Truck Conversion: 1999 Jeep Cherokee

The list of small 4-door pickup trucks isn't very large -- a fact pointed out by the builder of this custom machine, who writes: I built this because I have always felt that the US manufacturers totally missed the boat on the mid-size 4-door pickup market. They built some – but they were all weird-shaped, weird-looking, independent front suspension garbage with too much motor and not enough simplicity. Dodge Dakotas, Chevy Colorados (or those really rare and weird 4-door S10s) Ford Exploder, etc. At least the Fords were kind of square for a while.  I love the idea of a rugged 4-door pickup and this thing with a built-in tool/gun/ammo box looks ready to rock. Find this 1999 Jeep Cherokee offered for $6500 in Omaha, NE via craigslist. Tip from ISAUN. 

4 Liters of Desert Fun: 1995 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

The last few years has been an interesting time for cheap car lovers (like me, the other DT writers...and you) -- and mostly unfavorable.  Classics have jumped up across the board, late model interesting things have gotten serious interest and overhyped prices and the last decade of cars have not depreciated in the manner you would expect (I plan a full diatribe post on that later...) but it always makes me happy when I stumble on a car that is interesting, fun, well preserved, and cheap. It doesn't happen as often as it should, but they are still out there.  Find this 1995 Jeep Wrangler Sahara offered for $6,400 in Alameda, CA via craigslist.

Mud Ready: 1946 Willys Jeep CJ5

There are two basic groups of people.  The first is the person who comes up with dozens of reasons you shouldn't drive a WWII era Army Jeep every day...safety, comfort, fuel, etc, etc.  And the second group is the kind of person who realizes just how awesome it would be a cruise the roads of your locale with this next beast. Find this 1946 Willys Jeep CJ5 offered for $6,200 in San Jose, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Spider Eyes Cherokee: 1986 Jeep Wagoneer Limited XJ

In 1984 the XJ generation of the Jeep Cherokee was released into the public, but it used a modern unibody monocoque instead of the traditional body-on-frame setup of the previous Jeepy things. This meant it was lighter and less clunky to drive around town than previous huge Jeep monsters, but still off road capable because it all wheel drive and torquey motors.  However, this next Cherokee is no ordinary example, if fact it is a Jeep Wagoneer Limited, not related to the Grand Wagoneer, but a highly optioned XJ with a unique headlight setup that makes it hard to miss. Find this 1986 Jeep Wagoneer Limited XJ offered for $8,500 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.

5-Speed Manual Box: 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a common sight on suburban roads today and was certainly more prevalent back in the 1990s before the Japanese introduced us to SUVs that were fuel efficient and reliable...but I digress.  With the death of the Grand Wagoneer after the 1991 model year, the Grand Cherokee was the top dog in Jeep's domestic lineup and most were sold with automatic gearboxes for regular folks, but a few hundred (over almost 20 years of production) left the factory with a manual box..and here is one.  Find this 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered for $4,500 in Albuquerque, NM via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Horrorods: Fiero vs Jeep vs Civic

In preparation for Halloween, I present this next Horrorod feature with words and tips from Matt C. What could be scarier than a sub-$1000 V12 Jaguar? How about taking over a project where somebody else threw a random pile of parts together and didn't quite get it finished? Here's a trio of sketchy Frankenstein builds!

Double Trouble: 1990 Nissan 300ZX Turbo vs 1986 Jeep CJ7

Okay, let's say your name is Jeff and you are a huge fan of 5-speed cars from the late 80s/early 90s...oh yeah and they need to be red.  Your budget is something less than four grand.  What do you buy?  Do you get a 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo, or a 1986 Jeep CJ7 258ci?  Both cars are tip from Jeff S.

