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Plastic Turning Company’s Topless Top

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

UPDATE: This also ran in October of 2016. I’ve still not uncovered any more relevant information about these tops. However, I can tell you that the Plastic Turning Company suffered a break-in on March 15th, 1970. the company was located at 511 Lancaster St, Leominster, MA. 

In March of 1969, Four Wheeler Magazine featured Plastic Turning Company’s Topless Top. It was built from plexiglass and was offered in a clear and tinted model. The company was based out of Leominster, Massachusetts. Has anyone ever seen one of these out in the wild? I didn’t have much luck searching Google for other images.

1969-03-fourwheeler-topless-hardtop2-lores 1969-03-fourwheeler-hardtop-1-lores

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1943 Photo of Jeep Pulling Avenger on Carrier

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

The Press photo below appeared in at least one newspaper. On October 18, 1943, the Chillicothe Gazette (Ohio) published this pic and caption:

1943-10-18-chillicothe-gazette-jeep-pulling-plane

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Published April 9, 2021: Based on the bumper, I’d say this is a GPW. I had hoped to locate the photo in a newspaper, but had no luck.

“Vintage original 1943 press photo of Grumman TBF / TBM Avenger with Jeep on Wake Island, (approximately 20cm x 15cm), with “Keystone” press stamp & description to rear. OK condition, with wear.”

1943-12-17-seagoing-jeep-carrier1

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This pic and caption came from a 12/2019 ebay auction:
Good photo of a stripped(?) jeep maneuvering a Hellcat aboard an aircraft carrier.

“1943 Press Photo Jeep toying US Navy Hellcat aboard an aircraft carrier. This is an original press photo. Autos – Jeeps – Somewhere off Wake Island – They say there’s nothing new under the sun, but here’s a picture of a Jeep, familiar to all as one of the most useful of the many instruments used in this war to date, at a novel task – that of jockeying a “Hellcat” aboard a carrier. This was one of the “flat tops” used to pummel the Japanese on Wake Island, October 5-6. Note two other similar ships in the distance Photo measures 8.5 x 6.5 inches. Photo is dated 10-15-1943.”

1943-10-17-hellcat-jeep-carrier1

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Civilian 1/4 Ton Low-Hood Grilles

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

UPDATE: This post ran in October of 2016.

A series of emails about grilles led to the creation of this graphic. I believe my draft below is accurate based on the research I’ve done today, but if you see an error, don’t be shy about pointing it out. The grille I’m least sure about is the 1959 and later DJ-3A grille. I’m looking for more evidence that the late DJs used grilles with horizontal holes for attaching the parking lights, a necessary change because they used different parking lights after sn 14103 in 1959.

grille-examples-flat

As further evidence, the graphic below shows an early and late DJ-3A parking light schematics. This was assembled by Bruce Again and posted at the former jeeosurreygala.com site. I’ve combined what he published and turned it into this image:

parking-light-dj3a-image

The CJ-3B grilles were changed in a similar fashion in 1956. Derek has covered this issue well. And, as you can see below, CJ-5s were also switched in late 1956 or early 1957.  Continue reading

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JEEPS: Junior Emergency Everyday Production-Picking Service

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

Here’s one of those odd, jeep-related stories that has nothing to do with jeep vehicles. In this case, the April 26th, 1943, edition of the News and Observer out of Raleigh, North Carolina, published an article about the answer to a farm problem: JEEPS. The backronym stands for Junior Emergency Everyday Production-Picking Service, a group of mobile boys and girls who offered to help farmers with various farm tasks.

1943-04-26-news-and-observer-jeeps

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1943 Photo on Supply Route in Italy

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

Looks like a slat grille.

View all the information on eBay

“1943 Press Photo American jeep passes workers on a supply route in Italy. This is an original press photo. Italy — An American jeep rolls along the broad supply route in an Italian wilderness that a short time ago was a mere mule-track. Skilled United States engineers literally carved out the road during the battle for Naples, using bulldozers, cranes and Italian laborers to rush through the job.Photo measures 9 x 7.25 inches. Photo is dated 10-12-1943.”

1943-10-12-italy-supply-route1

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1962 Custom Wagon Build From Australia

• CATEGORIES: Features, Jeep Rods, Unusual, Willys Wagons • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Blaine shared this unusual wagon build from Australia. Note the side mounted air cleaners.

https://www.whichcar.com.au/features/gavan-julie-starr-thomas-1962-willys-jeep-wagon

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Robert Max and The Long March Home

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

I don’t remember how I found this video (maybe from Facebook?), but it turned out to be a compelling one. Before his death in 2020, New Jersey resident Robert Max was the last known survivor of the Nazi WWII force laborers. A few years ago, he wrote a book about his experience, then narrated the following forty minute documentary video (playable for free on Vimeo). There’s a pretty interesting twist at the end, too.

Here is Robert Max in a jeep at Camp Atterberry in 1944:

Click on this image to go to the video page:

 

You can learn more here: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2021/11/26/nj-jewish-wwii-vet-subject-bob-max-long-march-home-documentary/8718280002/

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A Jeep in an English Hedgerow

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

Bill shared this video about a jeep owner in England who discovered an MB in a hedgerow, only a short distance from his house. Going by the name “British Gollum”, he does a great job of breaking down some details of the tub and how he’s identifying it. It truly is jeep archaeology.

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Chuck Conners, Dodge Truck, and Desert Dogs

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

For you Desert Dog lovers out there, Gordon shared a 1977 magazine ad that showed Chuck Conners pitching Dodge Trucks. Interesting enough, the truck was equipped with Desert Dogs (unmentioned in the ad).Unfortunately, I downloaded the pic a week or so ago and can’t locate it at the moment.

However, I was able to locate a commercial, also featuring Chuck, that has a
shows off a 1977 Dodge Pick Up PowerWagon D-200 with Desert Dogs on it (possibly from the same photo shoot). The tires are given a closeup at the 19 second mark.

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Searching for an M-29 Weasel FC

• CATEGORIES: FC150-FC170-M677, Features, wanted This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: I mistakenly listed this as an M-59, but I must blame the chills, fever, and general immune-system mayhem caused by my booster shot. That booster kicked my butt! But, I am all better now.

Grace’s husband and brother-in-law are searching for this M-29 Weasel FC. If anyone can provide help, please contact jeepFCcollector @ gmail.com (remove the spaces around the @).

“They have been looking to locate this M29 Weasel based FC cab vehicle. They have traced it from CP Riders (letters on the doors), to an Illinois farmer, to a broker 20 years ago in Dakota Illinois. They have made contact with that broker who says he sold it to a company in Pennsylvania who intended to use it for rescue and recovery on a Pa. mountain pass.”

B1016272-4223-4380-B13A-DB286F45400C

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