What makes a Jeep a Jeep? Is it the looks or the components? Is it the body or the frame? It’s certainly not who builds it because AMC, Bantam, Chrysler, Ford, and Willys have all made Jeeps at one time or another. There are so many parts out on the market now that you could even build one of your own from scratch. Mike Flores and Shannon Campbell have come pretty close to doing just that with this Vanilla Shake–and–Tangelo–Pearl colored CJ-5.
This ’76 CJ-5 retains the factory cowl of the Jeep Mike competed with in Four Wheeler
A Jeep is a look and a utility common to all vehicles that have worn the name. No matter how much you re-engineer it or how much you improve upon it, you can’t remove that mysterious force that has made them so capable off road for 60 years. Tube frame, stock frame, swapped-in drivetrain, paint it any color you want, drive it over any terrain, and the results will always be the same. It’s still a Jeep.