Remember: There's a Jeep for your job! (1954 video)

[MossRoad]

I became a temporary part time mail carrier in a little farm community called Plano, TX, when I was 17. The Postmaster had to get special permission from the regional office to hire an underage employee.:laughing: My first job was delivering the parcel post and our Post Office only had one vehicle and delivering parcel post was the only thing it was used for. It was a leased 1949 Willys Jeep panel truck or wagon that had no driver's door, no muffler, and no key (just a toggle switch). I think everyone in town recognized the sound of it coming.:laughing: Odd coincidence: it was leased from the owner of the local White Auto Store and one night the local town marshall caught a burglar in the White Auto Store, put the burglar in the 2 cell rarely used jail, and forgot to lock the cell door. So the burglar walked out, stole the old Jeep, and took off up U.S. 75. Even in the middle of the night, someone recognized the sound, knew it shouldn't be in use that time of night, called the marshall and he caught the thief before he got 10 miles up the road. So we had a new rule; had to get a key made and a new ignition switch, and keep the key inside the Post Office when the Jeep was not in use.:laughing:

Nice! :laughing:

 

[California]

I loved that video, and the similar one emphasizing their utility vehicles. Thanks for posting this!

Back in the day (70's) I had first a 56 then a 58 Willys Wagon. Even then it was impossible to find one that wasn't thrashed since the original owner had invariably been a logging company, railroad, etc where uncaring employees ran them hard. The first one had logging boot caulk (spikes) dimples in the floor, the second one had a rusted front floor 'repaired' with cut down truck mud flaps.

259 Studebaker V8 in the first one. This was essentially a Chev 265 V8 with even shorter stroke so it didn't mind the high revs that 4:38 gears caused. Since its bell housing was the same as Jeep this was a popular conversion long ago. By the time I got it everything was on its last legs, I remember one side of the body lifting ominously off the chassis on a severe side slope. I think the steering column was the only solid link between chassis and body. I decided at that moment I wouldn't venture any farther into the (famous, Jeep jamboree) Rubicon Trail!

The second Willys Wagon had a 292 Ford V8, same engine as school buses and dump trucks. It had a Warn overdrive. Incredible torque with the low gearing - in fact too much. I twisted a spiral crack in the bell housing, discovered it was an irreplaceable custom-built, and finally used something like Ford to Flathead/ flathead to jeep adapters stacked to get the thing back in use. Next owner told me he twisted the Warn overdrive mainshaft into a knot after a year or so.

Fun, but not real practical.

After that I got a mil-surplus 4-speed 74 Wagoneer and drove it for years, in the same terrain up to my mining camp, with no damage or repairs at all. (shown below, about 1978). Finally after it got broadsided (parked) I bought a new 88 Isuzu Trooper. (flat-sided, first series.) That thing was the perfect reincarnation of what the Willys Wagons must have been when brand new. Now? A Subaru Outback I've had 16 years. This and the Trooper have been my favorites.

 

[MossRoad]

Man, a Wagoneer in that condition would bring some serious money these days.

 

[lhfarm]

I love the stories. In fact that is one of the main reasons I take my farm jeep to tractor shows. I wish I could record some of them.

As for the film, it is full of interesting and funny stuff. In 1954, Willys had two jeeps in production: the CJ3b with the larger engine and high hood and the just introduced CJ5. There are no CJ3b jeeps shown working, although they are in the parade at the end. All the jeeps shown that are not the new CJ5 are CJ2a or CJ3a. The Cj2a was made until late 1948 and the CJ3a until 1953. But it is also clear that they are using stock film, except for the CJ5 footage.

The scene with the post hole diggers is from two shots. Digging the hole you can see the Newgren label on the head of the digger, mounted on a dark colored jeep. When finishing the dig, there is no label and it is mounted on a light colored jeep. And then there is the poor guy who cracks his had on the personnel carrier at about the 19:20 mark. That had to hurt.

 

[TomSeller]

What engines and HPs did these have?

 

[ovrszd]

I had a '89 Jeep Grand Wagoneer for about 10 years. It's the fancy version of California's Wagoneer. Had all the options, 360V8, AT, PS, PB, AC, Power Windows, Cruise Control, Power Seats, Leather interior. I used it to pull a tandem axle trailer loaded with ATVs or a Jeep back and forth to Indiana and/or Colorado many times.

Sadly, these things don't hold their value like one would think. There's an outfit in Texas that restores them and sells them to the richer folks than I for around $20K. I sold mine for $3500.

 

[cqaigy2]

I had a CJ1? 1947 Jeep when i was a younger. At least i was told that by an "older" gentleman that worked at an auto parts store. I bought it from my BIL, who bought it out of an orchard in Eastern Washington state. I needed to rebuild the engine is how i meet up with the guy at the auto parts store. He worked on military Jeeps when in the service and knew everything about them. Off the top of his head, he pulled all the parts i would eventually need to rebuild the engine and everything i'd run into and what needed to be done. When i finished the rebuild, i drove it to the auto parts store and let him take it for a spin. At his suggestion, i went ahead and converted it from the 6 volt generator to 12 volt alternator. I have to say, 12 volt was much better! One thing i never got around to was to see if i could fix the tendency for it to pop out of second gear, it was a mountain goat of a vehicle, so going back down was a thrill ride if it popped out on you. I did kinda fix it with a heavy duty bungee cord.

 

[czechsonofagun]

My daily driver since 1998, 30 years old this year. Year ago, the T-5 died and I replaced it with np435 with Novak Dana 300 adapter.

 

[ovrszd]

My daily driver since 1998, 30 years old this year. Year ago, the T-5 died and I replaced it with np435 with Novak Dana 300 adapter.

Good choice on the T-case. It is arguably the best T-case out there. I believe the NP205 is stronger. But it is considerably bigger and heavier!!!

 

[ovrszd]

Prokop,

I had a Sister to your old CJ. I drove it several years. Sold it to my Eldest Son. He drove it a couple years. Sold it to my youngest Son. He drove it a couple years and sold it to my Grandson.