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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 .
I got a ton of drudgery completed on the house on Friday (hence the reason for no updates today), from washing the porch, the garage, and the exterior lights, to cleaning the front vinyl fence and completing the trim painting. Whew.
As for the new house, the loan has been approved and we should be signing next week.
We certainly couldn’t ask for a better market for selling: super low interest rates and a super low inventory of houses. We expect that once it is on the market that the house will sell within a few days. This is just a crazy real estate market right now.
UPDATE: The mystery is solved. These badges were used on mid-1905s Mercury Kiedhaefer outboard motors (and possibly other models). Thanks to Mike for greatly helping solve this issue.
Originally Posted March 24, 2021:I’d hoped to explore this topic a little more, but life had other plans in store last night … Hopefully, someone can shed some light on this topic …..
The first reference I found to that phrase was from a Willys-Overland 50th Anniversary Ad, which included an image of a Willys Aero-Eagle and, underneath, a reference to that phrase as seen here. In 1953, the Aero-Eagle was powered by the F-161 Hurricane Engine:
From this 1953 ad showing the Willys-Overland models:
Next, I found the phrase in this newspaper Ad:
My theory is that maybe it was a emblem that was added to some Hurricane engines of the era?? But, I just can’t get any research traction on the issue.
OTHER EMBLEMS:
Here are pics of two other similar emblems. This dark blue one was sold at some auction:
A couple days ago a reader named Jeremy asked me about his top (above), referring to it as an “Orville Meyers” top. As I read that, I thought … hmmm … I’d never heard of an “Orville Meyers” hardtop.
While I had heard of a Meyer (without an “s”) hardtop (like the one above) and I’d heard of a Meyers (with an s) hardtop, better known as the manufacturer of the Allstate/Sears hardtops, I had never encountered a “Orville Meyers” top. I thought I’d better do a search, because I figure Jeremy must have gotten the name from somewhere.
The search results revealed that some of the folks over at the earlyCJ5 forum use various iterations of Orville Meyer(s) to describe what was marketed in the 60s as a Meyer hardtop. The addition of Orville made me think that the Orville connection must have originated from somewhere given its prevalence over there.
Several searches later, I learned how Orrville (2 “r”s and 2 “l”s) Body Company, was connected with the Meyer Products company.
At some point in the late 1950s or early 1960s, the Meyer Products company, from Cleveland, Ohio, chose to enter the hardtop market for the jeep. Up to that point, Meyer was known more for its snow plows, a product Meyer had built for vehicles before the jeep ever existed.
The Short History of Orrville Body Works (read the long history here): The Orrville Body Works seems to have gotten it’s name from the city of Orrville, Ohio, a city southwest of Akron. Started as a small cabinet shop under a different name, by 1925 it had become the Orrville Body Works that produced a variety of truck cabs. Soon the name changed to the Oroville Body Company.
Meyer buys Orrville: Fast forwarding to the early 1960s, at some unknown time, Meyer contracted with Orrville to build custom jeeps cabs, though it’s not clear what tops Orrville initially built. What we do know is that the president and owner of Oroville died in September of 1964. A year later, in late 1965, Orrville was purchased by Meyer and was made a subsidiary of Meyer for the purpose of adding a line of jeep hardtops to Orrville’s portfolio of product, but with the tops marketed under the Meyer brand. The name of the company was changed from the Orrville Body Company to Orrville products, Inc.
The Meyer Mark III jeep cab on a Meyer CJ-5, possibly a tux park.
Meyer introduces the new hardtops: A year after the purchase, Meyer introduced it’s new line of hardtops. According to the December 16, 1966, issue of the Orrville Courier Crescent,
“Jeep News, a publication of the Kaiser-Jeep Corp. of Toledo, is featuring in its current issue a new all-steel ‘M-III’ cab designed especially for its famous four-wheel vehicle by the Meyer Products Co., Inc., of Cleveland which is now being built here in the Orrville Products Co. plant, a subsidiary of Meyer Products.
