original vs custom

[numberonegaffer]

What is the prevailing wisdom here about keeping one's Wagoneer fully original or doing any amount of customization?

[tgreese]

How much rust? Creampuff -> restore. Nice to acceptable but needs repairs -> restomod. Needs a lot -> do what makes you happy and you can afford.

Mechanical problems are easy. However, suspect most of the bad engine and-or transmission / clean body and interior examples are gone. Completeness matters nearly as much as rust. Possible you could take two examples with complementary deficits and put together one nice one.

Bringing a sub-par example back to showroom condition will be a money loser. Only if you have some emotional connection to the car.

Seems the high-dollar GWs are all comparatively low mileage. 200K or 300K keeps these cars out of the #1 category, it seems. Also seems the #1 cars are all in the system now, being traded between an audience of rich owners. Discovering a #1 car today would be quite a barn find.

JMO. None of my Jeeps are Wagoneers. My KL is close to a functional equivalent but new(ish).

[Johnzi10]

No rust, 250k miles, you could go either way. What do you want? OEM look, lifted weekender, daily? 250 is a lot but was it taken care of? Mine has 92k and is very “complete”, so I’m going OEM so far.what do you want to spend your $$ on?

[Johnzi10]

Cheapest way seems to be get a used 360

[2nd Day]

What is the prevailing wisdom here about keeping one's Wagoneer fully original or doing any amount of customization?

Rust.

It all comes down to rust.

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[jpswapmohn]

I admire both, but I have never been able to leave any of my vehicles stock for long. I don't claim to improve them over the army of engineers at designed them, but I tend to make them mine and I am not limited by some of the constraints they have. I also want to enjoy my vehicles. Even though the WT wagoneer has been a garage ornament for too long, I intend to drive and use it once funds allow me to take the next steps in its journey. So, my vote is to make it yours.

2nd Day is right..it does often come down to rust. My 88 GW was legitimately "rust-free" (the custom shop that did body was shocked!). Rust repair/replacement/bodywork is the killer..

Of course, if you land a 67-69 Super or Custom with 100 original miles..put it in one of those humidity controlled storage bags in your garage and only take it out twice a year to clean up the fluid leaks.. Otherwise, drive and enjoy 'em.

[weeegoneeer]

My approach has been to make a rig I want to drive. Not really thinking about selling it. So I've done stuff like remove most of the emission stuff (still pass the sniffer), cam/roller rockers/intake/holley/ignition upgrades. Cut the dash for a standard DIN radio. Designed a digital dash that looks close to original if you can ignore the LCD windows. I might put a razor grill on at some point.

I figure that if I were going to sell it, would probably get what I paid for it and not recoup the extra money invested. But that's fine with me, when new cars have an average selling price of $47k, I'm still waaaaaaay ahead.

And, I'm not going to sell it. So there's that.

Calculus totally changes when viewing it as an investment. To each their own!

[deckroid]

Mine is an Idaho desert native since the day it left the lot back in 1984. No rust beyond surface on some of the under carriage. Until the accident, it was 100% stock at 215k. Now, it has fresh paint, a 4 inch lift, a gladiator grille and I am looking at a carpet set and seat replacements as mine are cracked and worn. The engine/tranny were rebuilt back at 125k. It is beginning to be more than a three pump and start now, so eventually something will need to be done there.

I am still on the fence about putting the wood stickers back on, but I am trying to keep it looking original even though I toy with the idea of sinking a butt load of cash into it to make it electric. 800 to 1000 lbs of batteries to replace the 360 weight would give me good range!

[SJTD]

It's your vehicle, do what you want with it. No one's going to give you money to restore it because they think that's what should be done to it. Except a buyer when it's finished but then you won't have it.

It did bother me when a TV show tore up a nice 60's Bronco to customize it for resale. Put a stooopid flame thrower on top. But that's a TV show though I do wonder why they couldn't find a beater for that.