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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: **SOLD** Was $1000
(08/14/2014) It’s a Dodge cab on a ’46 jeep.
“1946 Willy’s Jeep. Entire running gear in good condition. 1940 dodge truck cab. Been barn stored since the 60’s. Worth 1,000 in scrap, asking 2,000 or best offer. Wanting this to go to a good home and hopefully reach full restoration”
First published (03/24/2011): A reader named Alan found these these classic jeeping images from the Four Corners area of the Southwest while scanning some slides, taken while on a jeep trip in 1961. Not only are the colors wonderful, but quality of the shots are fantastic. The slides came from Alan’s father-in-law and the CJ-3A, the yellow jeep in image 2, was his father-in-law’s father’s jeep. I will publish a couple more posts with more pictures later this week.
When I lived in Utah, I used to travel down to the Moab area, find a piece of slickrock (similar to the type of rock the jeep below is traveling down), throw my sleeping bag on a flat surface, and fall asleep under the stars (and there are lots of visible stars down there). At sunbreak in the morning, the light would cause the slickrock to turn intense reddish colors. Southern Utah is one of my favorite places to explore.
First published 09/02/2012: The February 1948 Issue of Popular Mechanics Magazine published this fascinating look at the Bountiful City Jeep Posse, an organization that worked as a volunteer Search and Rescue and Fire Fighting group out of Bountiful, Utah. Started in 1946, the organization is still in existence.
I found this article that provides additional history from the 2006 in the Deseret News. Though they own fewer jeeps and have more trucks, they are still helping their community. I’ve contacted the newspaper to see if I can communicate with the members to get some more information about them and, possibly, some additional jeep pictures.
The Images below all come from the Popular Mechanics Magazine article. Note the jeep in the background of the bottom image on page 3 has a full cage, the earliest example of a full cage I’ve seen.
Following the article, I’ve included pics of two ads, too.
Page 1:
First published 09/17/2012: I ran across this book about “California State Park Rangers” written by Michael G. Lynch, which includes several pictures of Rangers and Jeeps. I’ve included three images below and don’t know if there are more. The book covers the history of California State Park Rangers, beginning with the first Ranger Galen Clark at Yosemite State Park in 1866. With a career of thirty-five years in the California Park system, Michael plans to donate some of the proceeds to the parks.
According to the author, many of the images come from the state park archives, which you can view online here.
Click here to learn more about the book at Amazon
First published 09/29/2012: I first spotted this article in the May 22, 1943, edition of Colliers Magazine.
An article by the same name (Jeep of All Trades), but with different content, was published in Mechanix Illustrated in November 1945 (see an example at this-old-jeep.com).
Below are some images of the article. I searched on the author, but all I learned was that he wrote for Colliers. If you spot an inexpensive Colliers Magazine with the article, let me know!
Ann and I decided last night to head for Ohanapecosh near Mt. Rainier on Sunday for a couple days. No reception there means no updates for a couple days. However, I have schedule a few old feature posts to reappear. We’ll be back on Tuesday so there will be some updates at that point.
Paul’s ‘Goddess’ forwarded me a link about Yale’s Photogrammar website that contains 170,000 photographs from 1935 to 1945 created by the United State’s Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information (FSA-OWI).
One of the neater features shows all the photos mapped by county across the United States. Click here to see it: http://photogrammar.yale.edu/map/
Ford GP … Baltimore, Maryland. Colonel H.J. Lawes, post commander, Holabird quartermaster depot and commandant of the quartermaster motor transport school at the wheel of a “jeep” giving his pupils first-hand instructions on the vehicle training ground during a two-week preventive maintenance for motor vehicles course for officers
Fort Riley, Kansas. A jeep of a mechanized cavalry reconnaissance unit carrying a thirty caliber machine gun during a field problem. April 1942. Photo by Jack Delano.
Jan’s Victory Toy Jeep
Jan contacted me about a toy his father picked up in Maastricht (Netherlands) at the end of WWII. He didn’t know the history of the toy and asked if I knew. I didn’t know either, but after some research, I learned this toy was called a victory toy and made in the Netherlands following their liberation in WWII. However, what’s not clear is who manufactured these toys. Was it “Victory Toys” or were these ‘victory toys’ made by a manufacturer not of that name?
Victory Toy jeeps and soldiers from the Netherlands. These were part of an auction in 2011. http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18798/lot/1090/
You can learn more information at these links:
Here are a couple more jeeps
UPDATE: This Jeepney sold for $5700. Dave forwarded some additional photos.
“1946 Willys Jeep Station Wagon 463 model w/ L-134 Go-Devil Flathead four engine, Jeepster/Philippians Taxi; Auction: September 4th, 2014, Sanborn, MN”
Michael spotted this link from the Chive that shows a 57 military jeep photos. They are labeled as “hi res” photos, but when I downloaded the one below, it wasn’t hi res. Still, they are well shot photos.
http://thethrottle.thechive.com/2014/09/03/a-few-willys-jeeps-in-high-res-57-hq-photos/
UPDATE: Please check the comments about this service. Some readers have encountered issues with Tonka Jeep.
Wally wrote me the other day to share information about a vintage jeep restoration and parts shop called Tonka Jeep Limited. The business has only been opened since 2012, however their service guy has more than 40 years experience working on jeeps. You can learn more about the company via the website or the Facebook page.
Tonka Jeep Limited started in 2012, following twenty-five years of being a vintage Jeep owner as a hobby. Our product and service offerings cover all Jeep and Jeep variants (Jeepster, Truck & Wagon) from 1941-1955. We’ve grown steadily, by offering hard to find original parts, NOS, as well as all reproduction parts. Along with parts, we offer complete rebuild services on all mechanical components. Restoration services are offered exclusively on both civilian and military Jeeps. Parts can be ordered through our website, or by email inquiry. Our means of contact is unique, as we don’t take phone calls, we found email contact to be faster and a more efficient way to service our clientele; our response times are usually same day, however, twenty-four hours is standard. Many have asked if we have a shop or store to come by and visit; for now no, but of course if you want to pick-up parts, we’ll gladly direct you to one of two locations, where inventory is stored.
Our website is: tonkajeepltd.com and email address for questions and ordering is; sales@tonkajeepltd.com
Here’s a photo of their promotional and work jeep, a 1943 GPW:
The photo is of the owner, after an all day product shoot for the website; the back-drop is a hood from a 1950 6 cylinder Station Wagon in the original Jamaica Green and yes, it is in excellent condition and for sale.
