RIDE OF THE WEEK: 1948 Jeepster

by Michael Golubiewski
Production Editor

Ever since Lawrence Brunner shared his 1948 Jeepster with Weekender readers a few months back, several other Jeepster owners have sent pictures of their vehicles to Motorhead. This week’s Jeepster, owned by Mike Ryan from Catawissa Twp., is also from 1948.

Jeepster vehicles came about as a result of the Willys-Overland Company’s desire to convert its highly successful military vehicle from World War II into something that ordinary civilians would buy. Though it originally misjudged, thinking the Jeep would only be popular with farmers and foresters, the “Civilian Jeeps” (or CJs) proved so popular, however, that the Jeepster was developed in 1948. Featuring a greater blending between utilitarian vehicle and passenger car, the Jeepster was produced until 1950, reintroduced in 1966 by Willys’ successor, the American Motors Corporation, and lasted until 1973. In the original run, 19,132 original Jeepsters were produced.

“It’s cool that I own something that is a part of history,” Ryan said. “It was my grandfather’s. He was the one who restored it and kept it up and passed it on to me.”
Ryan’s grandfather kept the Jeepster fairly original — he repainted it from its original yellow and restored the top in 1983.

“My goal is to keep it in as good of shape as when he left it to me,” Ryan said. “I was proud that he picked me, and I’m going to make him proud.”

The Jeepster is powered by a 134-cubic inch (2.2 liter) straight 4-cylinder engine that gets about 70 horsepower. It is the Willys L134 engine that was nicknamed the “Go Devil.” It features a 79.4mm bore and 111.1 m stroke and features an L-head design, with valves parallel to the cylinders.

“It isn’t the most powerful engine in the world,” Ryan said, “but I’m not about to go changing anything about it.”
The Jeepster features a 3-speed manual transmission and has optional overdrive. The front end and its single transverse leaf suspension were all taken from the Willys station wagon, as was the Jeepster’s rear driveline.

“It will be fun to take it out again once the car shows start up again,” Ryan said. “I usually hit up the car shows in Bloomsburg and Berwick and try to make a couple in Wilkes-Barre.” w