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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. This section used to be split into jeeps, parts and other categories, but recent changes to eBay will require this information to be recoded.
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 .
UPDATE: Still Available.
(02/05/2021) It’s supposed to have the original engine, but it looks like it has a later model oil filter bracket.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1182315148832059
“1946 Jeep Willys Runs! Clean Title. Non-Oped. Original Flat Head 4 motor. Must see!”
UPDATE: This sold in only a day. It was listed at $4000. Looks like it has a Kelly half cab.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/4292515837459316
“Here is a great project complete cj3a. This is a civilian model. If you are interested in this vehicle I would love to speak directly with you about details.”
UPDATE: Price dropped to $2000.
Two project 3Bs.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/682052605821130
“CJ3B project, 2 jeeps, 1 title and tag, rough shape but with the two, I think you can build one. Had the engine in the green one running a few years ago”
Steve shard these ads for a CJ-2A tailgate and hood.
UPDATE: Price dropped to $4000.
It’s a project or parts.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1927841974050574
“Flexible on price open to trades. Small block Chevy mounted to t90 trans (no clutch in currently), Dana 20 tcase, new frame horns (18”), plated frame from bumper to firewall w/ 1/4” steel. Unfinished project don’t have the time right now. Registration was just paid. I have a good bit of parts for it.”
While the price does include tools (such as a parts washer), the price still seems high for a project. Maybe there are many more tools than listed.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1653049221528167
“1947 Jeep Willys Restore/Rebuild Project Parts, tools, lots of extras pieces, guides, etc. Frame was completely rebuilt, motor was next on list to rebuild. Comes with parts washer, tools, jacks, engine stand, and whatever else in the garage that would help you. Jeep was never titled according to precious owner who bought it from the Army. This would make a great dad/son winter rebuild tinkering project. My loss is your gain and I know my husband would love to see someone else enjoy bringing it back to life.”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $3800
(03/02/2021) Has lots of mods.
“1942 Willys jeep. Brand new Buick v-6 Edlebrock intake and carb. 700 r. Tranny”
UPDATE: Still Available.
(11/30/2020) This appears to be a CJ-3A with a replacement tub, but hard to tell for sure given the pics.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1541216709418444
“1951 willys Jeep. Have 90% of the parts. There is not rot on it at all it has been in a garage all it’s life. Motors all there needs to be gone through before running it. I have the front seats they will need to be re covers but there not bad. Has big tires on it solid front a rear axles. Not in a rush to sell it but I’m also not giving it away. Yes it needs work but you won’t find one in this good of condition in ct. has a new body on it an I have the receipt. Will trade for a tractor with a bucket an a 3 point hitch attachment”
Maury shared this video from Collins Brothers Jeep (out of Wylie, Texas) of a 1970 CJ-5 with only 882 miles. (In case the video doesn’t work correctly, the 1970 CJ-5 portion begins near the 5:20 mark).
UPDATE: Maury shared a magazine page on eBay that contains a similar ad to the one shown at the bottom of this page. It’s almost identical, except that Jeep now appears with single-quotes.
The use of single quotes outside of a set of double quotes is uncommon. One editor summed it up best by describing it’s use this way: If a phrase or a word is uncommon or you are highlighting it to the reader for a particular reason – for example, as a neologism or a conscious use of jargon – use single quotation marks. Any punctuation sits outside single quotation marks. Thus, I suspect Willys-Overland felt they could defend the use of ‘JEEP’ by describing it’s presence as a descriptive use of jargon, rather than an attempt to back into the trademarking of the name. However, backing into the trademark using single quotes was exactly what the company was doing.
To answer the question I asked in the original post (was the bottom ad a local dealer or national corporate campaign), given these two ads appeared in two different national magazines, it seems likely this simple ad construction was part of a national campaign by Willys-Overland to begin prepping the public for post war jeep sales, This particular ad appeared in the October 1944 issue of Successful Farming.
This page is for sale on eBay:
The purposeful addition of the single quotes reflects a similar change seen in the iconic Saturday Evening Posts during 1944, as demonstrated in these ads. The first highlighted ad of February 05, 1944, was the first time Willys-Overland replaced the prominent WILLYS stamp on the Post ads with JEEP (or in this case JEEPS) with no single quotes.
See all the Willys-Overland WWII ads 1941-1946 here: http://www.ewillys.com/2019/03/10/willys-overland-ads-in-the-saturday-evening-post-1942-mid1946/
What isn’t quite the same is that the Midland Journal ad below without the single quotes lasted longer (through October 6 1944) than the Saturday Evening Post ads. Perhaps Willys-Overland purchased several months of ads beginning in June of 1944 right before the addition of the single quotes too place? However it happened, what the ad above shows is that Willys was correcting the single quotes’ issue across its advertising.
Why did the company ad the single quotes in the first place? As I argued in this long post on Willys Overland’s changing identity during WWII, I believe it stems from the 1944 congressional inquiry into the company’s efforts to trademark the JEEP name.
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Originally published March 29, 2020: Here’s an unusually small and succinct ad that appeared seven times in the Midland Journal out of Rising Sun, Maryland, from June 30, 1944, through October 6, 1944. I’ve yet to run across this specific ad elsewhere.
One thing to note is that in July of 1944, Willys-Overland began using single quotes around the word Jeep like this ‘Jeep’ major magazine ads, yet that was not done in any of the newspaper ads in the Midland Journal, as shown below. (Ed note …. Yeah, I know, not earth shattering news, but I never know when little details like this will add up to some insight).
The ad shown below was in the August 11, 1944, issue of the Midland Journal:
This shows how small the ad was within the newspaper page.
