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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 .
” This is an incredible find! 1948 Jeep Willy “hard-shell” ambulance. Includes siren and light. This is the perfect restoration project for the Willy/Jeep collector or the person who must have that incredibly “head-turning” must-have collector vehicle.”
This jeep has undergone a number of changes. The seller has added detailed artwork to the hood, while underneath is a nice looking V8.
“You are bidding on a 1948 Willys jeep, that I have owned for 25 years, After sitting for a number of years in Nov. of 2007 I redid this vehicle, the following is a listing of what was done. New brakes and lines and master cylnder, wheel cylnders and parts associatted. New fuel tank, lines, fuel pump and 2 bbl. rebuilt carb. Rebuilt 350 turbo trans, new driveshaft, u-joints, trans mount, new torque converter and flex plate. 305 Cu. In. 175 HP small block with under 35000 miles. new radiator, hoses, belts, water pump (corvette), trans-cooler and lines. new ss flex fan, all new wiring, switches, bulbs, seats and interior redone, mostly new gauges, headers with 2-1/2″ exhaust to the rear….”
As I discussed in this post, the original jeep was possibly based on the Austin 7. Here’s a later model Austin, of which I’ve only seen one other for sale in two years. A spare Austin Champ is also available.
“1953 Austin Champ Runs and drives. Mechanically sound and ready for cosmetic restoration this is serial #10515. Does contain the Rolls-Royce engine. For those interested please look at http://www.austinchamp.com/ for more info and specs. Also available for increased $$ is parts spare that is cosmetically better but not running.”
On the heals of yesterday’s GPA, I thought I’d do a brief shout out to the Schwimmwagen. You can read more and see more pics about the Schwimmwagen at Brian’s site. Here’s a pic (below) from July 12 1944 (from Brian’s site as well). Here’s some youtube videos.
UPDATE: **SOLD ** Was $6000
It’s unusual …. but he loves it.
“Custom made buggy that will go anywhere. I have used it in Moab rocks, AZ desert rocks, Colorado mountains, CA sand dunes, etc. 370hp 360ci mopar engine professionally built … My wife hates this thing, I will hate to see it go. I am asking 6k, but am somewhat negotiable. I would consider some trades such as an equivalent value 4×4 quad or a rhino, ranger, or prowler. I would consider a clean jeep as well. I have this machine at a storage yard in Post Falls. If I have time I hope to take it to Moses Lake this weekend to check out the dunes that are supposedly over there. They don’t sound like much compared to what this beast has seen before.”
To keep with our recent front loader theme, Steve sent me some pics of what I’ll call a ‘custom’ loader (at least, I think it’s a one-off) mounted on the front of an old flattie. Don’t try this at home! Please! This was sold at an auction in Ames, Iowa a few years back.
“1959 jeep willy s Bucket loader, Grader, Dump body. Home made but Runs great, new clutch, 36″ tires ford flat head motor Very Strong, Works great for grading roads and driveways Great for farm work to.. Not the prettiest thing but effective and does the job… I want a Bike, I hate to part with this but a bike would save me a lot on gas.. so if you have a Motorcycle that your willing to trade let me know Please send pic and description , I’m not really looking for a crotch rocket but Ill look at what you have and maybe I will like it, but would really like a cruising bike Also I have lots of fire wood so that could be included in this deal depending on the bike”
Here’s the comparison loader below that a reader sent me last June
From the willys-mb.ru website:
“In the early 1940s flight tests had been carried out on a number of one-man gliders known as Rotachutes. During this time Raoul Hafner decided to apply the same principle on a larger-scale military vehicle. On 3 April 1942 the Rotary Wing Section of the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment AFEE) at Ringway, Manchester, submitted a proposal for the application of the system to the Blitz Buggy or Jeep.”
The Unreal Aircraft website records an eye witness account of one flight, which left the driver exhausted.
Here’s an image of the Rotabuggy Replica
Here’s a nicely done video about Jeepneys from the Daily Motion website.
It was one of those days where I was searching for one thing and found another: The Nash Quad Truck (the truck to the right is a 1919 Nash Quad, Owned by Bruce and Melanie Rice #8880). These are 4wD with four wheel steering. (see the video below to see a quad and its steering in action)
It turns out, these were a big hit during World War I. In the Story of the Jeep, Patrick Foster writes that the Quad ” … dramatically proved it’s worth … and proved the value of four wheel drive …”
Here’s a brief history from the Pioneer Flight Museum:
“The Nash Quad was first manufactured in 1914 by the Thomas B. Jeffrey Company, which was located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It became quite popular during World War I and was used by the armed forces of not only the United States, but also Russia, France and Britain. One of the first motor vehicles to offer four-wheel drive, the Quad proved very suitable to the rough, unpaved roads of the time. In 1916, Jeffrey sold the production rights to the Nash company. Because of its popularity, it was produced in large numbers, including license production by Hudson, National, and Paige-Detroit. Exact numbers aren’t known, but apparently over 11,000 were produced in 1918 alone.“
Here’s a video of a Nash Quad being started and driven:
So, I’m doing my best to avoid going out to my parents very cold, damp garage to finish fixing my mom’s car. Of course, the internet is one of the best avoidance tools ever invented.
FLAT FENDER BABES:
On a lark, I typed in ‘Flat Fender Babes’ into google just to see if anything came up. While most of the links were garbage, one link lead me to a list of significant production automobiles, created by Angry Stan at AngryStan’s blog. Naturally, one of the vehicles listed was the Willys MB. What was interesting about the MB’s inclusion was Stan’s comment that the MB was “very loosely based on the Austin 7”.
Whoa .. news to me. What you talkin’ ’bout Stan?
“After America had entered the war, one of the most important military bases was the Aleutians in Alaska, since a Japanese attack on the Aleutians. So Alaska became a primary military zone of importance. But with bad weather and a lot of snow, the need for tracked vehicles was important. So the US Army Air Corps got in touch with the Canadian Bombardier Company with the idea to develop a series of tracked vehicles using rubber wheels of large diameter driving a wide, flexible track with metal cross bars. Also the intense aviation activity created enormous difficulties for personnel confronted with a cold climate and bad weather for most part of the year….. ”
You can visit this page to read the entire story. It’s quite extensive. The information on how the rebuild was done on the T-28 is equally interesting, including the use of a model A rim.