Meet the Herd: Three Willys Jeeps and One Unforgettable Dog

By Kaiser Willys April 22, 2026 #willys blog members, #willys community, #willys jeep restoration

Meet the HERD
“HONOR “ — 1944 GPW Ford. Purchased from next door Rancher in 1969 in very rough condition. Got it running and preformed a modest restoration including striping several coats of paint. Removed the Military hardware to sporterize and filled the holes with bondo. Layered a coat of primer and two coats of paint. The wife recovered the seats and I drove it to work and play until 1985 when it went into storage. 2022, Decided to restore again bring it back to its original Military glory. That included drilling out all the holes I filled with Bondo in order to replace the Military hardware before laying down Kaiser Willys flat OD paint. When, “HONOR” has been preforming in several Smartsville California Community events, including Wreaths Across America, the annual Veterans Day Parade, and the annual Pioneer Day fundraiser for the church restoration. A stationary crowd pleaser each year.

“WORK” — 1951 CJ-3A. Purchased from our hay supplier in 2024. It had not been running for about 10 years and was in very poor shape. However, when I discovered it was purchased as a “Farm” Jeep in 1951 I knew it was worth restoring to be used on our ranch.

“Play” — 1947 CJ-2A. This was a gift from an Uncle who was building it to play in the sand dunes. Most of the work he had completed was mock up. It has real potential, so now I want to complete his play dream since he has passed away.

“Friend”— Our Dog Daisy. She is a Kelpie Australian Shepherd stock herding breed. 4 years old raised from a puppy. She is devoted to protecting the ranch and animals but also very loving and friendly to family and friends. She loves to ride in the 1944 HONOR Jeep when we honor Veterans. We have had many dogs in our life time and they have all become our “best friends”. Daisy may top them all. We love her and she loves back, definitely a “Best Friend “.