“Built-in standard features of the cab include sound deadening, streamlined appearance, almost complete visibility in every direction and snug cold-weather comfort for owners of Jeep Universal. Two styles are available; each custom engineered for either the CJ 5 or CJ 6 model.
“The ‘owner-designed’ Meyer cab has welded and sealed drip moldings for maximum water run-off, and a four-step baked enamel finish for utmost durability. All components are steam cleaned, phosphate – coated and primed with a special rust-preventing coating before painting. The hard enamel finish coat is precision-baked in a special oven under close temperature control. Lustrous glacier white enamel is standard but other colors are available on quantity orders.
“Optional accessories provide Meyer cab users additional comfort and convenience. A two-position air vent gives the driver finger-tip control for drawing in fresh air or exhausting stale air. A roof-mounted tire rack assembly puts the spare tire up out of the way, yet easily accessible when needed.Continue reading →
I picked up this tiny little jeep on eBay. It was made in France, most likely recently. I bought it because it seemed a perfect size for a Monopoly piece, a game my kids and I still play on occasion. Unfortunately, they’ve figured out some of my strategies for beating them, so I don’t win as often!
This photo showing an AVM Automatic hub popped up on the ECJ5 forum the other day. You’ll note it makes a reference to Warn. While I’ve yet to confirm this with Hugo Vidal, this looks to be a great example of an AVM automatic hub that was patterned after the Warn automatic hub, a brief and failed experiment by Warn to have hubs that didn’t require manual engagement.
For those that don’t know, AVM was started by Hugo Vidal in 1957 (AVM) after a handshake-deal with Arthur Warn while Hugo and his two friends were driving a CJ-3B around the Americas (Brasil to Alaska, 1955 on CJ3B.info). Using Warn’s specs, Hugo was able to resell Warn tech under the AVM brand. Eventually, AVM expanded outside of Brazil. After 50 years, Hugo retired from AVM. Hugo and Warn (and his son) never had an actual contract. It was always a handshake deal built on trust.
These two Jeepster patches are on eBay. According to the seller, they may be from the 1980s, but someone else might be able to give a more accurate date.
“Rare Lightweight ex- British Military, right hand drive. Excellent mechanically with the exception of second gear which jumps out sometimes. Many new parts – brakes, suspension, seats, canvas top, paintwork.”
Tom spotted this CJ-6. It needs some work, but seems worth a look. It doesn’t run.
“1968 Jeep CJ6 – not a Renegade as FB would not let me list CJ6 – I have owned this Jeep for over five years – I bought it to restore however I have too many projects. The good… complete original unmolested Jeep including seats, engine is free – I have not tried to start it – rare Meyer hardtop – pretty solid body – rust in driver floor as pictured – I do have a title in my name. The bad – it’s an old Jeep that needs love”
“This Jeep does not have a title. It will be sold with a bill of sale only. Don’t read any further if you can’t deal with buying it on a bill of sale only. Getting a title is possible through a title company or through the DMV in your state once you purchase it depending on the laws in your state. A title is not required to register this in GA.
This is a running and driving 1952 M38. It was pretty much unmolested when I rescued it from a farm in North Carolina. I replaced all the missing parts and corrected some of the civilianized stuff.
It has original body tub and all sheet metal and original drive train. Engine runs strong but smokes a little. New Solex carburetor, wiring, lights, brakes, battery, alternator, gauges (not all working) and electric wiring. Misc. body hardware new and new gas tank. Original seat frames sand blasted and painted with new canvas. Older original canvas top. New windshield. All fluids checked and replaced. New brakes all four wheels. Picture on trailer is when I got it a while back. . Other pictures are current.”
“For sale 1948 Willy’s Jeep CJ3 a work in progress almost to many things to list GM 4.3 Vortec engine,new wheel bearings,new rear brakes, front brake converted to disc brakes, new springs,updated tie rods, power steering, transfer case and transmission new bearings and seals. Comes with new new steel hood and fiberglass body.”
