Anyone fortunate enough to have an Icon CJ3B

[Hobie]

I always liked the Toyotas and other rough and ready vehicles. Then I happened on to the Icon CJ3B and I thought... HEY, that's for me.

[Phideaux]

I like it! Having once owned a Toyota FJ-40 I could love this. Wonder what the cost is?

Phideaux

[COSteve]

But at $79,000!!!!!! it's a bit too spendy for most of us.

[J Miller]

I've seen their sites, read all of their info and I'd rather have my stock unmolested '78 FJ40 back than one of theirs. I got other places to use 80K $$$.

Joe

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I'll wait for the CJ8 version to come out. A friend had one redone here and it turned out very well. Took a while though for the whole frame off thing.

[Griff]

Still waiting for the video to download... talk about slow connections.

But, I gotta say, ain't nothin' more iconoclastic than a "Vehicle, GP", as manufactured by Willys. while newer versions and derivatives may have more amenities, more power, may even be more adaptable, none perform its basic function any better.

[Old Savage]

Went night clubbing in Chicago in the 70s in a Toyota Land Cruiser - the little jeep like one. No problems. In Newport Beach we went in a limo but that is what happens when your friends get richer. One advantage to being in the National Guard in the 70s was the opportunity to drive WWII era vehicles: jeeps, 3/4 tons and 2 1/2s. Some fun there - the 2 1/2s had auto transmissions marked Flat and Hilly.

[jeepnik]

Way too much money. You could build just as good yourself for less. One of the great things about old CJ's and FJ's is that you can do anything that needs doing all by yourself. I'll stick with my CJ-8. Well over 200,000 miles and still able to go places that the fancy new TJ's and Land Cruisers will never go. I'd like to see a new Land Cruiser go over the Rubicon, in stock condition. Late me rephrase the Rubicon of old, not what it is today. I understand they have "bypasses" on some of the sections if you don't think you can make it.

IN 1983 I did it in this. A box stock Scrambler just as it looks in this photo.

[gamekeeper]

When my lottery numbers finally come up I'll send in my order.

[dr walker]

Game Keeper- That is exactly what I was thinking.
and Hobie- Thanks for sharing that. I had no idea there were any companies out there making cars like this. Even if it is expensive, it is really cool.

[damienph]

For way less money you can have some fantastic Jeeps. I gave my 1980 CJ5 to my son a couple of years ago. I totally restored it back in the mid '90s (frame off) for less than $5000. 15 years later it still looks and drives great. I have a 1958 Willys 4x4 Wagon and a 1995 Cherokee that I don't have more than $10,000 invested in for the pair. For the asking price of those vehicles, you could have a fleet of authentic Jeeps.

[Blaine]

Too much $$$$$
Unless, of course, you have the money and want one

[Technical Director]

Aaaaah, Jeeps . Had a 1973 CJ-5 that I bought brand new last century for $3750. That was before the first oil crisis. Basically only came with the driver's seat and the other seats were extra. It was equiped with the factory 304 V-8, and other things I did with it included:
* adding a full metal cab.
* adding a Detroit Locker in the rear Dana 44 axle (axles had 4.27 gears which worked really well with 11-15 tires).
* changed the suspension with spring packs that had fewer and thicker leaves...they had less friction in them so ride was nicer and they had more load capacity than factory heavy duty springs.
* added 1976 style factory power steering (metal hoses had double bump versus single bump fittings ie stronger).
* added dealer option AC (yup, AC inna Jeep...ain't that hard core ).
* chenged the DANA 20 transfer case to a DANA 300 brand new unit that was intended for a IH Scout so the bolt pattern matched the T-15 tranny, plus the transfer case shifter was in the same location, and I didn't have to change the drive shafts length.
* added a Ramey winch that with it being worm gear driven made it stop and lock once you turned the power off.
* added skid plates on the spring clip plates.
* added a full length skid plate under the engine and both transmissions.
* had the main cross piece member reinforcec with 1/8" plate, which prevented the cross peice member from bending if I did a one point landing on it (I spent a lot of time crawling rocks in the Sierras).

Absolutely loved that Jeep for the 27 years I had it. Lots of good memories from places I've been and things that I've done with it. Neither of my girls were interested in it, so after five years of thingking about it I sold it to my BIL's FIL. So it's still sorta in the family.

Really nice thing about the 1972 to 1975 Jeeps was the metal used iin the frames. Very strong and ductile, you needed to heat them up to around 1900 degrees ie bright cherry red if you needed to do any welding on them. The 1976 forward (don't know how far forward), you could/should only heat them up to no more than 1300 degrees ie dull red. Any further and you whould goof up the metal as they were "sorta strong" but much more brittle than the 72-75's. Cheaper to make that way I guress.

Looked at a new Jeep when the Rubicon model came out because they had Dana 44 axles and a "V" style engine (don't like in-line enignes in Jeeps). However, the sticker price was $40k, which was just as much as my then 1997 4x4 Tahoe cost. No thank you .

[Old Ironsights]

I'll bet that for $92K I could build a couple of what I want...

"Heavy" 1/4 ton (Dakota?), 4x4, moderate lift, extended cab, step side box, no electronics, diesel.

The diesel in a 1/4T is the hard part...

[Charles]

I drove a 1972 Toyoto F Land Cruiser during my years of missionary service in South America and it saw plenty of rought service. I would by one of the new ICCON Jeep type thingies in a heartbeat if I had the money. I will buy an extra lotto ticket this week and keep my fingers crossed. There is a 2,500 acre desert ranch on in the Texas Big Bend I want also. The Dog would fit right in.

[Streetstar]

But at $79,000!!!!!! it's a bit too spendy for most of us.

Yeah -- it is. (sigh ) but in my career as an ins. adjuster , i often get to see how "the other half" lives. Had a customer with the FJ based version of one of these on Sanibel Island in Florida.

The price only seems high until you try to build one yourself that is equivalent. The fella takes a chassis that is part rock crawler, part race car, with beautiful welds and detailing that few of us mere mortals can dream of competing with in a "garage-built" custom. All the while , with new car efficiency in terms of reliability.

I dare say, if some of us had the tools and the talent, we could probably put together something pretty darn nice, but the real kicker is not the price of the parts, its when you factor in your own labor that you can see the actual cost for a one-off vehicle like that is enormous.

Excellent vehicles ! (but i would still probably put my money into both a '67 Vette AND a vintage CJ-7 if i had a spare 60-80k lying around ) -- but people who buy trucks like that dont make comparisons like i just did -- they see it, make a calculation or two, maybe a phone call, then they place the order without batting an eye.

[Ravenman]

Nice movie about the Icon CJ3B and the history of this 4x4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO0QvgmqENo