I lost a family member…

During the summer of 1985, I bought my first four wheel drive vehicle. Actually, it was the first vehicle ever registered in my name.

It was a 1947 CJ-2A, about as stock as you can get. The original flat head had no power but was fine in low range. I drove it for awhile but soon figured I needed more power to be able to do the speed limit on the street. In comes a Buick 225 odd-fire V-6 from a 1969 CJ-5. (the ’69 Chevy PU was my daily driver: 307, long bed, 2wd, 3-on-the-tree)

Just getting in to working on vehicles, it had been bicycles and skateboards before then, I didn’t have a shop to work in. I sort-of highjacked some room in my father’s plumbing shop.

Well, 35 years later, a Buick 231 in place of the 225, a 4.3 in place of the 231 but never finished, the T-90 replaced with an SM420 and the day finally came.

On Saturday, I sold my beloved flat fender as I’m moving to a new house that doesn’t quite have the storage the old house had.

There’s not much stock on it any more, basically the frame and body.

There will always be Jeeps in my life, just not my first love.

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Rubicon Ronin