How much fun or not fun are

[Shaun @ Tru6]

these for just tooling around?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/681341832453306

[asphaltgambler]

Old Jeeps are a lot of fun if you have somewhere off road, fields to take them. Especially like whats in your pic.

[masraum]

That's awesome. I like that so much more than what I mostly see around here these days.

These "angry eyes" headlights are popular and are not my thing. Also, a lot of the wheels and tires are also not my thing. To me, they are often "trying too hard" to look agressive or something. They remind me of the affliction shirts.


I also don't understand the circumcised fenders that seem to be hugely popular around here. My guess is that's a guaranty that these things never see much off road.

[sammyg2]

flat fendered jeeps are tiny.
If you are of above-average stature, you probably won't fit comfortably behind the wheel of one.

[Seahawk]

The farm two over has one he uses to poke around our rural area. He also hunts from it: He put a bridge over the engine cowling and attached a tractor seat.

The pros are they are just too cool.

The cons are:

- Slow. Zero to 60 in never because 60MPH is scary in these things. Zero to 40 takes the better part of a Camel unfiltered.
- Tippy.

If you can stay out of modern traffic above 45MPH, why not?

[racer]

My dad is up on Cape Cod. He has a 1953 ex army jeep. its fun for the local 4th of july parade. Fine for tootling around the back yard. Maybe if you had a short slow drive to the local village to get a paper or hit the general store. Otherwise, not so much fun. imho, a novelty item worth having if you have the room, but not much else. It was useful to teach his grandkids how to drive stick though.

[911boost]

I ride motorcycles a lot, so I am in traffic on them.

Old Jeeps like that scare the crap out of me in traffic. Granted I have only ridden in one and do not or have ever owned one.

[LWJ]

I have been toying with the idea of a CJ5 or CJ7. The possibility of going 65 is more attractive.

Same benefits.

Yes, they are cool.

[SamC.]

The short answer to your question is LOADS of fun as long as you don't try to take the CJ beyond its capabilities - like most things in life.

These guys eat, sleep and breathe old Willys - worth a look especially if you are really interested.

eWillys | Your source for Jeep and Willys deals, mods and more
https://www.thecj2apage.com/

[ckelly78z]

My wife had a CJ-7 for several years that we drove all over the place (sometimes pulling a small lake boat. With the top removed, on a hot day, it was miserable in traffic, but pleasant on a winding county road. We tried laying the windshield down a couple of times, but wasn't able to travel over 35 mph in that condition. With the windshield down, you had all of the wind off of the front end funneled right into your face (absolutely un-doable at night with all the bugs).

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

The farm two over has one he uses to poke around our rural area. He also hunts from it: He put a bridge over the engine cowling and attached a tractor seat.

The pros are they are just too cool.

The cons are:

- Slow. Zero to 60 in never because 60MPH is scary in these things. Zero to 40 takes the better part of a Camel unfiltered.
- Tippy.

If you can stay out of modern traffic above 45MPH, why not?

Reminded me of this:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/roy-rogers-iconic-jeep-has-cowboy-street-cred/

[Otter74]

I'd say if you don't plan to drive faster than 40mph and farther than maybe 5-10 miles, it can be a lot of fun. I drove a CJ3B in the north woods of Wisconsin a few years ago (on paved roads) and it put a big smile on my face. Best not to think about safety.

[flipper35]

Yup. You could time the 1/4 mile with a sun dial, but can be loads of fun at city street speeds.

[Noah930]

I was thinking of moving to the Cape in a few years. That would be perfect for tooling around during the summer.

[NY65912]

Say goodbye to your kidneys.

When I was 17 I worked in a gas station that had a '45 surplus Jeep that we used for road calls/pulling. Not a very comfortable vehicle.

[Baz]

LOVE IT!

Owning a jeep has always been on my bucket list.

Living on the barrier island here that unit in the classified would be perfect for beach driving and running errands.

If it was here, I would go look at it and perhaps take her home. Maybe cut the 914 loose to make room.

YMMV....

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

flat fendered jeeps are tiny.
If you are of above-average stature, you probably won't fit comfortably behind the wheel of one.

You got that right. I'm 6'0" and my knees are bent at 90º sitting. Even more using the clutch which is somewhat stiff due to the SBC under the hood.

And rough riding? Did I mention that? I have 15" rims, not huge but big tires and I run 15 lbs. in them to help. Otherwise it will jar your fillings out of your teeth. Unless they have a modern engine they are good for 55 white knuckle MPH and with power a complete death trap.

At least mine has a roll bar and 3 point belts. That's the min to drive in traffic. Or even get in.

[KFC911]

I had '78 CJ5.... back when the speed limit was 55, and they could (and would) roll over...even a sharp turn at residential speeds and even lower. It was primative .... I loved it until it killed me . And it was a whole lot more modern than that one, but I sold mine to my dad after one semester of college .

An even older one...only for puttering around a farm, etc.....jmo and YMMV.

I think Zeke has some experience....

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Great feedback, thanks! I'm going to look at it this weekend. I originally posted about the '60s Harley Sportster as a fun around town vehicle but that didn't work out so well for a lot of reasons. Still a possibility but the right patina bike has to magically appear. This might be perfect for running around Boston or up to Walden Pond.

[pwd72s]

My dad farmed me out to a friend who had a cattle ranch for my 15th summer. A summer that taught me a lot. Mainly how to buck alfalfa bales. Another thing was how to drive a WWII surplus Jeep. Loren, the ranch owner said he bought it in a crate...

I thought he was kidding. Learned later he wasn't. They were taken apart, placed in crates for shipment to the troops. After the war, sold as surplus, shipped in the same crates to the buyers.

Had a ball driving that thing...but on the ranch, it never saw pavement. I'd think it would have been a terrible driver for anything over say 45 mph? Very low gears, anemic flathead 4 banger.