We’re way overdue on a proper Jeep Gladiator CC, but in the meantime let’s take in this rather compelling find from Davo at the Cohort. Its somewhat mysterious load certainly catches the eye, but my own quickly went to the Glad’s grille, which identifies it as an early, pre-1970 model.
I’m not enough of a Gladiator fanatic to be able to pin down the year on this one, but it’s more than likely to have been built after the infamous Tornado OHC six was supplanted by the AMC 327 (in 1965) or the Buick 350 (in 1968). Makes me wonder if there are any Tornado-equipped Glads or Wagoneers still on the road. Now that would be a find. But then, just finding a Gladiator with the original-style grille is quite a catch.
I don’t know what to make of the tarp-wrapped, home-built “second floor” — perhaps it’s a work in progress…or?
Interesting find, I’ve only ever seen a handful of these, what few still exist are rarely in daily use.
Cool rig. I’m impressed that it isn’t sagging much under that load.
Jeep people: has this guy relocated the fuel tank from the cab to the bed somehow, or am I misinterpreting what looks like an abandoned fill hole behind the driver door and a non-stock appearing gas cap on the bedside?
Replacement bed at some point? I knew a guy with one of the last Gladiator pickups and I’d swear the gas tank was in the typical “modern” location under the bed floor and not in the “antique” location of behind the cab.
No Gladiator or Post-Glad J-Series pickup ever had the tank behind the seat. The brochures promoted a cab-and-chassis; but I never saw one; and I suspect the tank was right there inside the frame like the later C-30 stake trucks later had.
As to the year: It’s hard to say, except that I believe (not certain) that the late-1960s Gladiators had the same side-trim on the leading edge of the fender as the Wagoneer; the white strip with blocks that said J e e p 350 V8.
http://oldcarbrochures.org/var/resizes/NA/Jeep/1969_Jeep/1969%20Jeep.jpg?m=1305429743
This one just has the chrome strip that says Jeep, the same style as did the original Wagoneers. And no notation of it having a V8.
FWIW, the mid-sixties brought its own engine-choice changes…when the Tornado left for Argentina and was replaced by the future Jeep AMC six…the AMC 327 also made the trip over to Toledo. The first year, perhaps the only year, was apparently 1965 – with the changed grille on the Wagoneer.
OldCarBrochures doesn’t have a copy of it; but my old man did…an undated sales brochure promoting the 327. He bought his in 1969, and by then the 350 was well established.
The guy who owned the pizza shop I delivered for in college had one of these, but a little newer. It was a 4X4 (of course) with a plow on the front. Gotta keep the parking lot clear for the moron kids to deliver the pizzas. I rode in it once, and recall sort of an IH vibe – everything was metal and squeaked, creaked and rattled. But his had one of the V8 engines and scooted along pretty well. It is a shame that these got canned – I think that these could have had a resurgence in the mid to late 80s. I have always wondered if these could have served in place of the Dakota.
There are a couple still around here, mostly in semiretirement.
I’ve stopped and looked, at them on the side of the road or in lots…but invariably, they’re collapsing from rust.
FWIW…I came across a guy with a 1989 Grand Wagoneer in Escanaba, Michigan – no wood-grain trim. He’d gotten hold of a well-preserved octagonal grille; and did what he needed to rebuild the front-end into a dead-ringer for the original 1962.
Only the rear taillights gave it away. He’d gotten the original JEEP script for the front fenders, too. Keeping the memory alive.
Love these trucks almost as much as I love Ford trucks. My older brother had a ’66 327 when I was really young (he’s 11 yrs older)
Rarely seen here I had a Tonka version as a kid have seen the real thing buy not recently
I had the tonka version of the wagon, with the later plastic grille.
However, at my grandparents house there was a tonka version with the metal early grille, and I thought that was much cooler.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pre-1970 Gladiator in the wild. Nice find..
I had a Tonka version too, which I think had the earlier grille. Now that I think about it, I may have had two, perhaps one with each style grille. I definitely remember a red Wagoneer which had a light on the roof and was supposed to be some kind of fire department vehicle. I may have had a green one as well.
http://www.geocities.ws/mrjtoyz/minitonkajeep.html
The old-style grille (which I prefer) is being offered in black or silver from several sources. A 1970s Gladiator could still let yu fulfill Daktari fantasies.
My uncle had one of these in the same color as the featured vehicle. I think Jeep called it “Forgetable Green”.
That package is your Christmas present, Paul, but we promised not to tell. Either that, or a really big mattress that got bedbugs in it-they will have to keep it like that for a year, though.
Cool truck, agree about the grill-a real Jeep. Would the AMC 6 fit under the hood? That would be the right vibe. I had a girlfriend who had a “Cheap Cherokee” with the six, that thing could pull a tank!
Thanks, as long as the truck comes with it!
“Would the AMC 6 fit under the hood?”
It was used for many years, from 1966 to the J-series trucks final year, 1987. Or rather, it was used for some years within that window; I don’t know if the six continued as an option towards the end.
A fuel-injected 4.0 liter six would be almost a drop-in; toughest thing would be patching in a newer wiring harness and all the electronic boxes.
My choice by far would one equipped with the light & torquey Buick 350.