So you rolled your Ford F-250 in Pritchett Canyon, Moab. What do you do now? Well, after Craig Stumph of Delta, Utah, rolled his Ford he decided to build a serious trail rig, but instead of building a Wrangler or an old CJ Craig focused his attention on a Jeep of a different type, a 68 Jeepster Commando. This Commando is battle tested, runs monster cubic inches, and turns some big tires. If you ever see it out on the trail watch carefully, Craig has been known to try some tough lines.
Chassis & Driveline
To power the camo'd Commando Craig went right for the cubic inches and squeezed in a fairly stock Chrysler 440. The fuel makes its way to the big-block via a Holley 900 cfm Projection-4 bolted to the top of the stock intake manifold, and is sparked by an MSD box. Wasted gases pass out of the motor through stock manifolds on their way to a homemade 2-1/2 inch dual exhaust. A B&M Mega Shifter allows Craig to shift his Chrysler 727 with a manual-reverse valve body, and a torque converter with an 1,800 rpm stall. The tranny then sends the big-block power to an 80 Scout Dana 300. The twisting driveshafts then crank out to a set of Dana 60s. The front Dana 60 is out of an 86 Chevy 1-ton. It has been converted to five lug and carries 5.38 gears, a Detroit Locker, and 1-ton Chevy discs. The rear Ford Dana 60 is stuffed with a spool, which carries a matching set of 5.38:1 gears and Chevy 1/2-ton disc brakes. The reinforced frame is originally from a 76 Scout. The suspension is a Wrangler spring-over made up of 4-inch Skyjacker springs up front and 2-1/2inch Rancho springs out back. Rebound is kept to a minimum with a set of Rancho 9000s up front, and a combination of Rancho 9000s and Gabriel shocks in the rear.
Body & Interior
The Commando's body was first bobbed for better rear overhang. Next, Craig attacked the wheelwells to provide plenty of clearance for the big Swampers. The body tub was then treated to a custom rattle can camouflage paint job with matching military stars. Inside the six-point cage Craig added a set of green and black seats from a Honda CRX that were re-upholstered by Carolyn's Upholstery in Delta, Utah. The gauges are from Stewart Warner. All of this lies on steel mesh flooring Craig put in that allows him to see what&'s going on in front of the Commando even when its grille is pointed toward the sky.
Wheels & Tires
Being a fan of rigs with big tires, Craig ponied up the dough for a set of 38-inch Super Swamper SXs. The tires ride on 15x10 Champion Bead Locks.
Good, Bad, & What It's For
The Commando sees action on many serious rock trails including the Hammers, the Rubicon, and most of Moab. Craig also has entered the Jeep in rockcrawling competitions like ARCA and the Warn Rock Crawling Championships. But we bet that floor would be hell in the winter.
What We Think
After watching Craig try the most extreme lines in Moab we realized that this Jeep is more than a play toy for Craig. The way he drives, it gets pushed to the limit on any and all obstacles. The Jeep serves as more of a tool to see just how insane a line Craig can follow.