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About eWillys
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.
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 .
“Frame off restoration. Body, tailgate, and frame have matching numbers. Not sure if it’s the original motor, but it’s period correct and rebuilt to new engine spec’s and tolerances. It’s been somewhat militarized, but could easily be returned to its original configuration and paint scheme (red). It’s currently titled in Idaho under my name. Detailed parts list with receipts along with an itemized list of machine work completed included with the jeep. I’ve included a few before and after photos.”
“Runs and drives 4 wd works starts right up original go devil engine. 4 original 16″ Jeep rims come with it. Needs floor pans and body work of course.”
I was able to purchase this old jeep club jacket patch. The Boondockers was a club based out of the south sound area, mostly Auburn (minutes from where I grew up). As of 1972 they had 11 members, most of whom had CJ-5s. I can’t remember ever seeing the club logo ever, but the group is documented in the PNW4WDA Region 1 book from 1972.
I now have jacket patches from several PNW clubs. I hope to secure some more.
This news video shares the story of Steven Ward and his MB getting ready for the trip to France. There were a quite a few jeep community folks who were there, including Ron Fitzgerald and Scott Schiller, both of whom did a variety of videos on Facebook like this one.
This photo has been floating around Facebook the last few days and, not surprisingly, folks are all freaked out about it. Of course, most never bothered to read the whys, the hows, and the exclusions surrounding it.
First off, am I thrilled about this law? Not at all, but what the heck is the state of California supposed to do?
The Problem: California has a big problem with less-than-honorable parts resellers buying, stealing, obtaining vehicles, stripping them for some or all parts, and dumping the rest. An average of 1.2 million vehicles are abandoned every year (that is more than 3000 per day, though of course they aren’t all the result of illegal parts resellers).
That means the state has to deal with identifying, moving, and disposing tons of vehicles daily, along with any related hazardous waste. Let’s say it costs $100 to tow/handle/dispose of each vehicle (a low estimate in my opinion). That’s $120M each year. Thus, it’s not a trivial operations or budget issue.
How does this affect hobbyists?: There are exclusions for said hobbyists. For example, “Any person engaged in the restoration of vehicles of the type described in Vehicle Code Section 5004 or in the restoration of other vehicles having historic or classic significance” is excluded.
“The owner of any premises or property used in conjunction with any agricultural, farming, mining, ranching, or motor vehicle repair business” is excluded.
“The owner of any premises on which two or more unregistered and inoperable vehicles are held or stored, if the vehicles are used, or intended to be used, for restoration or as replacement parts or otherwise in conjunction with any business of a licensed dealer, manufacturer, or transporter, or in conjunction with the operation and maintenance of any fleet of motor vehicles used for the transportation of persons or property” is excluded.
If you’ve got a better idea? Then contact your state and suggest it; because, your state will likely be doing something similar, as this issue is a national problem. Look at these stats from the early 00s:
“Among U.S. cities, Seattle police received about 4,200 reports each month in 2002, the New York City Sanitation Department picked up over 9,200 vehicles in 2006, while Philadelphia police towed over 32,000 abandoned cars in a 40-day period in 2000. One year after Michigan implemented a statewide data system for tracking towed vehicles, over 92,000 abandoned vehicles were removed.”
Or these reports I found with a quick search:
In 2012, the city of Portland, Oregon, took 7,000 reports of abandoned vehicles. In 2016, it took 27,000.
Given also that pretty much every town has some section of the law that discusses abandoned and junk vehicles, it’s seems obvious there are car abandonment issues everywhere.
So, in my opinion, this California law is specifically focused on shifting the cost of vehicle disposal away from the public and back onto parts resellers who are trying to skirt disposal costs. However, the marketing of this law clearly has to be rethought, as it sounds draconian to hobbyists everywhere (based on the Facebook responses).
