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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 .
Another odd one. Any value here other than scrap?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/216897779626903/
“Custom Willys Jeep $2,000”
I wonder what this is like to drive from the top deck?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2448104305499453
“Jeep Wrangler CJ5 double decker hunting Jeep. Top deck can be removed.”
This custom build is a little different.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/301274604531502/
“86 Stainless steel Willis jeep 9 inc Ford Rear end 4 speed transmission 350 motor bord 30 over with a 280 comp cam”
UPDATE: Still Available.
(07/16/2020) Not sure how much value is here.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/906909283053138/
“1942 Jeep Willys Custom truck. Chevy 350 engine not currently running but I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to get going. Message me any questions. Got something to trade? Send it to me ”
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $5500.
If you are looking for an oddball project, maybe this one is it.
“I HAVE TITLE! I really wanted to finish this but I dont have enough time ( delivery available) it’s a 1977 cj7 4 door!! A very solid project with 4 brand new racing seats ( with mounts and slides) I have a sbc350 and a 6.2 diesel and transmission either can go with it the jeeps already set up for the motor and trans just have to be dropped in! I was going to bed liner the inside throw the seats and a bunch of speakers on the roll bar but no time! Come get it may trade offer what you have!”
UPDATE: Jerry contacted me about a locomotive jeep he would like to restore (see near bottom). He noted that it was used at Tinkertown and found this older post while hoping to learn more. So, this post is a complete redo of an early post that focused just on photos in a January 1950 issue of Popular Mechanics.
It is probably no surprise that the Los Angeles metroplitan area was a hotbed of theme parks and carnivals following World War II. In particular, there was Beverly Park, which is claimed to be the park that stimulated Disney’s interests in theme parks.
One of those carnivals was a traveling kiddie carnival called Tinkertown. Articles show it existed at least from 1950 through 1952, operating in Monrovia, Wilmington, Los Angeles, and other LA area towns.
December 06, 1951, Wilmington Daily Press, Wilmington, California. Tinkertown Kiddie Carnival announcement.
Tinkertown appears to have owned, at one time or another, at least four unusual jeeps. One was a fire jeep made from a CJ-2A, shown below in red.
A second jeep appeared to have been a stretched (probably surplus) WWII jeep made into some kind of fire jeep used to tow a small Ferris wheel.
The article above refers to the jeep as a “fire engine”; perhaps it was modified during WWII? Here’s a better image:
A third jeep-related setup was a train possibly made from a jeep (or jeep-engine-powered at the very least). It is pictured here:
The fourth known jeep was a jeep turned into a locomotive. It’s the one Jerry now owns (along with two of the tram cars), one he’d like to restore. It’s in surprisingly complete condition. He’s hoping to learn more about the manufacturer and/or Tinkertown. Here’s a photo of his train:
Here’s how it looked in 1950:
UPDATE: Still Available.
(06/13/2020) This vehicle still runs and plows. It has at least some Jeep DNA, possibly from a CJ-3B or M-38A1 based on the year.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/287655079061006/
“1953 government Jeep. Leo had used it for plowing snow. Runs great. Has snow plow .”
UPDATE II: Marc noted the the rear of the vehicle is based on a Renault Juvaquatre. It just so happens this car is somewhat based on the German Opel, which Wally King used to create his Jeepster-like vehicle in Germany following WWII.
PHOTO CREDIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Juvaquatre#/media/File:Renault_Juvaquatre_photographed_in_1984_in_central_France.jpg
UPDATE: UndiscoveredClassics.com had some additional insights into this vehicle. I tried to learn more about Captain Richard C. Fitch of the Second Regiment Mechanized Cavalry Reserve, Los Angeles, but didn’t have much luck. I did learn he was a design engineer for the Army and was responsible for the MT Tug design (see below post). Below is a photo of how it looked in a newspaper.
March 18, 1942, issue of the Sacramento Bee, page 14.
=======================
Originally published March 2014: I wonder what ever happened to this prototype? Marc spotted this unusual photo. The vehicle doesn’t seem very jeep-like, except in its compact design and front clip similarity. It doesn’t appear it was four wheel drive.
The image was picked up and published by a couple newspapers. Below are links to Newspaper.com that show a small image of the page. The caption vary slightly:
1. The Amarillo Globe (Amarillo, Texas) March 18th, 1942, on Page 2
2. The Statesville Record and Landmark (Statesville, NC) March 16th, 1942, Page 4
This is a 1950 CJ-3A body grafted to a 2010 Ford Ranger.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/238527360590791/
“1950 Willys Jeep body cut and modified to fit the frame and motor of a 2010 Ford Ranger. It has the motor and tires from the Ranger, 28,000 miles on it”
A few items I found on my phone. I think all these photos were on Facebook?
Some thought when into the mods on this jeep:
This sedan jeep is odd even for custom hardtop jeeps.
