Lufkin man maintains 2 dozen custom Jeeps in private collection

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - For more than 20 years, Barry Ogletree has worked on and customized Jeeps.

While living in Fredericksburg, Barry Ogletree had a Jeep, a vehicle that he’d seen and rode in for the early parts of his life.

With the Jeep only having two doors, Ogletree, his Wife Karen, and his grandchildren couldn’t ride in it together, so Barry decided to build a stretched model that he named ‘Bubba.’

“This was before four-door Jeeps came out and I built one and people started trying to buy and I built another one and another one built 4 or 5 and I told Karen I thought we could sell them,” said Ogletree.

Barry then started a company called ‘What-A-Jeep’ specializing in stretched Jeeps and trucks. After customizing over 800 Jeeps from 1998 to 2004 for upwards of $25,000 each, Gary and his wife sold the company and moved to Lufkin.

“We bought a building here on the loop and moved our Jeeps that we had built. I always had hot rods and cars my whole life and have done crazy things to them,” said Ogletree.

Of the 24-Jeep collection, Barry has stretched Jeeps, a Jeep made entirely of stainless steel, and even some that were early World War II army vehicles.

There’s a red, blue, and electric yellow Jeep, with some having upgrades under the hood as well.

Ogletree said that each Jeep also has a name.

“Ours are Bubba, Sally, Crush, Spud, names that mean something maybe to us but not to other people. Spud, for example, he spent his whole life on an Idaho potato farm and we’re second owners,” said Ogletree.

After finding Jeeps in trade shows and online, Barry’s wife Karen also has her say in the customization of the collection, specifically the gear shift knobs.

“She’ll look around and go in there and pick around and put one on and not like it and put another one and generally they have to have the color of the Jeep in them, or some of the personality of the Jeep,” said Ogletree.

When looking back at his collection of custom Jeeps, Barry reflects on how much money it cost to have it.

“A lot,” said Ogletree.

Ogletree said he’s always open to sharing a look of his Jeep collection with visitors who stop by his garage.

To see more of Barry’s Jeeps and the customization done to each, click here.