Alaskan Postal Scrambler CJ-8 Production Number/History/Info/Pics from USPS documents

[bigwalton]

**Updating this 2/13/19 (wow, 17 years later...) to load the images directly in the thread since my original site that had them is long gone. Added some links and edited only what I needed to make it make sense with the new links/images. Edited title to be more descriptive.**

Yeah, it's that crazy guy that drove the AK Postal across the country again...

**Update: I flew to and bought my Postal in Anchorage in 2002, got it running and drove it back from AK to NC with my brother. Here's the link to the blog posts I made on what used to be Rockcrawler.com (now owned by IH8Mud.com, but he still keeps this live this for me) during the trip back: https://www.rockcrawler.com/trailreports/postalcj8/index.asp -- note that you click the dots on the map in the upper left to move between the posts.

I wanted to post all of the great information that I found at the Museum of Alaskan Transportation and Industry in Wasilla, Alaska regarding the Alaskan Postal Scramblers' history and pictures of the very nicely restored example that they have on site.

There's some documents from the USPS that detail the history of the restored Postal, the Postal CJ-8s' history in general and their use in service. I've also scanned in more pictures of the restored Jeep, when I was there my digital camera crapped out, so there's a couple pictures that weren't posted on the Rockcrawler.com site.

The most interesting bit in all of that information is the exact, official number of these Postals that were built, a number that's been unknown and disputed everywhere that I've seen: 230. Considering the number that I have seen personally or have read that were totalled or chopped up, the number of ones that can possibly still exist is right at or around 200! **Update: We now have a thread on here where we are attempting to list out as many of the Postals and their World Cabs that we can based on first-hand information, here's the link: https://www.cj-8.com/threads/alaska...cab-count-registry-help-build-the-list.48322/

Anyone interested in Alaskan Postals should feel free to email or PM me... I don't mind talking about them too much

This is the very clean, fully restored Jeep at the MATI (this isn't my photo, but a more recent and larger/better quality one taken by Craig Taylor):


These are poor quality scans of my film photos from 2002, it hasn't changed much and when I saw it they had it under roof, out of the weather.








Next up: The USPS documents.

 

[bigwalton]

The USPS Documents: These are different documents that the nice lady at the MATI dug up for me while my family patiently indulged my insanity. When we were in the gift shop, she came out to talk to us and I mentioned about buying one of the Postal Scramblers to fix up and drive across the country. She volunteered to go up to retrieve and copy these immediately.

There's an agenda for the presentation ceremony and a program of the event that I only included for completeness. There's a good general background on the Postal CJ-8 fleet, including the official number of them that were ordered: 230. Finally there's a history of the specific vehicle that was restored and donated to the museum and a letter from the driver of one of these Jeeps.

Cover letter to the Museum with info from the USPS prior to the donation:


Donation Ceremony Agenda:


Postman's Letter:


Program for the Ceremony:


The press release with details on the donated Postal, also cites the 230 production number:


The most important document, the background summary again citing the 230 production number:
Note that this is mainly referring to the donated Postal, so when it talks about the auxiliary heater, it's talking about this specific Jeep. The previous document stated that this heater was added to the Postals used in Fairbanks specifically.


I think that's everything I have on the MATI Postal and the USPS documentation, anyone with additional FIRST HAND knowledge about these please share! (There's been way too much internet rumor about these for way too long ) Hopefully I'll come across my film photos sometime and scan them much better.

 

[revho]

Thanks for updating Eric. The photo through the rear window in to the back of Postal also shows the every mysterious two large hose clamps on the roll bar that no can explain...

 

[bigwalton]

Thanks for updating Eric. The photo through the rear window in to the back of Postal also shows the every mysterious two large hose clamps on the roll bar that no can explain...

Ah. Believe it’s holding up whatever is circled in yellow.

 

[AJ2393]

Looks like a fan, maybe?

 

[bigwalton]

That would be my guess too. I need to find the actual photos. I really thought I had ones in each side window.

 

[Belizeit]

Great information and very informative. I know it said Cherokee was the replacement vehicle back then. That was some time ago. Any idea what the fleet is now ?

 

[bigwalton]

Great information and very informative. I know it said Cherokee was the replacement vehicle back then. That was some time ago. Any idea what the fleet is now ?

I don't know, @AK-RWC can probably tell us.

 

[Belizeit]

Last year when I was in rural Louisiana I saw one of the newer jeeps,only signs on the outside of the vehicle identifing it as a postal vehicle, but not officially painted as one, but was RH drive with flashing lights on the roof for caution

 

[spankrjs]

When our house was on the "rural route", our mail guy was driving a RHD TJ Wrangler. The guys at NAPA said he comes in every 2-3 months for all new brake pads He is still driving it, has had it from new in 2004. I can't remember the miles on it, but it was a bunch. Whenever he would bring a package to the door, and I was in the yard working on Jeeps, he would always stop and chat, pretty cool dude

 

[mhinchliffe]

Here what our carrier rolls out in. Please take note of the tires. I don’t think those are available any more. It has an awesome heater duct plenum