Little Willy

As my child began playing with more and more toy vehicles, I noticed with some concern that none of them were iconic all-terrain vehicles from the Second World War. This deficiency in my child’s upbringing has now been corrected.

Introducing The Little Willy, a modular toy version of the legendary Willys Jeep from the 1940s that can accommodate Little People and Duplo figures. This playful war machine is 249mm (almost 10 inches) long when assembled, has free spinning wheels (TPU or standard versions), foldable windshield, detachable gas can, detachable weapon mounting pylon, and a full size spare that can be swapped out with any of the wheels on the vehicle. I also designed seats in the front and back that can accommodate Little People figures or Duplo figures depending on what your child prefers (or which you have on hand). These seats, side panels, and weapon pylon are removable so that you or your child can swap them out during play without the need for tools. The grab handles on the sides are also sized for Duplo figure claw hands, so they can help get the Jeep out of imaginary mud when it gets stuck. The top of the weapon pylon has a duplo stud for attaching bricks and, lastly, if you install the studded rear panels, they are spaced correctly to allow you to attach a 2x6 duplo brick as well.

I have included an AMS profile, but the headlights, seats, radiator, etc are separate pieces so if you do not have an AMS all you will lose is the white star on the hood and the colored gauges on the dashboard.

I recommend using PETG to print the frame and clips but any material will work (PETG flexes better than PLA which is important for the tabs that hold the wheels in place).

I’ve done my best to make this toy rugged and safe but you should always supervise your child when they play with 3d printed toys such as this one.

Design Choices

• I wanted to create something that was as close to the real Willys Jeep as possible, while also being strong enough to survive rough play. When these two ideas came into conflict, such as with the windshield or steering wheel, I opted for survivability over accuracy.
• Speaking of the windshield: The folding windshield snaps into place but comes off without too much force. This is intentional. I did not want massive bulky hinges but I also did not want parts that sheered off and broke during rough play. My compromise was the make the windshield pop off when forced. If you don’t like this solution, you can dab some glue at appropriate spots to lock the windshield in place, or remove it entirely.
• Number of Parts: My initial design was largely printed as a single piece but this required compromises in strength, print quality, and/or aesthetics. This is most obvious on the front of the Jeep were I wanted a space between the grill and the radiator, a small gap between the hood and the grill, and I didn’t want huge layer lines on the fenders.
• Front Bumper: The front bump is a separate piece because I wanted the frame to lay flat while printing (the bumper is higher up than the top of the frame) and because I wanted it to be the same color as the rest of the Jeep instead of the color of the frame. Being a separate piece also means that, if it does break, you can print a replacement bumper rather than having to rebuild the entire frame.
• Gas Can Holder: This could have easily been part of the Jeep body instead of its own part, but, I didn’t want all the supports that would be needed so I split it off to its own part.