| Bringing A 1957 FC-170 Tour Jeep Back to Life The obvious way to preserve four-wheeling history is by restoring a vehicle back to factory-stock splendor. Two more came in the early '70s but they had all been retired by the early '80s and replaced by Jeep J-series pickups or converted Cherokee SJs. D. job was made easier when Craig was given access to a huge photo file kept by the Kuboske family. In 2011, both showed up to Ouray's Fourth of July celebration and received accolades from old-timers and spectators alike. Sometimes fate is kind. All is right in the Jeep world! . His FC turned out to be the very first one, a 1957 FC-170 acquired and modified in 1964. The I. The entire rear section of a donor cab was sliced off, modified as it was done in '64, and welded onto the original front section. So much material had been removed for a '70s Chevy six-cylinder conversion that the cab had to be internally braced before removal from the old chassis to prevent collapse. Five coasts of paint were then sandblasted away and the body prepped for a gleaming coat of President Red. The restoration was finished in 2008, just on time for a family vacation to Colorado. It wasn't so much rusted out as hacked away. Along the way, Brockhaus carefully uncovered the painted-over 1964 markings and made tracings for later reproduction. Step one was vehicular forensics to determine which of the four San Juan Tour FCs he had purchased. You can still find the lurid Jeep Tours postcards on eBay. Craig has a jaw-dropping collection of Jeeps, cornerstoned by the '57-'65 Jeep Forward Control models, and he's considered one of the world's leading experts on FC trucks. His website, The FC Connection, is the pivot point for collectors. Most four-wheelers, and all Jeep history fans, have at least passing knowledge of these iconic Jeeps. The paint was barely dry when Craig trailered the Jeep back to its former stomping grounds in the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. "The old Jeep seemed to still know the way," said Brockhaus. The paint was barely dry when Craig trailered the Jeep back to its former stomping grounds The company started doing tours in 1946 as Davis Scenic Jeep Tours, run by Buddy Davis. Jeeps have been a part of the company since day one, when modified flatfender CJs were used. They've used CJs of all eras, chopped-top utility wagons, FCs, J-series trucks, fullsized Wagoneers, and big Cherokees in 63-plus years of existence. Mechanically, the tour Jeep was a disaster. Brockhaus had long been seeking the fates and histories of the San Juan Tour FCs but the one he eventually found had been hacked beyond what he thought practical to restore. |
Friday, 8 June 2012
Bringing A 1957 FC-170 Tour Jeep Back to Life
