JEEPS, AND More JEEPS

My friend Ricky is into collecting automobiles and over the past six weeks, he has been getting into Jeeps.  It started off with a 1975-76 CJ-7 before the Jeep line was taken over by Chrysler.  Plan is to have it painted up like a US Army jeep from the 1970s.

Then I happened to be over at his shop three weeks ago and spotted a ad in the Thrifty Nickle newspaper, and I pointed it out to Ricky.  Someone was wanting to sell their two Jeeps and I showed him the add.  Ricky called and found out that they were indeed Army surplus.  One was even in the Korean War.

An hour and a half later, Ricky, his wife Karen, and yours truely was on the road down to Post, Texas, to visit this treasure find.

The seller had had a stroke and decided to sell off his dream vehicles.  One Jeep was in a garage with its engine out on a table.  The other Jeep - referred to as the "Parts Jeep." was in his old shop on the other side of town from away from the first Jeep.

Needless to say, my friend purchased both Jeeps for the most amazing, incredible price of $500.00!  That was the price the old man purchased them for back in 1965 when he bought both Jeeps from the Lubbock Surplus shop that was operational back then.

This was on Thursday.  Friday, another trip down to Post - this time with a trailer, and the "Project Jeep" was loaded up.  Saturday, the final trip down to Post to get the "Parts Jeep."

Ricky's grandsons have laid claim to these jeeps and are now referred to by their "owners" names or nicknames.  Since both are under age 18, I will only give out their nicknames in this posting.  "Project Jeep" is now "Mr. Nick's" or "Nickko's" Jeep.  The engine for his Jeep has now been clean and new head gaskets put on, and needs a replacement starter.  The Jeep itself was taken to the sandblaster this past week and was picked up and returned to Ricky's place yesterday.  Ricky is planning on shooting a primer coat and maybe even some new/old stock Olive Drab Green paint he purchased off the internet last week.

The other Jeep is now known as "Z-Man's Jeep."  This was the so-called Parts Jeep.  But the engine was still in place and with about an hours' worth of work  the evening we brought this Jeep back up to Lubbock, it was running - but with a lot of smoke.  In the two weeks since this Jeep has been brought back to life, the smoke has almost disappeared.

The reader has to remember that both of these Jeeps have not run since 1965 when they were purchased from the surplus house.

"Z-man's Jeep" is an original Willys Jeep with that name stamped into the hood and windshield frame. Which by the way, Ricky had that windshield frame all repaired in a weeks time.  And using the seat frames from "Mr. Nick's" Jeep, he was able to create new passenger and driver seats for "Z-man's Jeep."

Ricky plans on restoring all three of these Jeeps.  Evening rides in the CJ-7 with ALL the grandkids. Both grandsons and Ricky's granddaughter have all begun to learn how to drive the CJ-7 Jeep in his backyard where there is the dirt racing track for Radio Control trucks, the battlefield for RC tanks, and the runway for our RC model airplanes.

The YouTube video link below "" shows a 1945 Jeep CJ verses a new year (2012) Jeep Wrangler.  That 1945 model shown is just "too perfect" for Ricky.  That vehicle looks like it never left the factory, seen combat, etc.  His retorations will not go that far.

The pictures with this posting were taken by me.  From top to bottom.  Top picture shows Ricky's CJ-7 and Z-Man's Jeep parked in front of Ricky's shop.  The next picture down shows "Mr. Nick's" Jeep at the sandblaster's.  Next picture down shows the now sandblasted Jeep on the trailer when it was brought back to Ricky's Auto Repair shop.  Next picture shows "Mr. Nick's" Jeep inside the west bay of Ricky's shop.  Final picture shows Ricky's craftsmanship of the replacement seats for Z-Man's Jeep.  The back plate for the driver's seat still needs to be welded into place.

Now if only I can have a (full scale) Jeep of my own to play with.  I have lots of 1/6th scale Jeeps in storage with my G.I. Joes.


UPDATE May 20, 2012:  Mr Nick's Jeep has now been painted and it looks GOOD!  I brought over some of my 1/6th scale Jeeps to photograph them with their full scale counterparts.  They were rolled out of the garage into the slightly overcast daylight today and I place my Jeeps on the hoods of the real ones.  Below left we see my 1/6th scale Jeep on the hood of the M38 that was painted overnight (aka Mr. Nick's Jeep).

UPDATE: July 8, 2012:  Today was the first chance that I got to drive the jeep we refer to as "Mr. Nick's Jeep."  And thanks to my friend Howard L, they now have a old military trailer to tow behind that jeep now.  Howard and I go back ten years or so when I got into the RC model airplane hobby and that is how we met.

Taking a pressure washer to it, the name "Ben Hur" came out in white letters on the tailgate.  Eventually, this trailer will be clean up and re-painted to match the jeep force that we somehow are building by accident.

As for the M38 itself, Ricky has constructed the canvas top bows and the fittings that go along with it.  Ricky was able to purchase from someone a new/old stock canvas top for the jeep and now we ride around in it protected from the West Texas sun. There have been donations of 5 gallon fuel tanks that will also be correctly painted at some future date.

And along with ALL of that, Ricky found some great deals for pup tents and his grand kids demonstrate here.

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Ref.
1. YouTube Videos of Jeeps ( http://www.youtube.com/topic/0tJ3ZTFUBxI/jeep-cj ).
2. YouTube Videos of Jeeps "Jeep Evolution: 1945 Jeep CJ vs. 2012 Jeep Wrangler" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoCxunMgVfw&feature=topics ).