(Ed. Note: I didn’t realize my friend Crip and his wife owned this awesome J-3000 Gladiator until I was taking pictures of it in town last week and he walked out of the place it was parked in front of and asked me why I was taking pictures of HIS Jeep. After getting over the surprise, I asked him to write about it so I wouldn’t have to, thankfully he loves writing…please welcome him!)
Jeep’s website lists the new 2020 Gladiator as starting at $33,453, but you’d have just as much luck buying a French castle for that price. My neighborhood Jeep dealer lists the cheapest Gladiator Sport at over $10k more than that, with the Rubicon versions at $62k+. These markups are the rule currently, particularly in a market like Colorado. And on average a new Gladiator owner is spending over a grand on accessories, according to Motor1.
My Gladiator had an original MSRP of $2369 and currently has two accessories: a gun rack and an old GPS I use as a speedometer (since I don’t have that particular accessory either).
Specifically, my truck is a 1965 J-3000, advertised as a ‘Jeep’ Gladiator Townside, with an AMC Vigilante V8. The “Thriftside” (step-side) truck is the one you saw in the movie Tremors starring Kevin Bacon. The Gladiators were initially designated as the J-200 and J-300, which somehow translated to 120” and 126” wheelbases, respectively.
I’m not sure why they added the extra zeros around ‘65, and for the longest time I was convinced our truck was built right in the middle of the changeover since the driver side says “J-3000” and the passenger side “J-300”. Alas, right before I wrote Jeep/FCA thinking I possessed some kind of missing link I found the broken zero under the seat. For our purposes today we’ll discuss my, and these, original first generation J trucks known as the Gladiator, which were produced from 1962 – 1971. They have the name in common with the new Jeep pickups, if nothing else.
The early ‘Jeep’ Gladiator ads tried to hammer home the fact that it *could* be had in 4-wheel-drive, would haul or climb just about anything you wanted, and yet handle like a passenger car on the highway. It’s easy to forget that many 60’s passenger cars handled like pickup trucks, so perhaps this wasn’t an outright lie. As evidence, Jeep offered independent front suspension as an option, which nobody bought because it was pricey, problematic and decidedly un-truck-like. You could get an automatic transmission or even A/C if you were the kind of fancy person that liked independent front suspension.
The day she arrived…
The “torquey” straight six Tornado engine was the only option at first, and continued to be offered if you were concerned about fuel economy…in the 60s. There was a slight upgrade to this motor in 1965 but the bigger news was the introduction of the aforementioned 5.4L, 327 cu AMC Vigilante V8 as an option that same year. All two-wheel drive versions were killed off in 1967, and in 1970 they changed the grille to what most people consider the Wagoneer style. After ‘71 Gladiator was dropped from the name and marketing. To be fair, it says Gladiator in exactly one spot on our truck (inside the driver door jamb).
Like all these J-trucks from this early era, ours is a very simple rig. The wiper fluid was housed in a plastic pouch that looked suspiciously like a colostomy bag. Not surprisingly, our bag has long since pooped out, if you’ll excuse the pun. A Gatorade bottle served duty as a reservoir for a time until we got sophisticated and put an actual new washer pump/reservoir in the ample under-hood space which, as sophisticated electronics go, worked for about a week. I’ll likely be going back to my more reliable squirt bottle-and-hose set up this winter.
I won’t go into too much history of our particular truck. Suffice it to say the previous owner found it dormant, bought it and had noble intentions of resurrecting it to its former glory. As is sadly the case 99% of the time, the truck didn’t move for well over a decade.
Once we procured it our main priority was to get it running reliably and then perhaps refurbish the Presidential Red paint. Side note: our registration actually lists the truck as ORANGE since there’s apparently no drop-down menu option for “heavy patina”.
After the truck was exterminated and assessed for major repairs, the only items found to be truly amiss (outside of the usual stuff) were the wheels. We opted for the most like/kind replacements we could find and had them coated in a subtle off-off-white so they wouldn’t totally stand out like James Bond wearing New Balance dad shoes (or the exact opposite of that, if we’re being precise).
The engine was overhauled and painted and – far most importantly – a new sticker advertising the Vigilante V8 was placed on the valve cover right where the old one used to be. We added power steering so my wife could actually make turns.
The brakes, while still the original drums, were machined and now kinda sorta stop the 4400 pound old man. The front leaf springs were replaced but everything else, including the interior, is largely original. The four speed is still notchy and rock solid, and although the 4WD functions, its floppy shifter doesn’t inspire confidence.
Seriously, the first time I used it I was convinced it simply didn’t work because the mechanical engagement was so subtle as to be virtually non-existent. Speaking of, the one time I found the 4×4 beneficial included the only time first gear was used in earnest to pull a stump out of a neighbor’s yard. Believe me, you’ll want to avoid first and start in second pretty much all the time, and you’ll like it fine.
