1967 Jeepster Commando

Description

*I will be adding more pictures and possibly a video soon.
I am selling this Jeepster due to life priorities changing. I have included as much information possible as I believe in full transparency when selling vehicles. This Jeepster had been sitting for 15 years in central California and is now on the road after much work. The goal for this Jeepster was to upgrade the braking, charging and cooling system to modern systems, and upgrade other areas as I could within reason as to have a reliable and comfortable cruiser taking care to not lose the great vintage character that it has. It is not 100% complete, but I have driven it around town a dozen or so times, and up a mountain to test its strength/cooling capabilities. Here are the details.
1967 Jeepster Commando (built by Kaiser). Current clean title, registered in my name, insured. The odometer says 30481 and works, but I was told it has gone past its limit of 5 digits and is at 130481(not bad for a 50 year old vehicle).
225 Dauntless V6, T-86 three speed manual transmission, Dana 20 transfer case:Engine:The original radiator has been replaced with a large 3 core Aluminum radiator with an electric fan. The electric fan works on an automatic temp switch that works exactly as it should. This radiator is large enough to handle a big V8's cooling demand. The original carburetor has been rebuilt and is running well(has manual choke). The ignition has been upgraded with a petronix electronic conversion(replaces points), MSD coil, thicker spark plug wires, and new spark plugs. It has a brand new water pump that was installed at the same time the radiator was installed. It has a brand new oil filter relocation kit installed which moves the filter to behind the passenger side fenderwell (makes it easy to install oil cooler as well). The gauges have been replaced with nice VDO gauges. The old style 55amp externally regulated generator(alternator) was replaced with a new modern 12si (GM) 95 amp internally regulated unit. It has fresh oil, filter, fuel filter, air filter(Original oil bath filter housing converted to paper filter keeps OEM look with better filtration). The engine runs great and doesn't make any noise indicating any problems. It will burn a little oil upon start up when sitting for some time but goes away quickly and does not return if driven often. I drove up a 16 mile drive with steep grades and never once worried about power or the engine getting hot. It starts up very quickly.Transmission: The T-86 is a three speed and came in many older Jeeps behind the 225 V6. It does currently work correctly, but does make some gear whine(I have not gotten around to replacing the fluid, which may be why it makes the whine). The clutch is a bit stiff, which is a very common theme with most Jeepsters, but there are ways to lessen the stiffness. In this sale I will be including a T-15 transmission that I believe has a fresh rebuild on it (looks brand new inside), and the correct Advanced Adapters adapter plate. This is the strongest 3 speed transmission Jeep put in their vehicles and is a big upgrade over the t-86. These transmissions could be swapped in a driveway over a weekend. This transmission and adapter are not cheap.Transfer Case: The Dana 20 is known for being strong. It works as it should. Included in this sale is a spare Dana 20 case which could be used to install lower gearing in and replacing the original one if desired.Axles:Jeepster Commandos only came with a Dana 27 front axle which is closed knuckle and with drums or, later, small disc brakes. I replaced the front axle with a CJ5 Dana 30 which has bettering gearing(3.31->3.73), better steering radius(open knuckle), and a large disc brake conversion kit.The rear axle is currently the stock dana 44 (3.31 ratio) with the 2 piece axle shafts. while this is the best axle that came in the Jeepsters, I am including in the sale a flanged (one piece axles) Dana 44 from a newer CJ that has the same ratio as the front axle. This is a big upgrade in strength and is easier to service.
Brakes:As noted above, the front brakes have been upgrade to big disc brakes. This was a kit that uses 3/4 ton Chevy 4x4 parts. This alone was a $700 upgrade. The rear brakes are still drums(on both axles included) but the dana 44 rear axle has many options available to convert to discs. It stops MUCH better than the original drum brakes. The front soft and hard brake lines have been replaced with new parts. To further upgrade the brakes, a vacuum booster could be installed, but at this point it is not needed.
Interior:There is zero rust on floor. About 15 years ago, the floor was lined with bedliner and it has faded. It is possible to paint or refresh the bedliner. I was just going to put carpet over it. The seats in it currently are junk, but included are 2 CJ7 seats that are in good shape with bestop covers on them. The original rear seat is also included and is in usable shape. All that's needed to install the front seats is to drill new holes in the seat brackets. The steering wheel is original and has cracks, but is very usable. There is no radio. As stated earlier, there are new VDO gauges for voltage, engine temp, and oil pressure that all work correctly. The windshield has no cracks, but does have some coloration on the bottom section. This is a flat piece of glass so any glass shop should be able to cut a replacement inexpensively. All rubber moldings for this Jeep are available, but I didn't get around to installing new ones.
Exterior: There is one small area of rust on the hood about 1 inch long and there is a small dent (1 inch) as well, and that's it (aside from light surface rust). The rust on the hood is in a flat spot(in front of Jeepster badge) and could be repaired very easily if desired. The rest of the body is fairly straight with no real rust. The removable hard-top is a rare aftermarket unit made by Kelly Manufacturing. It is similar to the OEM hard-top, but looks much more military like. The rear flares are also rare pieces that were manufactured specifically for the Jeepster and haven't been in production for a long time. The tire carrier is complete and includes a vintage rim/tire set-up and jerry can. All of the glass is good with no cracks. The frame has no real rust issues besides the normal surface rust on any older vehicle. You can rub the rust off with your finger and see that it hasn't affected the metal underneath at all. The front bumper is a custom unit and is very solid. The rear bumper looks similar to the front one but still needs the mounting holes to be drilled in it. They are well built. Paint is faded and does have very minor surface rust in spots giving it a nice patina. I prefer this look to a new paint job, but it is a good candidate for a paint job if desired.
Suspension:The Jeepster has a ~4 inch lift with re-arched springs and longer shackles up front and Jeep Cherokee leaf springs in back with longer shackles. The shocks are rusted on the outside but they do still function correctly. The front sway bar is currently not installed but is included.
Other:The fuel tank is an upgraded larger unit (unsure of actual volume) and is made out of steel. It has surface rust due to not being painted, but could easily clean up and look great with a quick paint job. The rims are 15x7or8 with 31" BFG mud terrains. The tires are in surprisinglygreat shape for their age and they look great on the jeep. It has a sport bar roll-bar installed behind front seats.

