Back when I still lived in California, it seemed that every gardener/landscaper used a small and old Toyota or Nissan truck. A really big operator might spring for a T-100 but that was kind of pushing it and a sign that perhaps you were being overcharged. Here in Colorado it seems that nobody can mow a lawn or pull a few weeds without showing up in a 3/4 or 1-ton 4WD truck every time, usually with a giant trailer. That’s why I’ve enjoyed seeing this older and very down to earth Jeep pickup in the same neighborhood as a house I’m working on; I see it several times a week in front of various houses and it seems to have cornered the market here.
As I finally stopped to take a few pictures of it a couple of weeks ago, a man on the porch of the house it was sort of in front of asked me what I was doing. I explained myself and he suggested I go through his gate and talk to his gardener. So I did. And in the immaculately maintained oasis of a backyard found Jenny, the owner of the truck.
It turns out that her Dad bought the truck new in 1980; they lived a few miles to the east of here and he used the truck as one used to use them, i.e. hauling water, clearing brush, you know, real work on the homestead without much regard to the truck’s paint and other cosmetics.
When Jenny decided to get into the landscaping business, she took over the truck and since it had been part of the family, it’s now also a big part of the business. I’ve seen it empty a couple of times, but usually when I see it again later in the day it’s loaded down with clippings, branches, yard waste, etc, often filled to overflowing but always being used in the same way it’s been used since the beginning. Jenny didn’t strike me as the type of person to be looking to upgrade to something bigger or shinier, and this one seems to be doing the job just fine.
The Jeep truck is no stranger to these here virtual pages, but I don’t think we’ve featured a 1980 one of these yet. This is the J-10, the half-ton model, originally known as a Gladiator, then J-2000, and then J-10 as of 1974. I’m assuming this one uses the Jeep 258ci inline-6 but the 360ci V8 was optional. I’m basing that assumption on the fact that this one is equipped with a manual transmission, but I could be wrong, I don’t think it was ever denoted on the body and I can’t recall what Jenny said; after all, since last week I am “of a certain age”.
The colors are one of the two-tone options, in this case Navy Blue (new for 1980!) over White. Of course Father Time has introduced a third tone to the mix but that’s alright, this is a working truck and wears its patina proudly.
The rear bumper used to be in better shape, it was rear-ended a couple of weeks ago and caused it to fold under. Replacing it shouldn’t be too difficult, there’s an equally patinated one in one of the local junkyards but undoing the bolts may take a bit of doing…
It’s nice to see a truck still in the same family so many years later and especially to see it still being used every day. I’d say it’s certainly earned its keep over the years. And based on what I saw of Jenny’s work, if you live in the area and want someone top-notch to take care of your plantings, call her, you won’t regret it. And who knows, maybe you can go for a ride in the truck!
Related Reading:
These are delightful old pickups. My grandfather Albert’s older brother Lyle had one of this vintage as did Lyle’s son.
As of a few days ago a local grocery store had an older, round headlight version of these Jeep pickups on display out front, as part of a diorama of the fall harvest.
I’ll speculate you’ll still be seeing this Jeep for years. They really don’t seem to wear out.
I do worry about some of the rust on the bed sides though.
With a vehicle with such sentimental value I bet Jenny is really glad that the rear end collision did not further damage their Jeep. Thank you for taking these photographs and giving us a backstory. I wonder what Jenny does when it snows?
It may be a case of “Yeah, but you should have seen the other guy!”
Even well used, to me that’s still a sharp old truck. Here in MI most landscapers also plow snow in the winter, and a 3/4 or 1 ton truck is much better suited to that than something lighter. I did know a landscaper who ran a late 90s Dakota with a plow in the winter, but he was one of the luckiest people I knew in just about all aspects, so I wouldn’t consider his success with that rig akin to it being a good idea.
No snow plowing needed in SoCal, so I remember from the few times I was there that there were Toyota pickups (pre-Tacoma) everywhere, usually with 3 people crowded into the cab.
A few battle scars on a working ute that age are nothing to worry about, but a gas axe can remove any stubborn bolt should the need arise, personally I’d just keep driving it untill it falls apart and that could take a while.
I don’t see many of these J-series pickups, but I bet three-quarters of those that I do see are still working hard. The last one I saw was over the summer in Rhode Island, and unfortunately it drove by without me getting a picture of it. I’m glad you had the opportunity to talk to this truck’s owner — great story here.
Now this….is a Pickup Truck!
Now that’s a SERIOUS truck. Note that all the interior pieces are still present and solid after 40 years of hard use.
I see a little metal fatigue on the inner corners of the rear wheel arches. My ’50 Willys truck had the same problem in the same place, but it was only 20 years old when I owned it, and this one is 40 years old now. Better quality!
I always liked how AMC modified the tailgates on these Jeeps from the old Kaiser design. The Kaiser Jeeps used 2 latches with hooks and chains to latch the tailgate. AMC used a rear door handle from their passenger car line to make a modern center mount latch. Clever.
One of the garages in the village I grew up in had one of these. The owner bought it new in the mid_70’s all tricked out with all the bells and whistles of the times.
By the time I got to know it in the mid-80’s ten years of the great white salted North had done a number on the body and it was the shop truck.
I drove it a couple of errands for him and it was an experience! The big v-8 under the hood made it go (360,401?) and driving it made me feel like I was running a locomotive without a track.
I love these old Jeep trucks, especially with the big stick shift poking up through the floor. About 1981-82 I worked at a place where the owner used one of these for a plow truck. His was a red one from the mid 70s, V8/4 speed. I rode in it once, I remember it being rattly and getting pretty rusty. These did not like salt much.
What is funny is that a BIL still has a 1981 Chevy truck that his brother bought new, then gave to him when it was replaced in around 1990 or so. With Chevy going through an extra design cycle or two, it seems so much newer than this Jeep does – even with a one-family ownership shorter by just a year..
MOAB!
Guy down the street has a dark blue one, its a later model with the vertical grille.
Cool looking old truck. However, having been a landscaper for 25 years in Florida, i can say dependability is crucial. That Jeep looks like a “nickel and dime” machine. Always something wrong, nothing serious, but needing repair nonetheless. I and a few others laugh at the expensive, luxury heavy duty trucks being used to tow relatively light trailers. I always wanted to project a “commercial” or “ business” image. Nothing luxury, but something that made me look established, not driving a personal truck, and with late model dependability. A friend liked to drive ratty looking vans; he said it made him look affordable, I did not agree. I’d want to deal with someone who appears at least modestly successful, not just getting by. “An ounce of image is with a pound of performance.” I hated that saying, but it’s true…it is what it is. While on this subject, I also had my trucks professionally lettered, no “fly by night” stick on magnets; that’s if they were lettered at all. Lettered trucks are good for branding and marketing, but worthless for advertising. Just my experience and opinion.
I gotta proofread better. It’s “An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance.”
When I see new trucks with nice lettering painted on I think “high price” and wont call them. However, when most companies see our modest 1946 stucco box in a $2M neighborhood and ten year old Honda Fit in the driveway, they dare not bid the job too high.
I had just remembered. Sometimes a distinctive, old truck can be good for business. Back in the 90s, a friendly competitor partnered in the landscape business owned a super nice ‘51 Ford F-series pickup. Panted bright yellow, with modern upgrades including vintage air. They actually drive it daily for business use for a while. It was so identified with their business their company was called “Fifty-One Landscape.”