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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 III: A new reprint of the late 1950s Boyerstown-built Delivery Van is on eBay:
View all the information on eBay
“NICE QUALITY LARGE 11 X 17 REPRINTED PICTURE”
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UPDATE II: Mike shared a pic of a Boyerstown van from an ebay auction circa 2004.
UPDATE: In 2012 there was a press photo of the front of the van for sale.
2012 Post: “Jeep Utility 1959 4 x 2 Truck Photo Reprint w. Boyertown Body”
Given the Willys stamps, this 1963 is more likely a 1962 or earlier.
https://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/cto/d/pearl-city-1963-cj3b-willys-jeep/7162108148.html
“1963 CJ3B WILLYS JEEP ORIGINAL 4 CYL,ORIGINAL PAINT,99.9 RUST FREE RUNS GREAT
HARD TO FIND A JEEP IN THIS COND ON THE ISLAND CALL”
Mark spotted this one for $70.
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/d/shelby-original-willys-mb-ford-gpw/7147478940.html
“Original Willys MB Ford GPW Dodge Truck Defroster in Unused Condition. Complete 6volt defroster kit. Great display item for a vintage Jeep or Truck. Would probably work but recommend for display due to its age. Pick up in Western NC. Unable to ship.”
UPDATE: Additional content has been added about Sandifur Motors.
Originally established in 1937, the Sandifur Motor Company out of Spokane, Washington, was operated by Charles and C. Paul Sandifur. Brothers and business partners, by 1938 the two men were involved in taxi cabs, used cars, life Insurance, and other business pursuits in the Spokane region.
The Sandifurs became a Willys distributor in the autumn of 1945 soon after the launch of the CJ-2A. An ad in the October 21, 1945, issue of the Spokesman Review confirms this.
October 21, 1945, ad published in the Spokesman Review
As best as I understand it, being a distributor meant Sandifur Motors could both sell jeeps and signup other dealers.
The company seems to have followed the standard line of advertising, as this 1947 farming ad shows:
As we’ll see in a moment, Sandifur was successful at selling jeeps, but I can’t imagine CJ-2A was very practical for farming in the Spokane region, in part due to the size of the farms. For example, my maternal grandparents obtained a 160 acre farm 35 miles southeast of Spokane on the small banks of Fighting Creek, Idaho, a place they won in a lottery around 1910, then secured by homesteading. In the 1920s they founded the local Fighting Creek store and operated one of the first phones in the area (we still have some of the books that documented the calls). They also made money logging the local forest and, after WWII, electrifying the area. Had they thought a jeep was practical, I believe they could have afforded to purchase one. Instead, they preferred to use tractors.
My family’s decision to abstain from buying a jeep did little to slow the success of Sandifur Motors. It’s possible the company was doing better selling wagons and trucks versus CJ-2As. I could imagine four wheel drive versions of the trucks and wagons being very handy navigating the endless forests and deserts of the Inland Empire area. This may also explain why both long-wheel base CJ-2As (likely the CJ-2Ls) and CJ-2As with 6ft extended beds were available for sale from both Spokane and Montana dealers (more on this in an upcoming post).
Here’s a 1949 ad promoting the wagon:
October 17, 1949, Spokesman Review
Whatever the company was selling, it was selling enough of them to justify new digs. In early 1951, the Willys dealer moved from its original location at W419 3rd Avenue, to W228 2nd Avenue in downtown Spokane:
February 27, 1951, in The Spokesman Review
I can only imagine how awful those suits were to wear in the California desert, even in March. My wife tells me that even the modern-day chemical warfare suits are terrible.
View all the information on ebay
“SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA — Even deadly mustard gas holds no qualms for these soldiers in the chemical warfare service who are ready to fight poisonous, skin-burning gas by wearing clothes–treated in a secret solution–which resist and neutralize any dangerous vapor. They’re shown here decontamination a jeep which was sprayed with mustard gas. 03-19-42”
The July 1948 issue of the Country Gentleman included this “Get more jobs done at lower cost with Jeep–Engine Power” advertisement.
(Given fireworks have arrived, this article seemed appropriate …) This August 07, 1949, article was published in the Spokesman Review out of Spokane, Washington, but it likely originated from a Wisconsin news report. The article mentions Nicolet National Forest, which is located in Northern Wisconsin, and the event was sponsored by E. W. Schwartz Motors out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One interesting statistic noted was that conservative estimates put the number of jeeps in service in state and national forests at over 1,000 jeeps by the summer of 1949.
UPDATE II: This poster was based on the 1956 W-25X-6 brochures. This also seems to confirm that there was never any Form W-251-6 brochure (which had been a lingering question of mine).
Original Post From Feb 17, 2020 (but with all new text): Below are the front pages from a series of 1956 brochures. I think I’ve got everything sorted out …
UPDATE: There were two different Form W-250-6’s produced during 1956. The first one shown below is version one I believe. Making the one at the bottom version two. Both differ significantly from the export version of the form, which is Form W-250-6X.
What’s the difference between them? Both forms open up to 11″x17″, so the sizes are the same. However, the front page is completely different. In version #2 of the brochure (at the bottom) you can see that the front page is more harmonious with the Wagon (Form W-253-6) and the Truck (Form W-252-6) brochures. The second page, reached by opening the brochure horizontally, shows part of the vehicle line in version #1, while the vehicle line is absent from version #2 at bottom. Maybe version #1 of this brochure was pulled because Willys Motors’ management wasn’t ready to introduce the FC-170? I can’t say for sure. Finally, you’ll also notice that “WILLYS” is absent from the front of version #1, while “BY WILLYS” is prominent on the front of the bottom brochure.
Because that reasoning, I believe this is Version #1 of Form W-250-6 …
This shows the back of the brochure when opened fully:
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This 1956 CJ-5/CJ-6 brochure Form W-250-6 is the domestic version of Form W-250-6X.
xUPDATE: There were actually two different Form W-252-6’s produced during 1956. This green one shown below and the one at the bottom. Both differ significantly from the export version of the form, which is Form W-252-6X.
What’s the difference between them? Well, the text, the fonts, and the font sizes are nearly identical. Both forms open up to 11″x17″. Obviously the front of the bottom version is more colorful and the front color image is certainly different. But, what might be the biggest change and the reason for the alternative version is that the green-themed brochure is printed with the word ‘Jeep’ in a san-serif font in numerous places, while the brochure at the bottom uses the much more standard jeep font. Finally, you’ll also notice that “WILLYS” is absent from the front of the green brochure, while “BY WILLYS” is prominent on the front of the colorful brochure.
Because that reasoning, I believe this is Version #1 of Form W-252-6 …
This is how the back of the brochure looks fully opened…
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