David Eilers

Our 'New' Racing Jeep

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My 'new' race jeep

I owe Marty Tilford a hearty thanks for spotting this jeep on the local Yakima Craigslist. I never saw it, because it was listed in the wrong category (tires and wheels), so it sat there for a few weeks before Marty sent me the link. Long story short, I showed Ann the jeep and she said, "buy it; you deserve it". How can I argue with that?

On Sunday we drove to Naches, Washington, where we met Don and Ruth, the owners of the jeep.  They are members of the Yakima Valley Timberwolves club. We enjoyed meeting them and swapping jeep stories. They loved racing the jeep, and were sad to see it go, but the pounding of racing the jeep was too hard on Don, so he thought it best to pass it along.

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This is the Yakima Valley Timber Wolves club sticker.

This race jeep has a built and bored Chev 350 with a Ford Toploader four-speed and a Dana 20 transfercase. The engine is a fresh 350 Chevy bored 30, with 202 summit heads, and an Edelbrock intake with a Holley 4-barrel carburetor,

The body is a narrow body fiberglass. The rear springs were outboarded (DJ-5 or FC mounts still there), but have since been moved underneath the axle; I'd like to move them out again. The front springs are reversed. The rear Dana 44 axle is from a scout. The front is a narrowed Dana 44, but I can't remember from what.

Here's a pic of the jeep with the front clip removed:

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I didn't have to look it over much before I was ready to jump in and drive it onto the trailer:

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When we arrived at our new place, we discovered one of the rear tires was flat. The rear wheels have spacers on it meant to widen the stance but that also meant the jeep barely fit between the rails of the trailer. We suspect the tire may have lost its bead, which caused the air to go out.

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It's not a big problem, as I plan to a couple Desert Dogs on back anyway.

Below you can see it parked in the new shop. It's officially the first item moved into our new place (the Roadster in front is the seller's):

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One of the biggest changes I need to make is to redo the seating so I fit more comfortably. The other thing is to finalize the name. I am told this jeep was originally built by Brian Wylie (sp?). At some point it was known as the Red Delicous (the red paint can still be seen in a few small places).

One name we had in mind was to name it the "Cosmic Crisp" (an apple invented by nearby Wash State Univ) as a nod to the early name. While I like the name, it isn't one that rolls off the tongue.

OR, because the jeep has Marvin the Martian mud flaps, we thought about calling the jeep "Marvin" and theming it with a Marvin the Martian theme. It turns out that is one of Ann's all-time favorite cartoon characters. But, I also think there may be another Marvin race jeep out there (it seems I remember one from the 80s, but I could be wrong).

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Note the Marvin the Martian mud flaps.

I likely won't get to making changes on this for at least a few weeks. In the meantime, here are a few more pics from the ad:

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First appearance  of Marvin the Martian on Bugs Bunny:

19 Comments

  1. Mark
    Congratulations on your new home and toy. I look forward to the naming ceremony.
  2. Will R.
    The race Jeep will be a lot of fun! And also congratulations on your new place! Looks like an amazing location with so much room and work space !!! Room to collect one of every Jeep model ever made !! LOL
    1. David Eilers
      Will, yes, there's plenty of room, but I would like to remain married :-)
  3. art and garner
    CALL IT THE GREENHOUSE GAS ELIMINATOR -- THEN GO READ NEIL YOUNGS TREATISE ON FOSSIL FUEL VEHICLES -- LADY AND GENTLEMEN , START YOUR ENGINES !! -- COUGH , COUGH ..
  4. colin peabody
    Congratulations on the new toy and the new home for all your toys!
  5. Allan J. Knepper
    Great looking hot rod !! And welcome to the club of..... "Internal Combustion Males Who Abhor Empty Space In Their Building" .......the membership fees are quite steep !
    1. David Eilers
      Allan: I don't think it will take long to fill this ... I just turned down a local stock 1956 CJ-5 with a Monroe Lift. Though, perhaps after I see more pics, I will change my mind? hmmm. Not many Monroe Lift equipped jeeps out here.
  7. KING DICK PETTY
    THE GREENHOUSE GAS ELIMINATOR -- sbc , holley double pumper mechanical secondarys , ferd top shift , dana twenty , jeepster commando frame , plastic chinese body , dana 44 magnums , dopey " woodys driveshaft bumpersticker " , no speedo , not street legal , substantial roll cage , windshield delete , nut behind the wheel ..
  8. Jim
    You need to bring your new keep to our keep race in Glenwood Memorial Day weekend
    1. David Eilers
      Thanks Jim, I'd like to be there, but 1) we are just beginning our move into the new place (I will be moving the first boxes and get the keys today), 2) my M-I-L is still with us (and a handful), and, most importantly, 3) I have to redo the driver's seat my long legs can fit a little better. Tim and Steve Carter also want to help add some sway bars, as they feel the jeep needs to be flatter in the curves, so they have offered help so we can have it ready (hopefully) for the July 4th race in Glenwood. - Dave
  9. Marty Tilford
    Congratulations on the new race jeep!! I cant wait to see you out in it. You are going to love having it. With the dunes not too far from you that will make for some good seat time and learning the rig.
    1. David Eilers
      Marty: Couldn't have done it without you, so thanks! Yep, once I get the seats redone (and redo the gas pedal so it's on more of a roller system to reduce the effects of hitting bumps), I plan to take it out and play a bit. Steve's offered to let me use his father's trailer for the summer, so no need to rush out and buy a new trailer either. - Dave
  10. Jim D
    I think you've answered any questions on what to name it! You know who is most important!
  11. Steve Walkup
    Congratulations on the new house and jeep. I dream of a shop that size. Any chance of getting some shots of the (swing-out?) tube door/roll bar on the Jeep, especially the attachment points when you have time?
    1. David Eilers
      Steve, will do. Those swing-outs are required by the PNW4WDA Racing rules. Sometimes when folks roll, they stick their hands out, injuring them. The swing bar and netting help stop that.
  12. D sherman
    if u send a ph# il show u my son with his grandpa flipping it second barrel like cart wheel it was my father's jeep red dapple or what ever .1520 years ago . the pick is at Chehalis fair grounds
  13. Gary Bunten
    MGM MEAN GREEN MACHINE REGION 1 PNW4WDA EASTSIDE 4X4'S
  14. David Eilers
    UPDATED COMMENT: Oops ... I was thinking of the other race jeep when I wrote the paragraph below. The race jeep pictured in this post needed a rebuild of the driver's area in order for me to fit into it (I couldn't shift into second gear as the shifter would hit my knee). I have already removed the body, the rollcage, and the seat frame. Additionally, I've cleaned up some of the frame. In about a month I will begin constructing the new rollcage. Also, I discovered one of the rear bumper stop mounts had broken and had begun twisting the frame slightly, so that needs fixing. There were several other fixes I plan to complete as well. <strike>Unfortunately, water got inside the rollcage and rusted some of the interior, so rather than try to save that frame and cage, I'll be installing it on my other racing chassis. I plan to build the cage and assemble the jeep later this fall.</strike> I'd love to get a pic of when it was the Red Apple. I want to say that I remember it, but haven't had a pic to confirm it. My email is d@deilers.com and p# 831 325 9616 Thanks!

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