In the 1960s, competition in the utility vehicle niche was heated to the boiling point. Kaiser Jeep had skated along with a reformation of the Willys Overland Jeepster in its CJ line, but with creature comforts taking center stage as the International Scout and improved Toyota Land Cruiser came to market, a better vehicle was needed. The Jeep Wagoneer fit the bill – for a while. Then came the Ford Bronco and the game changed again. Jeep responded with the Commando. A “retro” offering, harkening back to the original Jeepster, the Commando had a 101″ wheelbase and came in several body styles. Four-wheel drive was standard – a necessity given the market’s new yardstick. While the Commando had some appeal, sales undershot expectations. In 1971, Jeep turned to special variants to generate excitement, bringing out a pseudo-performance Hurst package and a “Sport” version, called the SC-1. The SC-1 was largely a trim kit on the wagon body style: Butterscotch Gold paint with striping, a white hard top, a roof rack, and an AM radio. Production estimates vary but generally hover at 300. Here on eBay is a 1971 Jeep Commando SC-1 with a V8, bid to $10,250. This Jeep can be driven home from West Babylon, New York.
The SC-1 was equipped with the Dauntless Buick-derived 225 ci V6. Despite a respectable 160 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque, the SC-1 still lagged behind the Bronco – by now offering a 302 ci V8 – and the Chevy Blazer with its four engine options including the venerable 350. This SC-1 has a V8 swap, which sounds plenty healthy in this video. The seller claims the odometer’s 64,000 miles are original. Power steering, power brakes, the factory automatic, and a new battery round out the mechanical profile.
The interior is in decent condition and includes a rear bench seat. The radio is missing, but that’s no great loss. Aftermarket gauges are installed to the right of the steering wheel at the bottom of the instrument panel. The white hard top is removable with some effort.
The body won’t be mistaken for show quality, but the paint is decent, and the seller claims rust is not “popping through”. The doors could use adjustment, as the lower edges sit proud of the body. The 1971 Commando was the last of the 101″ wheelbase line; for 1972 the wheelbase was lengthened to 104″ to fit the AMC engine and the front end was redesigned. The market spoke: sales plunged and the Commando was taken out of production shortly thereafter. The vintage charisma of the earlier Jeepster is making it a collector favorite, but these vehicles are still profoundly more reasonably priced than Broncos. Modifications are popular and can send prices upwards, but if you yearn for a factory original you’ll pay in the $25k area. What do you think about this one, with its engine swap?
That’s a cool truck.I always liked utilitarian vehicles.I even like the orange with the hood lettering it works for me .Be a fun summer cruiser with the top off.Glwts.
Know a guy had Buick V8 in one very good swap,and anybody know where Howard A has been??
Hi Rw, thanks for the shout,,computer problems and general decay in interest here, but, in the words of Johnny Winter,,,”still alive and well, every now and then I know it’s kinda hard to tell, but still alive and well”..besides, I’ve been complaining long enough here, most know my views on this foolishness anyway.
Nicest one I’ve seen. I remember as a teen in the 80’s, most of these were already heavily used and abused. I didnt know one could look this good.
I one I mentioned was one of those it’s on the trails today.
Looks nice enough in the photos/video but I’d really want to see this one in person. So hard to judge paint and bodywork in photos. Could be a nice or simply a 10 footer.
What is the engine?
I kinda matters. An AMC V8 is a boat anchor. An SBC…I don’t know what it weighs, but if the builder was determined to have a V8, it was a far better choice.
The problem here is weight distribution. The C-101 Jeepster, which is what this one is, was based on the pre-1972 CJ-6 chassis. Front sheetmetal is, not only interchangeable, but a CJ hood can be just dropped on. The wider grille is just two bolt-on wings to the ubiquitous CJ stamped grille.
One reason the Buick V6 was chosen as the power, is that it was unusually compact – and yet, potent. Weight balance, vis-a-vis the Willys four, wasn’t seriously compromised.
When AMC stuffed the Rambler six (or 304 boat-anchor) in, they had to stretch the frame two inches, all in the engine bay, to make it fit. Even then, there was a serious F/R weight imbalance. CJ-5s of that era were prone to tumbling nose-over. Less likely with the CJ-6 or C-101, but, as with the Gremlin (another AMC engineering gem) things were seriously skewed.
