Keeping Up With Commandowrangler

Picked up this little gem today. Rusted beyond repair body but as bad as it looks lots of good parts. 67 Jeepster deluxe vert with the continental kit. New set of points and had her running for about 30 seconds until I noticed the line leaking to the added on tranny cooler. Sitting for years in a sea container then out behind the barn for I don't know how many. Surprisingly the frame, as far as what I've looked at is still solid.



Hoping to track down this one in the next couple of days. Just heard it's for sale and it's a deal even my wife won't let me pass up, if we can find it. Originally out of Arizona if I remember correctly. The owner died about ten years ago and his wife I think is getting tired of looking at it and his son has no interest. I think it's an early 69 Austre vert or a 68.

 

Convertibles. I though they were all worth saving, regardless of condition. It's rusty, but it looks like it's all there. And a TH400, apparently. Didn't all the convertibles get the continetal kit?

Austre or austere?

 

Thanks for putting a big smile on my face this morning Pack Rat! My friends think I'm nuts, but I'm with you on finding those forsaken Commandos and see what can be done to save them or if beyond saving, part them out. Parts are just too rare to let them deteriorate further and further for no good reason. My weld worked on the 67 fuel tank hole, too bad at leak check time, it has 2 more leaking spots. Unsure what route to go yet.....

 

The more I got looking at this thing and checking it over the more I realized it was beyond saving. Gotta be a gallon of bondo and a couple of pounds of tar in places that I couldn't see before tearing into it. Front crossframe has some major rot and possibly up into the frame rail on the passenger side so that helped my decision to part it. What's left of the tub from the cowl back will be staying around until I decide what I'm doing with it. Really no use for the engine or tranny but knowing the history of the adapter between the trans and the TC if it's not already broken I'll be keeping it around. Everything that can be saved will be saved. I've got a reputation to uphold after all R).
Austere, always forget that extra E . I want to say all the 8701 have the continental bumper but I'm thinking I've seen one or two that didn't. One thing I've learned over the years with these things is there's always exceptions to the rules.

 

What a shame. This poor thing left to rot is dis-heartening.

 

Apparently the PO was going to restore it but he passed away and it just sat. He had some new body panels but unfortunately they were from a 40's Jeepster and they have a lot of surface rust so not really worth trying to sell.