The USPS was founded by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1775, at the beginning of the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first postmaster general; he also served a similar position for the American colonies. The Post Office Department was created in 1792 with the passage of the Postal Service Act. The appointment of local postmasters was a major venue for delivering patronage jobs to the party that controlled the White House.
Under the category of you never know what is coming through the door, we have a special delivery to our Hallowed Halls in the form of a 1974 AMC DJ5 Mail Jeep. Yes it's a creation from fiberglass and has some serious power under the hood. A 355 Chevy small block under the hood has an 871 Weiand blower, some snazzy racing seats, and a full gauge package to monitor the vitals as you go from door to door. I'll put the flag up so it stops for long enough for you to read this letter, and maybe even take a closer look at this special delivery.
Exterior You may say its standard government issue with fiberglass that has taken the form of the typical mail truck in red white and blue, mostly white. It takes on the strength of a Jeep with the vertical ribbed grille and square flanking head lighting and turn signals on either side of said grille. A shiny bumper frames the bottom. The first clue that this is not exactly standard government issue is the hole on the forward flipping hood and the large blower scoop protruding skyward laced with braided stainless fuel lines and badged "Air Mail". It has the standard mirrors hanging off of the roof, and a few strobe lights to warn of a frequent stopping vehicle. A sliding side door, tinted glass and the boxy design allow for plenty of deliverables to stuff in the back. A large chromed side pipe and some wheelie bars may give it away that it truly is a certified package. Drilled and bolted 15-inch semi-polished wheels are on and wrapped in well preserved rubber. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
Interior As we slide the side doors to the back we can slip inside this right hand driver and see a flat design black painted dash. It has a lineup of gauges, toggles and buttons for various functions. A large steering wheel fronts the dash and a tachometer is hanging from the middle top of the dash and it glares at the driver. Blue and black side bolstered high back buckets are in a pair and float in ribbed all weather gray carpeting. In the center we note a B&M shifter, and for the passenger a padded "Jesus" bar just in case any deliveries are time sensitive. For some tunes, between boxes we note an AM/FM/CD radio. The remainder of the cabin is utilitarian with unpainted fiberglass for the roof and some wiring on the outside for the strobe lights. The flooring for the cargo area is more ribbed all weather carpeting.
Drivetrain For easy access and possibly some wrenching, the entire front of the vehicle hinges forward. Here it is revealed that this package is more than standard parcel post, with a 355ci Chevy small block with some aluminum heads. On top an 871 Weiand blower forcing oxygen and fossils into the small block through dual 4-barrel Holley carbs. A TH350 3-speed automatic is on back, along with a Dana 44 rear axle. Headers and a muffler delete exhaust system are in for the exhale. Just the right package for an on or ahead of time delivery and it can haul mail and ass!
Undercarriage Black painted structurally sound steel is underneath, and its all rust free. 4 wheel drum braking and all around leaf sprung suspension is seen for this hauling ass vehicle.
Drive-Ability When this one pulled off the trailer upon arrival there was no mistaking it actually arrived! It has a thunderous roar and it lets the world know its time to go to the box and get your goods. There is lots of power, handles well and stops on a dime. It is an easy driver with the auto transmission.
You will be the only one on your block with this creation, and who knows maybe a career is at hand as an official employee of the US Government. Power to spare and all in fiberglass it definitely gets this writer's stamp of approval. Bah dum dum!
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
