Mountain-5
Devon Androes hails from Mountain Home, Arkansas. With a name like that we assume there are some pretty cool trails around for his '81 CJ-5 to tackle. And with one-piece shafts going in the rear Model 20 axle and the front Dana 30 already sporting disc brakes, we're sure the rig us up to the task of spinning the 33x12.50-15 Thornbirds. And considering the swapped-in Chevy 350 has been treated to some go-fast goodies and the TH350 tranny sports a loose TCI Saturday Night Special torque convertor, we're sure the stock Dana 300 will be begging for mercy on a regular basis.
Super-Groovy-Radi-Maxical
Okay, we admit it. Sometimes we just lock in on one aspect of a vehicle and it triggers something in our memories. Remember early '90s metal hair, purple and pink ski suits (on men), and stick-on, multi-hue graphics? We do, and it still haunts us. The late '80s and early '90s were a dark time filled with the mixed scent of Aqua Net and Stetson. And although the graphics on Cindy Ash's '94 Wrangler evoke that bygone era, a quick glance at the date on the submission form explains why. Sent in almost 13-years ago, this could quite possibly qualify as the longest-waiting Jeep Shots submission ever. We assume Cindy is no longer stationed in Mannjeim, Germany, with the US Army and we hope she's long-been reunited with her beloved Jeep that she had to leave behind during her deployment. Thanks, Cindy, and happy trails.
Long Wait
Dave Evans sent in this photo of his Havertown, Pennsylvania-based CJ-7 way back in '03. Well, Dave, hope it was worth the wait. Dave's little red wagon runs popular 33x12.50R15 BFG AT tires wrapped around 15x10 American Racing AR-767 wheels. There is no lift, but a Clifford intake and Pacesetter header bolster the 258 six-banger to the tune of 250hp and 300lb-ft torque. A TH400 slushbox and Quadra-Trac T-case send grunt to the 3.73-geared Dana 30 front and Model 20 rear with one-piece shafts. Dave cites his worst blunder as keeping the Quadra-Trac T-case, but he still plans on adding a lift, different tires, a winch, and a better stereo before swapping it out.
New Old CJ-5
Where are we when deals like this come up? Mike Gaston of Ruidosa, New Mexico, claims he and his son Hayden found this cherry '81 CJ-5 back in '98 with only 8,800 miles on the ticker. Still sporting the original tires, the original owner parked it in a barn and only used it to feed the cows when he was at the farm. Since taking over ownership, Mike has added the 31x10.50R15 BFG MT tires, 15x8 steel wheels, a Tuffy Security console, and a swing-away tire carrier and bumper assembly. Mike plans on adding power steering to the 258 six, upgrading the front bumper, and adding a ski rack, but otherwise he's pretty happy with his purchase.
Six-G Twist-D
David Leasure of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, calls his $6,000 '50 Willys truck a hybrid. Not because it's all green and annoyingly environmentally friendly, but because it was built with '78 Chevy Blazer parts among other vehicles. A propane-powered Chevy 283 V-8 from a Chevelle feeds into a T-90 transmission and Spicer 18 T-case. The GM Dana 44 front axle is directed with Massey Ferguson hydraulic steering pilfered from a combine. A GM 12-bolt rearend features a mini spool. Both axles transmit power to 36-inch Super Swamper tires on 15x8 steel spoke wheels. The entire chassis sits on '78 Blazer leaf springs, but the real twist comes from the articulating center that offers 80 degrees of motion. David plans to add hydraulics to the articulating center, a snorkel, and 5.13 gears when cash flow allows.
Gidday Mate
We swear, that's how Michael Dodd of Pt. Lincoln, S.A., Australia, opened his letter to us. Michael's '70 CJ-5 is driven every day, which must be difficult for him seeing as how the steering wheel is mounted in front of the passenger seat. The early CJ has an Australian Ford 250 straight-six, which had a much better cylinder head than those offered on the American 250 engines. Backing the 155hp mill is a T-14 three-speed tranny and the stock Spicer 18 T-case, so Michael should have little difficulty reaching his favorite fishing holes when he's not commuting into work.
Thief!
