Unusual Research Archives

To Top

Bantam BRC-40 Columbus, Oh eBay

January 3, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Unusual This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
3

Thanks to Jim sending the link on this.  Obviously, this is a rare event.

“1941 Bantam Reconnaissance Car (BRC-40).  Restored – starts, run, drives great.  The vehicle was originally purchased  and restored by a pretty well known figure in the Bantam Auto Club circle sometime in the late 80’s/early 90’s.  I have a one page letter from this person detailing his efforts to obtain and restore the vehicle (which I will give to the buyer).   It passed through a few owners until my purchase in 2001.  Over the years I have upgraded/corrected various pieces and parts.  It comes with a few spare parts, manuals, and a top.

The vehicle is 99%+ complete and accurate.  The body tub is original – ie. not a reproduction like many others out there.  The items that I believe are incorrect (or missing) are:

The choke and throttle knobs are the not the early “bulls-eye” type – although I have what I believe to be one correct replacement.

The oil pan does not have a skid plate – although I have a correct, original oil pan with skid plate that needs to be cleaned up and attached.

The rear tool box lid locks are incorrect.

The reflectors are of the King-Bee type (as used on the FORD GP) and I believe should in fact be Triflex SR-71s.

When I purchased the vehicle, it had a reproduction windshield frame.  It was a pretty accurate copy, but a reproduction nonetheless.  I sold it to another BRC-40 owner and acquired an original frame a few years back.  It needs some work (arms straightened, etc and needs the latches to the cowl when in its upright position), but it’s in pretty nice condition.  In fact, it has most of its original paint.

The front bumper is an OK reproduction, but I acquired a much better replacement from Ken Hake which has the correct rivets and hand crank guide.

Lastly, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am not sure the front leaf springs are correct/original.  They may be correct, but again, I am not 100% sure. Lastly she needs a good bath – she has sat in my barn with my other vehicles for the past nine years and has collected a coating of dust and dirt.  It was near freezing when I took the photos – I put a new battery in her and she started right up.  Lastly, after sitting for nearly nine years, the brakes are a bit mushy.  I’ll see if I can rectify this prior to sale (no promises).”

View some of the pics on eBay or many pics here.

bantam_brc40_34

bantam_brc40_35

bantam_brc40_38

bantam_brc40_25

bantam_brc40_36

[fb_button]
 
To Top

The Ensign 100

January 2, 2010 • CATEGORIES: Unusual • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
4

Here’s an interesting, rare offroad vehicle built specifically for Mining.  I first discovered it at Hemmings and then ran across a detailed story about it at OEMOffHighway.com.  I couldn’t find any more pics or information about them.

From OEMOffHighway.com, “The Ensign 100 was rated at 1.5 tons and was built around a frame made from 2x4x0.25 in. steel tubing, on to which a body fabricated from 1/4, 3/16 and 1/8 in. plate steel was welded. The standard power plant was Ford’s 52 hp, four-cylinder 192D diesel industrial engine, although Deutz or Perkins could also be ordered.”

From AVRider

DSC01687

From Hemmings:

ensign_100_1

ensign_100_3

ensign_100_2

ensign_100_4

From the OEMOffHighway.com:

ensign_brochure

[fb_button]
 
To Top

Yamaha Rhino GI Kit **Status Unknown**

December 31, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Unusual This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
4

UPDATE: The website for Tippman is down. I can only assume that these kits did not sell well enough and the company went out of business.

I know what you are thinking … how can I turn my boring Yamaha Rhino into a flat fender looking offroad vehicle?  I’m sure this has kept you up at nights?  Well, you need not lose any more sleep, as Tippman Design has developed exactly the package you need.  It’s like a VEEP for the ATV crowd.

According to the Tippman design website, “the first of our products [is] the GI Kit for the Yamaha Rhino 660 and 450 with the ability to be installed on all Rhinos built prior to 2009. We are working on the fitting of the new 2009 Rhino design. The club car GI Kit is on the drawing board as well, production date to be announced.”

The base price for the package is $2200 plus shipping.

