Kaiser Jeep Jeepster Commando V6 Hard Top on 2040-cars

I purchased this Jeepster on eBay in the summer of 2008 for $7K from the second owner in Tupper, NY.   My goal was to find a “simple” car that I could understand and repair myself [I am a female, an independent contractor, and though I like to buy tools, they should be for house renovation, not car repair].  A Jeepster was just the thing I was looking for.

Pickup required a one-way ticket from Pittsburgh to Boston then on to Saranac Lake in a tiny six-seat airplane.  As the plane wandered in and out of cloudbanks a rainbow went all the way around the plane a few minutes before we landed - it was magical.  The previous owner picked me up and drove us the 45 min. to Tupper.  Excited by the celestial rainbow [thanks Grandpa], I hardly looked at the car before I set off driving late into the night to get back home to Pittsburgh.  I named her Josephine and she required a few mechanical repairs to become the daily driver I needed.

In the winter of 2010-2011 I had her fully restored [off-frame].  A second vehicle was purchased [$2K] and its chassis and body were used, with Josie’s original engine and interior.  Key improvements were addition of a spare tire holder in the rear interior behind the driver’s seat – out of view and not in the way.  A tow hitch receiver was added – I’ve hauled a 9x12 flatbed trailer carrying construction materials/plants/garden waste. Also I added a roof rack that has been used to carry sheetrock, piping, rebar, etc.

She is my only vehicle - I drive her a few times a week and use her for hauling stuff inside, on the roof and by trailer.  Once a month, at least she goes 300 miles to see my folks in West Virginia.  My husband and I use Josie for vacation travel [as his Crown Vic doesn’t have a hitch for the bicycle rack and doesn’t look nearly as good].  Her front differential and manual lock out hubs work fine for driving on snow covered roads.  Josephine looks incredibly cute carrying a tree on the roof at Christmas.  

The top is bolt removable – though I’ve never tried it she’d surely look great as roofless.  She passes Pennsylvania’s safety inspection and does not require an emissions test.  The current PA sticker is good until February 2015.  I have a regular license plate, not historic since she has been an everyday vehicle and carries ‘normal’ insurance.  My husband and I have agreed to sell both of our cars - relying on bicycles, public transit and Zipcar [they have trucks as well] for getting around.

This has been my only foray into antique car ownership.  A fan of square cars, I owned a series of old body style Isuzu Troopers. When I bought my fourth Trooper, my husband made me agree that this would be my final Trooper [parts were getting harder to find].  When the fourth trooper started dying by computer problems, I decided I wanted nothing more to do with such things.  All the other Troopers had blown head gaskets, which I would duly repair, but frame rot was a terminal condition for the first three.  I was not going to move into the new generation of computer-infested vehicles and instead went backwards.  

It was a choice between the Commando and the original style of Landcruiser, the iron pig.  Advice from a jeep fanatic friend about the ease of part procurement for jeeps and a preference for a metal dashboard over plastic won the day for a jeep.  It was a good choice, the jeep nation is large and I have gotten plenty of support from the jeepster commando club forum and the three big part houses, all online.  Enough parts are available at NAPA to make many repairs same day or overnight.

Josephine has always been parked on our street within walking distance of downtown Pittsburgh.  Some rust has returned since the restoration [see photos of the tailgate and windshield framing].  She burns a quart of oil every 1K, though there are no external leaks/drips.  A section of the rear bumper, 2x1 inch, was removed; seemingly to have been for a CB antenna mount.  The chrome is good/very good. The renovated frame was upole coated [like Rhino liner] underneath and is in perfect shape and solid [see pics].

Keeping the car stock has been important but a few changes have been made.  Some changes in the electrical systems, such as extra grounding or fuses are not stock but easy to find.  Electrical diagrams in the Jeepster manual are still accurate.  The wiper motor is not OEM. The rear wiring harness was replaced at restoration.  All lights, gauges and signals work properly.  Glass is clear, no fog, minimal scratches; windshield was new at restoration. Lap belts were added to the front seats to give a sense of safety.  Since I’ve had her I’ve replaced the carburetor, points, water pump, starter, fuel pump as needed.  Because I am not a mechanic, keeping the car true to the OEM manual has always been important.  I have strived to make this car easy to transfer between mechanics.  You shouldn’t have any weird ‘previous owner’ surprises.  

Mileage on the road is 17-19 mpg, tires are 75%. She can travel with traffic at 75mph but gas mileage is better at 60mph.  In town mileage can be as low as 13 mpg but usually 15 mpg.  Clear title.  How many total miles is unknown.  I’ve not turned it over, I think the previous owner said it was on 300K – current odometer reading is 81,110 and I think I’ve put on 40K miles in six years.

Original or stock items:

• Interior, some tears, some repairs
• Engine, V-6 Buick Dauntless 225
• Three speed manual transmission, on floor
• Ross steering [see Note at bottom]
• Gauges are OEM and in working order
• Dash controls, in working order
• Jack and lug wrench
• Brake system
• Beauty rings and hubcaps
• Lock-out hubs from Harvester International installed by dealer in 1968, still operates
• Stock paint colors
• Keys, one set original in leather wallet.  Locks in doors and rear hatch are original and matching.  Ignition is new, key doesn’t match doors. No key to glove box but it is operable.
• Rubber jeep flooring
• Window washer fluid bag

Improvements:

• Front lap belts
• Radio is USA-1, 100 watts, with mp3 hook-up.  Still one speaker [replaced 2010]
• Fuel tank, side fill, from jeepsterman.  No crazy bent fill pipe to crack.
• Bullet dash light and floor lights with door switch, a normal option for Jeepsters but not original to this car.
• Manual choke
• The front seats have been moved back about four inches, making this a much more pleasant car for this tall family.
• Exhaust system [spring, 2012] with exhaust pipe moved to passenger rear corner.
• Rear seat modified to roll forward for cargo space.  Not designed for human occupant in rear seat, dogs okay. No seat belts in rear seat which is not bolted to floor as designed.  Modification could be reversed.
• Two inch hitch receiver, 4 or 7 pin electrical hook-up
• Cargo area was upoled [like rhino liner]
• Roof rack is a universal rack from the 80’s, eBay purchase
• Custom-made spare tire rack is great! - will NOT fit a larger sized tire.  Folds down to remove tire.
• Antifreeze overflow catch container