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Plush Jeepster: 1967 Jeepster Convertible

Jeepsters are among the most transformable of any vehicle ever made. I would like to transform this one into being in my garage. This 1967 Kaiser Jeepster Convertible is on Craigslist in Duluth, Minnesota where a 4×4 actually comes in handy with several feet of snow every winter and huge hills. The seller is asking $3,950 and here is the archived CL listing. I don’t see this one lasting that long where it is.

I’m imagining a fair amount of bodywork has been done on this Jeepster and it may need to be redone, but this looks like a pretty solid example at a reasonable price. The seller says “vehicle is complete, engine turns over and has spark, floors need work, clear title.” I’d want to check those rear wheel wells and rockers, too. The Jeepster came in two models initially, this fancy Jeepster Convertible with an optional power top, and the base, or more basic, Jeepster Commando. This Convertible model had a chrome trim piece separating the two-tone paint scheme, and other niceties. They were still as rugged as the Commando but were more plush.

Jeepsters are my personal favorite Jeep product of all time. I know that most Jeep aficionados think of them as city-folk Jeeps, more for running to the grocery store than running through a trail in the woods. But, this one, being a Jeep, can do both and it also has quite a Swiss-Army-Knife-like way of converting from open top hauler to covered people hauler to stuff hauler. The trunk seen above was part of the Jeepster Convertible model’s features, as were chrome bumpers, and a missing continental spare tire kit with cover. This example also appears to have the optional custom trim package (making it even more rare and desirable and where’s my phone to call this guy?!) with thick carpeting (obviously removed from this example), wheel trim rings (again, removed but hopefully come with it) and more. The power convertible top is the giveaway on the custom trim package.

The floors don’t look as bad as I thought they would, but this is the only photo that shows them, other than this photo showing the dirty but nice front seats. This example has a three-speed manual transmission and a thorough, detailed cleaning would do wonders for this interior. It looks like a new top will be needed.

The base engine was the Hurricane 134 cubic-inch inline-four with a mere 75 hp. The one you want, the same one that’s in this example, is Buick’s 225 cubic-inch V6 with 160 hp. Jeep talked with Buick about providing these engines for the CJ-series and they ended up buying the whole engine assembly line – lock, stock, and barrel. Now they had an engine that could keep up with the rest of the Jeepster line. The seller does say that this Jeepster is complete, hopefully that means that the original air cleaner assembly and all of the other parts and pieces for this rig come with it. I really like this Jeepster Convertible. Have any of you owned a Jeepster Commando or a Jeepster Convertible?

Comments

  1. Avatar Rock On Member

    Thanks Scotty, now I’m going to be humming Jeepster all night long!
    https://youtu.be/KiynnRv-Qeo

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  2. Avatar Rube Goldberg Member

    I wholeheartedly agree with SG, favorite Jeep of all time. A tad out of my price range, but I doubt you’d find a better deal today. The “Dauntless V-6” was the 2nd best gas motor known to man, only beat out by the small block V-8 and in line 6, that are both tied for 1st. These were one of the the original SUV’s, and I would love to have this. It wasn’t quite a SUV, or a CJ, but for the time, it really was the perfect 4×4. They made 57,350 Commando’s from ’66 to’71, including the rarest of them all, the’71 Hurst Commando. Not the rarest here, but while CJ’s came and went, people hung on to Commando’s, probably because, like the author states, these were more suburban duty than plow duty. Great find!!

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  3. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Boy, is that thing sweet! Never would imagine a power top. I really wish I was closer, be nice to have a summer Jeep. This is what gets me to the Village in the winter. Great find Scotty!

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    • Avatar Rube Goldberg Member

      Nice!!! ’54 or newer? ( 3 horizontal grill bars) I had a ’50 wagon like yours w/sbc, then found a ’51 pickup w/19K miles, near Iola, the guy only plowed his drive with it, until the motor threw a rod. I put the sbc ( and took the plow off) in that and was my DD for a while. The wagon was a rattlely thing, poor brakes, rough ride, cold/hot, and funky steering( the V8 didn’t help there) . The pickup was still all those things, but, at least it was a pickup. I can buy a pickup near me with a stovebolt Chevy 6 in it, but it’s pretty cashed.