Here’s a standard Yamaha Rhino (Ok, I think this is standard; I don’t really know)

yamaha_rhino

And here’s a Rhino with the Tippman GI Kit installed.

yamaha_rhino_kit

yamaha_rhino_kit3

yamaha_rhino_kit2

yamaha_rhino_kit4

[fb_button]
 
To Top

Gold Chain Jeep Monessen, PA **SOLD**

December 31, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Unusual This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
0

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $150.

You got to appreciate the seller who apologized on Craigslist for putting a jewelry ad in the parts section (as if violating the orderly sanctity of Craigslist was a mortal sin), but I appreciate his sensitivity and his logic is sound.  Not the greatest pics.

“sorry posting in parts but dont think to many of jeep guys are looking in jewlery. nice and unique, call mark”

 

jeep_flattie_necklace_chain

[fb_button]
 
To Top

Builds: Chad’s Ford Model A Roadster PU Willys

December 30, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Builds, CJ-2A, CJ-3A, Features, Unusual, Willys Wagons • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
29

Here’s a wonderful build, an experiment by a reader named Chad.  He wanted to know what a Ford Model A Roadster would look like if Willys built it. So, naturally, he built one himself!

He writes, “Did all of it myself except the upholstery, in my home garage. It’s got a flathead V8 for power and took between 6 and 8 years start to finish. The dDrivetrain is flathead V8 adapted to a C-4 automatic adapted to Dana 18. Front axle is Dana 27 w/Corvette discs….rear is Dana 44 with one piece axles and Lock-rite geared 4.27.  I thought maybe it would be a four year job, but stuff happens  and there was a whole lot of headscratching to make things look ‘somewhat factory’. I used as many factory parts as I could but not necessarily the way they were used ‘by the factory’…..(those are Jeepster tailights, but they aren’t mounted that way on a Jeepster, just as an example).”

Great work and thanks for sharing!

frankie

frankierear

interior

engine

[fb_button]
 
To Top

Hadley Engineering — The Veep

December 30, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features, Unusual, VEEP (VW Jeep), Scamp, Others This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
9

UPDATE: Additional links — The Hadley Engineering Brochure and VEEPS vs. SCAMPS and other model.

Based on a reader’s inquiry, I decided to do some research regarding the Veep.  I’ve seen a few of these for sale over the past couple of years, but it doesn’t happen often and I really knew nothing about them. So, here’s the little bit I learned.

According to the Dune Buggy Archives, the Veep was sold as both a completed jeep and as a kit by Hadley Engineering, which was based at 1778 Monrovia, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (maybe they are still there).  The company claimed that any Beetle or Karman Ghia could be used to build a Veep in about 40 hours.

I’ve only seen two engine sizes so far, a 1600 cc or a 1800 cc VW motor.  The suspension, frame, and running gear is all VW.  Most of the veeps appear to use a replacement M-38 body, though one ad below claims a ’42 body (mb or gpw) was used.   The gas tank is mounted in the front, which simply looks odd when you open the hood.  Below is a couple brochures and some misc Veeps.  In the posts below are some additional Veeps.

I’m still hardly an expert on these, so if you have additional information, I’d love to learn more.

brochure_veep

veep_kit

blue_veep_bob_garrard

gray_veep

race_veep

veep_brown

[fb_button]
 
To Top

Builds: Gary and his Friend Lawrence

December 17, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Builds, CJ-2A, Unusual This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
6

Gary has become a regular reader.  His green CJ-5 is undergoing a makeover, with a body purchased off craigslist coupled with a rebuilt motor (134 F is in the machine shop), including a new engine kit and re-ground crank.  You can see his starting jeep in the pic below. Gary is also working on a spare tire carrier for the back of his CJ-5 which he plans to share when it is finished.  Thank for sharing!