AMC-Jeep 4.0 Power: 1979 Jaguar XJ6L

This next car has me scratching my head.  And my leg.  And my back...oh no, that might be fleas or bedbugs...but I'm still totally and completely and utterly flummoxed by this next car. On the one hand, I hate it when people shove carburated small blocks into classic inline-6 powered Jags, but I don't mind so much when they keep them inline-6 powered...but...an AMC 4.0 liter straight six from a Jeep? Find this 1979 Jaguar XJ6L offered for $4000 in Las Vegas, NV via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Original LuxUV: 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

The classic SJ generation Jeep Wagoneer was produced from 1962 through 1991 by and holds the unique title of being the world's first luxury 4X4 sport utility vehicle and the choice of wealthy Hamptons' housewives.  The Grand prefix didn't appear until 1984, but the last vehicles to come from the Toledo assembly plant are arguably the best and are priced accordingly. Find this 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer offered for $11250 in Oklahoma City, OK via craigslist.  Tip from FuelTruck.

Valp! 1963 Volvo L3304

If you are going to drive off road, there are a few options available; The first is you can just drive your 87 Pontiac Grand Prix you normally take on the road onto a dirt road and just man-up, but you could also get into something like a light SUV/CUV crossover that gives some more dirt confidence...or you can go full Jeep.  But if you want to go even MORE into the woods, you'll need to search out something like this 1963 Volvo L3304 offered for $11,500 in San Rafael, CA via craigslist. Tip from Erik202.

TJ Big Six: 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

I looked at this next car and said "wow, that is one well preserved 80s Jeep"...but then I noticed that the model year was a 2001?  Wow.  The TJ generation Jeep Wrangler was built from 1996 through 2006 on a chassis that was a mildly updated version of the 1986-1995 YJ Wranger that was originally developed by AMC during Renault ownership, which was just a slightly upgraded version of the CJ...you can see where this meandering path down Jeep history is going.  Find this 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara here on eBay offered for $6950 buy-it-now located in Ozone Park, NY.

Nice Jeep Man: 1971 GAZ/UAZ 69A

People are going to walk up to you and say "hey, nice Jeep" and you will smile and reply "da, this is a nice Jeep".  Because trying to explain to people what you are driving will actually drive you insane.  Literally, metaphysically, and practically.  Find this 1971 GAZ/UAZ 69A offered for $10,600 in Ft Myers, FL via craiglist. Tip from Dascpcu.

Mail The Force Be With You: 1984 Jeep DJ5 Star Destroyer

I love weird stuff.  Really.  Bizarrods, Citroëns, and rare French cars really get me going in the morning..but NOTHING beats a good homage to the Stars...not celebrities, but Star Trek or Star Wars.  And this next one is a dooooozy. Find this 1984 Jeep DJ5 Star Destroyer offered for $1000 in Houston, TX via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.

Somebody Lifted A Gremlin: 1981 AMC Eagle Kammback

The AMC Eagle was sold in a number of different body styles, but where things get confusing is when you transition from the 4-door sedan/wagon/coupe versions built on the AMC Concord chassis but the 2-door SX/4, Kammback, & Sundancer models were built on the AMC Spirit subcompact chassis.  However, there is nothing quite like combining the ungainly ride height of the Eagle with the Concord front end and a Gremlin rear end.  Find this 1981 AMC Eagle Kammback offered for $5000 in Edgewood, NM via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

USO Bunny Car: 1967 Jeep CJ-5

This next car comes from Clark who writes: Are you a playboy bunny at USO show? Then this is the Jeep for you.  Find this 1967 Jeep CJ-5 offered for $2800 in Albuquerque, NM via craigslist. Tip from Clark.

4.0 Jeep EFI Power: 1976 AMC Hornet

You don't need a fancy car to start with when you are building your own classic.  You don't need a bunch of fancy aftermarket parts either...or a fancy $8k paint job.  But if you don't have any of those things or a pile of money, you need skill...mad skills.  Find this 1976 AMC Hornet offered for $5000 near Seattle, WA via craigslist. Tip from JB1025.

Make tracks: 1999 Jeep Wrangler with Mattracks

Last week our E-i-C, who lives in temperate climes, made a reference to winter fading away and the comentariat that lives the subarctic took him to task. So for those of you in reader-ville, north of the 50th parallel, here's something to get you to the mailbox until hope returns. Find this 1999 Jeep Wrangler with Mattracks for sale in Kalispell, MT for $32,500 via craigslist.