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The Jeep CJ6: The Long And Short Of It!?
1966 CJ6 Jeep
The only difference in the two Universal Jeeps was the length of their respective wheelbases.
The CJ6 was a full 20 inches longer than the CJ5 with a wheelbase of 101 inches to the CJ5's 81 inches. Compare the Jeep CJ6 with the CJ5
Now... one might think that the longer roomier CJ6 would be a great hit with the public after enduring the stubby little CJ's over the previous 10 years. Well that would probably be true today with the apparent success of the longer Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, but for some reason the CJ6 just couldn't keep pace with the CJ5. One possible reason might be that Kaiser-Willys (eventually called Kaiser-Jeep), and later American Motors Corporation (AMC) focused much of their marketing of the CJ6 as a work vehicle. By that time there was ample competition among other major "truck" and utility manufacturers
who were providing significantly more cargo and human space in their vehicles than the spartan CJ6...
with near equal capabilties...at least in the work environment. By 1972 Both the CJ6 and the CJ5 were lengthened another 3 inches each to accomodate American Motors larger, more powerful engines. The two Jeeps shared everything except length. Initially they were available with the Kaiser/Willys 4 cylinder F-head engine as standard with an optional V6 or 4-cylinder diesel. Later, new owners American Motors Corporation, installed a GM and soon after, an AMC 4-cylinder engine as standard, while the AMC V6 ( 232 ci or 258 ci) and V8 (304 ci) were options. The CJ6 could carry up to 8 tightly packed passengers (workers) with it's optional side mounted rear seats, or haul over 1500 pounds of cargo. Today the Jeep CJ6 is a good collectible with good value especially since it's production numbers were significantly less than the comparable CJ5. I have always been partial to the longer (and slightly larger) Jeep Universals, simply from a practical standpoint. A bit more cargo and passenger space makes sharing the back country and deserts more enjoyable in my opinion. The extra 20 inches of length with the CJ6 translated into more utility and function in many environments other than those dominated by the shorter CJ5's, not to mention the slight improvement in stability and safety. So... to the question...Is longer less? It all depends on your perspective...given a choice between the same year CJ5 and CJ6..I would personally choose the Jeep CJ6...all things being equal.
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