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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 .
I’m not sure if this is really a soap box jeep, but still a neat vintage piece.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1675391245929395/
“Willys Jeep vintage wod soap box derby car! homemade very cool! Measures 52″ long. This is a great vintage piece that was made with pride, just imaging the father son team that raced this with pride for the US Army. Please take a look at the pictures, jeep has some missing layers of plywood, a broken bumper and one rail is missing on the back.”
I tried to tell her that it wasn’t a ‘pole’, but that didn’t stop her ….
Yesterday we slowed down a little so that we could check into our hotel early and get Ann some rest. To kill some time, we did a little sightseeing.
First, we stopped in Peoria. The city took us by surprise. Peoria sits on a river bank overlooking the Illinois River. Knowing nothing about the city, I had assumed it would be a small city with an industry feel. So, we were surprised to see a fairly modern looking city with a park along the river that lined much of downtown. Our reason for stopping there was to take a photo with a huge American Gothic statute, one that has spent the last decade traveling around to different museums.
That stop got us looking around the city a little bit. There’s a really cool looking Caterpillar Visitors center downtown (see this site for some pics), but it didn’t open until 10am. We couldn’t wait that long, so we took off, but we’d like to visit again to check out that, the “The Art of the Brick” display, and some of the other spots.
PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.rbauction.com.mx/blog/make-tracks-for-the-caterpillar-visitors-center-this-summer- … Caterpillar’s visitors center
Here’s Ann at a nearby monument in downtown Peoria.
Downtown Peoria. That’s Lincoln on the building looking at a War Memorial.
We’ve stopped in Champaign for the night. Just as we entered the city, a storm arrived. By the time we found the statute of movie critic Roger Ebert, which sits outside the Virginia theater in Champaign, Illinois (now showing John Wayne in Red River), sheets of rain could be seen and gnarly clouds were everywhere. We saw lightening and heard the thunder that followed. Thankfully, there was no rain falling on us. All three of us thought it made for a great storm, worthy of three thumbs up!!
Bernd’s been busy with his CJ-5. Last we saw it, he was using it to set up a local train for a public event in Austria. Recently, he needed to transport a diesel engine to a repair shop. These ordinary, utilitarian-type tasks is exactly how we often used Dad’s jeep.
Ted shared this unusual blend of a Surrey and a Tux Park. It sure looks nice. The seller doesn’t mention that the Surrey upgrades are incorrect for this model, but the seller is correct that if you want something unique to bring to a jeep event, this qualifies.
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/jeep/cj5a/2288471.html?refer=news
“1965 Jeep CJ-5A Tuxedo Park Mark IV – An “upscale” Jeep was named after the upscale Tuxedo Park in New York, which was the birthplace of the tuxedo. Elvis drove a similar Jeep in the 1965 movie “Tickle Me” which also starred Julie Adams. Tuxedo Park Jeeps were also driven in President Lyndon Johnson’s inaugural parade in January, 1965.
This special edition Jeep came standard with chrome bumpers, wheel covers, column shift, fold-down rear license plate, fold-down windshield, and a little more highway-friendly rear gear. Standard running gear is a 4-cylinder engine and 3-Speed manual transmission. Optional equipment on this one includes the surrey interior & top, 4-Wheel-drive, and “full” passenger seat. It has been retrofitted with seat belts for safety. Just like Elvis’ Tuxedo Park, this one is finished in Marlin Blue. Continue reading
Another long day on Saturday (fortunately, we spent lots of it talking and very little of it driving), so no updates on Sunday. Rusty has a new home. After a short visit with Merlin Hansen to see his new place, we are heading home. We should make it to Champaign, IL, by Sunday evening, where we plan to take a photo with Roger Ebert.
This April 22, 2013 photo provided by Thompson-McClellan shows a bronze statue of Pulitzer Prize winning film critic Roger Ebert giving his famous ‘thumbs up” sign in Champaign, Ill. The statue will be unveiled Thursday, April 24, 2014, outside the Virginia Theatre in Champaign where Ebert held his annual film festival. Ebert died in April 2013. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Thomspon.McClellan)
Here’s the latest info from Bob Christy about his September jeep event.
Chuck shared this pre-jeep video about how Dodge tests its trucks to make sure they are tough.
Update: this looked like a modified MB to me at first, but smarter folks than I straightened me out!
Kees Heids spotted this ‘tracked jeep’ in a Frontline segment on WWII. It looks different from the O’Laughlin.
You can see the jeep between timestamps 11:55 – 11:58. It appears only for a brief couple of seconds.
Here’s the pic:
Here’s the video:
Patrick spotted this story.
The Ridgecrest, California, earthquake resulted in a one death. The man who died was working on a flat fender when (they presume) the quake knocked the jeep off of the jack and blocks and onto him. I couldn’t say if he was an eWillys reader, but none-the-less my deepest sympathies go out to his family.
There’s more information here: https://people.com/human-interest/nevada-man-killed-earthquake-working-on-jeep/
Be careful out there!
