Intro - I've joined the club :)

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merrill77
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:25 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Intro - I've joined the club :)

Post by merrill77 »

I've been lurking here for a while - learning while looking for a FSJ. With 3 boys and lots of camping/scouting activities, my 97 TJ has become a bit cramped. After deciding the larger Wranglers didn't thrill me, I was reminded of the old Wagoneers and Cherokees. My wife actually encouraged me to get one, on the condition of cosmetic approval and it being an auto...a compromise I was gladly willing to make. I had given her the choice of trading in her old-but-reliable Sienna on a newer model or adding a FSJ that she could drive when the van needs to be in the shop...she voted for the FSJ. I'm a lucky guy :)

After failing twice to get what I really wanted, I found this '87 just 90 minutes away on eBay. I probably paid a little too much, but it is, AFAICT, devoid of any concerning rust.. Everything else I've found locally was rusty or way overpriced...or needed a bunch of work to be usable. Well, except for that Golden Eagle with vortec motor...but it is a MT and the wife hated the look.

Image

It's been repainted (poorly) some time ago. It looks ok from 10ft if you ignore the faded wood-like panels. Interior is not bad...dash is not cracked but very faded. Motor has 50k on it, the rest is over 200k. Long list of new parts over the past 10 years, A/C works. Runs and drives as well as I would expect. I've got a short list of things that need to be fixed, but it'll be immediately usable for our camping excursions. It was a CA car until 2006. Spent 5 years in Jersey but less than 2k miles/year on it in that time...so I'm guessing it was garaged. Then it was here in Raleigh since 2012.


Eventually, I'd really like to find something like one of the following resto/mods. My wife loved both of these, but I was unable to procure either :(

Image

Image

I'll still be looking for something like the above, but will be driving the '87 until then. And probably asking a bunch of questions here.

Thanks for the info I've already found, and thanks again, in advance, for the help I'm sure to get!

Chris in Raleigh
77 Wagoneer and 97 TJ.
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az chip
Posts: 1433
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2015 8:59 pm
Location: Mesa, AZ

Re: Intro - I've joined the club :)

Post by az chip »

Welcome! Try and use the search function first. You are in Raleigh, NC? That will help us when you have questions. Show some inside and engine pics when you get a chance.
'81 Cherokee Chief 81 WT Chief/MSD 6/Holley Sniper/ Rusty 4" Spring lift/ Bulltear oil adapter/K&P Engineering Oil Filter/ NP 208/ Serehill Light Harness/KC LED Headlights/ Evil Twin Fab Roof Rack and sliders/ Ross mirror mounts.
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Tatsadasayago
Posts: 3684
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:22 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Intro - I've joined the club :)

Post by Tatsadasayago »

Welcome aboard! That's a splendid looking GW and appears to be a keeper. Now you have the 'Sickness' and we accept you! :P
1977 Cherokee Chief - The Blair Jeep Project III
A collection of parts flying in close formation
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jpswapmohn
Posts: 656
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:08 pm
Location: CO

Re: Intro - I've joined the club :)

Post by jpswapmohn »

Welcome from local..almost, most of the time..anyway, welcome.

Sounds like the family accountant is on board with your plans, so you are 75% winning already!

If you get far enough into your 87 that you don't want to part with it, it would not be too difficult to make the exterior look much like the 70's blue wagoneer. I have pulled side metal trim off a few I found in junk yards or rigs being parted out. It would require removal of vinyl, removal of rivets that hold the sournding trim, fill, a little bodywork, etc. Then you can paint, apply the narrow wood vinyl and install the metal trim, either with the clips (drilling required) or 3M tape.

This was my original plan, but i have chosen Toyota Sunset Bronze Mica for my 88 (if it ever makes it to paint..8^} and I now don't think woodgrain would go well.

Anyway, my point is you have options. These rigs didn't change so much over the years that you can't mix and match in a lot of areas. And if you want a restomod, you are going to change stuff anyway. Mine has widetrack front flares and a razor grill on it. If the shop ever gets around to it, it will have widetrack rear flares as well. My Sig shows the current drivetrain, which will likely change to an LS or some other more modern option in the coming years. '08 GC overland seats are going in it, and a set of J-20 axles are waiting in the garage..

I mention this because we tend to get attached to what we have. If I were wise, I would have stopped on the GW and bought a nice widetrack cherokee, but I have WAY too many hours and $$ in the old girl and am pretty attached to her. So she, hopefully, will eventually come to match my vision.

You have a really nice starting point there to do whatever you like. There are lots of folks here that will help however they can. Some parts can be hard to find, but as a community, we usually manage to help each other get them. I have picked up parts from members while traveling to drop off to others, as well as passed along extras that I realized I didn't need. A lot of folks here do the same and more.

There is a really good community for FSJ's in the Carolinas. The Carolina Full Size Jeep Club sponsors the East Coast Invasion at Uwharrie every year. You definitely should get in on that. They are great peoples..

Tanker and Halftrac, on here and www.ifsja.org, also have a secret FSJ yard up in western NC. They are great folks. If you are nice to them, they may invite you and give you directions ... but you gotta be nice. 8^)

If we can help with anything, just ask.
b
One day I will wake up and realize that my jeep is complete...one day, I just know it.
88Wag, LT1/4L60E/NP242, J20 axles, etc. http://imgbox.com/g/rNuIasKYrS
95YJ, STaK, D44's, SOA, ARB's, Bilstein 5150s, 35" KM2's
50 CJ3A
77 J-10 (sold)

candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Intro - I've joined the club :)

Post by candymancan »

Mine is black, and was repainted too, someone taped up everything and sanded it down and repainted it black. But the paint job has no clear coat on it its like one of those 2 stage paints with clear mixed in. Has some runs in spots too, if you want it to look better up close. hand wash it and then wax it really good with turtle wax or something. Once I wax mine it makes the black blacker, and looks really shiny.

Any paint though is better then pealing faded/rusting
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)
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Topic author
merrill77
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:25 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Intro - I've joined the club :)

Post by merrill77 »

@jpswapmohn Thanks for the local welcome...I actually picked up the Wagoneer in Fayetteville :>

At this point I'm focused on fixing the minor mechanical issues:
- timing is off (I assume...it is knocking pretty bad on 87)
- smell of gas when parked (can't put it in our attached garage until resolved)
- inoperative oil pressure gauge
- broken rear seatbelt latches
- reduce the play in the steering (which made my wife a bit nervous when she drove it)
- point the headlights is a useful direction
- broken fender support (fixed)
- front passenger marker light works only occasionally

Then I'll get on to some of the interior cosmetic issues:
- mirror control inoperative (window motors work)
- driver window loose from it's mount (sometimes motor goes down without the window)
- driver rear window very slow
- rear window a bit shakey going up/down
- front seats are rough (currently covered)

Beyond that, I'm not planning to get too attached to it. It is tempting, though. With refinished front seats and new carpet (also on door panels) and new rails in the cargo area, the interior would be very nice. Might even find time to do that...two of my boys would enjoy helping. Exterior needs new vinlywood, all new window/door seals, drip rail trim and a paint job. That starts getting into serious money...or time, which I have even less of.
77 Wagoneer and 97 TJ.
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Topic author
merrill77
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:25 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Intro - I've joined the club :)

Post by merrill77 »

BTW, it kinda seems like CFSJC is not approving new members. I found it and signed up a few weeks ago. After confirming email and completing the registration, it said I could not access the forums until I'd been approved. That was Aug 9th. So if you're on there, could you prod the admin?

TIA!
Chris
(username on that site is merrill77 as well)
77 Wagoneer and 97 TJ.
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jpswapmohn
Posts: 656
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:08 pm
Location: CO

Re: Intro - I've joined the club :)

Post by jpswapmohn »

They are a bit slow, I think it took awhile for the admin to grant my entry as well.
One day I will wake up and realize that my jeep is complete...one day, I just know it.
88Wag, LT1/4L60E/NP242, J20 axles, etc. http://imgbox.com/g/rNuIasKYrS
95YJ, STaK, D44's, SOA, ARB's, Bilstein 5150s, 35" KM2's
50 CJ3A
77 J-10 (sold)
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