My Dad had a 79 CJ 7. HORRIBLE daily driver! And not worth beans on a snowy highway either. The torque of that straight six was impressive, even at idle.
Your father was part of the reason that Jeeps went downhill. They were designed and meant to be used as an off road utility vehicle, which could also spent time on the road. It was never meant to be a daily driver, and swapped ends too easily to be a daily on road snow vehicle.