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Cummins R2.8 Turbo Diesel-Powered 1972 Jeep Commando Is One Sweet Wagon

Produced between 1966 and 1973 by Kaiser Jeep and the American Motors Corporation, the Jeepster Commando is a very dependable rig. The Hurricane four-cylinder engine and Dauntless six-cylinder mill were the only powerplants offered until AMC entered the scene with the 232, 258, and 304 options. The station wagon in the attached clip doesn’t feature those plants, but a Cummins R2.8 that also runs on biodiesel fuel.
Cummins-powered 1972 Jeepster Commando Wagon 29 photos
Photo: Bring a Trailer
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Acquired by the current owner in 2019 and subsequently modified to the current specification, chassis number J2A87FVH30234 is offered with a clean title and lots of desirable mods. The four-cylinder turbo diesel, for example, is rocking 161 horsepower and 310 pound-feet (320 Nm) of torque compared to 150 ponies and 245 pound-feet (332 Nm) for the AMC 304 V8.

Complemented by a 30-gallon fuel tank and Bosch fuel injection, the R2.8 is connected to a New Venture Gear 3550 five-speed manual transmission. Jeep used this gearbox in the XJ Cherokee and TJ Wrangler, and it’s plenty strong for this application. The NV3550 is further connected to a simple-yet-sturdy Dana 300 transfer case, a Dana 30 open-style front axle with 3.73 gearing, as well as a Dana 44 rear axle with a limited-slip differential.

Clearly not a mall crawler, the one-off Commando had its front bodywork lengthened by five inches and the body shell repainted in light green. A white removable hardtop with a polished roof rack, an off-road jack, old-school steel wheels, 235/85 by 16-inch tires, a spare mounted to a swing-out carrier, YJ springs up front, power-assisted front discs and rear drums, and a Next Venture Motorsports rear bumper also have to be mentioned.

Reupholstered in white vinyl, the comfy buckets and rear bench are joined by lots of sound-deadening material under tan carpets, air conditioning, two cupholders for the center console, a roll bar, and a fire extinguisher for extra peace of mind. The five-digit odometer currently shows 90,976 miles (146,412 kilometers) although the total mileage remains unknown.

Listed on Bring a Trailer with a high bid of $2,075 at the moment of reporting, this magnificent Commando does have two issues. The fuel gauge that doesn’t work is relatively straightforward to fix or replace, but the rocker-panel corrosion requires a bit of TLC from the winning bidder.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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