Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

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Theodore
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Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

A friend of mine was cruising a local junkyard a couple of weeks ago for late 80s Ford pickup parts, when he came upon a neglected GW sitting on the ground. Walked over to it & was surprised to see a nice set of original leather seats that matched what i need. Other than missing the 2 front doors & axles - the GW appeared complete. Over the next couple days, we went over and pulled the seats, steering wheel, radio, instrument cluster bezel, clean seat belts, back arm rests, tail lights, side markers, charcoal canister, air cleaner & snorkel, and the rear air deflector. All for $225! Can't wait to get all this stuff cleaned up & installed in ours. After cleaning, we found the seats had a few scratches, and the arm rest has a tear; so, yesterday, we dropped the seats & center armrest off with Creative Color Int'l (CCI) in Hendersonville, NC- for reconditioning. If things go according to plan, we should have them back in a couple weeks. Tripped across CCI in a forum post here that pointed to:
https://fourwheeltrends.com/leather-rec ... ont-seats/

GW as seen
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Interior as found - the steering wheel appears black from mildew.
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Other parts pulled - looking forward to adding the rear air deflector
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Radio - apologies for being upside down
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Before / After cleaning
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Armrest
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Cracks will need repair
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Steering Wheel - almost gave up on it - took 3 sets of bolts (2 sets of grade 8's) & PB Blaster/WD-40 to pull it
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Mildew's rubbing off
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With cover off & cleaned
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Here's what it's replacing:
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Other random parts found:

Original Jeep Fog Light covers for ROL-branded lights. Was able to get one good ROL fog light; other one was broken/rusted out.
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Gas cap - found next to GW on the ground; can see it if you look close in the junkyard pic.
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While we wait on the seats, a snowball's started rolling; am working on getting pulled parts installed & new parts collected for a few other things:
1) Charcoal canister - Added back along with a 2-port vacuum switch, fuel tank vent lines and associated vacuum hoses. Afterwards, took GW out for a fill-up & for the first time was able to pump gas unimpeded!. I've got a post elsewhere re: issues w/pumping gas - will update /details/part#'s there.
2) Fresh Air Vents - Cleaned out the vents & found them full of leaves & compost - no rust tho!
3) Carpet - am on the hunt for carpet, and am wondering whether to go with cutpile or essex? Have cutpile samples, and am waiting on essex samples from ACC.
4) A/C - removed the underdash duct work to ease the vent cleaning, and am going to re-do the A/C. The compressor had r134a fittings on it, so had a shop pull vacuum & fill it back in the summer; but i never got air cooled below 70 degrees... Back story: the PO pulled the motor & body together from the four-winds, so even though the compressor had r134a fittings, i don't think the body had had a proper conversion done; am going to start from scratch.
5) TBI EFI wiring harness reroute - PO used a shop to mate the engine & body, which resulted in the ECM being installed in the engine bay - ugh. Have been reading/following MysticRob's post on TBI EFI installation as prep to jumping in. Looking at getting a new wiring harness from Hamilton Fuel Injection - existing one is hacked up.
1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

Texxxan
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Texxxan »

That’s an awesome find!!!


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itselliott
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by itselliott »

That wind deflector is a pretty desirable item....just sayin'

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Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

itselliott wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:03 am That wind deflector is a pretty desirable item....just sayin'
yep; looking forward to restoring & installing it - think it'll set the GW off right. Hoping we can get the GW painted later this year.


On another front, continuing to install parts from the junkyard haul:

Next up, the radio - it works! It replaced one that had a dead display.
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Non-vented Gas Cap
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Underhood - installed air cleaner & snorkel; adding to the charcoal canister that went in the other day. Still need to move the ECM under the dash & clean up the EFI wiring.
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tgreese
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by tgreese »

Nice. Dig the radio .... that works! Woohoo!
Tim Reese
Maine beekeeper's truck: '77 J10 LWB, 258/T15/D20/3.54 bone stock, low options (delete radio), PS/PDB, hubcaps.
Browless and proud: '82 J20 360/T18/NP208/3.73, Destination A/Ts, 7600 GVWR
Copper Polly: '75 CJ-6, 304/T15, PS, BFG KM2s, soft top
GTI without the badges: '95 VW Golf Sport 2000cc 2D
Dual Everything: '15 Chryco Jeep Cherokee KL Trailhawk, ECO Green
Blockchain the vote.

