My father purchased this jeep from a doctor in St Charles MO in 1970. He used this jeep as a hunting vehicle for several years. I would steer it down the roads around the family farm when I was a little boy. I would later learn to operate a stick and clutch on this old girl. She survived the beating I subjected her to. In the mid 70s my dad was driving it the 80 miles back to St Louis when the unthinkable occurred. She threw a rod and ruined her block. My dad towed her to the garage of a neighbor who helped him rebuild the motor and restore her back to her. During this process the jeep sat neglected and piled up in the corner of the garage. I took an interest in her and decided that she deserved a new lease on life and put all the pieces back together. I worked on removing 7 layers of paint by hand with a 6″ orbital sander and a sanding block. When I got her down to bare metal, my dad’s best friend took her to his place to shoot the primer. Once that was done I took her to a local body shop and had a paint job shot. Being as I was set on her working and not just looking good I picked a color that was on the Ford color chart and had it done. She was nearly inundated in the flood of 93 in St Louis if it hadnt been for my friends and their not willing to let her go under we pushed her out of a flooded garage and hitched her to a waiting truck all the while the water was rising. She lived again! My girls (3 of them) were born and I hadn’t time to spare her. I would keep her battery charged and fired her up monthly. Time came when my dad finished his house at the new family farm, and I decided it was time that she found her way down to him and live her days there.
This past summer I brought my girls up to spend time with him and her. My oldest daughter (in the picture) has been pushing me to teach her to drive. The light came on. What better vehicle to teach her to drive than our old friend. We wheeled her out and washed her down and fired her up. We spent 3 whole days cruising the cow pastures, Her, my daughter and my dad. I would pile my twins in the back and take them for rides. I almost teared up when I took this picture. Memories of a jeep, my dad and I came back like it was yesterday. I am proud of this old jeep. It isnt restored stock, but it has been gone through from front to back bumper. She will climb a tree in low gear low range. My daughters love this old jeep. She has found a new fan club who really enjoy her and her nice putter sound.
My dad and I have turned down several offers and some quite substantial. My dad and I never gave up on her, but had to wait till health, weather and interest from one more generation would motivate us to put her back on the road. There is no money in the world that would buy her from us.