Latest news with #CJs
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Texans Raid California Shop For Classic Jeep CJs
Read the full story on Backfire News It's always a lot of fun to watch car hunters check out some fresh quarry, like these guys going all the way from Texas to Los Angeles, California to see if a stash of classic Jeep CJs kept at a shop were worthwhile restoring. One of the great things about California vehicles is they usually are rust-free and clean, so that whets the course, these aren't just any car hunters. At their helm is Dennis Collins and he's once again in his element, checking out old Jeeps, assessing their features, VIN codes, and overall state of each one. The Jeeps are in a rust-free, overall good but somewhat disassembled state. That's not a big deal since Collins' restoration team would strip off parts to repaint the classic rigs anyway. Satisfied with what he sees, he tells the guy he's offering what he did initially on the phone. That must've been a generous amount, because the owner of the shop immediately has several guys pushing cars out of the tiny yard out so they can wheel each of the CJs into the road, blocking off a lane so they can be pulled onto a carrier. It's a different way of doing things since most shops and wrecking yards would use a forklift. But the human labor is effective and that's what matters the most in the end. As the old Jeeps are pulled out, Dennis can finally really look at the interiors. That's when he notices the Limited in the lot is incredibly rare. The cabin sports all leather seats, leather dash pad, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a leather pad on the roll bar, carpeting on the tailgate and rockers, and other plush items not easily found on classic Jeeps. He understandably seems pretty happy about that. Which of these California Jeeps would you want to keep and what would you do with it? Image via Dennis Collins/YouTube
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Which Of These Rescued Classic Jeeps Would You Keep?
Read the full story on Backfire News Seeing the great Dennis Collins in his element doing one of his favorite activities, rescuing classic Jeeps, always makes for great entertainment. The man is great at what he does, that's for sure. But his latest installment where he snags three different Jeep CJs has us wondering which one we would first two are being kept in the yard of a business where the family lost the property after the patriarch, who owned the Jeeps, passed away. Understandably, the new owner didn't want to store the two classic rigs for free, so the son had to get rid of them fast. He couldn't just drive the CJs to his house and store them there because neither one has an engine installed currently. While the first one will need a respray, not to mention it's waiting on a six-cylinder transplant that never happened and there are corrosion problems, the second one is even worse off. That second CJ not only is missing the engine, the grille is gone and so are a number of other parts. Plus, rust has claimed pretty much all of the rockers as well as the tailgate and at least one of the fenders, plus the red stuff is present elsewhere. As Dennis says, 'it's rougher than a stucco bathtub.' But Dennis finds redeemable features on both Jeeps, so he buys them and drags the carcasses onto a trailer for the long drive home. Unsurprisingly, both are destined to be parts vehicles. But would you transform one of them into a janky budget trail machine instead? After all, having a junk off-roader has its advantages. You can smack into all kinds of stuff and not worry about scratching or denting anything. But these rust buckets might fall apart on contact, and we're not even joking. Finally, there's an old Golden Eagle that looks worse for wear, but not nearly as bad as the first two Jeeps. It has some rust issues, because of course, but other than an incorrect wheel on the spare and a few other little details, is pretty much correct and in decent shape. While the Jeep CJ Golden Eagle is a highly desirable classic off-roader, Dennis admits he's unsure it can be restored, thanks to all the rust. It's a serious issue on old Jeeps. Still, he takes it back as well, so it's either destined to be parted out or maybe, just maybe, will get a full restoration. Which of these three Jeeps would you keep? Image via Dennis Collins/YouTube