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      • Avatar leiniedude Member

        Hey Rube! Mine is a 57 to an early 1960, the vin plate is gone but was an easy title in the Badger state. There are some nice people at the Dot if you treat them right. I have to agree with your drive assessment completely except for the brakes. I put new brakes on her after I picked it up. Only had a parking brake that worked. I now have the 11 inch drums super tuned and they work good. Not that stopping from the max speed of 50 in a rural area is tuff. If I remember right a lot of the go fast cars in the 60 and 70’s had 11 inch drum brakes as well. As far as the pickup goes, I am sure you and George could get that stovebolt going in no time. Sorry to hear about you move, Tohellyouride Co.? Was hoping to hook up you with next summer. Got together with On and On last week. What a great time meeting another Barn Finder, laughed our ash cans off! Best of luck and enjoy! Sorry about the long post but I just volunteered to ring the Salvation Army bell in Monroe till Christmas, A little nervous. Take care Buddy, Mike.

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    • Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

      Fantastic, Mike! You, sir, are living the dream that a lot of us.. well, just dream about. Thanks for sharing a photo of your sweet ride!

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      • Avatar leiniedude Member

        Hi Scotty! I am not sure if I am living the dream or the nightmare. I will say if you see me driving this old girl without a smile on my face you know there was a death in the Family. Rube was dead on in his description of the driving experience. He did miss one thing that is huge to me. I know this is a family website so I will call it the fragrance during the ride. Oil, gas, burning grease and who knows what else is wafting around coming into the cab. Call me whatever, but I enjoy it. You are my number one author, thanks for taking the time for all your work. Sick minds think alike? Take care and thanks, Mike.

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    • Avatar On and On Member

      Nice Mike. Plus guns in the back. Very Wisconsin.

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      • Avatar leiniedude Member

        Hi Gregg! I know what you have for heat laying around at the house so I am jealous. Great time at the Union last week, See you soon, Mike.

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  4. Avatar Neal

    Cool find!
    I’ve always liked these, but still would prefer a scout someday.

    What’s up with the apparently forward-facing exhaust manifold in the picture?

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    • Avatar Jeepster

      The big willys steering box is right under there, ( with all of the 1940’s linkage )

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      • Avatar Neal

        So does that mean that the exhaust dumps to the front of the vehicle? And where does the exhaust pipe go after the manifold?

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      • Avatar Jeepster

        Hey Neal,
        the exhaust pipe makes a 180 degree bend ( about 12″ diameter ) right out of the manifold collector straight down & back ( under the motor mount ). The passenger side bends a 90 infront of the bellhousing inspection plate, & tees into drivers side just under the pedals.

        Then .. a 90 under the body, on top of the skidplate to the passenger side behind the transfer case, muffler, then over the axle & exits out the right rear with another 90. Whew.

        Both manifolds are identical “right sides “

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  5. Avatar Jeepster

    I have had 3 so far. Down to only one now – A 1967 Jeepster Deluxe Conv. that is about to get a minor facelift this spring. The only options I am missing on this one is the console mounted clock and the spinners for the wheelcovers.

    I did drive my red 67 wagon around Nashville for over a decade.

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  6. Avatar Jeepster

    the one above has the ” standard ” interior, the ” deluxe” models were all twotone inside. A nice restored one likethe above in code 2261 Empire red sold at one of the big auction houses for 28grand last year. See below what ic should look like new. Do not forget the whitewalls !!

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  7. Avatar Jeepster

    YOU – cold be here.
    The powered ragtops were expensive, about the price of a base corvette stingray. a few in 1966, the majority made on 1967 and 1968, and mostly gone by early 1969. about ( 4400 ) total production

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  8. Avatar Jeepster

    Another factory beauty shot – the twotone interior basket weave seat centers, rear armrests, full carpet, etc. Automatic transmission is the massive GM turbo400 !

