Throwback Thursday: 1964 Kaiser Jeep Forward Control M677 Restoration Took Five Years to Complete
Only about 50 of these Jeep Forward Control M677 vehicles remain today and none of them are built quite like this one.
Where do you even start with a Jeep like this? It is a 1964 Kaiser Jeep Forward Control M677. It is based off a forward control Jeep FC170 and FC150 but is a double cab that was a factory custom order for the Marines and Navy. Only about 400 were ever made and today only about 50 remain. You will likely never see one. You will almost certainly never see one like this. Over the course of five years and about 3,500-man hours this Jeep was restored and modified into a do it all rig that looks like nothing else on the road or the trail.
This week’s “Throwback Thursday” is all about this 1964 Kaiser Jeep Forward Control M677 restoration. After being worked on since 2017 it was finally ready to make its debut at SEMA 2022. If you missed it there, that’s OK. The Jeep was built by Greg’s Restorations, and they recently posted a video to their YouTube channel all about this amazing ride. We will cover some of the many highlights of the build. But we also need to ask the question of would you wait five years for a custom Jeep like this?
Build Highlights
XJ Cherokee fans will be happy to hear that there is a lot of 2000 Jeep Cherokee under this M677. It uses not only the legendary 4.0L straight six engine but the entire drive train from the XJ. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. There are Dana axles front and rear with disc brakes. The vehicle is lifted about 4 inches and rides on a 3-link front coil suspension. There are LED headlights as well as a WARN 8274 winch up front. 35-inch BFG Mud Terrain tires are mounted on Detroit Steel wheels. There is also a rooftop tent for any of your overlanding adventures. The interior has been completely redone with distressed brown leather and a custom dash. Autometer gauges provide the driver will all the information needed. But the very best part is the natural patina that was left alone.
The Ride
It isn’t a sportscar but for a vehicle like this it rides and handles surprisingly well. If you wanted to drive this thing for a couple hundred miles to a campsite you could easily do that in total comfort. And while you might not want to take this M677 rock crawling it can certainly hold its own off road. The only thing that would hold us back from that would be risking damage to a Jeep that took so long to build.
Worth the Wait?
So, speaking of it taking a long time to build, would you wait five years for a project Jeep to be built? This project began three years before anyone heard the word COVID. If this project started when your son was a 13-year-old high school freshman, he would be able to legally vote by the time it was finished. We know that greatness can’t be rushed. And this Jeep is certainly great. But would you have the patience to wait for this? If not, what is your limit? How long do you think you could reasonably spend on a project? Let us know your thoughts in the JK Forum forums.
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