teamsmith Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I'm sure we've all read the rumors that a new GW is coming in 2018 and there was an article on bloomberg with the headline "Now is the best time to buy an '84-91' GW." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-26/why-now-s-the-time-to-buy-a-1984-1991-jeep-grand-wagoneer Bringatrailer.com just sold a '91 with polished up paint and visible rust concerns at the cab corners and doors for $5600. http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-jeep-grand-wagoneer/ I've seen a couple of these pop up but this one has caught my eye because a: it's cheap and b: the seller tells me there is absolutely no rust. '88s are presumably less desirable than '91s http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/cto/5256005518.html The fact that I'm worried about having that post-purchase sinking feeling that I got in over my head tells me that I should just put it out of my head and move along. I am finally crawling out from under this MJ project and daily driving it; getting crushed by a new, unfamiliar, can of worms is discouraging but I am still, inexplicably, drawn to the challenge. I realize there are many SJ forums with lots of newbie FAQs etc. I have spent hours reading those but I'm just putting this out there to get opinions from a familiar crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser54 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Who believes anything Bloomberg has to say anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 :agree: Buy an SJ because you want/need an SJ, not because some magazine or website or whatever told you to. People hold these things up in their mind as some paragon of a perfect vehicle, but they're slow, carbureted, unrefined, rust prone vehicles that were aging 40 years ago but happen to look freaking amazing still. Sorry if that offends the purists but it's the truth. People might say the same for MJs, but they are just old enough to not be computers on wheels but just new enough to have very nice things like fuel injection. I have a feeling that just put a HUGE target on my back, but my point is this: You wouldn't be worried about that "post-purchase sinking feeling" if you really wanted one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamsmith Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Thanks for the thoughts. I'm not offended, you're comments echo alot of what I have been thinking. I do not know a lot but I know understand that the 'simplicity of carbureted' is a misnomer. I for sure do not need an SJ, or any other vehicle, especially an old partially worn out vehicle. However, I have always liked the blunt instrument styling of the GW. When I was growing up as a part of a financially struggling family, I saw a couple of these in my town and saw them as some kind of symbol of success while still being rugged. It's just one of those things that are hard to let go of as an adult. Assuming the planned revised 2018 GW does come out that it is passably good looking and not outrageously overpriced, it is very likely that I will be ordering one when the banks open. Emissions is an issue; the owner lives in a non-emissions county so I do not know if it would pass and that would be a hurdle every year. It is old enough for antique tags though. I didn't mean to include the bloomberg article as my sole/main motivation. I was just including it as additional material for reaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Well ,if you do end up getting one. Making it something like this.. maybe less extreme on the lift tires? http://comancheclub.com/topic/41090-88-j20-turbo-diesel/ If I could find an SJ or older full size J Truck, for a reasonable price that had a good body/frame, I would do it. And it would either get a Gen3/4 LS-based engine or a Cummins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamsmith Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 W Well ,if you do end up getting one. Making it something like this.. maybe less extreme on the lift tires? http://comancheclub.com/topic/41090-88-j20-turbo-diesel/ If I could find an SJ or older full size J Truck, for a reasonable price that had a good body/frame, I would do it. And it would either get a Gen3/4 LS-based engine or a Cummins. What do you reckon all that upfitting would cost? $15k plus the cost of a truck, plus know-how (that I don't have)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 If you do not want it that modern or "fancy" then do not do that. Just a suggestion, partially to see if it would push you that direction. At the very least I would convert to fuel injection to get more performance/mileage out of it, and at least somewhat restore it. I guess it really depends on what you would want to do/plan on using it for. W Well ,if you do end up getting one. Making it something like this.. maybe less extreme on the lift tires? http://comancheclub.com/topic/41090-88-j20-turbo-diesel/ If I could find an SJ or older full size J Truck, for a reasonable price that had a good body/frame, I would do it. And it would either get a Gen3/4 LS-based engine or a Cummins. What do you reckon all that upfitting would cost? $15k plus the cost of a truck, plus know-how (that I don't have)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheFan1991 Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 If you do not want it that modern or "fancy" then do not do that. Just a suggestion, partially to see if it would push you that direction. At the very least I would convert to fuel injection to get more performance/mileage out of it, and at least somewhat restore it. I guess it really depends on what you would want to do/plan on using it for. W Well ,if you do end up getting one. Making it something like this.. maybe less extreme on the lift tires? http://comancheclub.com/topic/41090-88-j20-turbo-diesel/ If I could find an SJ or older full size J Truck, for a reasonable price that had a good body/frame, I would do it. And it would either get a Gen3/4 LS-based engine or a Cummins. What do you reckon all that upfitting would cost? $15k plus the cost of a truck, plus know-how (that I don't have)? Would the 4.0 fit in one, or a J truck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 They had the 4.2 as an option, so yes, since the 4.0 is externally the same, it'll bolt in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 I had a '78 SJ Cherokee (the full-size Cherokee). I'm in the salt belt and it was losing the rust battle so I sold it, but I often regret having done so. I loved that truck. Mine had the AMC 360 engine, and I felt like it had enough torque to pull down a good sized house. I used mine mostly for plowing in the winter. Check the frame for rot. If the frame is solid, anything else can be fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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