Topic author
Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

Update on the Leather Reconditioning

Just received notification that the leather reconditioning work is done; rep sent the following pix - they look great. Winter storm is headed this way, so it will be a few more days before we can head over the mountain to pick them up.

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1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

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Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

Just picked up our GW junkyard-find seats from CCI, a leather reconditioning company; am very pleased. Will probably be Spring before they're in; need to do some EFI-related wiring work under the dash, fix the A/C, replace the carpet, then we'll be ready for seats.

Headed home:
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1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

scottb
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by scottb »

WOW
1989 GW - White/Sand

Topic author
Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

I still cant believe we found these. Went back last week & picked up a few more under hood parts - biggest thing: undamaged heater core box.

Update: am mid-way thru installing a new EFI harness from Bill at Hamilton Fuel Injection; took a while to get - am very pleased with the quality. Have been out of town on weekends more than expected this Spring; am trying to beat summer now. Shooting to finish up the wiring next weekend, then it’s on to A/C, carpet & seats.
1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

80Limited
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by 80Limited »

How are the ends of the air deflector, are you willing to sell them?

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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

80Limited wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 3:07 pm How are the ends of the air deflector, are you willing to sell them?
Hey, 80Limited - apologies for the tardiness - has been a busy year. am planning on adding the air dam to ours as part of the resto.
1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by candymancan »

Fyi fir steering wheels.. wheelskins.com has the colors for our Jeeps.. i replaced my cordovan one awhile back.. wasnt hard to stitch on.

Also you should look into the buikc center arm rest mod for the Jeep. Buicks have a arm rest that bolts right into the existing center seat with a little modification to the bracket. And its nearly the same color.. cordovan.. sand.. etc.. they have storage and cup holders. Much better than those plastic things

https://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13036
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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Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

candymancan wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:48 pm Fyi fir steering wheels.. wheelskins.com has the colors for our Jeeps.. i replaced my cordovan one awhile back.. wasnt hard to stitch on.

Also you should look into the buikc center arm rest mod for the Jeep. Buicks have a arm rest that bolts right into the existing center seat with a little modification to the bracket. And its nearly the same color.. cordovan.. sand.. etc.. they have storage and cup holders. Much better than those plastic things

https://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13036
Hey, candymancan, been a while since Ive seen you on the forum; wondered where youd been. Am going back with the original steering wheel I poached & had reconditioned - just hadn’t gotten there yet. Been working on reliability stuff under the hood; have a gigantic post coming; hoping to finish it up & post it this wknd. Right now, the interior is stripped & dynamat’d; have front seats in & daily driving it; just had windshield & gasket replaced to fix a leak - still have some seeping - appt to go to glass shop next week.

On the Buick armrest/console, looks like a nice setup; am planning on using the original armrest, along with a WagonMaster cup holder my wife found to go in it for Christmas. Hopefully, we’ll have the interior back in it this Spring.
1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

It's been a while since i've given an update; but, have made quite a bit progress; Also have been working on putting together a Build Thread; assembling the independent threads into one (never thought i'd need a Build Thread when we got the GW); but, feel like we've done enough work to warrant one - watch for that. In the meantime, am excited to show how far we've come in the 18 months since finding the leather interior in a local Junkyard.

Most of the work over the last 18 months has been mechanical: EFI wiring, cooling, A/C refresh, etc., with no apparent visible cosmetic progress the wife can see. Have had the seats sitting around the shop under sheets in the way; stepping over them for over a year... It's time to dive into cosmetics & clean out the woodshop.

