Willys-Overland Jeepster

The Jeepster was an automobile of the Jeep brand. The first Jeepster was offered by Willys -Overland in 1948, but was not accepted by the market and set soon. 1966 appeared the name again for a new model, the Jeepster Commando C- 101. Again, could not meet the expectations of the sales figures and the new owner had 1973 AMC phased out the production.

VJ

The first Jeepster " VJ" was produced from 1948 to 1950. Willys -Overland, owner of the Jeep brand, believed after the Second World War, that the market for the jeep to military pattern on farmers and foresters would be limited and therefore produced models such as the Jeep CJ, Jeep Wagon and Jeep Truck. A gap in the model range between commercial vehicles and passenger cars should the Jeepster close with rear-wheel drive, a forerunner of today's crossover models. The car was offered from 1948 to 1950. There was criticism, designed by Brooks Stevens square body style that does not hit the public taste of the targeted market segment. Also, sparse advertising thwarted sales success. In total, only 19,132 Jeepster VJ were built - 10,326 piece 1948 2960 piece 1949 5836 piece 1950.

The Jeepster VJ was a Willys Go Devil - four-cylinder in-line engine with 2196 cc and 62 hp ( 46 kW ), as it also had the CJ. There was a manual three-speed gearbox ( with optional overdrive ) and all the wheels were braked with drum brakes. The transverse leaf spring to the front originated, as well as the rear axle of the Jeep wagon, the rear fender and the longitudinal flat leaf springs behind the same as those of the Jeep truck.

Engines:

C-101

The Jeepster was living in 1966 in the form of the Jeepster Commando C-101 again. The against -controlled four-cylinder in-line engine Willys Hurricane - a direct descendant of the former Go- Devil engines - and finally a four-wheel drive were used. This engine developed 75 bhp (55 kW) at 4,000 rpm. and a torque of 154 Nm at 2,000 rpm. On request, there was the 160 bhp (119 kW ) - Kaiser Dauntless - engine. The V6 has developed a torque of 318 Nm. From 1966 to 1971 Jeepster Commando 57,350 C-101 were sold.

For the Jeepster Commando a number of body styles were available: a station wagon, a convertible, a pickup and a roadster. A particularly remarkable offer was the deluxe station wagon with rear sliding windows and fully equipped. In some cases, the vehicles also had a two-tone paint. The Hurst Jeepster with modifications by Hurst Performance had a special shifter, a custom paint and tachometer on the hood. The Cabriolet, there were three versions: Revival Jeepster, Commando convertible and an open roadster with no structure. The Revival Jeepster was the centerpiece of the program: he had a particularly luxurious interiors, an electric hood and a rear -mounted, upright spare wheel with cover ( " Continental Kit" ). The Commando convertible had the same body, but only the basic equipment.

Engines:

C -104

After the 1971 model was dropped the name Jeepster, but the model remained two years as a Jeep Commando in production. In 1972, the car got a grille over the entire width of the vehicle. The Commando was available with three AMC engines, two -line six- cylinder (3.8 ltr. , And 4.2 ltr. ) And a V8 (5.0 ltr. ). 1972 and 1973 he made 20 233 Jeep Commando C- 104.

C -104 variants: convertible, hardtop and pickup truck, mixed forms and Spezialauf and cultivated on request.

Optional extras: factory radio, factory antenna, lockable glove compartment, chrome roof rails, immobilizer, automatic, 4.2 l and 5.0 l, color, hub caps, free wheel hubs, Outboard spare. Many vehicles were delivered without hubcaps.

The C104, also called " Bullnose " was often used for the hard Bahja race in which he won some races. The 6- cylinder engine and manual transmission are considered very persistent. The extended wheelbase compared to the CJ, the offset behind the front engine and front mid-engine design related yielded a overall very balanced performance at a low weight of 1150 kg. The low weight and the small carburetor ensure low consumption, 10 liters of regular petrol per 100 km are quite achievable. The motors can cope with unleaded petrol and ethanol additives since 1972 only unleaded gasoline, partially mixed with ethanol, was offered in the U.S. and most manufacturers had equipped from then on your vehicles with corresponding valve seats.

Depending on the engine type and rear axle ratio of C104 reaches 160-180 km / h A well maintained brake system is the performance offered quite grown. The vehicles have a very good axle articulation and ground clearance, the " Floater suspension " allows a high speed on slopes.

Today, a worldwide fan base has formed many " Bullnose " are still used daily. Some have been used for decades in Mud drag competitions and the Trial driving. Because of their proverbial resilience and comfort are vintage car rally - raid a domain of these vehicles.

Engines:

The R6 motors are known with appropriate care for high mileage.

Drive:

• Rear-wheel drive
• Selectable four - wheel drive
• Reduction gear
• Manual transmission
• Automatic 2- speed gearbox for R6 and V8

Basic performance:

• Type: ............................ 6-cylinder in-line engine
• Bore x stroke, in. .............. 3.75x3.50
• Content, ci ...................... 232
• Compression 8.0:1 .....................
• PS @ 3600 .............................. 100
• Torque @ 1800 ...................... 185
• Engine Options ................. 258 I-6, 304 V8

Chassis and drive technology:

• Coupling ........................ Simple, dry
• Transmission ........................ 3-speed, manually
• Turbo option .......................... 400
• Ratio ........................... 2.5:1, 1.5:1, 1.0:1, 2.1:1 backwards
• Reduction gear ........... Model 20, 2-speed
• ................................ 2.03:1 Low
• ................................ 1:1 High
• Front suspension leaf springs ................
• Rear suspension ............... leaf springs
• 3.73:1 axle ratio .................
• Brake ......................... 11 " drum / 11 " Drum

For more information:

• Wheelbase, in. ................... 104
• Height, 62.4 in. .......................
• Width, 65.2 in. .....................
• Length, in. ...................... 168.4
• Weight, lb ..................... 2,800
• Gasoline tank ...................... 15 gallons

Matching tires:

215/75/15

HR 78-15 = 225/75R15

LR 78-15 = 235/75R15

HR 70-15 = 235/70R15

8 R15 LT = 28x8, 50 = R15 LT 225/75R15

9 R15 LT = 30x9, 50 = R15 LT 235/75R15

Sources:

• Jeep: The Unstoppable Legend by Arch Brown, Publishers Inter.
• Jeep buyers guide by Peter Sessler, Motorbooks International.
• Jeep Bible by Moses Ludel, Robert Bentley Publishers.
• Jeep Prototypes and Concept Vehicles: by Peter C. Sessler, Iconografix.

External links and sources

• Matar, George: 1948-1951 Jeepster, Hemmings Classic Car (1 December 2005)
• RUBICONTRAIL.NET (English)
• Classic Jeep (English)
• American Jeepster Club (English)