My new to me Grand Wagoneer

[JeepGuy66]

1984 Grand Wagoneer
Just picked up this waggy a couple of days ago.

Specs
1984 Grand Wagoneer
360/TF 727
Dana44 front
AMC 20 rear
2.73 gears
Old school bench seats/manual windows and locks
AC/Cruise (neither work)
31" tires cragar slotted 15x7 or 15x8
Stock 2bbl intake and Motorcraft 2150 or 2100 carb
2" 2 into 1 exhaust with Flowmaster (I think) muffler; no cat
Painted in the last 2 years.

Runs great but does have an oil leak. Pretty sure it is from the timing chain cover gasket. Spent the weekend spraying Grime Reaper on the underside and blowing it off with a mild power wash. The grease and grime was CAKED on everything from the transfer case forward with most on the steering linkages and suspension. Not completely clean yet but a big difference so far. Hopefully now I can get a good look at the origin of the leak.

As mentioned, seemingly runs great but it is SLOW. Haven't been on the highway yet but PO says runs fine at highway speeds.

Driving habits: 90% around town 0-40mph driving but would like to do the speed limit (70mph) if I have to go on the highway. This is my daily driver and I live near the beach so it will see some soft sand at 10mph but it will be at a minimum. Trails/Crawling/Full Articulation are words not currently in my vocabulary for this vehicle.

Mods currently at the top of the list

Gear Swap
Currently running 2.73 with 31's and it is embarrassingly slow.

Will most likely switch to 33's 15x10

Was considering 3.73 but some OP's recommend 4.10 so not sure now. Opinions welcome.

Lift
Currently running 2" lift I think; 2 in blocks along with helper springs in rear; not sure what is up front

Option 1 - add a 2" body lift, try to stuff 33's in there and call it a day

Option 2 - 6" lift

6" Rusty's - less expensive and immediately available (though I read a number of posts about Rusty's customer service and compared to BJ's it is poor at best).

6" BJ's - not available 3-4 month wait

Opinions welcome.

Under Carriage
Once i get all the grease and grime off I thought about POR15 for the underside. Being a beach vehicle I think I need some protection from the salt.
Opinions welcome

Engine Mods
PO said the previous PO had the engine rebuilt. IF it was rebuilt is was rebuilt to spec as there are no obvious signs of upgraded components (stock intake and carb). Other than being grossly underpowered due to the current gearing; I must say it runs pretty well. I haven't taken any compression readings or even inspected the plugs yet.

Option 1: At minimum find the oil leak, fix it and leave it alone since it is running well.

Option 2: In addition to option 1, possibly do a complete gasket/seal kit, add Team Rush upgrade and possibly Edelbrock 4bbl Performer and Holley Truck Avenger or Howell TBI. Been reading conflicting opinions whether a Performer intake would really make a difference without a cam upgrade. However, a 4bbl was an option on the grand wagoneer and I didn't get the impression that it had a different cam than the 2bbl standard setup though I could be wrong.

All opinions welcomed. Thanks!

[Road Trip]

Nice truck. For the underside, you might read WHSII's build or mine at Road Trip. We used a product PM Master Series and it has a very good rust inhibitor compared to anything else on the market. Nice folks too. Good luck.

[JeepGuy66]

I can't believe I never found this before with all the searches I have done. Thanks for the tip!

[Road Trip]

You are welcome. I can't tell you how much help I've found on this site!

[JeepGuy66]

After reviewing some gear ratio calculators it looks like 4.10 are out of the question if I want to do any highway driving. Looks like it should be 3.54 or 3.73 max (with 33's). Anyone with 33's care to share their setup and experience. Thanks!

[surfwagoneer]

I'm gonna be running 33's hopefully some time this summer (also live near the beach.) Mine is also a daily driver mostly in town but does see the highway occasionally. Form the research I've done I'm going to go with 3.73's. Seems like the most bang for my buck and will give me the best all around ride. Also going to throw a detroit truetrac in the rear, not a full locker but will give me some added traction when needed on the beach and occasionally offroad. Hope that helps some.

[JeepGuy66]

I'm gonna be running 33's hopefully some time this summer (also live near the beach.) Mine is also a daily driver mostly in town but does see the highway occasionally. Form the research I've done I'm going to go with 3.73's. Seems like the most bang for my buck and will give me the best all around ride. Also going to throw a detroit truetrac in the rear, not a full locker but will give me some added traction when needed on the beach and occasionally offroad. Hope that helps some.

Thanks. That was my original choice as well.

Are you concerned about fitting 33's on a 4" lift (or not because it is a DD and not a trail rig)?

[surfwagoneer]

I'm adding 1" shackles up front, a zero rate 1" spring in the rear and then bushwacker fender flares w/ trimming. This should fit 33"s very comfortably and if I need a bit more I'll do a 1" body lift. Plus with my 4" springs I wont get massive amounts of flex anyways.

[JeepGuy66]

I'm adding 1" shackles up front, a zero rate 1" spring in the rear and then bushwacker fender flares w/ trimming. This should fit 33"s very comfortably and if I need a bit more I'll do a 1" body lift. Plus with my 4" springs I wont get massive amounts of flex anyways.

Ok. That makes sense. I'd like to refrain from any trimming so it looks like a 6" for me.

[fulsizjeep]

Nice looking Waggy but we need more pictures.

33x12.5x15 tires on 8" wide wheels with 6" lift will still rub in places on a narrow track under articulation. If you go only 4" be prepared for tire and body damage. I run 33s on 3.73 gears for many years and it is perfect (if there is such a thing on a FSJ).

[JeepGuy66]

This WAS my daily driver. It is now for sale...



This is my daily driver now...My first road worthy jeep and my first wagoneer!










Muscle grill going on shortly. Will post as soon as I get it swapped. Also have razor grill but am taking my time gathering cj lights, buckets, bezels, etc. Muscle grill is an easy swap for the short term.


PO painted the door panels black with Vinyl paint from Napa. I would not have known they were painted if he didn't tell me. They look excellent. Considering picking up where he left off.

[shimniok]

I run 33's with 3.73's which is equiv. to stock 3.31's and stock tires. I like it. Not too high revs at 65-75. I wouldn't want to gear much higher and definitely not lower either without an overdrive.

[JeepGuy66]

Nice looking Waggy but we need more pictures.

33x12.5x15 tires on 8" wide wheels with 6" lift will still rub in places on a narrow track under articulation. If you go only 4" be prepared for tire and body damage. I run 33s on 3.73 gears for many years and it is perfect (if there is such a thing on a FSJ).

I run 33's with 3.73's which is equiv. to stock 3.31's and stock tires. I like it. Not too high revs at 65-75. I wouldn't want to gear much higher and definitely not lower either without an overdrive.

Thanks for the advice. Looks like 6" lift and 3.73's is confirmed.

[JeepGuy66]

So, it turns out the carpet had shrunk or misaligned or something near the gas pedal which limited the range of motion. Made a little slice in the carpet to allow more movement of the pedal and there is definitely an improvement! Still going for the gear/lift/tire mod but at least now I can smoke anyone on a bicycle!

[HowardT64]

Very nice rig!!! I love the paint job:) Clean, crisp and eye catching:)