A home-built six-point cage protects the occupants and some collapsible nylon bags provide storage in the doors. Other neat period-correct touches like the hand-drawn "4x'49" and "Rockaholic" only add vintage flavor to this Jeep.
Good, Bad, And What It's For
The wide and long leaf springs are simple and work, but some simple work with a torch would get rid of the spacer washers at the frame end of the shackles. Stan also made the compromise of angling the shocks to fit longer shocks in a short space, which alters the effective valving, but can make it too soft for high-speed sections. Of course the spare tire is useless, but it is funny as hell, and the Jeep is trailered with a spare on the trailer, so it isn't a big deal. The rocker protection is hell-for-stout, and from the side of the Jeep looks exactly like what is needed to protect the sheetmetal. The only other thing we'd like to see would be a belly skid to protect that soft auto transmission pan.
Why I Wrote This Feature
I've said it once or twice: I like Jeepsters. But what I haven't said is that it is the VJ Jeepster that started me down the path. I first saw one down on the beach before I even had my first Jeep, and have wanted one ever since. I have since found out just how difficult a clean one is to come by, much less a clean one with all of the neat chrome trinkets. So any time I see one, I have to stop and check it out. This one was no different, but then I found full width axles, a tried-and-true build that has survived the years, and a driver who would point it at anything, and I knew this was a Jeepster that many of you would appreciate, too. It retains and improves on all the things that makes a vintage Jeep great: anvil-like reliability, timeless styling, and a go-anywhere capability.
-Pete Trasborg
Hard Facts
Vehicle: '49 Jeepster
Engine: GM Goodwrench crate 350ci V-8
Transmission: 700R4
Transfer Case: Dana 300 with 4:1 Tera-Low
Suspension: Spring-over (front and rear)
Axles: Chevy Dana 60 (front), GM Corporate 14-bolt (rear)
Wheels: 15x10 black steel
Tires: 38x15.50R15 Super Swamper
Built For: Because he always wanted one