arrived at this statement:”OVERDRIVE 5TH GEAR FOR REACHING HIGHWAY SPEED.”

https://redding.craigslist.org/cto/d/burney-1954-willys-jeep/7290050925.html

“1954 HIGH-HOOD WILLYS WITH REBUILT ENGINE, ORIGINAL MOTOR.
OVERDRIVE 5TH GEAR FOR REACHING HIGHWAY SPEED.
NEW VINYL TOP
TOW HITCH
5 GALLON JERRY GAS CAN ON BACK
THIRD REAR SEAT
SEAT BELTS
SNOW PLOW”

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1947 Drag Jeep Visalia, CA **SOLD**

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

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $9500.

Looks drag ready.

“1947 Willy jeep. Newer 406. Turbo 400 trans with brake. Fiberglass body. 9500 Pm for more info”

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1952 Wagon Elk Grove, CA **SOLD**

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

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $5600.

It seems in pretty good shape.

“hello i have a 1952 willys station wagon 3 speed 4×4 for sale runs and drives pretty clean in and out has a v8 motor in it
has some extra parts clean california title
tires are in good condition needs a break job asking 5600 obo”

1952-wagon-elkgrove-ca0 1952-wagon-elkgrove-ca1 1952-wagon-elkgrove-ca2 1952-wagon-elkgrove-ca

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1950 CJ-3A Dublin, CA $5000

• CATEGORIES: CJ-3A This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

It seems to me that the driver-side opening is cut down a bit, as if someone had tried to replicate a prototype jeep?

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/pleasanton-1950-willys-cj3a/7290942633.html

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“Selling my 1950 Willys CJ3A. Mostly all original! 134 flat head engine and all drivetrain are original. New leaf springs provide a little bit of lift over original height. I’ve been working on this for a few years and just don’t have the time to finish this. This does run and is drivable but it’s been garaged the past few years and maintained. Plenty of new parts already installed and more parts waiting to be installed.

New parts include: leaf springs, shocks, BFG mud terrain tires, water pump, carburetor, spark plugs and wires, all new brakes (wheel cylinders, lines, master cyl), engine and drivetrain fluids/lubricants, and various other parts like gaskets and windshield seal when those are ready for installation.

Fenders, grill, hood, windshield frame and tailgate were all media blasted and primed. Have been working on the typical body problems found with these old Willys.”

 
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CJ-3A Koenig Hardtop Salem, OR $500

• CATEGORIES: Parts This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

No pics provided.

https://salem.craigslist.org/pts/d/salem-49-to-53-willys-steel-top/7292531924.html

“1949-1953 willys overland jeep steel top. made by koenig doors included.”

 
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1946 CJ-2A Vallejo, CA $9500

• CATEGORIES: CJ-2A This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Still Available.

(11/10/2020) Lots of mods.

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/vallejo-willys-jeep-cj2a-flat-fender/7290408896.html

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“350 Chevy powered classic flat fender. Muncie SM420 4 speed transmission (granny low,) Spicer 18 transfer case, full width Dana 44 axles with air lockers front and rear, onboard air, forged aluminum wheels (incl spare), one piece hood and fenders for much easier engine access. Those are the big upgrades, but there are lots of others – too many to list. The front seats are shabby, but I have a set of good condition, cloth seats from an early model 4runner (the ones that had a physical therapist on the design team – wayyyy better than the Ricaros.) Also have a spare SM420 (no, I don’t want to sell it separately) and a full cloth top. As you can see, the paint needs some help. The floor pan has all been replaced with heavier gauge sheet metal, but it’s also due for fresh paint. Runs strong, but could use a carb expert to get it dialed. Had to move in with elderly parent and don’t have room or time for all the toys, so it has to go. The best way to get in touch is to email me your phone number. Offers from people who have not come to take a look in person will be ignored. Clean CA title in hand”