Rich Richter or Orange Grove, Texas, claims that he didn't steal this Jeep out from under his friend, but we know better. It's okay, Rich, your secret is safe with us. Er, that is to say, it was. The clean '78 CJ-5 was purchased by Rich back in the summer of '98 with only 68K miles on the clock. Rich still runs the factory 304 V-8, T-150 tranny, and Dana 20 T-case, but a 401 is waiting in the wings. Until then, Rich busies himself with modifications like the 2.5-inch Skyjacker spring lift, 33x12.50R15 BFG AT tires on 15x10 chrome rims, and a power steering install.
OG CJ
It's not often you see a 20-year old enthusiast vehicle that's largely stock, but Robin Boyd of Dillon, Montana, has one such example. The '79 CJ-5 has benefited from a rebuild of the factory 304 engine, but the three-speed tranny, Dana 20 T-case, and disc brake Dana 30 front and Model 20 rear are factory. A set of 31x10.50R15 Michelin LTX R/T tires on the factory chrome spokies ups the bling along with some aftermarket chrome tube bumpers and aluminum diamond plate body panel overlays. With 128,000 original miles, the little CJ gets driven every day and spends weekend duties hauling Robin to the local hunting and fishing spots.
Whatsa Click?
Yeah, we're joking. But it always makes us think of old Vietnam movies when people call a kilometer a "click." However, seeing as Darren Alcombrack is from Barrie, Ontario, Canada, and they use that weird metric thingy to measure stuff, we guess that's why he's proud of his Jeep's 319,000 clicks. Or maybe he just puts baseball cards in the spokes. Either way, the little '88 YJ (do they measure years in metric, too?) sports a 3-inch lift, 31-inch Yokohama tires and some off-road lights, but otherwise the 258 six is original and still running strong. Darren plans on adding lockers and some better bumpers.
The Mambo-Jambo
Way back in the olden days of 1984, Jeep offered a special Jamboree Edition CJ-7. Today, collectors like Neil Hitz of Beverly Hills, Michigan, think they're pretty special. And with only 14,000 original miles, we'd have to agree Neil's Jamboree makes the grade. He's added a Ramsey winch, off-road lights, and some other little trinkets and brackets, but otherwise the Jeep is largely stock down to the spark plugs. And while it all makes for a nice time capsule, if we were Neil we'd shelve the stock 25-year old tires for some fresher rubber if any extended on-road driving is in this Jeep's future.
Oink, Oink
Everybody names their dogs, most people name their boats, and some people even name their Jeeps. Gary Schultzman of Yucaipa, California, laid the moniker, Iron Pig, on his little '95 YJ. We don't know why. Maybe the 2.5L, AX-5, NP231-equipped YJ doesn't clean its room. Equipped with a 2.5-inch Skyjacker suspension, 30x9.50R15 BFG AT tires on the stock 15x6 steel wheels, and an Truetrac limited slip in the stock Dana 35 rear, it's way more capable than your average stock-looking Wrangler. Now where have we seen a little red YJ like that on the trails before?
Orange Ya Glad It's A Jeep
Ha! Do you get it? 'Cause we're friggin' brilliant comics. I mean, it's not every story monkey that can come up with a witty title to a photo caption like that. Boy, do we deserve a raise. And speaking of deserving a raise (that's called a segway, kids), Chip Whittamore of beautiful Savannah, Georgia, has one pretty killer-looking '84 CJ-7. Aside from the orange paint that looks silkier than Natalie Portman, it's powered by a Chevy 350 V-8, spins 36-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claws, and shoves the body in the air via a 3-inch lift.
Settling
Although Dennis Decklever of Milton, Florida, claims his favorite Jeep type is his two CJ-3B project Jeeps, his '97 Wrangler runs and drives, so he tools around in that until the others are finished. He's done a Warn hub conversion, added 4.88 gears to the front Dana 30 and installed a Rubicon Dana 44 rear with matching gears, a Warn HS9500i winch, a JB Conversions slip yoke eliminator, and a Pro Comp 4-inch lift. Phew. That's a lot of parts for a vehicle that's not your primary project rig. We can't wait to see what the 3Bs turn out like.
