Field Jeep
This Willys has belonged to Rob Fanning of Catlett, Virginia, for the past 15 years. He bought it way back when for $900 because it had a bunch of body damage but was otherwise mostly stock. Once he got the body repairs completed; a '68 327ci Chevy V-8 was shoehorned between the framerails and bolted to a T-150 with a full bellhousing kit from Advanced Adapters. Superlift 21/2-inch springs coupled with Con-Ferr shackles provide enough clearance for the 33-inch Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ tires. Rob didn't tell us what year this Jeep is, and we'd guess, but with an MB grille and a CJ-3A windshield your guess would be as good as ours.
Unlimited Mudding
This Midnight Blue '06 Unlimited Rubicon has so many modifications we will only be able to scratch the surface here. Erik Omland of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, added a 6-inch Nth Degree Long Arm lift kit with 2-inch spacers to clear the 35x12.50R18 Nitto Mud Grapplers. The stock Jeep lockers are now bolted to a set of 4.56 gears. Other modifications include a Kilby on-board-air system, Mopar Trail Guide Navigation system, Military LED tail lights, a Painless Wiring battery isolator, Wilderness Accessories rear tire carrier, HID headlights, and a Cobra CB to name but a few.
Military J20
The story of this '76 J-truck started when it was bought new by Todd Anderson's father-in-law and subsequently, his wife grew up in it. Then Todd of Plover, Wisconsin, got a hold of it and swapped in a 350ci Chevy V-8 with Holley fuel injection backed by an SM465 and NP205. The axles came off of a military Chevy Blazer in the form of a front Dana 60 and a rear 14-bolt with a Detroit Locker and both with 4.56 gears. Rancho 44044 springs out front and relocating the springs under the frame in the back (to clear the 14-bolt calipers) provide enough clearance for the 36x13.5-17 Interco Irok tires on H2 rims.
Not Grocery Getting
Chris Allebach is in college in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and enjoys taking his '97 ZJ out whenever he can. Even though a 2-inch spacer lift with Skyjacker shocks and Skyjacker steering stabilizer provide clearance for a set of 30x9.50 BFG ATs and keep them under control at the same time. Unfortunately for Chris, that wasn't quite enough to keep him going once the solid differentials started doing the old anchor imitation and an F-450 had to pull him out.
Backseat Driver
Vince Lucas of Hamlin, West Virginia, is the proud owner of this family built '91 Cherokee. Like most Jeeps, it is a work-in-progress, but so far a Rough Country 41/2-inch lift gets the normally low-slung XJ up to a respectable Jeep height. So far, the drivetrain is left alone (if it ain't broke and all that) and the 245/75R16 Goodyear MT/Rs put power to the trail. A rattle can paintjob makes it more presentable, and next up on the list are lockers and bumpers. The best part is, Vince's wife and kids have helped build it.
Funniest Form
The title of the email was "Juh Juh Juh Juh Juh Juh Jeep Shots," names of attached images were such as "Weeeeeee" and "GoJonnyGo," and other quotes under future mods are "a Flowbee (I'll show my hair who's boss) and more lights so I can be seen from space." By the time we got done laughing at what might be the funniest Jeep Shots we've ever seen, we ran into the signature of this Long Island, New York, resident: "Jonny Jazzhands (from playing the keyboard, not fancy dance hands). Oh yeah, the Jeep-it's a '93 with an AX-15 bolted to an NP231 with an Advanced Adapters slip-yoke eliminator kit, a 41/2-inch Rubicon Express lift, and a set of 32x11.50R15 Goodyear MT/Rs.
Dead Mobile
This '89 Wrangler was given its nom de guerre by its owner, Cary Randol of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is derived from the large Grateful Dead sticker on the hood. Cary bought this Jeep back in '00 and the only stock parts are the back seat and the tub. Among the upgrades are: Chevy 350ci V-8, 700R4 transmission, 4.3:1 Atlas II, and 4.88 gears in the front and rear Dana 44s. A front spring-over-conversion and custom four-link rear suspension provides clearance for the 38.5x12.50-15 Super Swamper TSLs on MRW beadlocks.
Way-Back Machine
Let's go back to '04, when Rick Strollo of Newport Beach, California, sent in a few pictures of his awesome '46 Willys CJ-2A after it had taken 1st place at the Concours D'Elegance car show. We don't know if the Bantam trailer was behind it at the show, but the same great attention to detail that went into restoring the CJ-2A was also used when the trailer was gone-through. While Rick didn't specifically mention it, having taken 1st place at a swanky car show, it stands to reason that the L-134, T-90, and Spicer 18 all were restored to better than new condition as well.
Nose Job
If you know your Jeepsters, you'd think this is a C-101. It isn't. Carl Simpson converted this '72 C-104 over to the early style front clip because he feels a real Jeep should have a seven-slot grille. A front GM Dana 44 was cut down to use wide-track Wagoneer shafts and then stuffed with 4.10 gears and an ARB Air Locker. The rear axle is also a Dana 44 and came out of an International truck and stuffed with matching gears and locker. An '86 J-20 360ci V-8 hands power off to a TH400 automatic transmission and a Dana 20 T-case. The stock York compressor on the AMC engine was plumbed to run the ARBs and a spring-over conversion clears the 35x12.50R15 Goodyear MT/Rs.
Icing
Bob Paul sent us some pictures of a recent trip to his camp in north central Pennsylvania, after some above-freezing days, and below-freezing nights. The road to camp becomes a sheet of ice, in this case, almost a foot thick. Bob's '83 CJ-7 with 35x10.50R15 Interco Super Swamper SSRs, 4-inches of lift, and six-cylinder engine just don't cut it for ice like this: custom-made chains are needed just to get to camp. Bob also carries a Hi-Lift Jack, a Warn 9000i winch on a removable receiver and front and rear KC lights for whatever the winter might throw at him when he's out playing on the ice.
Desert TJ
This '97 TJ was bought five years ago by Mike Smith of Las Vegas, Nevada, and then taken out in the desert almost every weekend since. Mike says that for what he does, he really doesn't need big tires, lockers and whatnot: the stock inline-six, three-speed automatic, NP231, front Dana 30 and rear Dana 35 with Trak-Loc do just fine. Instead, since the Jeep does spend a lot of time in the desert far from civilization, it was made more reliable with new fluids, leaks repaired, an oil pan skidplate, wider tires, and a fire extinguisher.
Send us your Jeep Shots. Include at least a 3-megapixel photo, your name, and information about your Jeep. Send 'em to Jp magazine, Jeep Shots, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048, or e-mail 'em to pete.trasborg@jpmagazine.com.