This one just popped up on a local facebook group I follow. The spotter was driving through a small town in Oregon and almost swerved off the road when they went past this super rare Jeepster. There were only about a 100 of these built so the odds of finding one just sitting on a used car lot is slim. Hurst was known for their collaborations with muscle car manufacturers, but I doubt many of you knew that they worked with Jeep too. Thanks goes to Rick S for sharing!
Visual upgrades included Hurst badging and that eye-catching white, blue, and red stripe paint scheme. The rims don’t look right to me, but that would be easy to fix.
Power was provided by the Dauntless V6. From what I can tell, Hurst didn’t touch the drive-train, but they did include this nice hood mounted tachometer so you could watch the revs as you shifted…
It couldn’t be a Hurst edition car without a Hurst shifter! It looks like a dual gate “His and Hers” setup. That means you can either just stick it in drive or push it over and select each gear yourself. Guess that tach would come in handy.
A quick search revealed that this one is being offered by Main Street Motors in Enterprise, Oregon. They are asking $27,750 here on their site. That may seem high, but we haven’t found many to compare to besides one we featured back in ’15. If any of you do end up calling on it, be sure to tell them that Barn Finds sent ya. There may not be a whole lot to this special edition, but its novelty and rarity makes it one of the coolest Jeeps we’ve seen in a long time!
I’ve GOT to get in on this one early. The words “Holy Grail” are thrown around a lot, lately, but as far as Jeeps go, this is really it. To even see one featured here , probably the rarest Jeep to come through here, is unusual. Always liked the Commando, one of the best V6’s made, hey, you want to spend a 1/4 mil on some funky trailer, or $50g’s on a ’93 Ford pickup, that’s up to you, but this, is a once in a lifetime offering. This, compared to what we’ve seen, doesn’t seem like a lot of money for one of the rarest Jeeps made. A 1970 on Hemmings, about the same money. I tell ya’, just seems, there’s no rhyme or reason as far as prices go today. Find of the month( year?)
It’s always amazed me how at times some mom and pop car lots end up with some really rare vehicles. Howard hit the nail on the head.
Howard, if you (or anyone here else) buys it, please contact me. I am the co-author of the 2012 book, Hurst Equipped, and Mark Fletcher and I have a lot of information on the car to share with you.
One great example was on display at the 2017 Hurst Nationals last year at Carlisle and I photo-documented the car very completely. Above is a photo of the car featured in our book. I’ll look in my archives to see if I can easily find the photos of the car I shot last year and post them on my online photo archive for you.
IMHO, from what I can see, it’s worth every penny of the asking price. As you say, it is the Holy Grail of collectible Jeeps, the intersection of the off-road world and the American automotive aftermarket.
FYI, if anyone wants a copy of Hurst Equipped, it has been out of print for more than a year. Mark and I have all the remaining copies so if you want a copy signed by me and Mark, just let me know.
Here’s a factory publicity photo of the 1971 Jeepster showing the correct Jeep wheel covers. I’d have to go back and look through our notes to check if there was any factory-authorized wheel option offered.
Thanks Richard, good heavens, I’m just a “sit at the kitchen table” collector now. It’s great to hear about your passion for these unique vehicles.
Agree with Howard. This little oddball Jeep is among the rarest – if not THE rarest. Such a funny amalgamation of the little low powered “gentleman’s Jeep” and a legendary performance aftermarket company 35 years later makes this the one to own. At the time, most looked at them like Grandpa’s attempt at being a cool kid
Sorry, but if I saw this Jeep behind me in my rearview mirror, I would think that it was somebody from the Post Office. I could think of a lot of better vehicles to spend $28,000 on.
Mail jeep was my first impression also. Someone will buy this and appreciate it for it’s rarity. It’s just not my cup o’ tea.
I’m a bit confused. Chrysler didn’t acquire Jeep until the mid-80s, so why does the tach have a pentastar on it?
Maybe because it was easy to source a MOPAR hood tach?
The same thing jumped out at me. Something fishy there…
As redsrestro stated, it probably was easier to find a Chrysler unit than the unmarked original style DIXCO tach that came on these, which are pretty rare to say the least. Dixco made hood tachs for a variety of of cars makers, Mopar included, as well as aftermarket units.
Beautiful classic and Rare Jeep!
“Yikes a mighty!” as they say. This Jeep is certainly a unique and interesting vehicle. Finds like this are what makes this site so great. You never know what’s going to turn up here and there are always people who appreciate them.
Back in the mid seventies in Eugene OR I bought a Jeepster Commando for little $$, painted all camo with rattle cans. It had this funny tach on the hood and a Hurst shifter. Yes, it was a real one– repainted it white but didn’t finish it out then sold it. One of my several ‘shoulda kept it’ cars, which included a ’67 RR coupe. But I sure had fun….. or did I?
Never seen one before, and it’s cool, but the novelty would wear off fairly fast for me. I’m over it already.
LOL.
At 28 Large you’d have to stay engaged a little longer. While there aren’t many of them around, and as long as there was another guy down the line who appreciated their “rarity”, might be something to have. But as for driving fun……not happening unless the sorta HisnHer’s slushbox lights your fire.
I was in Enterprise Oregon last year and seen this Jeep on their lot.It is pretty nice.Says it’s all rebuilt.Lots of time and money into it.Im surprised it hasn’t sold.
Been for sale a whole year, maybe they should lower the price to move cars off the lot
Still having trouble understand in…..how is this a barn find?
Always been a fan of the Jeepster, for what it is…the Hurst factor doesn’t add anything to it for me. It’s quite cool, but the enhancements don’t make it a better Jeepster…in my opinion, the value isn’t there.
I had a 1970, with a factory stamped steel console. Loved that silly thing. Unforgiving northeastern rust turned it back into nature. Wish I had the cabbage, I’d buy it on the spot.
@Richard T-“If anyone wants a copy of Hurst Equipped, it has been out of print for more than a year. Mark and I have all the remaining copies so if you want a copy signed by me and Mark, just let me know.”
Richard, I would truly like to purchase a pristine signed copy by Mark and yourself if there any way to contact me “legally” on here.
Thank you.
Look me up on Facebook (I’m not hard to find) and send me a private message to connect @RoughDiamond.
For everyone else I am trying to find the photos of the Hurst Jeepster I shot last year at the 2017 Carlisle Hurst Nationals. The file folder seems to have disappeared.
Holy Grail or not. $27,750 is stupid money for this! If you have the cabbage fine. Put it in the warehouse. I prefer to drive my Willys and Jeeps as they are intended to used. I put 190 miles on my Z3 today with the top down. I had a CJ7 for a long time and she was a fun rig. Drive them, I say.
Nice Jeep, the Buick V/6 is ok, I had a 1972 with the AMC 232 straight 6, a much better engine with a Turbo 400.
The Penta Star is a minor distraction, but the price is about 10 grand more than it’s worth. I would pass unless I was a collector with more money than brains.
@Richard-Thank you and will do.
@Richard-If I have the right Richard on FB pictured with a beautiful green XKE Jaguar and man’s best friend, I have sent you two PMs through FB. Thank you.
@RoughDiamond, you have the right Richard. I can’t find any FB messages from you, either on my laptop or on my phone. I’ve checked my notifications as well.
Just email me at richtruesdell at the Google thing.