Things to be finished to make it a safe driver:-Install new bearings in the bell crank for the steering(included) to tighten the steering up.-Alignment for the front axle. The toe setting is fine, but it needs a ~5 degree shim to adjust the caster to help with pinion angle and driveability. It is driveable as-is but is touchy at higher speeds(due to the caster angle). This can be done at home.-Adjust parking brake mechanism.
Things to be finished to make it a great driver:-Those listed before plus--Install the rear axle with new brake parts on it. (easy to work on since out of Jeep)-Install the new transmission and modifications to reduce pedal pressure(conversion to hydraulic clutch highly recommended).-Install new seats.
Parts included in sale (~$2000 worth):Rear Dana 44 flanged axleT-15 transmission likely with fresh rebuild and correct aluminum adapterSpare Dana 20 CaseNew bushings for transfer case vibration dampenerNew bearings for Steering bell crankNew Ruffstuff front leaf spring plates(much stronger/thicker)Spare carburetor and almost full rebuild kitother odds and ends I'm sure I'm forgetting.

I think the Jeep has a great surfer-esque patina and was not planning on repainting it. However, it is a great candidate for a new paint job as there is very little body work to be done(hood mainly). This is a very solid California Jeepster. I had not planned on selling this Jeepster, and I plan on purchasing another one at a later point in life. I have completed all the work myself, being a technician by trade.
What sets this Jeepster apart from others:No real rust issues.Brakes that don't scare you.Cooling system you don't have to think about.Much better turning radiusStronger axles front and rearStronger transmission-includedRare hard-top and fender flaresModern charging systemOriginal tire carrier
The Jeepster is located in Central California and is currently not being driven. I am open to having it shipped as long as the buyer takes full responsibility and payment is complete.
It is currently not safe for highway travel due to the looseness in the steering(which the parts are included to fix). Towing the Jeep home is recommended.
Payment:Paypal Non-refundable deposit of $500 due within 24 hours. Full payment within 3 days. Open to international sales to reputable businesses only.