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About eWillys
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.
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 .
“This 1960s CRAGSTAN (Japan) JEEP CJ3 WITH “QUEEN” BOAT AND TRAILER are in Near Mint original condition, in their original box. The 15.5-inch long tin toy has a few minor paint abrasions and box rub. The 7.25-inch long Jeep has a working friction motor. The interior is nicely detailed and lithographed, and the top is nicely fringed. The rubber tires are like new, and the tin hubcaps are lightly age tarnished. The 8.25-inch long boat and motor are lightly scuffed and scratched. The crank up motor works well. The 7.25-inch long boat trailer is like new. The colorful original box is complete, but has minor edge tears, scuffs and a few light stains.”
On Saturday morning May 11, we hoped to escape the cold of Northern MIchigan’s Mackinaw City by driving south. Our goal was Brian’s house in Fenton, MI, where he planned to take us out to dinner at the French Laundry (more on that tomorrow). He’s outdone himself with his generosity and hospitality, so many thanks to him!
On Saturday we drove from Mackinaw City to Bay City, then southward to Fenton.
When we arrived, there was only two other vehicles in the parking lot. We took a few pictures of the outside and headed into pay. When we stepped inside the door, the foyer was empty; there was no one was around to take our money. I yelled, but didn’t get an answer. I checked the door to make sure the open-sign said ‘open’; it did. I checked the prices and discovered it cost $7 per adult, but they were running a mother’s day weekend special, so Ann didn’t have to pay. Therefore, I laid $7 on the museum’s till and we began our tour.
Wow. Wow. Wow! There were toy automobiles neatly arranged everywhere. We’d later learn that more than 12,000 toy vehicles were displayed. Another 4,000 were awaiting display. As Ann and I looked around a man in a scooter and a young boy appeared, said hi, then went to the front. We told them we’d paid, and the man didn’t say much, he just continued to the front.
As we made additional progress through the different rooms a man in a wheel chair appeared. He was very friendly and began to explain the history of the different items. After a while, it became apparent that this wasn’t just a museum, it was one man’s collection: Jim Dobson. The man who was helping us (I missed his name) pointed out one wall where Jim had placed signs related to some of the companies he’d founded or been involved with. It was a long list.
Anyone know the history behind this wild rig? This auction ends soon.
“This auction is for SIX original,vintage c.1950 B/W film photo negatives showing trailer Jeep.The negative was converted to positive to see the image.Enlarged at a scan for better viewing.As shown at a scans.Please see DETAILED scans for condition”
“This auction is for a terrific LOUIS MARX & CO. Willys Jeep with trailer and LIGHTS!!. This thing is new in the original box and is untouched by any kids. The battery area is pristine and has never seen a battery. The trailer hitch on the bottom of the jeep has never been swung out to accept the trailer. The original instructions are included and they are in the box(they are very yellow and very brittle). The pictures show some of the condition of the instructions. The outside box had water damage at one time but it’s not bad as the pictures show. The colors are terrific and there are very few chips and scratches. This truly is a choice piece that I found.”
Seth discovered this one-of-a-kind boat for sale. Perhaps the builder was inspired by the Panther water car?
“This is a 1972 All Fiberglass Jeep CJ5 Tub built up on a Fiberglass hull. It has a 50hp Johnson outboard on a custom bracket with power trim & tilt. It has all nautical lights for running at night plus all the vehicle lights work including head lights, tail light and blinkers. This is a 2014 build.
So let me tell you, this thing is an absolute blast, grab a friend turn up the stereo and you will be turning heads everywhere you take her and you can take her anywhere because its great in any water due to the two 12 ft wind surfing boards that act as outriggers so its real stable and not tippy at all plus it has a full windshield. This thing is custom everything from the beautiful paint job to the detailed shifter console and dash board.
Also comes with custom fitted boat trailer.”