The shorter wheelbase meant more of the engine was forward of the centerline of the rear axle, than even with the C-103 Commando (1972-73). Handling problems, on and off road, are to be expected.
As an aside…decades later, as Jeep, by then owned by Renault, engineered the Wrangler from the bones of the CJ-7…the new Jeep Four was put in, jammed against the firewall. Yet the inches added to the frame under the hood, were not removed. The short 4 was WAY back – entirely behind the centerline of the front axle.
And road handling was improved immeasurably. This was such an obvious improvement, so simple to understand…one would have to wonder why AMC took 15 years to accept it. Even Kaiser, with its tiny engineering staff, knew better…that was why the V6, back in the day.
The ad doesn’t say, nor does the video. Slightly annoying. At least there IS an engine bay photo – plenty of listings don’t include one.
It’s obviously a Buick V8 would have to check numbers for posii ID.
Why is it obviously the Buick V8?
That was never used in the CJ/C101 vehicles. The choices were the Willys F-head four or the Buick V6.
From 1971, the J-series (later renamed SJ) used AMC engines, six or 360 V8s. No more Buick power. The C101 was later getting an upgrade – partially because the chassis had to be modified, and because the Jeepster was to get rebranded with a new front clip. It became the Jeep Commando, with a more-or-less conventional nose, in 1972.
At that point, the engine choice was, six or 304 V8.
As a footnote, it should be pointed out: The “Buick” V6 was not made by Buick at that point. Buick sold the tooling to Kaiser in, IIRC, 1967. So technically it was an AMC engine, although the AMC people wanted nothing to do with it.
Once the CJ-type vehicles were modified for American Motors’ engines, the V6 line, in Toledo, was mothballed. It sat unused until GM offered to buy it back in 1974.
I’m not sure saying Renault owned Jeep is really correct. AMC’s deal with Renault was to sell new shares of AMC stock to Renault so that Renault owned 49% of AMC and AMC still qualified as an American company. Maybe Renault went over 50% for a short period near the end when Renault shares voted to sell AMC-Jeep company to Chrysler. AMC-Jeep was never a division of Renault. My AMC stock was never Renault, it became Chrysler stock and then became Mercedes stock when Chrysler was bought by Mercedes (Daimler Benz). When Mercedes gave up on Chrylser-Jeep it sold the company to a hedge fund but there was no exchange of stock so I still have my Mercedes stock that was originally bought as AMC stock so i am still today getting divdends on by “AMC” stock purchase. I never owned a V-8 vehicle but near everything I hear about AMC’s late 1960’s all new small block (290, 343, 390, 304, 360, 401) has been good. They powered Javelins to I believe 3 consecutive Trans-AM victories around 1971-1973 over Camaro’s/ Trans-AMs, Mustangs and Barracudas and the 360/ 401’s had a good reputation in Jeep Cherokees.
The engine pics are a Buick 8 cyl , very common swap back in the day,no one said it was offered from factory,chill out..
Definitely a Buick 350. Valve covers and front mounted HEI give it away. Would not have been a hard swap since the same years that CJs had the Buick 225, the Wagoneers had the Buick 350 (1965-1971). Because of their longer wheelbases, both the Commandos and Wagoneers could be had with the TH400. Interestingly, the 225 V6 shared a bellhousing bolt pattern as the aluminum Buick 215 V8 and the 350 V8 had a BOP bellhousing pattern. Kaiser Willys used a TH400 with a Buick Nailhead pattern and adapted either the Buick V6 or V8 pattern to make each respective engine to work with the TH400. They even utilized an adapter to use the early Rambler-patterned 232 I-6 and 327 V8 to the nailhead-patterned TH400 until AMC casted all of their engines to use the same bellhousing pattern as the AMC 304 V8 in 1972.
I had a 79 CJ 5 “golden eagle” with the 304. Seemed like a decent enough engine. Pretty reliable while I had it. It was peppy enough for a CJ 5…you don’t really want to go that fast anyway.
I have always wanted one of those later Jeepster Commandos with a 304 and three speed. I NEVER see those ugly rascals up for sale, though.