We all talk a big game when it comes to saving old cars and promoting our hobby, but Sean Mathis took it a step further. Starting with his grandfather’s beloved 1959 Cadillac, Sean has managed to build one of the largest automobile museums in the country. Nestled in the hills of north Georgia, the Miles Through Time automobile museum is an eclectic mix of donated and loaned vehicles housed in an old cotton mill converted for the purpose of preserving our automotive past. Running such an endeavor is relentlessly expensive, so this 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with the rare LJ body is being offered on Cars & Bids to benefit the museum. With a current bid of $10,000, this pristine Jeep is just two days away from a new owner heading down to Clarkesville, Georgia, museum to pick up their prize. Could that lucky winner end up being you?
A museum of any sort is a giant hole to throw money down. Every month, it seems we hear about another transportation museum of some sort folding up due to a lack of revenue. Cars and other exhibits are auctioned off, never to be seen again in a public setting, and our hobby is diminished even further. There is no way that any private museum can count on just admission tickets and an occasional membership to pay the upkeep, taxes, and utilities to keep it going forever. It takes creative solutions to keep the doors open.
At the Miles Through Time automobile museum, founder Sean Mathis wears a lot of hats. He is part P.T. Barnum, part Humpy Wheeler, and a tireless advocate for saving collectible cars and making sure the history of the car gets told to museum goers. The collection spans from a 1915 Ford Model T to modern-day manufacturer prototypes and everything in between. Visitors are treated to different cars each time they visit, thanks to loans from other museums and individuals either gifting or loaning their beloved family treasures. Sean’s focus is on making sure that everyone sees something new each time they step through the door. These changes are frequently featured on the museum’s Facebook page as well for those who cannot visit as often as they wish.
For most of the year, the museum offered this 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited LJ in a raffle to raise money for the museum. It was donated specifically for this purpose, and is a well-kept example of this seldom-seen body style. The previous owner added a set of 16-inch Method race wheels shod with a proper set of off-road tires, modified the suspension with Rough Country parts, and installed a Kenwood Bluetooth entertainment system. Under the hood of this Jeep is the legendary 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine. It is backed with a four-speed automatic transmission, and power reaches the ground through a Dana 30 in the front end and a Dana 44 in the rear. The LJ’s coil spring suspension and 10-inch longer wheelbase offer the owner a much smoother ride than the standard leaf spring suspension of the time. This is the type of Jeep that is at home on both the highway and on any off-road goat path you wish to travel.
Unfortunately, the raffle winner lives in Colorado and decided to take the cash payout offered instead of venturing to North Georgia to pick up their prize. To close out this adventure, Sean has placed this Jeep up for auction to help send it on its way to its next owner. Looking at the pictures posted here and at the exhaustive 181 shots posted on Cars & Bids reveals a Jeep that likely spent very few miles off-road or in rough weather. It is hard to believe that the odometer shows a little over 109,000 miles have been traveled. With the venerable 4.0 inline six under the hood, Jeep aficionados know there are a lot more miles to travel in this American icon.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of this auction is the chance to get a near-perfect Jeep Wrangler at a bargain price. Most folks can’t tell the difference between a Jeep of this vintage and one of the outrageously expensive mall-crawlers currently filling the lots of Jeep dealers across the country. With the high bid currently sitting at $10,000, this is a good opportunity, even if you simply desire a reliable used car with some collectible appeal.
Not looking for a nice Jeep in your garage with winter approaching? You can still help keep the museum. Donations can be made to Miles Through Time through their website, or you can dig a little deeper to support this facility by becoming a member. Regardless, if we want nice places to visit to see the cars we love, it is important to assist the museums that preserve our past and introduce new people to the hobby.
Have you been to this museum, or do you visit and support a similar one in your area? If so, share your story in the comments and tell us your ideas on how we can better support the hobby.
What? Oh, okay, I suppose, got to be known for something besides a loud mouth malcontent. You know, Jeep Wranglers, I’ve found, are probably the most personalized vehicles. No 2 seem to be alike. And all kinds. From the rough, faded, scraped and USED, like mine, to the highway queens, shown here. No stones in these tires, and that’s okay. My Jeep is certainly not conducive to any road travel, and not why I bought it. This Jeep is strictly for the highway, and never saw a flake or a 2 track trail. That’s okay, however( here it comes), I just don’t understand why someone in Georgia would need a 4×4 Jeep. Granted, they are fun to just drive, but so is a Corvair. Lot of extra hardware, not really needed. Whilst re-applying for my Medicaid, I have to list assets, and the state of Colorado seems to think my ’91 YJ is worth $5500 bucks( cough, sold) and while Toyota Highlanders may come and rust, a Jeep will always be a Jeep. New owner shan’t be disappointed with this one.
Howard, as a person who lives in Georgia, I can provide a few reasons why someone in this state would need a 4×4 (Jeep or otherwise). The northern portion of the state (where this auto museum is located) is where the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail begins. I came very close to getting a 2 wheel drive Dodge Dakota stuck on a Forest Service Road while bear hunting up there many moons ago, hence the reason I now have a 4×4. Second, in the middle and southern portion of our state, outside of the major metropolitan areas, we have a lot of rural acreage with several National Forests and State Wildlife Management Areas with lots of unpaved roads. Georgia red clay is notoriously “slicker than snail snot” when damp, and the deep south of the state, below what we call the “Fall Line” (transition from upper Piedmont to coastal plain) while very flat, has very sandy soil, wide river plains and this interesting area called the Okefenokee Swamp.
Thanks DG, I’ve been through GA. many times and after TN. it seemed like flatland and boring, kind of a necessary evil to get to FL. Had some scary incidents in Tifton and Atlanta( traffic stopped at 2am?) and often thought maybe AL. would be a better bet. I suppose any place there is dirt/mud, a 4×4 is needed, but I can almost assure you, this particular Jeep saw none of that.
I work at a Jeep dealership and the Wranglers from 1997 to 2006 are sought after since 2006 was the last year for the 4.0 liter engine. Hardtops and manual transmissions are even more sought after,
While I respect the 4.0, as it’s the last good mill they ever made, I’ll take the AMC behind it please.