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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 .
Jeff spotted this FC-170 lurking in the background of the TV show “Bless This Mess“. The premise of the show is, “Newlyweds Rio and Mike make the decision to change the course of their life together and move from the relentless pace of big city New York to what they think will be a more relaxed existence in rural Nebraska.”
Maury spotted this sign on eBay. The neon has been removed, but still a neat sign. The seller believe this was a temporary sign created just after WWII, but given the post WWII signs I’ve seen, I’d guess early 1950s or later would be more likely.
View all the information on eBay
“Vintage Jeep Willys Sales Service Auto Dealer Neon Sign 1940s 1950s USA . Condition is Used. This is a truly authentic, post-war Willys Jeep dealership sign that was was created fresh after the end of WWII. This sign is hand painted, not porcelain and was more than likely used for the dealership here in St. Joseph for a short time right after the war as a ‘fill-in’ then shortly retired. I say this because the paint is remarkably bright and not faded.
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The seller listed this as a 1950 photo, but that’s clearly wrong. Perhaps it is 1960.
View all the information on eBay
“1950 Willys Jeep Press Photo. Original.
Pages: 1
Details: W 10 x H 8 x D 0.1 Weight 1”
This August of 1957 Coffee and ‘Jeep’ Vehicles brochure was one I didn’t know existed until it appeared on eBay two weeks ago. That CJ-2A dump jeep is pretty interesting.
The next three pages foldout into a single page. But, I’ve separated them for easier reading:
This photo and caption appears in the June 02, 1944, issue of the Saturday Evening Post.
UPDATE: You can now download a high resolution PDF here (25mb):
http://www.deilers.com/be-your-own-inspector-m38-m38a1-booklet.pdf
One reader asked about a donation in exchange for the PDF. You are welcome to download it for free, but If you want, you can donate a few bucks via PayPal: payment@ewillys.com. The money goes toward the purchase of more brochures (and the documentation/sharing of them).
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Original Post April 26, 2019: Here’s the booklet I won off of eBay.
This youtube video for the jeep station wagon has been around for more than a decade, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it.
I just finished reading The Last American CEO, a book about the transition of ‘Jeep’ from Kaiser-Jeep, to AMC, to Chrysler. The principal character and source of most of the material was Joe Cappy, who was the final AMC CEO before AMC was bought by Chrysler.
Among the book’s more interesting revelations, it argues that if it weren’t for an assassination, that Chrysler might never have purchased AMC.
This cartoon was published in the November 02, 1946, issue of the Saturday Evening Post, page 112.
You’ve likely seen this video titled Steel Soldiers. It was something I posted back in 2008. The video was produced at WGTE Public Media. While the video can be viewed via youtube, the higher quality version can be still be seen on WGTE”s website. There are prototype jeeps, jeeps during war, post war jeeps, and even a few scenes at the end of the Yakima Ridge Runners racing around their area.
https://www.pbs.org/video/toledo-stories-jeep-steel-soldier/
Or view the youtube version below:
Maury shared this 1975 Brochure from VAM, a company that produced jeeps, among other products, in Mexico. The photos show the short nose CJ-5, some of which had inline 6 (199 AMC) starting in 1966. One of the pics includes a Surrey DJ-5.
Blaine found a set of NOS Perfect Circle hubs, which look to be private-labeled versions of the Selectro hub manufactured by Dualmatic. Unfamilar with Perfect Circle, I wondered why the company would private label a set of hubs.
It turns out that Perfect Circle had been a leader in the development of piston rings for several decades. In 1963, the company was purchased by the Dana Corporation. It’s possible that relationship led to the private labeling of the hubs. (Read the whole Perfect Circle history here)
These particular hubs should fit the Dana 27 axles, as that was the standard axle on early Scouts (but I’m not expert on the Scouts).
We’ve seen the above hubs branded under multiple names, including Dualmatic, Selectro, Perfect Circle, Free-Lock, and others. But, where did the hubs originate?
Unfortunately, as this point I only have theories rather than actual answers. One theory is that they were developed by Free-Lock, but not patented, prior to Free-Lock’s demise. Somehow, Dualamatic/Husky ended up with the hubs (probably purchased Free-Lock’s assets) and then Dualmatic manufacturing them under the Free-Lock brand, then other brands.
My second theory is that the hub is based on this hub patent from Clark Peterson in 1955.
It has the spring system and It appears the entire top of the hub twists. But, there are some differences. The central bolt does not exist to hold the hub in place, instead side bolds secure the top. Maybe someone who has a set of these hubs can compare it to the hub design above? Below is a schematic of a Dualmatic hub for comparison.
