Jeep rods or altereds

I started a new project today. A Jeep based altered. A friend gave me a '62 grill (approx) and I laid the frame design out on the floor in wood. Always do a wooden one first . Is cheaper to correct mistakes and rethinks than in steel. Sectioned the grill down to three holes. It still looks like a Jeep which was a worry before i did it.
Grill matches the approx shape of the 5.7 hemi that will power the car. I have it sitting here too. I know the 5.7 isnt vintage but perhaps by the time i finish this project it will be. Now that the dragster is done and runnning I needed another deal so this is it.
Any pics or links to other Jeep based rods or altereds would be appreciated.
Don

 

I've been wanting to build a gasser style CJ2A FOREVER. Eventhough i'm 99.9% sure nobody hotrodded early Willys Jeeps "back in the day", i'd love to make one with all 50's or early 60's correct parts. Like if a farmer's kid got a wild hair back in the day or something.

Your project sounds cool. I'd like to see some pics of your grill sometime.



This one could be made to look more vintage...



This would be killer if converted for street/strip use with a more vintage appearance:



You might want to look into sand or mud drag jeeps for inspiration. Street/strip Jeep CJ's are a little more rare. Especially something that looks vintage...

 

Google Ed Lenarth's Holy Toledo...

 

I think my grill is a postal jeep grill. As soon as I get it tacked together I'll make a photo.
It will be a narrow car when i am done but should look "right from the side. Thanks for the pics and Links so far
Don
PS Chris, Cool unit!

 

heres 2..I remember watchin the destroyer race guys like the flyin dutchman f/c,and the color me gone f/c..maybe 66/67

 

I was just a wee lad back in 1967-68 ... but I have fond memories of watching the DESTROYER Jeep Funny Car run @ Fremont Raceway:

​

... I even spelled out the word D-E-S-T-R-O-Y-E-R on the side of my bicycle's banana seat (in those "wacky monster letter" stickers that came with a stick of gum):

​

Here's a little history of the DESTROYER by Danny White (from DragList.com):

In 1966, Gene Ciambella was known as a superb racing transmission builder and a top racer in the blown supercharged gasser wars in Southern California. He then did an about face and went funny car racing. He was so serious about this that he even changed his last name in trying to lure potential sponsors. He chose the Jeep to be unique and to stand out from the crowd. Ciambella chose the last name Conway from Tim Conway who was in the television show McHale's Navy to try to lure non automotive sponsorship. The car looked more like a Jeep than the {other Jeep Funny Cars of the day}. The all-silver Destroyer had a stock back end and a stretched front end with an open engine for all the god fearing world to see.

The Destroyer {...} was home built with a roll bar that would be hard pressed to pass tech for a Super Pro car today. Conway drove the car out in the open wind in a ram rod straight driving position, and drive he did. The car was a major player in 1967 when it ran consistently. The car would wheelstand sometimes and act up due to bad aerodynamics. It also had the usual automatic transmission problems of the day. The car was the most successful Jeep funny car of all time. The Destroyer won many match races and open races over the best that Southern California had to offer. But the Jeep was just a flash in the pan. Conway soon had a new Firebird in 1968. He got rid of the Jeep but the new last name stayed. Conway would later go to fight the Corvette Curse in the early seventies while gathering more wins.

The Destroyer was sold to SoCal racer Ken Coleman in 1968. Coleman ran the car under his own name in local funny car match races, mostly at Irwindale and Orange County. He got the car to run 8.20's before money constraints got the best of him. Ken Coleman went bracket racing for much of the next decade, winning consistently in local Super Pro/Bracket 1 action. He won way more money with the Jeep than he paid for it!​

 

from the early 80s.... not streetable with a chain drive

4 cylinder PoNtIaC power... ~200 cubic inches

RA IV head, aluminum rods

it had a tunnel ram and 2 500 holley 2bbls at this time... later ran an sectioned eldebrock torker with an 800 holley....

Fairbanks Clutch turbo 400

body was a 'combination' of "ford" jeep, m38, cj2a, and the rear of a M38A1

frame was a "ford" jeep... still had the script F on the upper shock mounts


We had a fellow round here in the mid 70's with a street jeep.. N50's all around and ran it at strip at times...

 

I've been kicking around that idea for awhile.

 

32HEMI thanks for the 411,I still have a black &white poster of the destroyer its 3ft x 4ft and its doing a killer wheelie,got it as a kid at tucson dragway.....last time I saw it run was at the last dragrace at irwindale maybe early 80s 82-83,make a fun street ride huh......so where is it now???

 

try this.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159853

 

first off I love Jeeps but i saw this on at viva a couple of years ago. I know alot of work went int this but Damn, Home Depot gutter parts on an in take is just wrong
but i love the bungee cords holding the door shut and the full size IFS

 

My head hurts.... and I can taste vomit....

 

This jeep raced in the seventies in Sweden. Built by two brothers, it was based on (if my memory serves me right) on a cut-down 58 Buick frame with a Jeep body on it. Rumours are that it was later converted to street use.

 

Thanks again. I am getting wound now.
Sweden? Have a mopar friend there. 66 satellite 383.
Project really interests me. I hope it looks good too but hard to know till you have it mocked up at least. Will have some pics tomorrow i hope
Don

 

That white one looks ugly.

 

yeah RD the only taste somepeople has is in their mouth

 

Does a 50 Jeepster count??? It has an F head in it and makes a whopping 72hp!
also have a 44 Ford built Jeep that ultilized Willys parts as well. I always that thought that it would make a great Veep!

 

too kool nice way to cruise the blvd a slammed jeepster ans a 2 wheel drive ww2 jeep with a droppped axle

 

Here is the beginning. Modified grill sits on dummy rails.

 

I have seen these guys race in the desert and it is out of control fun

 

Now we.re talkin!
Don

 

Fuck, what a POS! This Rat Rod is the polar opposite of what this site is all about. It belongs on old stool rods. Some one burn the fucking thing please.
Doc.

 

I'm with you, Doc.

 

Anyone else notice the creepy peder-ass in the background glaring into the camera, leaning on that thing? Maybe the owner?

As my dad would say, "that thing is ugly enough to be a modern art masterpiece".

 

1973 Jeep Wagoneer built 401 AMC, automatic trans, newer Jeep grille and head lights. As seen in Hot rod magazine a couple years ago.
Owner is Todd Blake

 

Rod Sendall had one in Brisbane back in the 70's. Used to race at the Surfer's Paradise track. It was awsome and built from a real WWII Jeep found in the Philipines.

Thing nearly jumped the fence and landed on me once! Had a Windsor with Weslake heads. It had a few owners and they lengthened the wheelbase to try to tame it. I'll go try and find a pic.

Can't find anything. Must some Aussies with access to archives. It was a well known car.

 

Well this doesn't fit our forum but this seems to be going a bit O/T

I think all of us here appreciate smoething unusual.

Real deal, street legal Jeep you can cruise around all day...

http://www.dragtruk.com/ENTRIES/NASZD1VEL3RY.html

 

Forgot to mention its my buddies car. Thanks for all your help with my junk, Greg.

 

Went through a couple different variations of this on the street in the 70's.
It kept trying to kill us though...

 

Mine is coming together...slowly.
HERE