When you drive past a Jeep dealer today you see all manner of different vehicles with the Jeep name emblazoned on them. That variety is making a lot of money for the brand. For a long time, Jeep didn’t have a very broad lineup beyond civilian variations of the original military Jeep. When they did branch out, the company produced some interesting vehicles. One of the more unusual Jeep variants is this 1968 Kaiser-Jeep Jeepster Commando for sale on Craigslist in Phoenix, Arizona. This unique answer to the Bronco, Scout, and Land Cruiser is all original, soaked with honest patina, and is a complete and period-correct example. Is the $4,500 price reasonable for a vehicle that could be returned to the road with little fuss? Thanks to T.J. for the tip!
As usual, there is not much in the way of the written word in this Craigslist ad. All we are told is as follows: This Jeepster is an all-original barn find. It comes with a V-6, an automatic transmission, and a four-wheel drive. It is not running and has not been on the road since the nineties. We are also told that it has surface rust from the Arizona sun.
If it is an Arizona truck, chances are that it is free from anything other than surface rust. We have seen numerous vehicles from that state on these pages, and they all have the same slow-baked look to them. Usually, anything that is not metal is cooked to a cracked, golden brown. In the picture above we can see that the seats still look pliable but faded. The armrest and the dash pad also look discolored, but functional.
Looking past the welded-up angle iron tire carrier into the bed area, we can see a lot of surface rust. There also may be some sagging of the floor from carrying heavy loads. Other than that, we have a good view of the tops of the seats. Chances are good that the new owner will be reupholstering them soon after the sale. Beyond that, it makes you wonder if the bed area is long enough for someone to sleep in with the tailgate shut. This Jeepster just looks perfect for back-country camping.
Under the hood is the non-running V-6 that the seller warned us about. The story on these V-6s is interesting. Initially designed and produced as a Buick engine by GM, the design was sold to Kaiser-Jeep in 1967. Renamed the Dauntless V-6, it produced 160 HP and 235 lb. ft. of torque. The lack of a fuel-efficient engine ended up forcing Buick to buy back the design from AMC (which had purchased Kaiser Jeep in the meantime) and produce it until 2008. Believe it or not, the turbocharged V-6 in the Buick Regal Grand National is descended from this engine. Regardless of the engine’s lineage, it appears that everything is there. It would have been nice to hear if the engine still turns over, but we did not receive any clues in the ad.
This Jeepster certainly has the potential to return to the road. Everything seems to be there, and the only major concern would be the condition of the drivetrain after sitting so long. It would almost be a sin to do more than just fix what is necessary and slap a new set of tires on it. It would make the perfect weekend companion for back-country fishing, hunting, and/or camping trips. The price also makes this a very affordable entry into that world.
Another good article, Jeff, and thank you for the engine lineage history-sometimes those things get forgotten..
Most here would probably take one of these over a new Jeep Cherokee any day-nor OBD port, no fiddily electronic things to fry when you’re 100 miles from civilization, generally all that’s needed is a good tool kit with duct tape, baling wire and Bazooka bubble gum to get you home.
When the EMPs go off over the US, we are all going to be looking for neighbors that have a vehicle like this!
The road, perhaps, but the back country, forgetaboutit. Why? IT’S ALL ROCKS,,there’s no dirt left. That’s a shame as there are many beautiful spots practically inaccessible, except by those rock climbing ATVs, which ironically do all the wear, but that’s Colorado.
I happen to love these, but not really an answer to the Bronco, Scout, LC, more of a half baked idea for people that wanted a bit more than a CJ, but not quite a Wagoneer. Sadly, it was a market they grossly over estimated, and for all practical purposes, it was a dud. Jeep has an incredible following, any Jeep is worthy of having. I think today this could be a hit, but they have to be a lot nicer than this. Considering the audience today that doesn’t know 9/16 is 14mm, I don’t see a lot of interest.
Too far away from me. But for the price? It seems worthy of a look. I’ve always liked the Willys/ Kaiser Jeeps.
I always liked the look of these 1st gen Jeepsters and would’ve liked one. I never saw a lot of these around my part of Pennsylvania and most of ’em in these parts have long since returned to the earth.
Sweet….be sweeter if it ran….suspect that rare auto trannie might need help.
Maybe, maybe not. My ’73 Commando had the AMC 258 straight six, coupled to a TurboHydramatic 400 transmission.
I never worried about breaking the tranny with that 6 banger.