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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 .
Mark has a nice article at Jeeptruck.com about Don Howard, a former horse race jockey, who ran a jeep rental business out of Creede, Colorado. Don’s family has used jeeps for several generations, partly because the family has a ranch along the Continental Divide at 10,500 feet.
Sebastian and 13 of his fellow Flat Fender Club of Butler Members made the round trip in a van from Pennsylvania to the Midwest Willys Reunion today. Sebastian reports it was a fun-filled, but long day. He took a variety of pictures and has been kind enough to share some with us. He will be publishing more pictures and full write up at his blog on Sunday.
http://flatfenderclubofbutler.wordpress.com/
Below is a group shot from Saturday:
Here is the one-of-a-kind CJ-3B Surrey:
Here is Craig’s tour jeep:
While the folks in Ohio played with their jeeps and the people in Moab explored with their wagons and trucks, I got to clean my parents garage. I have wanted to tackle this project for a couple years now, but haven’t been able to for one reason or another.
However, this week, with dad still recovering from surgery (and having a tough time with it — nothing like having a persistent cough after having your sternum sliced open), Ann and I had some free time in between helping him and mom. So, for the past three days we have been unpiling junk in the garage, sweeping up varmit feecees, organizing the unorganizable, shop vacing, and cleaning.
While we didn’t clean everything, we tackled enough of the garage to feel like we had won the battle. Even better, when we began there was only enough room to fit one car. Now, two vehicles can fit with room to spare. Along the way I discovered some treasures, such as some brass inner tube caps (now on Biscuit), assorted transfercase and transmission rebuilt kits, the vin plate for my dad’s 1960 CJ-5 (which seems an appropriate direction to go with a next build project), and a Warn Overdrive Parts Catalog, which I think might be kind of rare. I’ll post the entire catalog online in the next few days. Below is the clean garage and the cover of the catalog.
Glenn forwarded a couple pages of this old catalog for hi-performance parts that included a few for the jeep. He sent these to me after a short discussion with Scott, who races using F-head and L-head motors (more on that to come).
According to Scott, “I have bored them up to .092 oversized and I have had about 6 different cams made by crane cams. The motor I have had the best luck with so far is .060 over with dome style pistons. It has 1.7 ratio roller rockers. It is a F head. I cut the side of the head open and welded the water jackets and built an intake manifold that is 8″ high. With a 500 cfm holley ive been able to get 7000 rpm out of it.”
Scott’s experimentation has been done simultaneous to Sam at Flatfender Willys, who experimented, just for fun, with hi-po parts in a flat head with modern honda fuel injection. Sam did a few other things to the engine, but I don’t precisely remember what. Sam and a friend drove the motor hard, before it finally gave out, though a couple transfer cases and a drive line gave out before the motor did.
Here are the two pages from Glenn.
Robin shared this humorous advertisement. The seller either carefully, or not, decided on a peculiar abbreviation for the word ‘assembly’.
You can read the original ad here: http://willysforsale.com/ads/willys-horn-ass/
Here is a snapshot of it.
Buz spotted this Mahindra at the team-bhp website.
He notes, “The post below this one mentions “One will find hoards of such jeep rotting” in India. I guess they aren’t going to the scrap mill like over here.”
During my last visit to my parents’ house, I tried starting Biscuit. The engine would turn over, but wouldn’t fire. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that the electric fuel pump no longer worked. So, I decided on my next visit I’d change from the electric to the stock manual pump.
Today, I took on that project. While a very simple changeover in theory, the practice turned out to be more of a challenge than I expected. For example, the first step in the process required me to break into my tool box, as the keys to my tool box disappeared during my move last summer. After spending an hour searching for the keys, I finally gave up and ‘removed’ the lock’ (with hammer, screw driver, and little finesse).
It was surprisingly easy to remove the lock. However, it was surprisingly difficult to get the lock portion of the drawers to unlock. I won’t bore you with the embarrassing details, but let’s just say that it took us about an hour and half to finally get the tool chest unlocked. Oh, good times!
Next, I had to start pulling off the electrical pump and installing the manual one. It just seemed like I dropped every socked a hundred times, grabbed the wrong wrench with each reach, had to search through the barn to find rarely used tools I had stowed away, and more. Nothing seemed to be easy about the project.
Finally, about 5pm, Ann wandered out to see how I was. I was not good. The socket has just slide off my socket wrench extension again, which meant I had to climb down onto the tarp, scoot under the jeep, and retrieve it, again. I shared some choice words about Biscuit with Ann. She decided to take a picture and post it on Facebook Here is the picture and what she wrote:
Today, under a cloud of tools, grease, and a broken fuel pump came the flood of curse words and the exclamation from Mr eWillys.com himself…. David Eilers “hates Jeeps” 🙁
It took me until about 7pm, but I did finally get the fuel pump installed and the hoses attached. Even better, everything worked. So, now Biscuit and I are all lovely dovey again.
So, I’m done with jeeps for today. Updates tomorrow.
Paul sent this to my inbox today. A couple days ago he removed his stainless steel body from his frame so he can complete the work on his frame. It’s a good thing he listened to his intuition!
“I spent a few hours yesterday in the connex cleaning up my mess and double checking the security of the Willys body resting on the 2X4 support framework. For the most part I felt the body was safely held three feet above the floor but my mind kept coming back to the thought “Would it stay in position during an earthquake?” Since it’s much faster and easier to add additional support structure than it is to repair damaged stainless body panels I fitted eight more bracing legs to the existing body holder. I really didn’t think any additional strength was necessary but I’d sleep easier with this bit of overkill engineering and the cost in time and money was negligible.
While taking a shower this morning I was surprised when the house started rocking back and forth as several sharp jolts announced the arrival of an earthquake. The quake was a small one, only about 4.6 but it was close to Anchorage (about ten miles away) and it was over quickly. After getting dressed I hurried to the connex, opened the door and viewed a beautiful sight. The Willys body was safely resting on the framework undamaged and perfectly aligned on the supports.
I realize rebuilding Jeeps can be an experience in frustration when money and time conflict with dreams but I really could do without adding earthquakes into the mix. I’m slow enough as it is, I don’t need Mother Nature increasing my heart rate with exciting special effects. On the other hand I’m happy the Willys is safe, the body support held and I don’t have to repair any damaged body panels. Now all I have to do is to hurry to get the frame work accomplished and reattach the body to the chassis before anymore earthquakes visit my workspace.”
Gerald forwarded pictures of this sign (thanks!). While the Willys Wagon is featured prominently on this sign, I couldn’t find any evidence of its existence elsewhere within the restaurant. Layton’s is located in Ocean City, Md, and is supposed to be pretty good according to Urbanspoon.
UPDATE: JUST A REMINDER
Sign up now for the Moab Overland Rally, a tribute to Willys Wagon and Trucks. Click on the picture to connect to the website, http://www.willysrally.com/
