Old jeep a blast from the past

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This article was published 06/11/2020 (1820 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Throughout his life, Edward James’ passion for Canadian history has allowed him to wear several different hats, including that of a teacher, writer, actor and collector of military artifacts.

However, during the last 30 years or so, the Elkhorn resident has been particularly pre-occupied with restoring old vehicles like motorcycles and jeeps, using them to educate people about what life was like during important historical periods like the Second World War.

One of James’ last big purchases came in 2006, when he spotted a 1946 Willys CJ2A jeep for sale in St. Lazare.

Even though the vehicle was a little bit out his price range, the 75-year-old told the Sun on Wednesday that the owner eventually got back to him with a much better offer, not wanting to see it get turned it into a mud bog machine by another interested party.

“So he lowered the price and I drove it home,” he said.

In order to properly retrofit this jeep, and transform it into his own historical exhibit, James enlisted the help of a nearby farmer, who specialized in restoring old military vehicles like British Army Land Rovers.

Because of this, the mechanic was able to perform a complete body-off restoration of the 1946 Willys, using parts of a John Deere combine to patch holes on the vehicle’s exterior.

One of James’ army friends also managed to install a new Willys Hurricane four-cylinder F-Head 72hp engine, which would allow the jeep to be more than just a stationary prop.

Despite not being mechanically inclined himself, James did contribute to the overall look and feel of this jeep, adorning it with military paraphernalia and installing a Second World War-era sound system that could play his old RPM records from the 1930s and ’40s.

With all the pieces in place, James was finally ready to take the Willys on the road, dropping by countless Westman legions, retirement homes and car shows throughout the subsequent years.

In particular, James wanted his jeep display to emulate the sites and sounds of The Canadian Army Show — a group of performers that kept the troops entertained at home and overseas throughout the Second World War.

The Elkhorn resident said the ambiance he creates with this jeep is particularly appealing to veterans, especially when they get the opportunity to sit behind the wheel.

“There was this one guy who got into the jeep and started to cry a little bit,” James said. “He said ‘I drove one of these and I lost a buddy.’ And that happens.”

However, James’ travelling exhibition has garnered some controversy among select military historians, who take umbrage with the fact that he is parading around in a “civilian vehicle” rather than a jeep that was actually used during the war.

But James maintains that he has never tried to conceal the fact that this is a 1946 model, even though the jeep is nearly identical to its wartime counterpart to most observers.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the people who I meet, either with my bikes or with my jeep, they don’t know the difference and they don’t care,” he said. “They just want the experience. They want to relive the history, or what they perceive as the history, and we have fun.”

Unfortunately, these interactions have been few and far between this year, since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced most local car shows to be put on hiatus until the provincial caseload lightens up.

Plus, James said the jeep’s old-school design makes long-distance trips difficult, meaning he also wasn’t able to take part in all the roving tours that a lot of his fellow gear heads organized this past summer.

“My top speed in this Jeep is 40 miles an hour, and that’s pushing it,” he said. “When I bring it to Brandon for the show and shines, I actually tow it in.”

Despite all these setbacks, James is still holding out hope that he can can put the 1946 Willys back on display in the spring, since it creates a such unique learning experience for so many different people.

“When they get to put the uniform on and sit in the vehicle and get their picture taken and listen to the music, they’re happy,” he said. “That works for me.”

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson