My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

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jpngriff
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My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by jpngriff »

I'm a long time XJ guy who's been on a rabid search for a decent condition Grand Wagoneer to cruise around town in on the weekends. I've searched and struck out locally in Salt Lake on a lot of rusted rigs and other that need thousands in exterior work. Then there's the eBay auctions, I've bid and lost many a truck all of which I never even saw other than on pics.

Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend. I lost yet another eBay auction and was frantically searching the corners of the Internet for a rig. I found this 1991 in a warehouse in the little boom bust oil town of Vernal in Eastern Utah. The story goes, the guy who owns the Ford dealer has 4 warehouses of restored classic cars he just buys, restores a bit, and parks. Now he's trying to sell a bunch.

The truck is an August 1990 manufacture 1991 model. It was originally bright white, now it's been taken down to the sheet metal on the exterior and painted the current cream color. The woodgrain, as you can tell, is brand new. Visually there's some scratched chrome that I may have redone in the future but otherwise it's mint. It's a rust free rig from Amarillo, TX and still has the original dealer paperwork in the glove box. It looks like it was auctioned off in the late 2000's in CA before the Vernal guys got it and repainted it.

What's also original is every single mechanical component. It runs well, not great. I've been replacing consumables so I can feel a bit better about things I know are going to go soon. The interior is pretty mint. Carpet has UV damage but is pretty stain free. Drivers seat has cracks but it will last a year or two more.

Here's what I've replaced so far:
-New reupholstered leather center seat
-New battery cables
-New Hella H4 housings on upgraded headlight harness
-New headlight switch
-New starter relay
-New starter
-New Accel coil
-New ignition computer on driver fender
-New Hankook whitewalls
-4 New Bilstein 4500 shocks

I think the carb might need a rebuild and I have a new fuel pump. It does not like the gas being mashed. I've stalled it once on the freeway and when it's really cold in the morning it needs to be babied. The accelerator pump diaphram looks new so it's not that.

I love it, my poor 2001 lifted XJ is feeling very under utilized. I also drive a 2013 Hyundai Azera day to day.

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1991 Grand Wagoneer
360 V8, TBI Conversion
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jsinajeep
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by jsinajeep »

Welcome to the form and good looking Wagon.

will e
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by will e »

Wow that's a beauty. Looks like holding off for the right one worked out for ya.
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jaber
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by jaber »

Hey JP, welcome to the Network... Image

That is a very clean Jeep, congrats... :-bd
Jeff

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TUDrewser
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by TUDrewser »

Very nice indeed. If it wasn't already in your possession and being driven and updated, I'd say it sounded like a scam! ha. Good find.
1990 GW "saved by Jerry" edition
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Stuka
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by Stuka »

Very clean looking waggy!
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Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ
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jpngriff
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by jpngriff »

Thanks guys!

I'm rebuilding the carb this weekend and swapping out a new mech fuel pump. Bought five quarts of Mobil 1 HM and the same big oversized Ford oil filter I use on my XJ. If I get to it the D44's are getting cracked, cleaned, and new 75w90. I need to see if it has a a727, I assume there's no reason to expect an a999? I want to drain, drop the pan, and fill the transmission.

So many things to do! I still need to put my rebuild ZJ front drive shaft on the rear of my XJ before I hit some trails in it this summer too.


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1991 Grand Wagoneer
360 V8, TBI Conversion
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HowardT64
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by HowardT64 »

Very Nice looking Jeep :) Any chance for some under the
hood pictures?

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Lumpskie
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by Lumpskie »

Wow, that jeep looks clean. I'm in for more pics too.
1989 Grand Wagoneer - Rebuilt 360, 2" Alcans, 10" travel Gabriel Guadian shocks.
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carnuck
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by carnuck »

jpngriff wrote:Thanks guys!

I'm rebuilding the carb this weekend and swapping out a new mech fuel pump. Bought five quarts of Mobil 1 HM and the same big oversized Ford oil filter I use on my XJ. If I get to it the D44's are getting cracked, cleaned, and new 75w90. I need to see if it has a a727, I assume there's no reason to expect an a999? I want to drain, drop the pan, and fill the transmission.

So many things to do! I still need to put my rebuild ZJ front drive shaft on the rear of my XJ before I hit some trails in it this summer too.


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Check the number on your current engine oil filter. Some were metric thread. It will be a 727 non-lockup unless swapped out and the carded kits come with both gaskets. I check the band adjustment while the pan is off. Trans is the same bolt pattern as 4.0L too. Starter is the same as the XJ/ZJ 4.0L as well.
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jpngriff
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by jpngriff »

I figure I need to attempt to keep my Show and Tell thread up to date.

Things I've done since last year:
-Fuel Injection!
-Bilstein 4600's all around
-Hankook white walls all around
-Pioneer head unit and bluetooth
-The Illusive Wagonmasters cupholders: http://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewtop ... 782#p99782
-Moved to New Orleans

Want to do in late 2015 or 2016:
-New original ride height leafs
-Fix back glass
-Redo all seating surfaces
-4 nice 5.25 speakers and a very small concealable 4 channel amp for them.

I took a part the tailgate last weekend. Good news, motor works well when you hook to drill battery. So it's possibly front and/or rear switch since the window won't roll down. I saw TGW has new front switches and rear switches too. I'll probably just replace both so I only need to go in once.

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shimniok
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by shimniok »

Cool!! What'd you do for fuel injection, Howell, GM, MegaSquirt? Other?

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jpngriff
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Re: RE: Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by jpngriff »

shimniok wrote:Cool!! What'd you do for fuel injection, Howell, GM, MegaSquirt? Other?

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I went with the Affordable Fuel Injection kit from: http://www.affordable-fuel-injection.com

I'll be honest, I had every intention of doing it myself but last summer got away from me and I just wanted to get it put in as quickly as possible. Granted the shop that did it took almost a month (thank God they didn't bill by the hour), it runs great and now has none of the previous carb gremlins present when I got the Wag.

I'm pretty sure the AFI guys are just refreshing the Chevy computers present in a lot of DIY projects on the various boards. I could snap a pic of the computer if anyone was curious, it's under the carpet on the forward end of the passenger footwell.

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Gumby
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by Gumby »

Sweet, never heard about the EFI supplier you used
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Re: My new 1991 Grand Wagoneer

Post by FSJ Guy »

AFI seems to know their stuff. And yes, it's a re-programmed GM computer. Good news is that any tech can work on it for you. : D

Don't worry about buying a TBI kit. Some people have time. Others have money. I've done it both ways and there's no right or wrong answer.

Is that BJ's woodgrain and trim kit? Looks nicer than their "product" shots!
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