Gary also provided pics of his friend Lawrence’s jeeps.

gary_peacock_1961_cj5

The first of Lawrence’s jeeps is a CJ-2A which he cut and converted to a two wheel drive truck. Lawrence is pictured here.

cj2a_truck_lawrence

The next is a cj3B with a 2.8 chevrolet engine and a T14 transmission. (He calls it a John Deere Jeep).

john_deere_cj2a

Last is a M38 A1, with a few upgrades.

m38a1_lawrence

[fb_button]
 
To Top

Mini Jeep Garden Tractor Des Moines, IA **SOLD**

December 14, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Unusual • TAGS: . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
0

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was no Price

The seller is interested in some trades, including a “tandem axle enclosed trailer or Toy Hauler such as a roadmaster campmaster, Work & Play or similar. I may also be interested in a Jeep Wrangler, a nice 3/4 ton pickup for towing a trailer on trips, Classic Car in driver condition, several nice items for my gun cabinet or ? Email me with photos, descriptions of your item(s) to trade and your proposal”.

And, from a previous ad:

“You are looking at a Roof Palomino riding mower. There were a few of these produced with the Jeep Body in the 60’s and 70’s by the Roof Mfg. Co. was in Pontiac, IL. This one has had a few very minor modifications from the original such as the roll bars and there has been a couple of holes cut in the sheet metal that can easily be repaired (see pictures) just finding one of these being sold is quite a task. I have decided to sell a few of the rarest garden tractors out of my collection if you know anything about these you will know this is a really good price. This would be a great golf cart or advertising item. Serious inquiries only”

lawnmower_roof_desmoines

[fb_button]
 
To Top

The Topeka Hiway Mower

December 10, 2009 • CATEGORIES: Machinery, Unusual • TAGS: , . This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
37

UPDATE: I recently ran across an article discussing a pre-war Topeka Hiway mower built from Ford truck parts: http://www.farmcollector.com/tractors/mowing-tractor-zmbz14octzkel.aspx I haven’t looked any deeper into this information.

topeka-mower-joe1

This is Joe’s DiMaggio’s Topeka Mower in Wisconsin (see more pics here)

One source argues that the Topeka Hiway Mowers were built by ‘Shorty’ Meinhardt, who founded Meinholt Machine and Welding in Topeka Kansas. Shorty’s grandson Dean Fechter now runs the business. According to Meinhardt’s cousin, the first mower they built rolled over and broke Shorty’s back. But, that didn’t stop them from building more tractors.

Yet, according to at least one data plate, the Topeka Hiway mower was produced out of Irwindale, California, a product of the American Hoist & Derrick Company. Can anyone clear up the discrepancy between producers of the mower?

topeka-mower-joe6

According to Marty Henson in 2009 there were three versions of the mower:

I have kept records of all of the people I know who have these mowers and information about the style, age and attachments. So far I have found three distinct styles. The oldest style appears to date to the late 1930s and uses Ford-style sheet metal and running gear. Examples are owned by collectors near Seattle, Wash., and Hartsville, Tenn.

The second style closely follows a CJ Willys/Jeep and uses a Continental 4-cylinder flathead engine, 3- or 4-speed transmission, and Dana 18 transfer case. The mower attachments on these were either a sickle bar or rotary. I think later mowers of this style included a windshield. I have found two examples of the later style Topeka Hi Way mower. One was recently sold by the Montana Highway Dept., and the other is in Lyons, Colo.

Most, if not all, of the mowers were painted yellow. To date, I have recorded the names and addresses of 11 owners in eight states. Just today I added two more contacts. By including my previous letter in your magazine, you have generated many of my contacts. I’d like to receive information from your readers about anyone who has one of these mowers or knows where one might be found. Thank you for producing such a wonderful magazine and assisting me in researching the Topeka Hi Way mower.

Here are some examples of the jeep version of the Topeka Mower:

This was for sale in December of 2014:
topeka-hiway-tractor-3

This one was for sale on eBay in Ohio in 2009 (see more pics here):

1953_topeka_snow_plow_prospect1

 

 

 

 

This one was for sale in Baker City, Oregon, in 2010 for $400.

Here’s an orange one:topecka1

topecka

From the CJ-3B Page.  There’s a second pic here with the windshield up.

TopekaTractor400

Here’s a fancy one from the Antique Tractors Page

topeka_tractor

  1. Farm Collector Magazine
  2. My Tractor Forum
  3. Lesser known tractors
  4. CJ-3B Page
  5. Here’s a tractor called a Topeka, but looks different
  6. 1960 article about Topeka Mower
  7. Partial article from 1959
[fb_button]