The Jeep Gladiator was introduced in 1962 and based on the SJ Jeep Wagoneer. There were several designations for the Gladiator based on its wheelbase: the J200 for short wheelbase trucks until mid-1965 when it became the J2000; J300 for long wheelbase trucks until mid-1965 when it became the J3000; and the J4000 which featured an even longer 131” wheelbase.
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Jeep Gladiators featured rear wheel-drive with optional four-wheel drive with a solid front axle or independent front suspension. Mykol’s Gladiator is the latter; a four-wheel drive beast with long-wheel base and independent front suspension. The rig was rebuilt from the ground-up with a 1977 rebuilt AMC 360 engine under the hood and a Turbo-400 tranny. And while it’s nearing 45 years in age, Mykol’s Gladiator J300 still hits the trails alongside his other Jeep vehicle, a 1997 Jeep Cherokee XJ.
Mykol Blackwell, a proud JPFreek enthusiast, shared with us his 1965 Jeep Gladiator J-300 which has had an eventful life spent mostly in Arizona and most recently in California.
Hardware and Mod Listing:
Front U-joints
Bell crank
Rear U-joints, new front springs
Battery and cables
Tires and wheels
Made front and rear bumpers
Clearance lights
Made running boards
Front spring shackles
Windshield rubber and back window
Brake job, install front clip
Off-road lights
Stereo & door speakers, winshield washer tank, sunvisors
Power steering box, steering column
Rewired under dash
New chrome valve covers
Drivelines
Torque converter
Brake master clyinder
Hoses, radiator cap, Holley carb.
Coil
Tranny cooler
Exhaust system, repaired turn & stop lights
Rebuilt kit for power steering pump
Shocks
Front locking hubs
Rear drums, shoes, hardware
Front tie-rod ends
Sending unit
Heater core & stainless steel radiator lines
