Sunburst

We run across killer Jeeps all the time; it's sorta in the job description. But lots of times they're black or white or silver in color, which looks great, but doesn't always show up so well in magazine pages. Notice how many black trucks appear on the cover every year? You'll be lucky to see one, but a bright yellow Commando with a fluorescent orange exoskeleton you'll see even less of. Blair Fredrickson's '72 Jeep Commando is what you can definitely call one-of-a-kind, with a build rarely seen on a Jeep of this vintage and model, and colors that will make your bare eyes bleed.

Part of the charm of Blair's rig is that he started with a 4x4 that had very small production numbers. We're betting there are a fair amount of you who haven't even seen a Commando of this vintage (the earlier ones having CJ-style front clips), and that, besides its awesome build and outrageous look, is why we shot it.

We ran across Blair's Jeep out in Moab earlier this year, flexing its coilover suspension on the 39-inch competition Krawlers on the Rusty Nail trail. If you were around during Easter Jeep Safari, we're betting you didn't miss seeing this cool Commando in action.

The front of this Commando...        read full caption The front of this Commando is a model example of the way the rest of this Jeep was built. One look and you'll be able to see that no expense was spared and time was afforded to make sure that everything worked just right. The 14-inch-stroke Fox coilovers are complemented by Fox hydraulic bumpstops, with the rest of the suspension control done via a four-link and track bar. A Howe steering box with hydraulic ram assist mounted in the back of the axle and directly to the Dedenbear knuckles moves the rod-end crossover-steering setup. A single center-mounted limiting strap keeps the Tera 60 CRD axle, stuffed with an ARB locker, from dropping too far out when in the air, but allows it to twist during articulation. Just above all that steering and spring resides an LS1 Vortec engine connected to a 700R4 tranny.

The rear of this Jeep almost...        read full caption The rear of this Jeep almost deserves to be out in front, since the back is a masterpiece as well. Another Tera 60CRD axle loaded with 5.38 gears, a Detroit Locker, and chromoly gun-drilled axleshafts is controlled by an upper-triangulated four-link and two more 14-inch Fox 21/2-inch-bodied coilover shocks. Disc brakes at all four corners stop the 17-inch Walker Evans wheels wrapped in 39-inch BFGoodrich Krawlers. Even a custom aluminum gas tank was remounted under the tail end with extensive protection, the same as the rest of Blair's Jeep.

Underneath you can see the...        read full caption Underneath you can see the extensive amount of protection provided for this Jeep. A center cradle protects the Atlas II transfer case that hooks to the back of the 700R4 and puts power down through Tom Woods driveshafts.

This Jeep really is a work of art, from the top of the roof, past the Super Duty fender flares, down to the spotless undercarriage and fully boxed frame. Just don't stare too long; you'll get a headache. The well-thought-out contoured orange bends of the exo stand out easily against its yellow backdrop. Mt. Logan Off-Road took the time to fab the cage so it would disconnect at the rocker and rear quarter-panel guards so the fiberglass top could be removed. On our day out in Moab with Nate Williams, engineer at Mt. Logan Off-Road, it was not a topless day, as the wind had picked up and a storm that would bring enough snowfall to get our ankles wet was hanging just on the outskirts of town. Instead we rode in comfort in the restified cab of the Commando, planted in Corbeau seats and held in with five-point harnesses.