'69 Commando came home today

I finally bought a jeep in one piece.

my wife is really mad

I have given up on building my 3B.

All the parts I have bought and axles I built will go on the Commando now and thats OK.
I can drive this now as opposed to waiting for a couple more years and way to much $$$

The good so far is 225 v6 and 30 spline 44 rear.

The bad is 2nd gear sycro is out.

Now I will have defroster and heat with a top for winter wheeling rain snow and cold are a realty hear half the year and the 3b was not going to be much fun as well as short wheel base in snow.

More pics to come

View attachment 17889

 

Sweet! Are ya gonna put a CJ5 hood on it? I love that look!

 

I was thinking maybe going to bigger turn signals but keeping the grill.
it has grown on me kinda looks like a rover a bit.

I really like the high hood on my 3b too.

I guess I like oddball jeeps for some reason.

Funny thing about the jeepster is it was titled to Don Simplot.

So I am thinking of naming it Tater Tot.

 

Looks good...

Congrats!

 

Sounds cool.

 

Sweet! Where did you find it?

 

It was on a small car lot in Coure d 'alane ID.
I think they just didnt know what they had.

I picked it apart a bit and offered half,
and they said we wanted it gone.

If they had cleaned it up a bit it would have sold sooner.

Guess I am glad they didnt.

All ready painted the hood and grill white.
having to take it easy on working on it for now,
the wife is still smoking about it.

Supposed to be working on the house.

Its going in the garage and the 3 speed is coming out looks like I am going to put in a sm425 and hydrolic clutch.

I have a narrow track 30 for the front I just built but might gut it out and put in a wide track 30 I have instead and maybe spacers in back.

I have 4.1 in the 30 and a set for the 44, I was just getting ready to build for my 3b.

After disscusions with wife looks like the 3 B will get parted out now.

I agree I just dont want too but for here the Commando makes more scence.

 

This is the same Don Simplot of Micron? Son of the potato king? At least one person here gets the tater tot joke ... cute!

Somebody will probably pick up the 3B body and frame from you as a package if you want to use the axles for the Commando.

I like Jeepster Commandos - and I like the Commando hood, but the CJ fenders and hood would likely give better visibility.

 

Yep the one and the same right on the title..

Can you use 5 fenders and keep the Commando hood and grill?

I opened up the rear diff today and it has the 30 splines for sure
just an open diff. 3.73's very clean inside.

So I just bought a locks right for my 3b ten splines geased it up and put in the carrier. So that comeing back out to sell and the R and P will go in the Commando diff and will need a locker.. not sure what. At least its 30 spline to start with.

It also had a very nice smitty built roll bar laying in back its a chrome job but its very heavy gauge and has a chrome light bar built in to it.
i can see they had it in there before but its not a good fit.

Looks to be worth at least a 100.00 or more so that will be a good sell.

The motor has oil all over it, the highest spot seems to be a valley near the dist. any ideas?

It runs real smooth and has lots of power no smoke just oil leaks.

I have a complete 231 oodfire so the carb and hei will be coming off for Tater tot

 

You can use DJ5 fenders with minor modifications and keep the Commando grill and hood.

 

Those fenders look ok to me ... I don't think you'd gain anything by changing them to CJ/DJ fenders if you didn't change the hood and grille too.

Oil that pools on the intake or anywhere on the top of the engine would make me suspect valve cover gaskets. I don't think that VCGs are such a big problem on the V6 (small VC), but others might know better - the inline 6s (258!) are much worse generally. I'd look to see that the drain-back holes in the heads are clear; if oil pools in the VC, it'll tend to leak out.

If you;re going to try the trails soon, Jeepsters bash the rocker panels in badly on rocky trails. Some cut the rockers out entirely and replace them with square tube steel stock.

The only reason I recognized the Simplot name is because I was a shareholder in Rambus a few years ago. RMBS shareholders hated the Simplots.

JMO - if it's a running and driving, I'd give it a break-in period of a few months to sort it out before any big changes. I'd take the top off, clean it up, and enjoy it for the summer, then start changing stuff when cold weather comes.

 

JMO - if it's a running and driving, I'd give it a break-in period of a few months to sort it out before any big changes. I'd take the top off, clean it up, and enjoy it for the summer, then start changing stuff when cold weather comes.[/QUOTE]

I agree.
My only real problem is the syncro in second is gone..
And from what I can tell the clutch linkage is pretty hack
the clutch is chattering. I adjusted the linkage but it still is doing it.
I want to switch to 4 speed anyway sooo.

They took out the cable and made a rod linkage and its just not very well done. Want to switch it out for Hydrolic set up.

 

The fenders taper in on top just like a Cj and yes the ears could come off they just tack welded those on.