Vintage Willys Markings

4 Wheel Drive sticker

6/30/07 & 7/18/07

4X4 ICON 2000 - 2008 The DVD! - Click here for details!

4X4 ICON 2000 - 2008 The DVD!

6/30/07

When I was growing up, way back in the early 1960's, I used to see Jeeps around town.  I quickly learned that the mail Jeeps were two-wheel drive and the Willys CJ's were 4-Wheel Drive.  So when I saw one, I would complete my assessment of its worthiness by checking the rear tailgate for the "4 Wheel Drive".  It's funny what you remember from long ago.

When I got my Willys, it had the faded traces of the writing on the rear tail gate.  At that time (late 1970's) there were not a lot of restoration supplies or reproduction things, like stencils and so on.  So I never attempted to bring out the lettering on my tailgate. 

Jeep in Birch Hill Dam circa 1978

Recently I spotted these letters for sale on eBay from a seller in Canada (Antoine554design).  So I ordered both types and could not resist placing them on the vehicle.  The ones on the rear are in roughly the correct spot while the ones on side are not.

This is just a nod to that dim memory of old CJ's!

4 Wheel Drive sticker

4 Wheel Drive sticker

 

7/18/07

WILLYS Hood Lettering

 

Driver Side Hood Detail

7/18/07

The 4-Wheel Drive lettering worked out great!  Then I got to thinking...  I had spent some time cleaning up a picture I had taken of the WILLYS lettering that is stamped on the hood sides, tailgate and windshield frame of the early CJ's.  Here's a picture of me standing next to my 1948 Willys way back in 1978.  The lettering can be seen on the side of the hood.

Paul and Willys at 19 LaGrange St.

And another shot without the funny looking guy...

Willys at 19 LaGrange St.

Maybe the eBay seller could make some lettering from the graphic?  So when I was completing my transaction online I wrote:

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul M. Provencher
To: arguin
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 8:19 AM
Subject: RE: Receipt for Your Payment
 
Just curious if you have ever considered doing lettering that was metal-stamped on the sides of hoods and early fold-down windscreens that says "WILLYS" in that stenciled lettering? 
 
 
I know it was never painted on the early Jeeps but it would be fun on something like the sides of the hood of my Wrangler:
 
 
 
ppro
 

I was pleased to receive a message back:


From: Sylvie Arguin
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 9:32 PM
To: Paul M. Provencher
Subject: Re: Receipt for Your Payment to

 
Hello,
 
I can do it no problem,i just need to find a clean willys logo. We also own a 98 black TJ   maybe a will try those stickers on it.
btw your order is on the way since Monday morning.
 
keep in touch
Marco

Wow!  This was great.  So I rummaged around my hard drive and found the graphic I had retrieved.  Here is a copy of the photo before I cleaned it up:

 

I sent it to Marco and in a little while he wrote back with a file attached:

From: Sylvie Arguin []
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 1:25 PM
To: Paul M. Provencher
Subject: Re: Receipt for Your Payment

 
Let me know what you think about the photo.
 
Marco

Artist Concept

This was definitely what I had in mind!  So I wrote back right away.


From: Paul M. Provencher []
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 12:24 AM
To: 'Sylvie Arguin'
Subject: RE: Receipt for Your Payment

 
Hey that's great!  Of course as you know it would be a little curved to follow the hood, but it gives a good idea of how it might look.
 
Now on the Willys, the lettering was on the lower edge of the hood on the flat area so in order to do that on the TJ, the lettering would need to be sized to fit there with perhaps 1/2 - 3/4" each side to clear the style line on the top and the bottom edge of the hood on the bottom.  See the attached image - I just moved the lettering to where I would put it on my Jeep.
 
It would be in the same vein as the RUBICON lettering but in the style of the WILLYS stencil characters and of course say "WILLYS". 
 
Are you thinking of making them?
 
I have installed the lettering I purchased from you.  It looks great.  I put the ones without the horizontal lines on the back pretty much where they'd be on a CJ.  I put the other type on the passenger side up behind the front fender on that flat area.  I should have put them on a black magnet so I could remove them or move them around but I was so excited I didn't think of it until later.
 
I shall get a photo to you soonest.  Yesterday and today was given over to replacing a power steering box, repainting the winch plate and steering box skid plate, painting the driving lights, re-installing the winch and sundries.  My hands are rough enough tonight to pass for a mechanics hands.  But I have a Camp Jeep pre-run on the 7th and won't have time next week so today was it!
 
Looking forward to seeing what you might come up with on the WILLYS lettering!  If you do them I think I want black - that would make it so they only show when the light hits them just so!
 
ppro
 

Pretty soon Marco wrote back:


From: Sylvie Arguin []
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 10:19 PM
To: Paul M. Provencher
Subject: Re: Receipt for Your Payment

 
Greetings
 
I finally made some...a set is on the way to your door!
 
Marco

I was very grateful.  This was something I had been thinking about for years.  I always liked the WILLYS lettering on the hood.  I think if it wasn't too expensive, I would have it stamped into the metal like the original, but for now this is a great substitute!

Passenger Side Hood

I'm tempted to get some for the Commander...

Passenger Side Hood Detail

The lettering is heavy-duty and very crisp.  Marco did a great job translating the graphic to vinyl.  The image was slightly off-center so the lettering was not perfectly square - he fixed that too.

Passenger Side

One thing I am expecting is for someone to come along and say something like "Hey, that's not really a 2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS!".  No, it's not, thank goodness... 

With no disrespect to the many proud and deserving owners of that special edition, that was not the effect I was going for.  Chrysler marketing put together an interesting tribute to the military Jeeps of World War II.  I captured for posterity the images on the Macromedia presentation from the Jeep in case it disappears.

MB

2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS

2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS
2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS2004 Jeep Wrangler WILLYS

I was going for something different.  The military vehicles (with a few rare exceptions) did not bear the manufacturer's mark on the body work.  When the war ended and Willys repurposed the Jeep and began selling the CJ-2A they stamped "WILLYS" on all the major removable parts.  My sticker is in memory of the CJ-2A I owned and the original Jeep for civilians.  Plus I couldn't in good conscience put a "RUBICON" sticker on it - what fun would that be?

Driver Side Hood Detail

Driver SideDriver Side
Driver Side

Driver Side Hood Detail
Driver Side Hood Detail

Driver Side Hood Detail

 

Flat Fenders...

Now I wonder if I can get away with doing a flat fender conversion.  The best one I have seen was done by Joe West in Arizona.  I post here pictures Joe took of his Jeep.  I really like the way he copied the original fender pattern and integrated it into his design.

Joe West Flat Fender Conversion

Joe West Flat Fender Conversion
Joe West Flat Fender ConversionJoe West Flat Fender ConversionJoe West Flat Fender ConversionJoe West Flat Fender ConversionJoe West Flat Fender ConversionJoe West Flat Fender ConversionJoe West Flat Fender ConversionJoe West Flat Fender Conversion
Joe West Flat Fender Conversion

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