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6 Jeeps that will have you jeepin' with envy

6 Jeeps that will have you jeepin' with envy

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Tomorrow marks the kickoff of the yearly Moab Easter Jeep Safari. If you’re big into off-roading and/or Jeeps, this is the event for you. It’s considered the mecca for 4-wheeling, and enthusiasts come from all over the country, nay, the world to brave Moab’s treacherous slick rock.

To celebrate this, we’ve gathered six of our favorite lesser-known, but just as burly, Jeep models and their uses throughout history.

6. CJ5 Go-For-Digger and Backhoe

Easily one of the coolest factory Jeeps to come off the assembly line, the CJ5 Go-For-Digger backhoe was a true trenching machine. Built in the 1960s, this was an all-inclusive excavator, capable of traveling from one job site to another without the need of a trailer or secondary unit.

In addition to the backhoe attachment, there was a hydraulic blade for the front that could be raised or lowered. It housed a 4-cylinder Hurricane engine with a 3-speed transmission and operated on a very short wheelbase. According to the original advertisement, the CJ5 Go-For-Digger could dig 1500 feet an hour forward, and could also dig backward. Pretty sweet.

View Jeeps from the 60’s and 70’shere.

Photo credit: www.fourwheeler.com.
Photo credit: www.fourwheeler.com.

5. The Hafner Rotabuggy or “Flying Jeep”

The Flying Jeep was developed in the early 1940s as an experimental vehicle in WWII, intended as a way of air-dropping off-road vehicles. Basically, the 4x4 wartime Jeep was outfitted with a 40-foot rotor and a streamlined tail with twin rudderless fins. The interior included a steering wheel for the driver and a rotor control with navigational instruments for the pilot.

Although the initial tests revealed some major issues such as severe vibration at higher speeds, the prototype was improved upon and might have been cleared for use if military gliders hadn’t been introduced.

View Jeeps from the 40’s and 50’shere.

Photo credit: www.todayifoundout.com
Photo credit: www.todayifoundout.com

4. DJ-3A Surrey Gala

Known for being burly and indestructible, Jeep had a softer side. The DJ-3A Surrey, a 2WD, manual transmission vehicle produced from 1959 to 1964, was commonly found at hotels and resorts, both as a runabout vehicle and a low-cost rental vehicle for guests. Besides the chrome hub caps with white wall tires and the colorful two-tone paint, the Surrey boasted a standard striped fabric top giving it a less-serious, more whimsical feel.

The Surrey Gala has been featured in several 1960s Hollywood movies and it is even believed that Elvis Presley owned one.

View Jeeps from the 60’s and 70’shere.

Photo credit: www.oldcarbarn.com
Photo credit: www.oldcarbarn.com

3. Earth Roamer

No tent? No problem. All you need is the Earth Roamer XV. This off-road camper-style Jeep is designed to be transformed into the ultimate two-person camper. The features on this thing are incredible. If your tires need air, just pull out the onboard air compressor. There’s a Warn 900 RC winch built into the front bumper for getting unstuck from whatever you're off-roading in, a two-speed transfer case with 4:1 crawl ratio, off-road bumpers, super duty coil springs and gas monotube shocks to boot.

We want to go camping in that.

Photo credit: www.caranddriver.com
Photo credit: www.caranddriver.com

2. CJ-3B “High Hood”

Considered by many as one of the most versatile Jeeps produced, the Cj-3B could work as a tractor, a pick-up truck, or a tow vehicle. During the 1950s it even served as one of the main fleet vehicles for the United States Border Patrol agency.

It was built to serve as a transitional model between the flat-fender CJ-3A and the CJ-5. Its unique “high hood” was built to accommodate one of the most efficient engines ever developed: the Hurricane F-head.

Production for the CJ-3B began in the 1950s and it was the only CJ being produced until the mid 1950s when the more popular models, the CJ-5 and CJ-6 came along. By the 1960s, the “High Hood” had been completely overshadowed and production decreased dramatically. Willys produced over 30,000 3B’s in 1953 and 1954 respectively, and it is believed that there were about 196,000 total CJ-3Bs built.

View Jeeps from the 40’s and 50’shere.

Photo credit: www.ewillys.com
Photo credit: www.ewillys.com

1. Forward Control

In order to understand the Jeep FC, one must understand what a Cab Over Engine (or forward control) is. It’s a body style of truck, bus or van that has a vertical front where the cab of the truck (and driver) sits above the front axle rather than having the engine mounted in front of the driver.

The FC is a much-beloved Jeep model known for its iconic “flat face”. Like several other Jeep models, the FC was produced in the 1950s and 60s and was used mainly as a utility or work vehicle.

View Jeeps from the 60’s and 70’shere.

Photo credit: www.bringatrailer.com
Photo credit: www.bringatrailer.com

Ready for your own Jeep? Find yours at KSL Cars.

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