Just Cool Cars: Toughening a '72 Jeepster Commando
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- Steve Orell knows the meaning of rugged.
When he took over restoration of a 1972 Jeepster Commando, he went a lot further than just giving it a quick paint job that he had originally planned. And he learned a lot. For instance, he says he's especially proud of the roll cage he built for it.
The truck became a three-year project. He lengthened the wheelbase to give it a better ride and make it run better offroad. There's plenty of power. It has a 350-cubic-inch Chevy V-8 engine under the hood.
Today, the brawny truck has about everything a diehard offroader could want: winches, tow hooks, lots of gauges, to name a few. Orell, of Lake Forest, Calif., isn't done, either. He's still working on the fender flares that will not only make a great looking truck look even more cool, but will help shield it from rubbing on rocks and trees on the trail.
Not that he needs it. Orell, who we came across at a car show here, says the Jeepster is already amazing offroad.