1978 Jeep Wagoneer

Jeep Wagoneer 1978 Description

I bought this 1978 Jeep Wagoneer in January 2013. I always wanted a classic car, and the Wagoneer was something in my budget then. My kids and I did a mild restoration job on it, which means we had the motor and driving mechanical parts serviced and/or repaired, the exterior prepped and painted (from the original gold to a porsche cobalt blue), and the interior cleaned up. Lots of hours were spent with me and my kids working and tinkering on it, and it’s been a great hobby. Any of the heavy lifting repairs were done by a mechanic old enough to know how to tune a carburetor.

I have several service records stemming from the guy I bought the Jeep from through the last repair I had done, from January 31, 2002 to May 20, 2015. I do not want to add them up. The last repair I had done was last year when I had a problem with the Jeep overheating. I spent $1650 to pressure test the engine, replace the radiator, flush the engine block and core, replace the thermostat, replace a transmission mount, and replace the valve and pump gaskets. Since then, and frankly before then, it runs like a champ. It drives straight.

It has been a weekender for us. I use it to take the kids to run errands, go to ball games, put around town, and occasionally do some light off roading (desert dirt roads in the Superstition Mountains). We bought a boat this year, and that has become the new hobby as the kids have gotten older.

Here’s what works:

Motor – AMC360

Lights

Quadtrac

A/C (although it’s a little noisy)

Stereo (replaced 2 years ago; smart phone ready – new speakers)

Driver window and door

Passenger window and door

Seatbelts (low and slow to connect up front like an old MOPAR)

Horn

Brakes (although they are heavy)

The joy from driving this thing

Right wiper blade

Here’s what doesn’t work:

Odometer – I have no idea how many miles are on this Jeep, Odometer is frozen at 85,000

Cruise control

Driver seat at the bottom is torn from its bracing, but propped up by a volume of Arizona Revised Statutes

Left wiper blade needs replacement

Here’s what sort of or sometimes works:

Left Passenger window – goes down, needs help going up; door opens from inside and out though

Right Passenger door – won’t open from inside, but window works, and it'll open from the outside

Rear window – goes down but not up (although I had this working from the dash and rear a year ago; probably just needs some more grease and service)

Power locks

Headliner – It began to fall down, so I removed half of it and still haven’t replaced it

Cabin light when a door is open – depends on the door

What I don’t know:

No idea if it is emissions compliant. It may be, considering the work I’ve had done. I have vintage insurance which doesn’t require emissions.

4X4 Low – I’ve never needed it, and I didn’t want to tempt fate by seeing if it would transfer.

Long trips – I know it’ll drive for hours around town, flat surfaces, but I’ve never taken it up any steep mountains to go out of town.

Mileage – No idea, but for the 3.5 years I’ve had it, my guess is that I put 2,000 miles on it per year, if that.

Tow wiring – not sure if it works.

Misc.:

It has two small rust spots: one on the hood and the other on the right front panel, both of which I thought I had addressed when prepping the Jeep prior to having it painted. They are minor (less than 2" seams), but they’re there. I think this has always been an AZ car. Title has it being first registered on 05/1978 in AZ.

Paint job is great from 10' away, but as you get close, the body panels shows their age a little bit. Nothing dramatic, but there are some smaller waves and bends that I want to disclose in case the buyer is unable to inspect the vehicle.

Front bumper vertical bar is bent from what was likely a small fender bender. The bumper does not appear to have been moved at all, but the vertical bar was bent I surmise.

There is a 6 inch crack on the front window, driver's side, see pic, which I had professional epoxied. The jeep came with the crack when I bought it. I had it repaired immediately. And it has held up perfectly.

*****I WILL MAKE THE JEEP AVAILABLE FOR TEST DRIVES, JUST LET ME KNOW*****

*****THE GOLD PICTURES WERE TAKEN BY THE GUY WHO SOLD THE JEEP TO ME. THE MOUNTAIN PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN THE SPRING OF 2016. THE PICTURES FROM THE CARPORT WERE TAKEN ON 8/18****

*****I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT I KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE ASK*****