Think this was a 63 or 64 CJ. My Dad was looking for a project in the early 70's. At the time he was working at a Datsun dealership. On the back lot was his first choice a Datsun Roadster think a 1600 or 2000 and this two drive jeep. Well the Datsun was rotted and the Jeep was not. So for little money the Jeep made its way home. The parts pile that went into the thing wasn't crazy. A mild 350 Chevy, M21 Four Speed and a 12 bolt rear. But it only weighed 2000lbs. He street raced and daily drove it for years. A couple trips to track showed gave him some high 11 sec time slips. He said stopping on the top end was tricky. Short wheel base and tall stance meant you had to downshift and slowly get on the brakes. My memories of this one are burned in. The day he put the tunnel ram and two fours on it was one I would never forget. 6000 Rpm lunch wheels up, second gear yank and there when the un pinned down hood. Sadly he sold it in 1986 and the guy quickly blew the motor up. It sat for years and in 1998 It made its why back home. We pulled the motor trans and rear and there it sat until yesterday. With Dads leg not strong enough for a stick shift and me to tall to drive it we finally decide to scrap what was left. Sad to see it go.
I would have kept it, when the leg goes there is no shame in a well built automatic. Different thing to see on this board. Someone no doubt will find fault in it but hell, let 'em eat worms if they can't take a joke.
It was getting pretty bad. It was his decision and not to go to automatic. He said it would have been the same kind of fun. My old man has never been into the normal hot rod stuff. The odd balls and sleepers have and will also be his thing. Make something out of nothing with little money.
This my Jeep from 1974, Boss 302 Ford, 4 speed. Ran 7.30,97mph in the 1/8, 11.41 at 117 in the quarter. 82" wheelbase. Love those Jeeps!
I like the jeep gassers. My nieghbor is building an 84 Scrambler CJ8 with a blown 401, It should be fun when he gets done.
Built a tuff one for one of my buds, 391 stroker small block chevy, three speed manual trans, fiberglass tub, reinforced frame etc etc. He had no problem walking away from the 5.0 stangs and the vette clubs. Pissed off many a middle aged man!!
In the late 60's I had a neighbor who gave me an old M3 2wd Jeep that was sitting in his yard. I dropped a fairly stock 283 in it, with a 3 spd stick, and we ran the heck out of it. Never did look to see what rearend was under it. Always figured if we blew it out we'd figure out then, but it held. I know it was really low gears because I was winding over 3,200 rpm at 55 mph. I finally sold it to a friend who sold it oon after, and we lost track of it.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention my Jeep was also a "sand racer". It started life as a US Mail delivery, it was two wheel drive, I moved the driver to the left side and used a fiberglass body. It weighed 2150lbs.
I was just thinking this is a cool old thread that I would bring back to life and see if anyone else has any pics of their gasser Jeeps. I picked up a 1955 M38a1 Kaiser Jeep and was thinking of making a gasser out of it. I have a nicely built 302 with a dual tunnel ram a T5 trans and probably use a 8.8 out of a Mercury mountaineer which has 3.73 gears disc brakes and posi. (Not a bad combo for getting a salvage yard rear axle for $100) Like I was saying just wanted to see if there happens to be any more old school pics out there to check out and grab some Ideas from thanks
This is my buddy bobs jeep in lamoore before he painted it i hope you dont mind its at the sand drags
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