If you were okay with the U.S. Military replacing the long-serving Jeep with the Humvee, then you’ll no doubt also be alright with today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Humvee-aping Wrangler. That is, if you don’t think its price needs replacing.
Alton Brown—the Bill Nye of the Food Network—has long advocated the value of the multitasking tool. The Good Eats and Feasting on Asphalt host is also an avid motorcycle rider. His bike of choice? Well at least for the Feasting on Asphalt series it was a BMW R1100T, a bike on which he suffered a broken clavicle in an on-camera accident.
That predilection for both multitaskers and BMW bikes makes Alton a prime target for yesterday’s 1991 BMW R100G/S. The Beemer was designed to be at home either on the road or in the muck, and a history of Paris to Dakar rally wins for BMW’s G/S series serves only to embellished that reputation.
Unfortunately for its seller, the majority of you felt only a celebrity’s bank account should absorb the Beemer’s $6,700 asking. It eventually fell in a 53 percent Crack Pipe loss making “value” the one task the bike was apparently not up to.
If you think about all the various combinations of terrain and motion that have been applied to off-road capable trucks—Land Rover, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Trail Blazer, etc.—you might think that every conceivable permutation has already been applied.
Well, did you consider Landrunner? Of course not. I mean, why would you?
Because of that, this 1991 Jeep Wrangler Landrunner is something you’ve probably never heard of before. Now it’s something you could actually own. Let’s see if that’s a good idea.
The Landrunner was a conversion kit for the iconic Jeep that made it look—from certain angles and perhaps at twilight or just before sun up—like a Hummer. They were conceived and manufactured by a concern out of Huntington Beach, California, not unexpectedly called the Landrunner Conversion Company, and were available to dress up your Yj or later Jeep from 1991 to about 2000.
The kit is fiberglass and adds to the standard Jeep structure a set boxy fender flare extensions and a tilt-forward nose. It also addresses one of the YJ’s most egregious styling elements, replacing the much maligned rectangular headlamps with more traditional round units.
Obviously, the kit makes the Jeep much wider. It also adds about 60 pounds to the overall weight. According to contemporary reviews, the benefits of the Landrunner kit were a reduction in mud flung into the cabin when offroading, and the ability to sit or stand on the fenders. That would be helpful when loading, or needing to pee from a great height, say when rattlesnakes are about.
This one comes in a matte gunmetal grey and featured both a fiberglass hardtop and a softy. It’s described by the seller as being “super clean” with “no dents and minor scratches.” The inside is touted likewise with the notable feature being “no interior odors.” Nice!
A CB radio hangs below the dash. Above that, an aftermarket head unit for the stereo sits at knee level next to the HVAC controls. There’s carpet here and vinyl seats that don’t look half bad.
The drivetrain is claimed to be without flaw. The engine is called a V6 in the ad, but it’s most likely factory and that would be AMC’s stout 4-litre straight six. An Aisin five-speed manual backs that up and sends power to all four corners via a two-speed transfer case. Tires are new and set the seller back over a grand. I’ve never heard of Mud King tires, but they look aggressive as all get out.
The title is claimed to be clean and while this may look like AM General’s iconic Hummer if you squint hard enough, it’s still going to be registered as a plain old Jeep so insurance shouldn’t be outrageous.
The asking is $7,500 and while the YJ may be one of the less-loved editions of Jeep’s long-running compact off-roader series, this Landrunner is definitely a distinct and unique take on the model. Also, round headlights!
Your job now is to determine whether or not it could actually be worth that $7,500. What do you think, is this super clean Landrunner a deal at that asking? Or, does that price have you running for the hills?
You decide!
Orange County, CA Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to FauxShizzle for the hookup!
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