The Shitty Cars of Englewood #17. 1975 AM General delivery Jeep conversion
Today we have stumbled upon this one-of-a-kind gem, a right hand drive 1975 AM General “delivery Jeep” converted into a small RV.
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Not everybody is content to drive an ordinary automobile, a car that can simply be “purchased”. For some folks the challenge is not to find the perfect car, properly equipped to meet their individual needs. Instead it is to take something gloriously imperfect and turn it into a one-of-a-kind vehicle specifically suited to them through the magic of home customization.
These visionaries will bolt things on, cut things off, weld things in, stretch them out, convert and adapt until they have created something blissfully unique – something nobody else has.
That’s the case with this “recreation vehicle” built from a 1975 AM General “delivery Jeep”. Originally, this vehicle was designed with a sole purpose in mind – to deliver the US Mail. Gas and electric versions were available. It’s a small car-like conveyance with a single seat, mounted on the right hand side of the cab (along with the steering wheel) so that letter carriers could reach into residential mail boxes without exiting the vehicle. Its fuel capacity was small, since it wasn’t intended for long trips.
Somebody, perhaps somebody touched in the head, decided that this delivery Jeep had the potential to be an RV. This person didn’t see a compact vehicle capable only of poking about neighborhoods. He saw a touring vehicle, ideal for traveling the roadways of America while providing its driver with a place to sleep at night.
It had to be stretched first, of course. This process would have involved lengthening the chassis, probably by welding in some steel rails. The drive shaft would have been replaced, probably with one made for a longer car or truck, so that power from the 258 cubic inch Jeep “CJ” engine would reach the now more distant rear wheels. Then a middle section of body and roof panels had to be fabricated from sheet steel and inserted to enclose the interior of the creation. Much welding was done. Much body filler (Bondo) was used to smooth the seams and then white paint was applied in the hopes that the Jeep would retain the appearance of a factory vehicle.
AM General Corporation built dozens of types of vehicles for government use including a range of trucks for various military applications. The most famous of these was the HUMVEE, which was an acronym for “High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle). AM General sold the HUMVEE to General Motors in 1999. GM turned the HUMVEE into the “Hummer” for civilian use and later developed the Hummer H2, a smaller version of the vehicle which has become the stereotypical douche car. AM General also builds busses, articulated busses and trolleys. They do not, however, build RVs. That’s why this converted delivery Jeep is so unique.
The owner (and presumed builder) of this fascinating vehicle hoards non-running junk cars in his driveway and in his side yard. This is not an unusual site here in Englewood, where laws pertaining to the storage of vehicles are relaxed compared to most municipalities. This delivery jeep, however, does function. It has current tags and is frequently spotted along South Broadway near the concrete bunker. It is, without question, a shitty car of Englewood.
**Author’s note** the history of AM General Corporation is fascinating. The company began as the Standard Wheel Corp of Indiana. In 1903 it became Overland Automotive Division, which then merged with Willy’s to become Overland-Willy’s, which produced Jeeps (General purpose vehicles) for the US Military. Kaiser Corp then purchased the company and changed the name to simply Willy’s. Then the name was changed again to the Kaiser-Jeep corporation which then became American Motors in 1967.
