So my first car was a 72 commando, and we went through a lot together. My senior year of college I sold it to my cousin so that I could get something more dependable since I was moving out of state.
Fast forward ten years, over 15 jeeps and Jeep builds, starting a career, marriage, first house… I decide I want to try to buy my commando back. I will say my cousin had the same great experiences with the old green machine that I did, but he was able to keep it. He had no intention of ever selling it. I was able to appreciate his position, but that didn’t keep me from bugging him periodically over the following 5 years to try to get him to sell it. Well I finally got him to give me a price one night and he said $50,000.00. So at that point I knew that it was in loving hands and I really needed to move on.
Last year I was flipping through the Jeepster buy sell group on FB and one popped up in VA for sale. I sent it to my wife and said “good thing we are in saving mode right now or I would buy this”. She wrote me back and said to do it! So off I went to Stanford VA to check this bad boy out with my flatbed and trailer. I knew that the guy was having carb issues but the pics looked great. He disclosed that there was rust, but repairable and a few other things. He had receipts for parts and work over the last 12 months that totaled more than his asking price. He was moving and had no room for it. So I get up there and it is a great 30’ car. Cranks right up and idles great. I can see all the work that he put into it, but the rust was much worse than he let on. yes fixable, but a donor tub would be the best option. I decide to go ahead and pull the trigger knowing that I will be doing any and all work to this myself, and with a goal of enjoying it for a few years then frame off restoring it.
So we winch the Jeep onto the flatbed, and head south. On the way home my truck blows up the hanger bearing outside Richmond so there was a few hours of rigging a new bearing in and got back on the road.
I have been working on this thing since June and I will add posts and pics of my trials and tribulations as I have time, but I figured you all would enjoy the ride and might help me sculpt my end goals for this Jeep. Here are some pics of my first commando, and the orange one is my new Commando.
Fast forward ten years, over 15 jeeps and Jeep builds, starting a career, marriage, first house… I decide I want to try to buy my commando back. I will say my cousin had the same great experiences with the old green machine that I did, but he was able to keep it. He had no intention of ever selling it. I was able to appreciate his position, but that didn’t keep me from bugging him periodically over the following 5 years to try to get him to sell it. Well I finally got him to give me a price one night and he said $50,000.00. So at that point I knew that it was in loving hands and I really needed to move on.
Last year I was flipping through the Jeepster buy sell group on FB and one popped up in VA for sale. I sent it to my wife and said “good thing we are in saving mode right now or I would buy this”. She wrote me back and said to do it! So off I went to Stanford VA to check this bad boy out with my flatbed and trailer. I knew that the guy was having carb issues but the pics looked great. He disclosed that there was rust, but repairable and a few other things. He had receipts for parts and work over the last 12 months that totaled more than his asking price. He was moving and had no room for it. So I get up there and it is a great 30’ car. Cranks right up and idles great. I can see all the work that he put into it, but the rust was much worse than he let on. yes fixable, but a donor tub would be the best option. I decide to go ahead and pull the trigger knowing that I will be doing any and all work to this myself, and with a goal of enjoying it for a few years then frame off restoring it.
So we winch the Jeep onto the flatbed, and head south. On the way home my truck blows up the hanger bearing outside Richmond so there was a few hours of rigging a new bearing in and got back on the road.
I have been working on this thing since June and I will add posts and pics of my trials and tribulations as I have time, but I figured you all would enjoy the ride and might help me sculpt my end goals for this Jeep. Here are some pics of my first commando, and the orange one is my new Commando.
