I had so many flashbacks when you mentioned the MB in Cripple Creek,
Colorado. My Grandparents purchased an old mining cabin in Cripple Creek
on their honey moon. Since then, everyone in my family has gone to that
cabin on their honeymoon, including me. I was married in 1994 and I
specifically took $500 with me to try and purchase the very Jeep you saw!
Unfortunately, the owner had sold it. Knowing the size of this town, I'm
pretty sure we are talking about the same Jeep.
You see, when I was little, my family would spend a couple weeks in
Cripple Creek on vacation each summer. Well, my brothers and I would walk
around that town and hills exploring. One day we noticed that Jeep parked
in a field. At that time I had no idea how significant it was. Well, we talked
a bunch of kids in the town into helping us push it up one of the hills and
we were going to ride it down. Imagine if you will, ten kids sitting on
this old MB at the top of one of the larger hill in that town. It took
several hours for us to get it up there, so of course, everyone wanted to
ride it down. Since it was our idea, my brothers and I rode in the Jeep
and the other kids sat on the fenders, hood and bumpers.
As we started gaining speed down the hill, we realized that the brakes
did not work. The hillside was full of bumps and rocks, so the ride down
was really rough. With each bump, one of the kids riding on the Jeep
would fall off. Some of them hit rocks or went under the wheels of the
Jeep. By the time we hit the bottom of the hill, only my brothers and I
were still with the Jeep. One kid held on to the very end but got a face
full of grass before it was over. My brothers and I were pumped until we
saw all the kids laying in pain, scattered accross the hill. The end
result was several broken finger, cuts, and a lot of strawberries. The
kids that were hurt went home and the owner must have heard about what we
did because the next day, the Jeep was chained to a pole in the alley
next to his building. Each year we went back, we tried to get that Jeep
off the chain to roll it up the hill.
He usually had an advertisement for his business, which I believe was a
panning for gold museum, painted on the side of it. One year I saw it with
a poster board sign on it. The last time I saw it, it was looking pretty rough,
but I always wanted to restore it. It was the type of Jeep I have been looking
for and it had a lot of sentimental value as well.
As I've said before, my love for Jeeps started early and I know that this old
Jeep played a big part in it. Its a small world. If you come accross that
Jeep again, be sure and let me know. Good luck on your search.
Jason
97 TJ Sport (and my wife wonders why I'm so nuts about Jeeps?)
On Thu, 2 Jan 1997, Mike Baker wrote:
> About 12 years ago I traveled to Cripple Creek Colorado on Holiday and
> stumbled onto a early 40's MB in an alley in the small Gold Mining town. By
> looking at it I could tell it had been there for many years. I returned
> three years ago and it was gone. It had been in my thoughts for many years
> dreaming of this vehicle. The MB was in much pain. But I knew if it was my
> own I would have been able to bring it back to life and back to its
> original position. I live in Michigan and have never seen a MB to restore
> in the area. I did find one but it was more rust than jeep. Well at least
> he said it was a Jeep. But in Colorado rust didn't seem to be a problem.
> Can anyone tell me if MB's are rare in the Western States? Or are they
> plentiful. I want a basket case. Not one I have to pay much for. If there
> are many to be found in the wild west then this guy would leave to look for
> gold.