Whitefish Point Lighthouse and the Shipwreck Museum on Lake Superior
Well it worked. I wished the rain away and we didn’t see any all day. However, I forgot to wish the cold away. But, I’ll take the cool temperatures over the rain.
Today, Friday May 10th, our first goal was to drive to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point near Paradise, MI, where a light saving beacon has been maintained in one form or another since 1849.
On Friday May 10th we drove from Iron Mountain to Mackinaw City.
On our way to the museum, we encountered a couple different jeeps. One was in the form of a wooden jeep at a Big Boy Burger restaurant in Manistique, MI. This one included a slide. Ann tried real hard to get a shot of me on the slide. Unfortunately, our memory card lost the pictures I took of the front of the wood jeep (time for new memory card).
The next jeep we saw at an old motel near Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan. There was a dog near the jeep that wasn’t too happy to see me taking photos, so I kept my distance. It looks like someone took the time to fabricate a custom hardtop.
We finally reached Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point around 2pm. It was later than I expected to be there, by at least one hour, because we crossed into another pesky time zone. I always thought Michigan was in the Central Time Zone. It turns out only a small portion of it is (to be fair, this is my first visit to the great state of Michigan).
The museum costs $13/per adult. However, if you have an active military ID, you and a friend can get in free. However, they don’t advertise that fact, so you’ll have to ask about it. We had a nice time looking around the exhibits.
There are plenty of harrowing stories of sailors freezing, drowning, and dying. To be fair, many people were saved by life-saving crews as well. If you are in the area, it’s worth dropping by to see. The fact that of the 550 known major shipwrecks lying on the bottom of the lake, at least 200 of them are in the vicinity of Whitefish Point, underscores the importance of alerting sailors to the dangers of the area.
Here we are at Lake Superior. You can just see Canada behind us in the distance.
This CJ-5 looks a little bit surreyish with its striped top.
“Vintage original snapshot, circa 1950’s.
Dimensions: 5″ x 3 1/2”
Condition: Very good, light corner crease, never glued in album, see scan.
“ebay scan” watermark does not appear on actual photograph”
HOG spotted these manuals for passenger cars. Maybe someone can use them? The ad is listed in Pennsylvania, but it appears the books are in Colorado.
“1950’s Willys-Overland Motors OEM Manual’s
OEM Mechanic’s and Body manuals for Willys-Overland passenger cars. Models 685 Super DeLuxe & Custom, and 675 passenger cars, vintage early 1950’s.
Complete coverage of mechanical, technical and body specifications.
Both manual’s are in very good condition, and have had seen little to no use. Crisp clean pages with detailed photos and technical specifications.
$30.00 for the pair.
Email for further information, include your phone number, and put Willys OEM Manuals in the subject line.”
Following a night at a St. Paul Super 8 that we can’t in good conscience recommend — maybe it was the guy we saw peeing outside near the front door that dampened our enthusiasm for the place — we awoke to rain. It rained all day and into the evening. It can stop anytime!
In the meantime, we started the day by returning to the Minnesota History Center to complete our research. After finishing, we spent some time touring the Minnesota History Museum. The museum’s building is beautiful and many of the exhibits were cleverly designed. We shared the museum with 1,000 grade school kids who must have had sugar injections before they entered. Ok, maybe it wasn’t that many, but it sounded like that many!
We even located a Wurlitzer Juke box, so of course had to take a photo:
We definitely had a ‘blast’ at the museum:
By the time we completed the museum it was lunch time, Ann and I headed to a meeting with Jonathon McDonough, who with his brother Jim, operates the web company and data center out of St. Paul that powers eWillys. Jonathon is a jeep enthusiast who owns a yellow M-38 he’s had since he was 14.
At Jonathan’s urging, we met for lunch at Cossettas in downtown St. Paul. He made a great choice. Ann and I both loved the place. We both chose a lasagna packed full of tasty sausage and covered in a rich tomato sauce. It was fantastic.