Decade Dreamer
Jay Behr sent in this photo of his '93 Wrangler over 10 years ago in June of '99. We know it's been a while because Jay included his RTI score on his spec sheet. Aside from the 983 RTI, Jay's 2.5L YJ sports (or sported) an AX-5, NP231 with a slip yoke eliminator, Lock-Right lockers in the diffs, 2.5-inch Skyjacker springs, and a 2-inch body lift. The wheel and tire package consists (or consisted) of 32x11.50R15 BFG ATs on 15x8 American Racing AR757 steelies. They were the hot ticket back in the day. Man, we feel old now.
Turquoise Jeans
This '76 CJ-5 started life as a Levi's edition. The AMC V-8 got the normal intake, 4-bbl carburetor, DUI distributor, Headman headers, and Flowmaster mufflers. A T-18 and Dana 20 hand off power to a Dana 30 front axle and AMC 20 which spin a set of 35-inch Super Swamper SSRs. A 51/2-inch lift with a M.O.R.E. shackle reversal provide altitude and a decent ride. Stacey Picker of Umatilla, Oregon, then Herculined the interior, added TJ fender flares, and an on-board-air setup with a tank.
Dirty Dan
Ironic name, we know considering Dan Stidham's '00 Sahara appears to be one of the cleanest Jeeps to ever grace the pages of Jp magazine. Dan's machine features Superior shafts in the factory Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear axles. Gearing is stock at 3.73:1. The 4.0L engine is also stock, as is the NV3550 transmission. A 4-inch Rough Country suspension allows 33x12.50R15 BFG MT tires on 15x10 Dick Cepek wheels. Dan uses the Jeep to wheel the trails around his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, and as far down as southeastern Kentucky.
Pointed Questions
Andy Munger's spec sheet was short, sweet, and to the point, just the way we like it. His '87 Cherokee Chief runs the stock 4.0L Renix-injected engine, although the radiator has been upgraded to a three-core design. An NV4500 transmission was swapped in place of the crappy Peugeot grenade box and a Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts slip yoke eliminator and driveshafts reach the pinions despite the 9-inch custom lift. The front Dana 30 is filled with a limited-slip and 4.56 gears, while the factory Dana 44 rear has an Ox locker and 33-spline Superior alloy shafts. Nice, although we doubt the 33x12.50-15 Thornbirds can generate enough grip to bust even a 30-spline stock Dana 44 shaft.
Shy Guy
When he's not hiding himself and his Jeep behind the trail foliage, Bob Ginger of Mattoon, Illinios, is busy finding new and exciting ways of improving his '93 YJ. Built on budget, the Jeep sports a spring-over using the factory springs, a slip yoke eliminator, and a Ford 8.8 rear axle from an Explorer that was loaded with 4.88s, Yukon axleshafts, and a Detroit Locker. The stock Dana 30 front was loaded with 4.88s to match, which should really help the little 2.5L push the big 35x12.50R15 Cooper tires through the woods.
Grand Austrian
We would be hard-pressed to pick Austria off of a map of Europe, but we do seem to have plenty of Austrian readers. This '94 Grand Cherokee lives and breathes the Austrian air at the hands of Peter Jedlicka. Peter bought the Jeep with no modifications, save from every gasket (including the headgasket) of the 4.0L engine leaking. Once the engine was squared away, a 3-inch Rancho lift was installed over some 31x10.50R15 Cooper Discoverer STTs. An aftermarket roof rack with some aftermarket lights and a swapped-in NP242 complete the list of modifications.
Infestation
We ran a Liberty in Jeep Shots not long ago, and it must have been the day the magazine hit the newsstands we got about 10 Jeep Shots submissions from Liberty owners. So, we picked our favorite KJ picture and here we are. This '02 Liberty belongs to Troy Young of Draper, Utah, and it still has the 3.7L V-6 and 42RFE automatic transmission, but it got some beef in the way of an NVG241OR. An All J Products 21/2-inch Frankenlift provides clearance for the 31-inch BFG MTs which are spun by 3.73 gears in the otherwise stock axles, with the rear getting a Powertrax Locker.
Mormon-J
Dustin Katsilas of Centerville, Utah, is of the school of thought that the less said the better. So, we were left with not much information and some cool pictures of a '99 Cherokee wheeling somewhere (presumably) in Utah. The 4.0L inline-six benefitted from a K&N air filter and a Flowmaster exhaust. Lift comes in the form of 51/2-inch Rubicon Express coils out front and 41/2-inch Rubicon Express leafs in the back coupled to a pair of 1-inch lift shackles while a set of Mickey Thompson Baja Claws round out the package.
