Here are some pictures of my 1957 FC-170 Tour Jeep that served duty as a Scenic Tour Jeep in Ouray Colorado for San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours. Also included is a picture of the truck when I found it. It is at the “Oh Point” off of Engineers Pass near Silverton, CO. The three pictures of my truck restored were taken near Governors Basin and at “Drinking Cup” just outside of Ouray Colorado. Below is some history on the truck.
San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours is the oldest Jeep tour business in Colorado. Francis Kuboski bought the Davis Jeep rental business back in 1959 and made speciality open-top Willys Wagons and Forward Control trucks to use in his guided tours of the San Juan Mountains. The Jeep tours were given throughout the region, but specialized in the areas of Ouray, Silverton, Lake City, and Telluride. Their trademark, “We Drive U Look” really lets the customer enjoy the scenery while they do all the hard work of getting you there. One of the most beautiful and dangerous trails that they tour is the infamous “Black Bear Road” that leads to Telluride. With “The Steps” that lead to Ingram Falls and its many tight switchbacks heading towards Bridal Veil Falls it surely is a white knuckle ride that will be not soon forgotten! To get down the trail you had to drive the vehicles front tires right to the edge of the cliff and then make a three or five point turn to traverse the switchbacks. In a FC with no hood and the driver sitting right on top of the front tire, it gave a whole new meaning to “Letting it all hang out!”
The Kuboski family held the first 4wd permit from the public utilities for the Western Slope of Colorado, and had exclusive rights to the area until 1986 when the trails were deregulated. Many other Tour businesses now exist in the region and San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours still operates out of the historic Western Hotel in Ouray. Sadly the old Jeeps are gone but J-20 pickups and new Dodge Power Wagons take care of the duties now.
Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Craig Brockhaus
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I had the privilege of meeting Kuboski before his passing. I have also been able to run the black bear ( Ingram pass) sevral times myself. If you drive forward to one switchback and bac down to the other it works just fine also. Be sure to buy the trail sticker for your windshield as this allows the forest service to open and maintain many more routes. Having seen many myself Red Cone mountain corkscrew gulch the back side of mount Evans and many more. Holy Cross city among others.. Dave & Sasha.
Great memories!
I drove tours for Fran a couple summers in the early 1980s.The FCs had been retired by then except on unusually high traffic days. I did get the opportunity to drive FCs a couple times on tours over Black Bear and up Yankee Boy Basin to the Virginius Mine. I really liked the trip and named the switchbacks going up the ‘Oh My God’ road as that was all I heard in the back:) Fingernails embedded in the hand rails were common.
The feeling of being over the front axle was hard to get used to but the vehicle was very capable, I liked them.
I’m happy you kept photos, your conversion looks beastly! Fun would be an understatement!
Cheers!
Dave
Your Jeep is just amazing! What an awesome vehicle. I have tremendous respect for you and your efforts to preserve this work of art.
I have a tour business and would love to have one just like it. Would you ever consider selling yours?
Thanks so much,
Justin Fisher
Sadly, most are gone as they were treated as workhorses back in the day and not generally saved when their working careers were over. There are a few left.
How neat they were, know the general area as son lived in Salida for a few years, great Jeeping area all around, would love to have a summer place nearby
I hope those old FC170’s are only “gone” in the sense of “have a new owner”. I hope they weren’t scrapped.