Did Tuxedo Park Jeeps ever have the Dauntless V6?

I'm thinking about putting a Dauntless 225 V6 into my Tuxedo Park CJ6. Was this ever an option for the Tuxedo Park Jeeps? If so did the Jeep keep the "3 on the tree" when it had the V6? What transmission did the V6 mate to? I'm thinking its a straight forward exchange, am I right or wrong? This is a common exchange right? Is there any hidden pitfalls? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

A short answer to your question, Yes. A V6 was an option for the Tuxedo Park. I have seen a few original CJ5a models with the V6, and I have Kaiser Jeep literature featuring "the flying Tuxedo Park with the hot new V6 engine".
The CJ6a was featured in this same literature. I'm guessing an original CJ6a Tux with a V6 is likely very rare.

All the V6 models of the Tux I have seen came with a floor-mounted cane shift as used in the regular CJs.
I guess the trans used behind the V6 was the T86? There could be bellhousing clearance issues with trying to keep the original column-shift T90, but I am not an expert here.
-Donny

 

not sure on the tux, but my v6 was followed by the t14 in '69.

 

IIRC the first year for the V6 was 1966. So the Tux would have to be '66 or later. A '66 V6 option would definitely come with the T-86, and at some point a few years later Jeep switched to the T-14. The F134 got the T-90 up to the end.

If you want to swap in the 225, it should be a bolt-in process if you have a CJ donor. However, there's a lot of stuff that's different between the F134 and 225 Jeeps, including the transmission and frame brackets (motor mounts), so you'd be way ahead to post in the main forum and ask about swapping the V6 from a Jeep donor. The only issue I could see is if you have a column shift now - I don't know about the availability of the T-86 or T-14 in a side-shift variant.

Are you worried about originality? You'll never change the VIN to say your Jeep came with a V6, and if your Jeep is earlier than '66, it will be obvious that it's been converted. If I wanted to repower a Tux Jeep, I'd just swap like it were an ordinary F134 CJ. You've got the 225, the 231, and even the 4.3L Chevy as potential swap material. You're never going to hide the swap from an enthusiast, and everybody else won't care. The Tux CJ-6 is rare, and you'll have to consider whether you care more about preserving its collecter value (such as it is) or more about making it what you want it to be.

Also - http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/early_cj_gm_engine_conversion.htm - lots of info available about engine swaps. Check old posts here, build threads, and generally search with google. V6 conversion has been done to many thousands of Jeeps, and there's lots of documentation out there.

 

Just as further verification, if you need it, my '66 CJ-6A was equipped with a 225 from the factory, backed by a floor shift t-86.

 

Any chance you know your original color that your CJ6a was new? Trim tags numbers on the firewall?
Thanks- Donny

 

Thanks for your input. I totally agree about keeping it original, however the original tub can not be saved. I plan to buy a new replacement tub, so there's no way to keep it totally original. If I ever sell it I don't plan to hide the changes. I have all the Tuxedo Park pieces that I plan to put back on the new tub. I really would like to keep the three on the tree therefore I would like to use my T-90 side shift transmission. Does anyone know if Novak's T-90 adapt kit work with side shifters?

 

66cj6tuxpark,
Thanks for the info, I thought all Tuxedo Parks were three on the tree. That may make my conversion a bit easier.

 

Might be an issue if it's a side-shift T-90C. http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/t90.htm You could call Herm or Novak to discuss it. http://hermtheoverdriveguy.com/ Herm could probably put a package together for you, if needed. You'll likely need to modify the linkage some, and I'd think about whether the shift arms on the column will interfere with the new motor.