Restored original civilian Jeep just one interesting find at Jeep Invasion

Eddie Trizzino and Matthew Brown

June 18, 2026 Last Updated: June 18, 2026 02:33 PM Community

Jim Percy, of Medina, Ohio, stands with his Jeep during the Jeep Invasion Friday, June 12, on Main Street in Butler. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

The thousands of Jeeps that visited Butler over the weekend of June 12 could have made it hard for people to lock in on the specifics of a single vehicle.

But one of the Jeeps at the Bantam Jeep Heritage festival Jeep Invasion Friday belonged to Jim Percy, of Medina, Ohio, who restored a Jeep built just after World War II to the point where it is streetworthy and equivalent to its past.

Percy said the restoration took about three years, with some of that time spent tracking down the parts necessary to rebuild the Jeep.

“We had to totally take it down to the frame and had it sandblasted and we had some sheet metal repairs to do and some modifications to the frame because the military body was built a little differently,” Percy said. “It's been a fun little journey, challenging here and there, just like all these things are.”

Percy’s Jeep-restoring journey was made a little easier thanks to his background in engineering complicated vehicles. He was in the U.S. Air Force, where he worked on B-52 planes, so when he learned that he could buy and work on a Jeep from the 1950s, his first thought was, “We can do that.”

“The nuts and bolts are the same, but after I got out of the Air Force I worked for airlines for 30 years,” Percy said.

The Jeep is further ingrained in the world of the military, because Percy dedicated it to his father, Art Percy, and his military colleagues once he completed the project.

“Their nickname, that 41st was the Jungleers, they were up in New Guinea. He wound up being there and being part of the occupation in Japan afterward... He was in probably the last six months of the war, he was just barely 18 when he got drafted,” Percy said. “I did use the markings, his dog tag number as the registration of the Jeep just to tribute those guys.”

Jeeps fill Cooper's Lake Event Venue and Campground during the 2026 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Friday, June 12. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Jeeps drive through the Recon trail at Cooper's Lake Campground during the 2026 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Friday, June 12. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Chad Stewart rides his jeep through the Jeep Playground at Cooper's Lake Event Venue and Campground during the 2026 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Friday, June 12. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Chad Stewart of New York drives his jeep through the Recon trail at Cooper's Lake Event Venue and Campground during the 2026 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Friday, June 12. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Chaz Geyer works on his jeep at Cooper's Lake Event Venue and Campground during the 2026 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Friday, June 12. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Chad Stewart of New York drives his jeep through the Recon trail at Cooper's Lake Event Venue and Campground during the 2026 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Friday, June 12. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown

Jeep Fest attendees ride through the Jeep Playground at Cooper's Lake Event Venue and Campground during the 2026 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Friday, June 12. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle

Matthew Brown