After our lunch, we toured the market area of the restaurant. I feel fortunate that we aren’t towing a trailer, because it would now be full of italian food. Forced to limit our selections, we bought some freshly baked italian bread, a small chunk of sheep/cow cheese with black truffle, and some specialty butter. If you are ever near St. Paul, check out Cossettas. It’s a treat for the eyes and the stomach!
Max-Built is a jeep rebuilder and product manufacturer that was started a few years ago by Adam’s good friend Phil Norvold. The company’s first shop was the basement of Phil’s home, but after many late nights of basement work, Phil’s wife strongly urged him to find a space far enough away from their home so she couldn’t hear him working at 2AM.
So, in November of 2012, Max-Built moved into its new shop at 6129 Sandstone Road, Eau Claire, WI. It’s located on highway 93 one mile south of I-94. If you are driving by, you can’t miss the place with all the jeeps out front. So, thanks to Phil and his father Mark for entertaining us and showing us around.
We started Wednesday morning in Fargo, North Dakota. Ann had been driving more than usual, because I’ve been typing. And typing. And typing.
Wednesday May 8th’s drive to St. Paul.
Because she’s been driving a lot, I’ve become aware of two things. First, she swerves to the side of the freeway it she sees a large spider scamper above her head and race towards the windshield. We never did find the spider; our nerves are back there somewhere, too . So was my heart.
Second, she stops for jeeps using a technique strikingly similar to her spider-veering-off-the-freeway maneuver. I bore witness to her using this technique yesterday after she spotted a flattie just south of Albany, MN, next to a fence along Interstate 94.
Now, I don’t remember how fast our jeep goes from zero to 75mph, but I can say without reservation that it can brake 75mph to 0 in the time it takes my wife to say, “there’s a jeep!”.
And, I’m not saying she backed up along the shoulder of I-94 to get this shot, but I am saying she’s the kind of wife who’d do that for me so I could share a pic like this with all of you! (funny story, this was shot with my iPhone, which I’d done as a backup shot. The ‘real camera’ with the zoom lens apparently didn’t have the disc inside it . . . sigh). Through the zoom lens I could easily see the CJ-2A’s bow holders on the driver’s side. It actually looked in decent condition. There was no evidence of a for-sale sign.
A couple of readers later commented on this jeep, one writing: I think I spotted it. … 45.61396,-94.511097 (near Albany, MN) .. Looks like its on the edge of that property but what an odd place to park it and leave it.
The other reader added: We checked on this a few years ago and at the time this jeep was owned by the same people who own the Chrysler/Jeep dealership in Albany MN that you guys passed through. They own this property where the jeep sits on and use it for groups to drive around with jeeps and 4 wheelers. They also owned a 3B jeep painted like a military jeep that they would take to car shows and parades in the area.
(In March of 2020 Ann and I through the area, but did not see the jeep … it no longer appears on Google’s street view.)
A CJ-2A was parked for several years just off of the southwest side of I-94.
When we mentioned we were heading to St. Paul, MN, to do some research before heading to Michigan’s Upper Penninsula, Don dropped me a note and suggested I drop by to meet him and his wagon. So, after Ann and I got done at the Minnesota Historical Society (more on that tomorrow), we dropped by and visited with Don.
He’s got a 1962 Wagon sold in 1963. Don said the original owner of this wagon was named Don (I’ll call him Friend Don). One day, just before Don was old enough to legally drive the wagon, Friend Don gave the wagon to Don. That was 1980. Don had owned it ever since. He used it as his daily driver throughout High School. Eventually, Don decided to add the stenciling to the side of the wagon, so a buddy of his just down the street painted it on. It give is a great look.
The wagon is nearly bone stock, though there have been a few minor repairs to keep it running. Don seemed to waffle a bit about whether he wanted to fix some of the rusted body. He likes the idea of it being original, yet he wouldn’t mind have it fixed. At one point Don said a jeep can only be original one time, so I suspect this wagon won’t see a body shop for some years to come.