For reference, here's what we started with:
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Have been daily driving it, with only front seats, floormats & seat belts for the last 7-8 months... Wife hated it.
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Last summer, in August 90+ degree heat, we stripped the interior, and installed Dynamat for sound/heat proofing. Make sure you mark the screw & bolt holes - blue painter's tape marks them here. Can say, it made a huge difference heat-wise - especially with trans tunnel & roof - having no headliner.
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Next up, we need to build the cargo area underlayment that goes under the carpet. Kudos to MysticRob on ifsja.org for posting pix of what he had, to give others an idea of what should be there.
Link here - Post #24: https://forums.ifsja.org/forum/tire-kic ... estoration

Using the pictures as a reference, i made up a reversible pattern that could be used to lay out the cuts on 3/16" plywood. While i started out with the full curve of the raised platform, i cut it down to match how the factory underlayment is shaped, which allows the carpet to laydown on the sides.
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Laid out the measurements on paper to figure out how much plywood to buy, it came down to one 4x8 sheet of 3/16" plywood; there was very little scrap left over once everything was cut. To make the plywood easier to deal with, i had the 4x8 sheet cut in three pieces, 1 @ 35"x44", 1 @ 30"x51", and the rest based on measurements i'd captured on the patterns. The rest is cut into ribs & installed underneath for support.
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Sidebar: the arm rest mounting brackets needed cleaning up & painting.
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All underlayment fitted & test fit:
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Ribs cut, installed & stapled:
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Backside of piece 1:
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Backside of piece 2:
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With holes drilled for seat belt attachment - am thinking i used a 2 1/4" holesaw:
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4wd hi/lo shifter: I disconnected the linkage underneath to allow pulling the shifter from up top. If replacing factory carpet with new with Mass-Backing, go ahead & find longer bolts (1/4-20x1) - or you'll fight short bolts unsuccessfully. At carpet install time, i fought short bolts for an hour or so before, giving up & hitting the hardware store for hex-heads. Also, the white grommet in the center, along with 2 layers of carpet is sandwiched between 2 identical triangle shaped plates - is a bear to work with - be patient. Multiple picks are a lifesaver to ensure screw hole alignment.
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The carpet comes in 3 large sections: front, mid, & cargo. The middle section goes in first; then the front & cargo lays over it. After finding a hot/sunny day to work, i disconnected the battery & opened up all doors to lay out the carpet & let it soak up the sun for 1/2-day; then dove in. Used a small pick to locate the holes (thankful i'd marked all of them with blue tape).

First hole is the scariest...
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Both back seat mounting brackets in: The carpet has slight humps in it behind the brackets, but it'll lay down once the cargo carpet & back seat are installed. Also, i've not yet cut the middle piece around the wheel wells, which will also help it lay down.
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Working one section at a time, from trans tunnel toward doors, then one side then the other, i went about locating & punching holes, and placing bolts as i went to ensure alignment. Note there wasn't much scrap to trim from the front section of carpet -both sides had similar trimming.
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Roasting marshmallows: Saw a YouTube where someone recommended using sockets to melt holes in carpet that perfectly fit the bolts going in. Worked well! Got this set at Harbor Freight for $6.99!
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Front carpet is in: Time for front seats!
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Junkyard front seats are in! Back to a drivable car.
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Is still hard to believe these seats came from this car:
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In celebration of being able to drive, I ran over to a couple local car shows; One held downtown by the Kingsport Antique & Rod Club, and the other the Gate City Jeep Jamboree, just over the state line in VA. Was more interested in getting to the Jeep Jamboree to see what FSJ's were there. I didn't think to take pictures, but i did see Scotty54 & his
Gorgeous 10 Footer Cherokee, along with a silver Wagoneer - no wood; a couple of Willys-era trucks: a 1955 Green pickup truck - restored to original; a 1947 Maroon panel delivery, along with a restored 1981 Red Scrambler, a few CJ-5's, & a WWII-era military restored Jeep. Other than that, it was an sea of Wranglers. Hopefully, i can make the Jamboree next year with ours.