Most of the J-series trucks from this era have a tail pipe nowhere near the tail. Rather, they exhaust just underneath the cab. And because the cab is full of gaps, both from age and design, plenty of fumes are riding right alongside you. Any trip in the Gladiator usually means a change of clothes or perhaps even a shower afterward. These are from an era when trucks weren’t at the top of the food chain price-wise and were thereby short on hospitality on the inside regardless of what the Mad Men of Toledo would have you believe.
The roof liner in ours was riddled with mold and dead critters, so our cab is even more spartan than most Gladiators. Radio? Nope, and I doubt I’d be able to hear it over the hot roar of the thirsty Vigilante anyway. Seatbelts? They’re around here somewhere, officer. Heater? It’s basically on all the time – what do you think that is coming out of the shriveled shifter boot? Do I care? No. And I’m glad I don’t have a fancy new $62,000 mid-sized Jeep pick-up because I wouldn’t want to wear dirty jeans in the thing, let alone throw unmentionable detritus into the bed and run it to the landfill (which also happens to be the windiest place in our county).
Speaking of the dump, there was one issue with The Gladiator that vexed and perplexed us for over a year: sometimes it just wouldn’t start. If I was lucky, occasionally a couple of raps with a hammer would wake the starter up; other times a jump would be needed. Other times I would shamefully call for a ride. Not wanting to repeat getting stuck at the landfill or, worse, American Furniture Warehouse, I did what any amateur mechanic would do: I consulted forum pages that were likely created on Netscape. This led me to exactly one shop that produced a new starter that would allegedly fit our grumpy 50 year old.
One local shop simply couldn’t get this “guaranteed-to-fit” starter to engage. I took it to another that promised to make it work. The new starter obstinately refused to fit once again, even after removing a supposedly vestigial piece of frame. So the original 1965 starter took a little tour of restoration shops around the US, and apparently found rebirth at one in Michigan that happened to have parts for it. All told, it took two months and more money than I care to disclose to get it done. Anyone with a project car knows avoiding money questions is like lying about how much you drank the night before. Jokes aside, I have yet to be stranded by The Gladiator since the rebuild so it’s been worth it.
I will confess that I lied a short while ago – I would actually love a new Gladiator. However, I would use it as more of a daily driver than a dump runner. One quibble though – why did Jeep forego the rhino grill on the new version? It’s iconic and super cool, and allows other Gladiator owners to spot their kin from far, far across the landfill.
Those prototypes from a few years ago looked absolutely amazing, especially with the hip old font on the tailgate. Now of course the New Gladiators look like, and probably are, merely a cooler and more useful Wrangler. Like I said, I would drive a new one without hesitation but that would also mean fewer conversations with fans of old trucks, which is one of the pleasures of driving the beast.
Believe me, I love the truck but it has a long way to go. The bench seat lists painfully toward the driver door. The roof condensates and basically creates its own water cycle. The door panels are from a hideous Wagoneer. It leaks oil no matter how hard one cranks down on the plug. While the body is relatively straight and it doesn’t have too much rust for its age, it has some.
The vertical side mirrors, with their cool looking yellow chevrons, are almost worthless. (Side note: the only other time I’ve seen mirrors like this were via this CC post about another J-3000 that could be my truck’s twin.) The tailgate latches also seem to mysteriously change in size. Refueling is an exercise in patience as you, friend, are likely well aware. Also, refueling is something I often do because it doesn’t have a fuel gauge. The headlights are like candles. The taillights are also like candles and need to be replaced about as often as candles do. But again it matters not – I’m gonna take it for a spin with the windows down so I can release the fumes and give the thumbs up to anyone throwing J-signs my way. I know J-signs aren’t really a thing, but they should be.
Related Reading:
Paul Niedermeyer’s Curbside Classic on the virtual twin (go figure!) to this one
We get invited to (briefly) drive the brand new 2020 Gladiator
JPC finds and discusses a J-2000 Gladiator
What a fantastic truck! I for one love the combination of sunworn original paint with refinished steel rims.
Good thing nobody made any errors during the engine rebuild, because it is a vigilante after all. Don’t want to mess with that!
Thanks for sharing this fine vehicle with us.
another beautiful Colorado survivor… likely hanging out in the Foothills of Larimer County up by Horsetooth Reservoir for pics. Nice write up
Sounds like you know the area pretty well – that’s exactly where I took most of the pictures. Drove up past Masonville for a few as well. Thx!
For all the times I’ve heard (metaphorically) about a “stump-pulling first gear,” I chuckled to learn you’ve done that very chore. Also interesting to hear that, otherwise, starting out in second is the way to go.
Thanks for taking time for the writeup—enjoyable start to my day!
Jeep was far from the only manufacturer that had a ‘granny’ first gear that wasn’t used in normal driving. That was pretty much the norm in manual trans pickups.
Is that still how it is on new pickups? If not, I might go so far as to suggest it’s a great way to define how pickups have changed. Granny gear = true work truck; no granny gear = modern truck. Hell, most of them are automatics, anyway.
First gear on F-150s with the 10-speed automatic is 4.69:1 – about the same as the old granny gears.
