Category Archives: Cars & Trucks

Jeep promotional videos

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YouTube: Willys, the “World’s Largest Manufacturer of Utility Vehicles,” presents the “Jeep Family of 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles and Special Equipment,” a circa 1954 black-and-white film promoting Jeeps produced for civilian use. (“One man with a Jeep can do the work of 100 men with shovels”)

Because this video runs a tad over 20 minutes, I’m guessing it ran in theaters before feature films. I recall seeing newsreels like this as a child in the 1950s. Jeeps like mine (CJ2A) were aimed at the agriculture market and this video show one handy attachment after another.

The narrator pronounces Willys: WILL us … rather than WILL eez so I’m confident that is the correct way to say it.

YouTube titles the video below: Autobiography of a Jeep and the narrator is the “voice” of a Jeep during its development and the early years of WWII. The delivery is that Pete Smith Specialty style from the 40s and early 50s (you had to be there). A little corny but some excellent Jeep footage.

YouTube description: “A small company in Pennsylvania, Bantam, invented the Jeep, but the military needed more than Bantam could produce. So they turned to Willys and Ford and had these auto titans build Jeeps. Edsel Ford joins other Ford Motor Company officials as they demonstrate their vehicles for the military.” (this video has no sound)

Okay, one more. 1940 Ford Pilot Model GP-No. 1 Pygmy

Jeeps in the wild

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I’ve been collecting these for a while. The last two (sand color) are the same Jeep. The first Jeep on the bottom row was on Paul Bandelier’s lot. Will ask him what happened it and update here.

1940’s Jeeps in Junkyards

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“A look at vintage Willys Jeeps hidden away from the world in junkyards and barns across the United States. It’s amazing how much vintage iron out there needs rescuing. The Jeeps in this video range from pre-mass production WWII Jeep such as the 1941 Ford GP, to the standardized Willys MB, and of course post-war Jeeps such as the CJ2A, CJ5, and even a Korean-War era M38. They range from the 1940’s to the 1960’s.”

My friend John Middleton pointed me to a terrific YouTube channel called Turn N Burn. This young man has been restoring Jeeps since he was 17 and I’m finding his videos fascinating. The video below features a 1940’s Willys Jeep that as in a home garage when the place went up in flames and the Jeep burnt to the ground.”

After reviving the fire-surviving CJ2A, they take it to an off-road park for a proper break-in. I’ve yet to drive my new toy but watching these videos makes me think I might be a little more adventurous with the Jeep than I’ve been with the Land Rover.

Rebuilt carburetor for Jeep

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While the Jeep is in exceptionally good shape for a 76 year old vehicle, Paul decided to replace the carburetor with a rebuilt Carter.

Carter adapted carburetors for Willys Jeep four-cylinder engines, waterproofing them for water crossings and making it possible to keep the engine going even on a steep incline (the Y-S carburetor). (Wikipedia)

He found a guy who specializes in rebuilding these and tests them on a Jeep engine. All for a mere $310.00. (Old and new carb below)


Took a screwdriver, a spanner and about half an hour and the Jeep was running like a Singer sewing machine.

Paul declared this the quietest old Jeep engine he had seen/heard. He’s pretty sure the engine was rebuilt along the way. The odometer reads 2,932 miles and was probably reset following the rebuild. Just waiting on the new steering box. Watch this space.

Jeep: Steel Soldier

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(YouTube) “Best video-history of the initial creation of the “Original Jeep”. The video shows the story of the “Jeep” from its original Bantam roots, all the way through its initial civilian use.” Should come as no surprise the Jeep has a rich a history at the Land Rover but I learn something new every time I watch one of these. And there seems to be a lot of them.

The history of the Jeep is at least as rich as that of the Land Rover. The first clip below is Bill Travers, a Jeep driver with the 87th Infantry Division. (45 sec) Below that a 2 minute clip about the CJ2A: