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About eWillys
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.
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 .
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.
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.
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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:
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:
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:
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:
UPDATE: The two post cards at the bottom of this post were on eBay several years ago. I recently came across some newspaper clippings that give background about the Winter Park Villager tram’s purpose. The service began November 28, 1966, but I could not find an end-date.
This first article discusses the jeep tram’s beginnings:
Article dated November 13, 1966, from the Orlando Sentinel
This next article notes that Monday, November 28th, as the launch date for the jeep tram service.
Article dated December 1, 1966, from the Orlando Evening Star
This short article from March of 1967 describes some of the tram’s stops:
These five books were published for the military services in May of 1944 and have courses on various aspects of Auto Mechanics. I bought these hoping to find some jeep info, but found none. Still, this may be of interest to some WWII buffs (mostly non-military automobile mechanicals).
1. C0URSE 1-THE ENGINE – BOOK IS MISSING BACK COVER AND FRONT IS SOILED. NO TORN OR MISSING PAGES.
2. COURSE 2-COOLING, LUBRICATION, AND FUEL SYSTEMS. SOME WATER DAMAGE ON PAGES. BUT COVERS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. NO TEARS OR MISSING PAGES.
3. COURSE 3-AUTOMATIC ELECTRICITY-WATER DAMAGE AND CREASES ON FRONT AND BACK COVERS-NO TEARS OR MISSING PAGES. BACK COVER HAS A SMALL TEAR.
4. COURSE 4-THE POWER FLOW. MISSING FRONT AND BACK COVERS BUT NO TORN PAGES OR MISSING PAGES.
5. COURSE 5-CHASSIS UNITS. FRONT AND BACK COVERS ARE SOILED BUT NO MISSING OR TORN PAGES.”
UPDATE: The press photo at bottom appeared in the January 24, 1944, issue of the Minneapolis Morning Tribune (seen below). It seems that Harvey Wilensky must have also won a bid for jeeps about the same time as Hyman Berg did.
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Originally Posted November 16, 2013:This photo shows a lineup of surplus Ford GPs for sale. The selling price: $750 at Wilensky Auto Parts in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Originally posted 02/11/2013: International Flat Fender Club (IFFC) is an umbrella organization founded by Lew Ladwig that encourages and supports localized, online clubs, called Patrols.
According to the website, “The IFFC is subdivided on regional patrols (If possible, seek out your local patrol). That is where the fun starts! No patrol in your area, start one!
The Founding Patrol is the Colorado Flat Fender Club. We formed roughly 15 years ago. Many thanks to Mike, Bruce, Fred, Darin, Wally and Audrey and my amazing wife Frankie!
The rules are there are no rules. You are responsible for your own safety and good times. Any person who takes a leadership or organizational role has absolutely no responsibility to you. Attend all events at your own risk! You participation is considered an agreement to the above terms.”
February 5, 2021 • CATEGORIES: International, M-38A1, Racing, Unusual • TAGS: Stock. This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
UPDATE: Joe-in-Mesa shared this pic of Ronald Reagan driving Mikhail Gorbachev around his ranch in his beloved Jeep Scrambler. The image was part of a Calendar his parents had.
Originally Posted May 10, 2013: This M-38A1 was for sale for $50,000 in 2010.
Well, if you are looking for a special Jeep for your collection and you love Presidential Stuff, then this is the jeep for you. Ronald Reagan’s personal M-38A1 which he owned from 1982 – 1996, before donating it. It’s now in the hands of a collector who wishes to sell it.
“4 speed v6 dauntless engine
Limited Production Jeep CJ6. One of the rarest Jeep Models. Think Jeep Scrambler BEFORE the Jeep Scrambler! Frame off restoration completed in 2012 including:-Professionally done paint and body. -Detailed and Painted POR15 frame and undercarriage. Aluminum Radiator. -Custom 5” Suspension Lift with Rancho RS5000 Shocks. Steering stabilizer. -Rebuilt Jeep Dauntless V6. 8K on rebuild. -Rebuilt 4 Speed Manual Transmission. 1977 Ford ¾ Ton 4×4 NP435. -Heavy Duty Professionally assembled Ford ¾ 4×4 Transfer Case. NP205. -Front Dana 44 Axle. Rear Ford 9”. -Custom built Family Roll Cage ($3800). -Power steering!-Power Disc Brakes!-Aftermarket Wheels and Tires. -Custom Fender Flares. -Full Soft top. -Custom Race Seats with Harness Belts. -Bikini Top. -Custom Racing seats. -Steel Rock Sliders. -Aftermarket Stereo. -MUCH MUCH MUCH MORE. TENS OF THOUSANDS INVESTED! Get something that NOBODY ELSE HAS! This one of a kind Jeep can be driven daily or shown at car shows. Bump the key and go. Nothing left to do.!”
UPDATE: Originally published on February 02, 2014, the pop sci links no longer work, so I’ve now added the complete scan of the article.
This Bantam BRC-40 T2 article was published in December of 1941 in Popular Science (and possibly Mechanix Magazine) under “Tanks CAN Be Destroyed”. In it the author explores different machinery that can stop a tank. You can see variations from what could be the same photo shoot in this Bantam T2 & T2-E1 post.
UPDATE: Apparently, I never published all the pages in this circa 1947-1949 booklet. Also, there’s another one of these booklets on eBay right now: View all the information on eBay
This was originally posted October 23, 2014: Eddie Devlin of the Willys Overland Engineering Art Department sketched a variety of drawings of the factory. Some were published in a book called “WHAT I SAW AT WILLYS OVERLAND”. I’m not sure if the booklet was sold or used as a promotional device.
UPDATE: These pics are from a previous eBay ad. This mailer brochure rarely comes up for sale. It folds out to 8.5″x11″. There’s no form number printed.