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  9. Avatar Jeepster

    OK – have you turkeys seen enough Jeepsters ? or do you want more ….

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    • Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

      Ha, that’s like asking if a person is too thin or has enough money! Those photos give me hope that hopefully someday I can own one of those beauties. Thanks, Jeepster!

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      • Avatar Jeepster

        You bet Scotty – this is the one vintage Jeep I have owned, rebuilt, and clocked many miles with ( for a decade it was my primary vehicle ! )

        And I did run Denman bias military tires the entire time, which worked great – as long as it was not raining

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    • Avatar Neal

      You like Jeepsters like I like Scouts!

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  10. Avatar Jeepster

    Ok – let us see how this side view uploads ..

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  11. Avatar Jeepster

    all of the captions are true ….

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  12. Avatar Jeepster

    The factory single rear leaf springs and “street” shocks ride terrible on and off road. Ditto on the pre WWII design steering. Gentle maneuvering is a must with no rollbars.

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    • Avatar Neal

      Sounds like a dream!

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  13. Avatar Metoo

    Wasn’t Danny Thomas once the spokesman for Jeepsters way back in the day?

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    • Avatar Roger

      Yes he was Metoo,I remember Jeepster ads in Popular Science and Popular Mechanics when I was a kid with Danny in them stating he was “Toledo’s favorite son” also a family friend had two of these in the half cab pickup version,the first was a ’67 model,the second was a ’72 model with the AMC straight six,he and Dad worked together in a local coal mine,remember Dad telling me about driving the ’67 in high range 4WD and the V6 was quick enough that he almost drove it over a high wall,that convinced him of how spunky that little engine was and led him some years later to buy a new Buick with one after GM brought them back in the mid 70’s.

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  14. Avatar Edselbill

    Owned a ’49 Jeepster and found it just a bit too primitive for modern driving, so we sold it and replaced it with a ’69 Commando. (pictured above) We have found it to be totally usable for modern driving, including on the highway. Loved it so much, we bought a second one, nearly identical.
    Dauntless V-6 and 3 spd Manual is the only way to go. Also, we learned that fitting correct size passenger tires does amazing things for handling and ease of steering effort. The big mud & snow treads make the car a bear to handle.
    This car looks like a good solid project car with a lot of upside since repairs (including floors) are relatively easy and cheap (compared to a traditional classic)

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    • Avatar Mountainwoodie

      THAT is sweet! Always wanted one………….one day

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  15. Avatar OA5599

    Love these!

    A Jeep like this can do it all. Cruise the interstate, go off road, sun chasing and hauling people, large dogs and stuff. And look good just standing still.

    Wish I had one!

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  16. Avatar Bob C.

    Buick sold the tooling to the v6 engines to Jeep in the late 60’s and they used them until 1971 or 72. AMC bought Jeep in 1970 and began using their own sixes from there on. After the oil embargo, GM decided they needed the v6 engine once again, so they bought back the tooling and the rest is history.

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  17. Avatar charlie Member

    Friend has one, bought and kept within the family, new. V6. Spends the summer in Maine with various family members, and goes in the barn, on jack stands, for the winter (up in Maine). It might get 2000 miles a year on it, other than some chrome pitting, and wear on the seats, and top, it could pass for a 3 year old car. Lemon yellow. Much beloved by 3 generations of drivers.

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  18. Avatar Fozbuzz Member

    Got a ’71 Dauntless V-6 w/power steering, turbo 400, sat for 12 years, put a new gas tank in it, new fuel pump, rebuilt carb, and it cranked up and ran great!! One problem–Prestolite distributor (odd-fire) has vacuum advance that is now obsolete, found only 1 available at $125–will Buick distributor of late ’60’s, work?

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    • Avatar Roger

      The first two years that GM brought back the V6 they still used the odd fire design,if you can locate one of those (might even be in the earlier ’77 models)and they were HEI distributors as well.

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