The ZF 6-speed used on Ford Super Dutys and Chevy HDs had 1st gear at 5.79:1, so Ford just labeled it L (and 2nd as 1, 3rd as 2, 4th as 3, 5th as 4, and 6th as OD). Coupled with the 4.30 rear end, our F-350 doesn’t have any problems pulling a fully loaded gooseneck from a dead stop.
Ford in the owner’s manual actually call that transmission a close ratio 4sp with Low and Overdrive and that is how the shift knob is labeled. This one’s shift knob should also be labeled L, 1, 2, 3
Often multiple manufacturers used the same transmissions. Many Jeep J-trucks used Borg Warner T18 transmissions; I have the same transmission in my ’72 Ford pickup. 1st Gear on Ford and most Jeep T18s is 6.32:1; Reverse is an even lower yet 7.44:1!
http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/transmissions/manual/t18-t19
There’s a whole lot to like about this truck but I think my favorite bit is the gas pedal. Bottom hinge and Jeep logo. A wonderful tale – welcome to CC!
Thank you sir!
Congratulations; very fine truck.
Yes, the old four speed transmissions were in essence a three speed with a super-low first that nobody used in normal driving.
Cool truck and one I never see anymore. Last saw a two wheel drive version some years ago around my office in nice condition. After my 65 F-100 I’d take that guy’s Jeep.
Rubicons at $62K+. Truly? I saw a whole bunch on the deck but saw no stickers. That is a lot of money for a truck in my book. Although I’m sure few are really used as trucks anymore.
Jeep was seemingly alone in their use of numbers to represent wheelbase rather than weight. The J-200 had 4000, 5600, or 6600-lb. GVWR, which would’ve made it either a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck by the standards of the time (this was before the F-150 and Chevy Big 10 upset the definition of “1/2 ton”). The J-300 had 56, 66, or 7600-lb. GVWR, but both the 200 and 300 could get a DRW chassis cab with 8600-lb. GVWR., which would be a 3/4 ton HD truck even by today’s standards. The J-200(0) also had the longest short bed of any full-size pickup, at 7′.
Besides the short bed J-200(0) and long bed J-300(0), there was also the first-year-only J-100 panel delivery–a 2-door 110″ WB Wagoneer with no windows or rear seats, rear barn doors, and a front bench seat only wide enough for 1-2 people.
The 126″ J-3000 was later joined by the 132″ J-4000 in 1970–same 8′ bed, but with the axle pushed back 6″–and the 4000 replaced the 3000 entirely in 1971, when the Gladiator line became the J-Series.
Nice find. much of your lighting issue is likely poor grounds, or bad contacts in the sockets out back. You can get the contacts to rebuild your sockets from NAPA, the last time I checked, but you’ll probably have to sand the socket and then coat heavily with bulb grease.
I’d get the exhaust redone with the mufflers back under the bed where they belong and just put turn outs in front of the rear wheels, or dumps right in front of the axle if you want to keep the cost down.
In a rather unlikely showing of the CC Effect, I saw this Jeep J-series pickup today on my commute home from work. It’s been years since I’ve seen one on the road. This one’s obviously non-stock, and I have no idea of the model or approximate year — and in my startled state I only had time for one quick photo:
That’s not really a Jeep J-Series … at least I don’t think so. It appears to be an M715 ex-military vehicle. Close enough for the CC Effect though!
Ah… that’s definitely it. I looked up some M715 pictures and all the details look like the truck I saw yesterday. The tailgate had large Jeep lettering, which I didn’t think the military trucks would have, but apparently they do. Thanks for filling in the blanks for me with this one.
one hell of a cool jeep!
Jeep did away with the Rhino grille for one big reason. Jeep has no emblem that represents the brand. It’s unique in that, in place of an emblem they wear a 7 slat grille. That grille is their emblem without being an emblem. It’s just smart marketing.
Great old truck, and great post – engaging, informative and amusing.
Wonder why Vigilante for the V8. Is it going to perform summary justice on anyone who touches it?
“Is it going to perform summary justice on anyone who touches it?”
Beneath the truck is a hanging exhaust pipe. Coincidence? 🙂
First, welcome to CC’s merry band of contributors. I hope we see more from you, as your writing is a delight.
Next, I (like about everyone here) love your Jeep. You have achieved an amazing combination of nicely restored and patina dump-runner. Your choice for the wheels is great – did Jeep paint its wheels in a similar off-white? Studebaker did in the early 60s, but I don’t think any other American companies did.
It just now occurs to me that this is the perfect engine for this truck. The original AMC V8 was carried over to AMC from a Kaiser-Frazer that was getting out of the passenger car business by an engineer who had been working on a new V8 for K-F. And, of course, this isn’t just a Jeep, but a Kaiser Jeep.
There are so many thing in your article that remind me of driving my Scout: the noise, the smell, 40-year-old electrics, first gear that is all but useless for anything other than pulling stumps (mine is a T-19 Wide), a leaky engine, the patina, etc. Congratulations on your excellent choice. This is much better than a new Gladiator.
By the way, did anyone else have the Tonka version of this very truck in the exact same color? I still have mine.