Now for the hard part: wheel wells & managing the merge where 3 sections of carpet come together. Today it's raining, so there'll be no carpet progress; though i'm planning on pulling the seat belts and cleaning them with an upholstery cleaner & swapping the steering wheel to finish things up front.
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Scotty54
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Scotty54 »

Theodore - I just found your thread! Your really making progress. Have a paint shop in mind?
1977 Cherokee Chief 401 QT
Northeast Tennessee

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Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

Scotty54 wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 2:11 pm Theodore - I just found your thread! Your really making progress. Have a paint shop in mind?
I do. Dave’s Bodyshop in Blountville. Has painted quite a few cars for us over the last 30+ years. Am hoping to have it painted this Fall. I’ve not spoken with David, re: what he’d do with the wood yet; have been looking lately at local wrap shops to see what they say. Also, have watched Wagonmaster’s installation videos to see what the quirks are. My trim has lost quite a bit of its color, so am looking at replacement or a re-wrap, but am concerned about its staying on after it’s pulled off; and new trim doesn’t have the rivet holes like what’s there now.
1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

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Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

Got outside early this morning ahead of the rain to swap in the junkyard steering wheel. Made a huge difference in the interior’s appearance.

Going in:
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Before:
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After:
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Also have a wife-approved science project going on in the kitchen - seat belts soaking in OxiClean; am excited to see the difference. Def a lot of bubbling going on…
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by tgreese »

Interesting that you picked the air cleaner and FTVC canister from this wreck. It's rusty; from the condition of the hood, I would have guessed it was rusty and had an engine fire. Kinda think that would have made those parts unusable.


Good progress on the interior - it will be nice when finished!
Tim Reese
Maine beekeeper's truck: '77 J10 LWB, 258/T15/D20/3.54 bone stock, low options (delete radio), PS/PDB, hubcaps.
Browless and proud: '82 J20 360/T18/NP208/3.73, Destination A/Ts, 7600 GVWR
Copper Polly: '75 CJ-6, 304/T15, PS, BFG KM2s, soft top
GTI without the badges: '95 VW Golf Sport 2000cc 2D
Dual Everything: '15 Chryco Jeep Cherokee KL Trailhawk, ECO Green
Blockchain the vote.

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Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

tgreese wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 9:35 am Interesting that you picked the air cleaner and FTVC canister from this wreck. It's rusty; from the condition of the hood, I would have guessed it was rusty and had an engine fire. Kinda think that would have made those parts unusable.


Good progress on the interior - it will be nice when finished!
No, no engine fire. Everything was there but the 2 front doors & the axles/wheels when we found it. Junkyard owner said he’d had it for 2-3 years with no interest, til about 2 weeks before we showed up interested in the interior, when the doors & axles were taken. The charcoal canister just needed the valve replaced. Air cleaner has a little surface rust, but suits the purpose. One day, I’ll clean it up, but it works for now.
1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread

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Theodore
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Re: Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel, etc. - WooHoo!

Post by Theodore »

re: the wife-approved science project: Seat belts def hard to clean; in addition to normal skin oils, there were a few black oily stains. We ended up doing multiple passes with different options, with all resulting in black suds & nasty water, lessened the stains, but they remained. Best thing we tried was Dawn PowerWash spray, which along with hand scrubbing with a washcloth - completely removing the stains the others couldn't; leaving them looking like new once dry. Installed the drivers side this morning early to allow driving to work today. Will shoot to get a pic when i get back home.

Other methods we tried:
1) upholstery cleaning machine
2) soak & scrub in OxiClean

Recommendation: Dawn PowerWash.
1990 Grand Wagoneer - "Theodore" - AMC 360, fuel-injected, TF727, NP229 - Sand Metallic - restoring to stock - Build Thread
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