The Yakima Ridge Runners Jeep Club recognizes itself as the world’s first incorporated Jeep Club, incorporating in early 1947. I have run across reports of early clubs formed in Southern California, but whether they actually incorporated or not is unknown to me. This video made by Universal International News was one of two.
Features Research Archives
2008 PNW4DA Racing
I was searching to see if anyone posted videos from the PNW4WDA 2009 Convention, but haven’t seen any yet. I did find this nicely organized collection of racing images from 2008 that I hadn’t seen. So, I thought I’d share them. Note the audio has been disabled. I have to wonder exactly how they track down audio like that given the millions of videos uploaded vs. the relatively low number of hits on this video.
Tail Light King: Willys & Jeep Section
I was looking for some Willys Jeep script ran across the Tail Light King Website accidently. I don’t think I mentioned it last time, but the taillightking.com has Willys & Jeep lights as well.
Diamond Plating Question
Several of our finest in Blue from Arizona read ewillys daily. One of the readers asked about diamond plating for old flatties. I can’t say I was much help, but maybe some of you have a suggestion?
Here is what I wrote:
It appears Warrior Products (http://www.warriorproducts.com/order.html) is the only company making them still (that I can find). Most of the links below are the same product sold at different prices.
Here’s some options for side plates:
http://www.rjroffroad.com/warrior-sideplates-for-45-55-jeep-cj2a-cj3a-offroad-pr-17046.html
http://www.kaiserwillys.com/category/willys_warriorcornerplates
http://collinsbros.stores.yahoo.net/alsidplatpai.html $115 (for cj3a … cj3b not mentioned)
BEST PRICE: http://www.central4wd.com/inventorydetail.aspx?page=id|9288;folder|5701
Here are corner options for corner plates:
http://www.central4wd.com/inventorydetail.aspx?page=id|9269;folder|5709
http://www.kaiserwillys.com/product/1830/willys_warriorcornerplates
BEST PRICE I FOUND: http://collinsbros.stores.yahoo.net/alcorguar.html $109.95
USED: http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/pts/1338556016.html
Used Jeep Junkyards (maybe they have some):
http://collinsbros.stores.yahoo.net/usedjeepparts.html (Wylie, Tx)
http://www.jwjeep.com/ (Antelope, CA)
http://jeeprepublic.com/ (Englewood, CO)
http://www.ewillys.com/?p=5067 (Kingston NY)
Working with Diamond Plating:
http://www.quadratecforum.com/showthread.php?t=72275
How to Polish Aluminum Diamond Plating (Something I didn’t know)
http://www.ehow.com/how_4556441_polish-aluminum-diamond-plating-mothers.html
Builds: Jim is at it again with the CJ-3A
UPDATE: Here’s the ebay listing.
Here’s another great, efficient makeover by Boswell International (catchy, isn’t it?). Jim ought to have this on ebay in the next couple of days.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Builds: Dan updates us on his Grandfather’s Jeep
This is a continuing series on Dan’s efforts to rebuild his Grandfather’s jeep. Here’s the previous post. [Editor’s note – that looks like a steal at $100. Running and complete!]
Dan writes, “Sometime in the 1960’s my grandfather’s friend purchased a new Jeep and immediately swapped out the little four banger for a V8. My grandfather bought the new (at the time) 134 F head from his friend and installed it in his own 1955 CJ5 replacing the tired original 134. Over the years this second engine was rebuilt three or four times.
At one point in time my grandfather had a V6 of some kind sitting in the garage that was supposed to go into the Jeep. Unfortunately when he made the move from Colorado to Washington State, the V6 was left behind.
Today I just came home with an engine for the old CJ5. It’s a Kaiser odd-fire Dauntless V6. I found it behind a barn in a Jeepster C101 sporting a Volkswagen Bug body. (It was the ugliest “Jeep” I have ever seen). But the engine was still in tact and was running when parked. I made the guy an offer for $100. He pulled the engine and had it sitting on a pallet for me the next week. I took home everything from the radiator to the bell housing. He wanted the transmission which is fine with me. Someone had painted the valve covers red but you can see the original paint underneath. There was a power steering pump scabbed on which I will remove since I have a manual Saginaw box. It will be nice to breath the life into the CJ5 that my grandfather had wanted.
Originally, I had responded to a Craigslist add for a set of fenders. As it turned out I came home with a set of front fenders, a nice Koenig steel hard top model 550, and a Dauntless V6. He still has a Koenig PTO winch that I’m drooling over, but they don’t fit too well next to a Saginaw box.
I have attached a few pictures of the V6. In one of them you can catch a glimpse of the old CJ5 in the garage.
Camping in Style – Super Cool Truck
Jim found this super cool truck. You could probably even get some long ramps and park your jeep on top of it — if you are brave.
The White Mice
This excerpt is from an article title White Mice, which is about policing European highways during and after the war. Included is a MB painted in the distinctive colors: White vehicle with a black hood. If you go to the website article, you will see a variety of cars with this motif. This would make an unusual restoration project.
“The 62nd Military Police Company was created on November 30, 1943 and activated in North Africa a day later. Originally, it was a standard combat MP unit, and participated in the campaigns in France, the Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace. Following the end of the war, the unit was reorganized twice, first as the 62nd Military Police Service Company in June 1948 and then as the 62nd Military Police Highway Patrol Company on September 20, 1951, when it was reattached to the regular Army forces occupying American Zone of Germany.
Corporal Edward Olson in a Highway Patrol Willys MB. Note the permanent roof and the large combination siren-warning light on the fender. |
Unlike standard military police units, the Highway Patrol was created not only to enforce laws and regulations, but to handle other duties typically handled by civilian police agencies. These included assisting motorists and promoting traffic safety. On a given day, a trooper might work traffic, investigate a crime, or perform escort duty for a convoy. Or all three, just like his civilian counterpart.”
1946 VEC CJ-2A Vista, Ca **SOLD**
UPDATE: This seller also restored this CJ-2A with a similar theme.
A well executed and creative build. These are exactly the kinds of non traditional restorations I’d like to see more of that properly record the wide and varied deployment of the jeep.
The builder/seller writes, “1946 Willys V.E.C. CJ2A #14, 422 – County Sheriff Patrol Jeep: I’m relisting this beautiful Willys with a lower reserve. However, don’t make the mistake of believing that I’m giving it away! I just recognize that the market is soft right now. I know what I have put into this restoration. This is my fourth and final restoration of a 1946 Willys Civilian Jeep (CJ) 2A.
I became interested in the 1946 CJ-2A because it was the first production 4 wheel drive vehicle available to the public and is the grandfather of all modern SUVs. This particular CJ-2A restored as a Sheriff Patrol Jeep was restored as a tribute to my own Grandfather who was a deputy sheriff in Southern California during the 1940’s and early 1950’s. This CJ-2A is a faithful restoration of the type patrol vehicle that may have been used by the sheriff in the California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona back-country. The Federal siren and all Unity lights are period vintage police equipment. The STOP light on the left front fender is a vintage Griffin model used by Military Police on jeeps during the Second World War.
Broken Down Heroes
I discovered recently that an eWillys’ reader named Bob has created an ongoing photo essay on junked cars from America’s past called Broken Down Heroes. For me, the black and while photos capture a sadness, a silence of vehicles trapped and forgotten as trees, bushes and grass slowly overtake and swallow them whole. Great work! Here’s a couple photos.














