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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 .
Tom in Paris shared these two photos of jeeps he found at the Old Barthell Coal Camp and Museum.
Tom wrote, “The GPW is a 1942, missing some stuff and sitting on M151 wheels. The CJ2A is a 1946 with tool indents, with the shifter on the floor. They were parked at the old Barthell Coal Camp and museum, in Strunk,Ky. Barthell was owned by Stearns Coal and Lumber. The mining operations stopped in 1948.”
I was able to locate a stock photo that shows the GPW from a different angle:
Gayland shard this photo posted on the Navy Seabee Museum site that features Seabees working on a jeep and some other vehicles. The Navy’s Seabee website has done a good job of organizing its digital collections based on multiple factors (time period and location in most cases).
If you haven’t ever visited the museum, it’s located in Port Hueneme. We had a chance to visit back in 2014 while it was undergoing updates. I’m sure it’s even better now.
Nick visited the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage State Park, Long Island, New York, and took these photos for us.
Here’s a video from the Museum’s website:
Nick wrote, “Right when you walk in and scattered throughout with the heavy artillery are a number of well preserver/restored jeeps. The second vehicle you see when entering is a nice GPW. Then, there are blue and yellow newer-looking jeeps (looked like a 3a and an m38a1), which they drive and use around the park. The museum has a very nice OD m38a1 and an M-718 ambulance jeep. They also have an M-274 Mule, a Mighty mite, and an MB.
They have several volunteers that restore the vehicles and many are driven around. And, if you want to take a ride in a tank in an old battlefield setting, I believe you can for a reasonable donation (think it’s like $125).
Here’s a GPW:
This M-38A1 looks well restored:
This CJ-3A? may have an aftermarket hood. It looks like there’s possibly a “Follow Me” M-38A1 behind the blue jeep:
This appears to be an MB:
And another MB amongst a Commando car on the left and an M-151 on the right:
UPDATE: Vince shared an article from autoblog.com that provides more information on the Rainbow Sheikh (Sheigh Hamad bin Hamdan) who built the world’s largest running jeep. It had been many years since my last post on the subject, so it was time to update this post.
In 2010, reports were that Guinness Book of World Records had recognized the jeep as the largest running jeep in the world; however, I could not verify the record through the Guinness web site. Recently, a huge CJ-5 built by the same Shiekh for his offload museum may have surpassed the flat fender.
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/05/31/worlds-largest-working-jeep/
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Published in April of 2009: I thought it was just a fake keep prop of some kind, but apparently it’s being built on the framework of a large quarry mining truck.
Jeep outside the museum (photo from Trip Advisor)
Mohamed Busamnoh, eWillys’ United Arab Emirates correspondent, reported on his recent visit to the newly opened Offroad History Museum in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Thanks for sharing! (check out another museum owned by the same sheikh with a giant flat fender).
“I passed by to the newly opened Offroad History Museum in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to check it out and it’s pretty impressive. It is owned by one of they royal family members who goes by the nickname “Rainbow Sheikh”. It is divided into 3 main sections:
He has more than 350 cars on display only in this museum. He also owns several museums around the world. From above, the main entrance is built as the letter H for his name, Hamad. He had what I believe is the only FC in the country besides mine or at least from what I have seen around. He also has all kinds of everything 4×4. All kinds of jeeps.
UPDATE: A reader named Jim actually served on the USS Slater. He spotted this post from 2013 and had some insights into the real history behind the USS Slater jeep:
I was pursuing the many facets of ewillys when I found a page with our jeep (the USS Slater jeep) ! I got a good laugh when I got to the last picture of it (the plaque).
This is why:
First, this is our jeep a number of years ago in a parade.
Way back when, some “idiot” member of the board thought it would be an idea to auction off the jeep. No one knew what happened to it after that. Then, several years ago I went on a hunt for it. I found it! Where? The Chrysler Traveling Museum”! Apparently, the auction winner had sold it. (to a museum?)
Then, in the picture on eWillys I see on the plaque (last pic below) where it says “This particular vehicle was owned by the US Navy and served on the USS Slater”(during Korea).
Well just to correct their version of history, during the Korean War the Slater had already been given to Greece where she served for the next 45 years in the Hellenic Navy! DE’s (Destroyer Escorts) did not usually have jeeps. because they couldn’t fit them onboard!
My search for the jeep got me to Chrysler and I emailed them. Not that I would expect them to give it back, but…. Then I get this email back:
The funny thing is all this is happening just months after the posting on your site in October of 2013! I especially like how a so-called “historian” believed how it came to be!
Well, according to this letter they were still touring the country in 2014 (which answers your “where is it now” question from 2013)!
When I am finished with my jeep and she is all lettered up as the USS Slater jeep, I think Chrysler may have a little competition!
Ciao for now,
Jim
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Originally Published 2013:
Joe shot these photos back in May of 2005. He writes, “I visited this DiamlerChrysler Corp. traveling exhibit in Virginia Beach, VA back in 2005, photographed it and posted the story on the G503.com website back then. (when the ewillys.com concept was but a dream for sometime in the future.) I’ve included the link for you to read as background and to share with your readers. I found the follow-up comments by other G503 members the most interesting based on their expert knowledge/experience of the subject.”
Anyone know if they still run the traveling exhibit?
http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=105&t=61931
Photos of this modified jeep located at the Auto & Technik Museum, in Sinsheim, Germany, were posted to the G-503 Facebook page. After some various guesses, Alexander Schingerlin explained how this was modified.
“Look what you see at the picture, a Lanz Tractor and a strange looking Willys. Gas was expensive in the years after war and someone put the complete unit – engine, transmission, in an Willys. Thats why the cooler is so high and the Engine so far in the front because of the long transmission of the tractor”
This is another modified German jeep, but this time it’s a CJ-3A located at the Budensee Museum in Uhldingen-Mühlhofen, Germany. Based on the Facebook caption, it appears to be a wood burning engine.
“(translation from German by Facebook) This Willys Jeep served until the mid-60 s a salary sawer, who moved from home to house. This vehicle prepares the fuel-eating glutton engine for users. What was the solution? Find out more on our historic wooden saw days on 13. and 14.10.2018.”
Joe Keefhaver shared this on Facebook. The Patee House Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri, is owned and operated by The Pony Express Historical Association. Inside you’ll find two miniature jeeps on display. According to the signage, the larger 3/4-size jeep was built from a 1950 Crosley Station wagon, while the smaller 1/2-size jeep was all custom.
This looks like a pretty cool place. Check out this exhibit:
Jan posted this to her Facebook page. There is an M-38 located inside the “world’s largest truck stop” in Walcott, IA. We drove by that place and, had I known, we would have stopped and taken pics ourselves (that’s what we get for being in a hurry … grrrr).
This random video of the world’s largest truck stop is from a “wheretheheckarethealbans” video.
