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Free-Lock 27 Spline NOS Hubs with Documentation

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

Thanks to Chris for publishing this information on a Facebook post … It appears I will be buying from him a set of model F-28 Free-Lock hubs sold by Dualmatic. These NOS Free-Lock hubs included documentation stating that by December of 1973 Free-Lock had become a “Quality Division” of Dualmatic Products Company.

So, I believe this confirms that Free-Lock was acquired by Dualmatic, so now the questions are 1) when did this happen and 2) why didn’t Dualmatic use the branding sooner than circa 1970 (there was a gap between the end of Free-Lock in 1959 and the re-emergence of the brand circa late 1960s or early 1970s).

Dualmatic-nos-hubs-1973-12-6 Dualmatic-nos-hubs-1973-12-5 Dualmatic-nos-hubs-1973-12-4

This document suggests there were seven different models of Free-Lock hubs, which may explain why we have seen several different types of later-model Free-Lock hub styles. Given the emphasis on “A Quality Division”, this document *might* hint that Dualmatic was using the Free-Lock brand as a premium hub, perhaps hoping to clear more profit from them?

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The fact that the top of the hub shows no branding suggests these instructions were intended to be distributed across multiple brands of Dualmatic-built hubs.

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The date of the newspaper used to wrap the hubs is December 4, 1973:

Dualmatic-nos-hubs-1973-12-newspaper-doc

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Parmley Engineering’s Jeep Replacement Body

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

UPDATE: Zac shared a Parmley that he inherited along with a document that shows some pricing and states it was designed for the 81″ chassis.

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Originally posted in 2013, with some pic updates over the years:

As many of you know, I am very curious about the fiberglass aftermarket bodies made for the jeep.  While I’ve seen most models for sale over the years, I have yet to run across Parmley Engineering’s fiberglass body, one of the more unique ones ever created.

After wrecking his CJ-5 in the early 1970s, Californian Tom Parmley, a machinist by trade, decided to build himself a better body for his still-good chassis.  He wanted the body to legally accommodate  wider tires, a dash box with more room, a hood that was lower, and other features.  So, he built and tested his dream body with great success.  Along the way, he received so much positive feedback that he created a kit so others could easily install a Parmley body on their CJ-5 Chassis.

So far, I have only located two resources that document this body.  One is the February 1974 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine, which featured a multi-page article about the new body.  Additionally, at least two issues of Four Wheeler Magazine also have ads for the Parmley body kit.  The other resource is a June 1975 Popular Mechanics article.  The Pop-Mech article also shows off the fiberglass top he invented (at least I assume it is fiberglass).

Here are a couple publicity photos taken by Tom Parley and published in the Feb 1974 issue of Four Wheeler:

1974-02-four-wheeler-parmely1-lores 1974-02-four-wheeler-parmely2-lores 1974-02-four-wheeler-parmely3-lores

This image shows the Parmley with a top and is from Popular Mechanics.  Note the top example sports Desert Dogs …

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Here is a Parmley-bodied jeep on the cover of a the May 1978 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine.

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This Parmley Engineering ad appeared on the back of January 1974 issue of Four Wheeler Magazine:

1974-01-fourwheeler-parmley-ad-backcover-lores

Bob Christy wasn’t sure what this vehicle was when he photographed it in 2008, but now we know.

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This Parmely sold in 2015 and included a rare top:

parmley-bodied-jeep-lores

This one sold in 2017:

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This one sold in 2022:

parmely-jeep-body2

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RIP Tom Cruze

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

On Sunday, while we were gone, Tom Cruze left the house in the morning and never returned. On Wednesday morning I found him in the ditch across from our driveway. He’d been hit by a car. The girls, especially Lizzy, who treated Tom like her puppy, remains upset with his disappearance. I brought Tom’s body back so the girls could sniff him in hopes it provides some closure, but Lizzy remains the sadder of the two.

Tom embraced his puppy role, eating with the dogs from their bowls, following us to the gate when it was time to open or shut it, and playing outside with us. He had no fear and was up to the task of taking on both dogs when they wrestled. He was only here eight months, but he made the most of it!

Here is Lizzy grooming and playing with Tom Cruze from January:

So, the greatest-dog-there-ever-was-that-was-actually-a-cat has gone to that great actor’s studio in the sky. He didn’t stay with us long, but he made a giant impact. He also helped the girls get over Zollie’s death. The house will be a quieter place without Tom’s giant personality filling it.

2023-03-08-tom-cruze

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1946 CJ-2A Westover, MD $9200

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

This has some mods.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/591219572606673

1946-cj2a-westover-md6 1946-cj2a-westover-md7 1946-cj2a-westover-md8 1946-cj2a-westover-md9

“RUST FREE GOOD RESTORATION CANDIDATE HAVE HARD TOP WITH HARD DOORS AND 2 SOFT DOORS NEW STARTER, CARBURETOR, TIMING GEAR AND MELLING OIL PUMP REPLACED BOTH PINION SEALS CHANGED ALL DIFFERENTIAL, TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS

ALL NEW WIRING HAS TOW BAR ON FRONT BUMPER JEEP IS WIRED TO BE FLAT TOWED 4 WHEEL DRIVE LOCKING HUBS WORK GOOD

WILL NEED VALVE ADJUSTMENT LITTLE NOISE IN MOTOR BELIEVE TO BE VALVE ADJUSTMENT HAVE A LOT OF SPARE PARTS GASKETS AND ORIGINAL PARTS TO WILLYS CLEAN TITLE 2A TUB MEASURES 34″ NO LIP OR DRAIN HOLE IN THE TOOLBOX 2A FRAME MOTOR MOUNTS ARE EVEN NOT OFFSET BOUGHT AS A PROJECT BUT DON’T HAVE THE ENERGY ANYMORE”

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1946 CJ-2A Lancaster, OH $7000

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

The steps have been modified.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/681116780452978

“Good running jeep. Solid. Older paint. Runs drives and stops. Brakes have not been serviced in awhile so would do so before putting on the road. 4×4 and high low work. Roll bar. Windshield has small crack. Has front tow bar. Tires are good. Clean title. Comes with spare tire.”

1946-cj2a-lancaster-oh5 1946-cj2a-lancaster-oh6 1946-cj2a-lancaster-oh7 1946-cj2a-lancaster-oh8 1946-cj2a-lancaster-oh9

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