Rinse And Repeat

How to build and drive a diesel jeep underwater.

- Fred Williams

I was wearing a special scuba mask that allowed me to talk to and hear other people underwater as I let out the clutch and rolled into the pond. The tires stayed planted, and I plowed ahead as my vision went black. It wasn’t actually black. It was more like a tan, the color of coffee with a half-dozen creamers dumped in. The Cummins was still running, and that was a good sign. Then the dust started to clear, and I thought I was starting to climb the opposite side of the pond. I couldn’t believe it! I was crossing this old pond! And then it got dark again. The whole time, I was in second gear low, and the engine was locked at about a quarter throttle. I didn’t know how much more or less it needed, and I had no idea if I was moving or not. Then I remembered my microphone and called out to the other scuba guys and my friend Rob in a canoe above me. 

“Hello? Hello? Anyone out there?” Nothing. 

Jeeps are designed to conquer almost any terrain, but driving underwater isn’t really what they were made for. It’s true that if you search “underwater jeep” on YouTube, you’ll find a 1952 newsreel video showing a white M38 military jeep driving underwater with a tall snorkel, but it’s been a while since Jeep designed in “fording” as part of its repertoire. I was game to return to this original programming as part of the 75th birthday celebration of the Jeep brand and to do it with my 1997 Jeep Wrangler affectionately known as Tube Sock.