I voted for the Jeep, only because of a non-exsistant sentamental attachment (Post Jeep era Vet).
Im suprised that the majority of readers would chose a jeep due to its mechanical complexity compaired to the VW.
Id like to read comments on that.
Leo
I voted for the VW because I know how to work on them (when I'm not working on Volvos) -- got my first license in a Beetle, and I've owned a variety of microbuses for over 30 years now. I'm a Navy vet, so I never messed with Jeeps, even non-existing ones.
Series6
New Reader
12/10/09 8:21 p.m.
I mentioned this elsewhere. Assuming all I had to work with was rocks, bailing wire and string, I eliminated anything with a radiator.
I voted for der kubelwagen. Brilliantly simple, related to Porsche.
TJ
Dork
12/11/09 9:53 a.m.
I still say if I had only one thing to drive in that situation I would choose a boat, not a car. Seems the jeep is the only one of the three choices with a driveshaft that may be able to turned into a propeller shaft using 'dessert' island technology. The VW transaxle and the moke would be harder to convert to powing a boat.
The jeep also has better off road capability and 4 wheel drive.
ddavidv
SuperDork
12/11/09 4:52 p.m.
Having owned both, the Jeep is a bigger, more unreliable piece of crap than the VW. A teepee header on a VW is a wonderful thing. However, I'd still take the Jeep. Working on it would give me something to do, and it's just go so much character over the VW. Also, when I'm rescued from purgatory by scantily clad jungle women, they will all love the Jeep. I doubt that would happen with a Thing. A Moke, maybe, but not a Thing.
As for the Moke, well, I own a Mini. I'd like it to run more often than not.
I voted for the jeep because I do know how to work on it. Believe it or not, I have no experience with VW mechanicals.
Rza
HalfDork
12/15/09 10:48 a.m.
I owned a '53 CJ-3A and it had a PTO. You can do a lot of work with a PTO... Plus flat fender Jeeps are cool
Nashco
SuperDork
12/15/09 7:06 p.m.
It doesn't get much more simple than the VW...like series6 said, the added cooling system of the Jeep gives it that much more opportunity to fail and the added 4 wheel drive would be nice but an unnecessary complexity. If you've ridden in a Mexican cab, you've witnessed first hand how much abuse an old air cooled VW will take with little/no maintenance and rudimentary tools.
Bryce
plance1
HalfDork
12/19/09 8:02 p.m.
jeeps are crap, unreliable, over-rated pieces of crap. Anything is better.