Jim forwarded the following photo of him and his brother from 1967.
He writes, “This faded polaroid was dated Aug 12 1967. It shows my ’46 CJ2A, my brother Bob, super-on-the-job and me, grinning and I’m sure torquing everything to exacting specs. She was my second car and my best. I bought it the summer of ’66, spent two cold winters in it and to the best of my recollection, the only one around with any four wheel drive.
There were no aftermarket parts and I wanted oversize tires real bad, so we got some Mercury wheels, maybe ’49s or early 50’s and worn down snows. My father just thought that was ridicules, so one day he borrowed it and returned with brand new Firestone Town and Countrys….6.00 x 16!!!! You can just make out the tread in the picture. After that I did an awful lot of tire swapping to keep things on an even keel. I used to take guys on excursions for beer and gas.
The jeep was called Sophicles Hoblitz which I believe is written on the hood leaning against the tree off to the left. The name Sophicles Hoblitz….. I think came from a Hot Rod magazine cartoon, something about a bearded prophet who advertised himself with a sign on the side of a jeep. Probably warning of eternal damnation to anyone who becomes swayed by the charms of an old Willys. One more thing. I bought her in Longmeadow Ma next to the Ct line from a man who had gone blind and had not driven it for years. That was in ’66 and then it was only 20 years old.