Great Jumps
We might not have gotten any hard facts with the submission of this '65 CJ-5, but Derek Baker of Great Falls, Montana sure tells a decent story (the accompanying picture didn't hurt either). First Derek lets buddy Justin drive the Jeep, and he gets it stuck in a mud pit next to a crushed 3rd generation Camaro. Then the two guys park it in a field of flowers and pose for a picture on the roll bar. Finally, after Justin realized how that picture might look, he went ahead and aired the Jeep out- the beginning of the jump is shown here.
Guessing Game
Mike Melito sent in this picture. We assume he's from Louisiana somewhere and that this Jeep is a '91 YJ. The old-style roll bar coupled with the 4.0HO sticker and the Louisiana license plate were our main clues. We knew the picture was taken in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and this deduction was supported by Mike writing, "This was on a Sun Country Jeep Club run in Las Cruces, New Mexico."
More to Come
Andy Getz took his Hamilton, Ohio, ZJ to the next level. Starting with a '98 5.2L V-8 Grand Cherokee Limited, Andy added a 7-inch Rock Krawler long arm lift with 11/2-inch coil spacers. The rear features a triangulated four-link. Super Swamper 34x10.50-15 LTBs are mounted on stock wheels and fit thanks to 1-inch wheel spacers. The home-built skidplates, rocker guards, and bumpers protect the Jeep. The front bumper houses a 10,000-pound winch. By now Andy has added the planned high-pinion Dana 30 front axle with an OX Locker, a rear locker, and an NP231D from a Dodge pickup to replace the NP249.
Junk Trunk
This '43 Willys MB belongs to George and Joyce Weitzel from Apache Junction, Arizona. It features an M38 grille and windshield, a roll bar, locking hubs, a half-top, and a "reworked" backend that give the Weitzel's a little more space.
Mint Green
We don't remember there being a Mint Green color option for the '67 Jeepster Commando, but it would appear that Todd Bucher of Taylorsville, Georgia, found one that was. Todd painted the outside of it in a more normal shade of grey primer, performed a spring-over conversion, swapped in a hydraulic clutch assembly, power steering, and coilover shocks for stability. The welded rear spider gears worked so well that Todd went ahead and welded the front too. As we know, and Todd attests to, it gets great traction, but even with the power steering was a mistake.
Guinea Pig
Judging by all the images Bill Scheurer sent of him getting stuck or about to get stuck, it's our guess that he's the one his buddies send in to test the waters whenever the mud looks deep. This Polermo, California, '99 TJ sports a stock 4.0L and drivetrain, a 21/2-inch Rock Krawler lift, 31-inch BFG All Terrains, homebuilt front and rear bumpers, plenty of scratches and dings, and a MileMarker 9,000-pound winch. Future mods include 4.10 gears, air lockers front and rear and 33-inch tires.
A Little Help
Kevin Tobias of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, planned on keeping his '03 Wrangler Rubicon stock at least until it was paid off. His friends had other ideas and politely convinced him stock sucked. So on went a 51/2-inch Rubicon Express heavy-duty long-arm lift kit with 1-inch coil spacers and 37x12.50R15 Goodyear MT/Rs on 15x10 Cragar wheels. Inside went a full cage, Beard seats, and five-point Crow harnesses. The drivetrain is still stock but Kevin added a Warn XD9000i winch to pull himself, or maybe his buddies, out.
Slinky
Gene and Heather Ellsworth (insert corny Blues Brothers joke here) of Vancouver, Washington, are the proud owners of this '90 Jeep Wrangler. A new Jasper-built 258ci inline engine is coupled to a rebuilt Peugeot five-speed and a 4-speed Atlas T-case. Some of the highlights include a Poly Performance four-link rear suspension and three-link front with coilover shocks, ARB Air Lockers front and rear, Yukon gears and chromoly axles, and 37-inch Goodyear MT/R tires. An LOD Off Road rear bumper/tire carrier guard the back with a Poison Spyder rollcage tied into the frame in six places to protect the two gourds in the front adult-sized Mastercraft seats and rear pre-teen Mastercraft in the rear.