Leesburg friends to drive 1948 Jeeps coast to coast
By Elizabeth Coe
For the past six months, two friends from Leesburg have been working nearly every day until the wee hours of the morning preparing their antique 1948 Jeep Willys for a trek across the country.
The Willys were the first civilian-made Jeeps, manufactured just after World War II. They were meant to be used as farming equipment, not to travel on highways across the United States.
But on July 15, Paul McIntyre, 22, and Evan Meyerriecks, 20, both of Leesburg, will set out to go to San Francisco and back, each driving a 1948 Willy.
They'll spend about 30 days on their trip, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Willys, the oldest civilian-made Jeeps.
"We thought it would be funny to drive them across the country," McIntyre said. "We're doing it for the humor factor. A lot of people say we can't drive these two old Jeeps cross-country."
Motivated by their desire to prove everyone wrong and to accomplish something amazing, the two have spent countless hours completely restoring the Willys, sometimes staying up until 3 or 4 a.m.
The Willys were little more than rusty shells of the original vehicles when they were purchased, and almost every part had to be replaced, they said.
Meyerriecks bought his Willy about two years ago for $150 and said it ran well for about a month. Then it started having problems.
"I always thought [the Jeeps] were kind of cool to tool around in," he said. "I didn't realize how much work it would need."
The Jeep enthusiasts have each spent about $4,000 to $5,000 restoring the Willys and getting them ready for long-distance highway travel.
They are still crude compared to today's Jeep models. They are loud and bumpy and have no turn signals, power breaks, power steering, air conditioning or seatbelts, which is legal due to their age.
"They're super bouncy ... like riding in a hayride," Meyerriecks said.
The vehicles can go up to 60 miles per hour, get about 16 miles per gallon of gas and hold about 10 1/2 gallons each.
That means the drivers will each need about $2,000 for gas for the trip. They already have raised some money from local businesses supporting their mission.
Each Willy will need to carry a gas can, because out West, some of the towns are so far apart, the young men will not make it without refueling.
McIntyre and Meyerriecks said their friends and family members are completely supportive of the trip and are proud of their dedication to the Jeeps.
The travelers plan to camp for most of the trip and make stops in Moab, Utah, renowned for off-roading, and Toledo, Ohio, the location of the original Willy factory.
They also plan to meet other Jeep owners along the way and may stay with some they have chatted with online at www.earlycj5.com, a Jeep enthusiasts' Web site.
"Jeep people are always helping each other," McIntyre said. "We wave to each other, and we have a lot of online clubs. We have a lot of camaraderie."
For more information about the trip or to donate money, visit willystrip.wordpress.com.
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com