Unusual Research Archives

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1947 CJ-2A Belen, NM **Status Unknown**

• CATEGORIES: CJ-2A, Unusual • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Status Unknown. Was $5500.

(02/07/2011) Looks nice.

“Hello I have a 1947 jeep Willys for sale its a complete rebuild it has the original motor and transmission in it its a cool turquoise color and new seats with new fabric… you wont find a Willys this clean and original in new Mexico! !!”

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1953 Funky Vehicle Anaconda, MT **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: CJ-3B, Unusual • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $500

It ran when parked.  What a great, funky vehicle.  Maybe was a CJ-3B?

“The Jeep ran fine when I parked it. I also have an extra transmission/transfer case for it.”

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Posters of CJ-2A with Wooden Top on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Unusual, Wood bodies • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Each of these posters is purchased separately from three separate eBay ads.  This unique top is not something I remember seeing.  Anyone know anything about it?

Poster 1 Side view ebay link

Poster 2 Front view ebay link

Poster 3 Rear view ebay link

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Custom Willys Truck Kelso, Wa $2450

• CATEGORIES: Jeep Rods, Unusual, Willys Trucks • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This looks like a nice customization.

“I have a 1950’s Willys pickup, that is on a 1978 4×4 Chevy luv.. Cool project truck. Runs and drives .Could use a new clutch. has CD player, cruise control, very fun to drive. Just lost interest in the project. No more points, switched to a electronic distributor. 4 speed manual. Please call or text (360)560-4028…. $2450 OBO cash or $2800 valued trade.. Have more pictures i can send via phone”

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/2952588249.html

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World’s Largest Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Features, International, Unusual This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE:  Mark pointed out that Jalopnik has updated the pictures shown below with background information about how why the “Chuck Norris of the Middle East” built the world’s biggest jeep.  

Here is the newest link with the full story: http://jalopnik.com/5509865/middle+eastern-chuck-norris-builds-worlds-largest-jeep

(Originally Published 04/10/2010) Thanks to Rich for finding this information on JalopnikWe saw an early pic regarding this jeep, but here’s the final product.  Note the other large 4x4s as well. Ahhhh, the life of a sheik .. so much money, so little time!

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A US Postal Willys Wagon image from the Smithsonian

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Unusual, Willys Wagons This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

FEATURED SEPTEMBER 2010

I didn’t know they made Willys postal right hand drive wagons!  The Smithsonian’s Postal Museum Exhibit has some great images of early original vehicles used to deliver mail.

From the website, “In August 1953, the first postal jeeps rolled off the Willys Motors assembly line. The model, the first U.S. car in three decades to have right-hand drive, was soon being tested on postal routes around the country.

Carriers used these right-hand drive vehicles to save delivery time on their routes. They were able to more easily reach the mailbox without having to park and go around their cars, or reach over the passenger’s seat to deliver the mail.”

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Around the World in a SEEP called Half Safe

• CATEGORIES: Books, Builds, Features, GPA (SEEP), Unusual • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

half_safe_9FEATURED IN MAY 2009

The next time you are in Perth, Australia, make sure you stop by and see Ben Carlin’s SEEP named Half Safe.  Ben Carlin and his wife navigated their SEEP around the world back in the 1950s.  I found two website’s that chronicle the adventure:  David Brooks shows pictures along with the story and Leisure Wheels has a large article with a single pic.  Below is the beginning of the story and below that are a few pictures.  Ben Carlin also wrote two books about his adventure “Half Safe” and later ““The Other Half of Half-Safe”.

half_safe_8FROM DAVID BROOKS WEBSITE:  “Ben Carlin (1912 – 1981) was born and attended school in Western Australia. While awaiting demobilisation after service in India in World War II, Ben noticed a US amphibious jeep among other war debris, and remarked “You know, Mac, with a bit of titivation you could go around the world in one of these things”. For some never-explained reason, Ben was not certified insane on the spot, and eventually fulfilled his dream ….”

>>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF THE STORY<<

Half Safe Pages

SEEP Pages:

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Aerial Jeep from Life Magazine

• CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine, Unusual • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

FEATURED IN MAY 2009

UPDATE:  I found a long discussion, details and the pic below at this website:

From this website, vectorsite.net, I’ll put some of the content just to make sure it isn’t lost.

flying_jeep

“The AirGeep was first flown on 12 October 1958. Apparently it proved grossly underpowered, barely able to fly over a fence, and it was sent back to the shop, where the piston engines were replaced by a single 317 kW (425 HP) Turbomeca Artouste IIB turbine engine. The upgraded AirGeep flew in late June 1959. It weighed 1.1 tonnes (2,500 pounds) and could carry a payload of 550 kilograms (1,200 pounds), including the pilot.

The AirGeep was put through trials for both the Army and the Navy over the next few years. The engine was upgraded again to a Garrett / Airesearch 331-6 engine, which had a higher power-to-weight ratio. For Navy trials, which began in June 1961, the rotorcraft was fitted with floats, and redesignated the “PA-59 SeaGeep”.

* Piasecki wanted to build a bigger and better AirGeep, and the Army Transportation Research Command obliged them by issuing a contract for what Piasecki called the “Model 59K” and what the Army called the “VZ-8P(B) AirGeep II”, which made its first flight in the summer of 1962.

The AirGeep II was similar to the AirGeep, except that the aircraft was “bent” in the middle so that the rotors were tilted fore and aft, it seems to improve forward flight characteristics. The AirGeep II used twin 298 kW (400 SHP) Turbomeca Artouste IIC turboshaft engines, once again linked so that if one failed the other would drive both rotors. One engine could also be coupled to the landing wheels to drive the machine on the ground. The increased power allowed a maximum take-off weight of 2.2 tonnes (4,800 pounds). The pilot and observer had “zero-zero” ejection seats, allowing safe escape if the machine was on the ground and standing still, and there were apparently seats for additional passengers.

As we learned, the rotabuggy was a bit of a failure. However that didn’t stop the military from investigating some type of ‘flying jeep’.  Now, I don’t know if the military really called it the Aerial Jeep or whether it was Life Magazine’s attempt to sell magazines, but the result is a pretty unusual flying machine:

life_magazine_aerialjeep

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Creation of a Nuffield Gutty Airborne Jeep in Australia

• CATEGORIES: Airborne Lightweight Jeeps, Features, Unusual • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I ran across a story on G503 about the creation of a Nuffield Airborne Jeep in Australia.  The details of the build are great!

Link to g503 story: http://www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=188540

You can view another Nuffield Gutty on my post about lightweight jeeps.

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1946 CJ-2A Zenda, Ks $1200

• CATEGORIES: CJ-2A, Unusual • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Someone had some left over cans of paint from Fourth of July?  Joking aside, there might just be some value here.  I suspect the sides have been filled or bondoed as the drain holes appear missing on the driver’s side.

“1946 Willies Jeep this jeep does not run $1200 firm 620-243-3961 also have many extra parts.”

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