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Any Jeep Grand Wagoneer owners out there?

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wkilleffer

wkilleffer

Jedi Knight
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Hey all,

I posted this in the Other Cars section, and it was suggested that I should also put it here. So, please pardon my broken apostrophe key, and let me know what you think.

My brother recently found a website that advertises a restoration service for Jeep Grand Wagoneers, preferably between the years of 1987 and 1991. The service is supposed to make the vehicle better than new, for a price, of course. Current inventory seems to run between $39000 and $41000 per vehicle depending on year. Good money if you can get it, I suppose...

The two of us have fun memories of a late model Grand Wagoneer owned by a family friend back in the days, and seeing that website got me curious about them. They have been on and off my automotive bucket list for quite some time.

They show up for sale in the area surrounding me from time to time, and Im not too interested in paying that much for a fixed one even if it is better than new. Would rather buy a decent one and wrench it back to happiness.

But all this makes me wonder about the availability of restoration parts, trim bits, etc. So many that I have seen seem to have rust in the rear quarters. Is that something that can be fixed, and fixed well?

Any stories, ideas, etc would be appreciated.

-Bill
 
We had the earlier, original version of one of those ("Wagoneers") in our family years ago and it wasn't bad, but sort of a beast to drive, even back then. It had the OHC six engine.

My older son-in-law's family had one too.
So when he and my daughter went looking for a new car they bought what they considered a modern version: a Jeep Commander.

I wasn't crazy about the idea at first because I had heard stories about reliablity problems, but they've had it for 7 years now and it's been a very good vehicle. Has about 140,000 miles with not-great maintenance and no problems so far. With the V6 it's not even too bad on gas.

One of our friends tows with one too and likes it pretty well.

Here's one by me for $8000

https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3783925815.html

My daughter's Commander has a third row seat (the "way-back" seat) so it will carry lots of folks. I actually took it for a few laps around Summit Point race track one time. :friendly_wink:
 
Nial, different critter, he's talking about a FSJ, " The real deal, all steel, V8 'by God' four wheel drive."

One thing I will say is I didn't like the way mine handled when towing. It may have been the tires but it felt squirrely.


Check out IFSJ.org, great buncha guys.
 
Ahhh, the classic wood-grain Wagoneer. Like you always see with a wooden canoe on top, and a golden retriever in the back, looking so pristine on the cover of the fall L.L. Bean catalog.
I've wanted one forever.
All parts are available (Where do you think those restoration shops get them?) and there are clubs out there specifically for them. I would have one if it weren't for the abysmal gas mileage they get. Somewhere around 12 MPG or so. I love them otherwise.
 
Banjo said:
All parts are available .
Click to expand...

Unless something has happened in the last 6 years you cant get interior or exterior trim, like the woodgrain raised trim around the woodgrain vinyl. You can get carpet and that's about it.

What kills me is the milage for only 160hp.
 
Yep, I am talking about the original full-sized Wagoneer. Accept no substitutes...

The Grand Wagoneer is a vehicle that is as preppy as a turtleneck sweater, khaki trousers, and a pair of Maine Hunting Shoes. The original Preppy Handbook mentioned the Grand Wagoneer on p.204, labeling them as an essential vehicle in places where the roads are private and unpaved, such as Greenwich, CT and Manhattan. My first experience with a Grand Wagoneer took place during my prep school days, and it would have been a late-model example. Now, one of my classmates also had one, but he committed the ultimate sacrilege by visiting area junkyards and adorning it with the badges and hood ornaments from other marques. His wood was faded, and seems the paint color was an oceanic blue that I have only seen once.

There are ways that even an average owner can improve on a good thing, such as better tires, shocks, suspension bushings etc. But the fuel mileage... Yeah, that is a bit of a buzzkill. One of the pricey resto services offers the options of various engine swaps to overcome the rather anemic horsepower figure, and I would imagine that MPG could be positively effected as well. Maybe it is not the most practical idea, but I would want to keep it original if possible, for the same reason that I have not replaced the engine in my MGB with one pulled from a Toyota.

The original engine is an AMC product, and Chrysler was not going to spend money to improve something like that that was already on the chopping block. My brother and I were trying to figure out if a different transmission could be easily mounted to the engine. A transmission like one of those GM Hydramatics with overdrive. It might not eliminate the poor mileage, but might could ease it enough that it does not seem so frightful. One problem could be making allowances for operating the transfer case.
 
Ok, how about as preppy as a white button-down shirt, anchor-motiff necktie, Nantucket Reds and Docksiders?
 
I've seen a blue one here laid up similar to what you described. Nice looking truck. I'll look into it for you if you wish. best swap would be a late model 318/ w/ od auto or 5.0/AOD. AMC bell pattern is AMC specific. Believe it or not, stock AMC heads will outflow almost any other stock V8 head. That's where Chryler got their "Magnum" technology from, AMC port design. Some BB Mopar guy adapt AMC heads to their engines. I know, unbelievable! A 360 can be made into a strong runner. With flat tops and a torque cam milage would prob'ly get better.
 
I cannot or should not buy anything car-wise right now, though I appreciate your willingness to look at it for me. These vehicles will stay on my automotive list, and hopefully at some point I will be able to have one for awhile. Seeing that there are companies out there that restore them for big bucks kindled my curiosity.

Seems more than a few of these and their smaller sibling, the Jeep Cherokee, met their demise at the hands of the CARS program a few years ago. Memories of that debacle have me tasting bile in the back of my throat...
 
A close friend had a new one with the wood trim on it and I drive it a few times. It handled like a truck! I was never impressed with it as the ride also wasn't that great. He was in the tire business and was forever changing tires and shocks to hopefully make it ride and handle better. He sold it after a couple years. PJ
 
had one once didn't tow worth a darn, at least not behind my Cortina. Bought it and towed it home (about 40 mls) with my mk2 Cortina, It was ok 'til I was about 3 bends from home and turned on to my road and the weight of it pushed me across the road, just lucky there was nobody on the other lane. other than that it was ok
 
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