This video nicely illustrates how picking the right line can make all the difference.
Archives for category: - 4×4 / SUV
There’s something about these old Wagoneers. They grow on you. This was America’s first luxury SUV: rugged, wood-paneled, beautiful. This 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is powered by a 360 c.i. (5.9-liter) V8 and has a low 140 hp but a respectable 273 lb-ft of torque, and an automatic transmission. It has traveled just over 100,000 miles, although the seller states that engine was replaced at 66,000 miles. He also states that the truck has been restored. He lists a number of replaced parts but doesn’t state whether this was a frame-off restoration or not.
According to Wikipedia the 1987–1991 (the last year of production) models are considered the “best of the breed,” as these include upgrades such as better paint and wheels. The 1989-and-later trucks had further fit, finish, and mechanical improvements. One such improvement was a rear wiper assembly which, unfortunately, this one lacks.
The color combination on this one is fantastic though: Spinnaker Blue and wood paneling over a beige leather-and-fabric interior. Check out how thick the carpets are. Have a look at the amazing plaid ceiling.
This Wagoneer is available on ebay and located in Everett, Washington. The bidding currently stands at $7,100 with an unmet reserve. The Buy-It-Now price is $44k. The auction closes in about four days.
If you’d like to do additional research, check out Wagoneer World, a Texas Wagonner dealer, GrandWagoneer.com, a restoration shop with hundreds of photos on their site, and, of course, Wikipedia.
More photos of this truck below.
Update 5/21/2013: The truck was bid up to $10,100 on ebay but failed to meet reserve.
In case you haven’t heard, Overland Expo 2013 will be taking place this weekend at Mormon Lake Lodge in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The 3-day event draws attendees from around the world who come to camp, check out exhibits from over 140 vendors, watch films, make connections, and take classes which run the gambit from driver training (4×4 and motorcycle), maintenance, planning and logistics, to safety & communication. The list is quiet comprehensive, and even includes region-specific roundtable table discussions on sub-Saharan Africa, or Mexico, for example.
Last year’s event drew over 5,000 people. Camping opens on Thursday May 16, and the event proper runs Friday to Sunday. Pack-up and head-out is on Monday.
Here are some quick links:
The event details
The schedule of classes
The FAQ
Have fun!
For the last couple years or so my 4-wheel-drive system has been engaging intermittently. Normally I’d shift the transfer case lever into 4 High and the green lights in the instrument cluster, indicating the status of the front wheels, would blink (four-wheel drive engaging), then go solid (in four-wheel-drive). In the last couple of months though, the lights wouldn’t stop blinking, a sign that the system wasn’t able to engage the front axle.
I had ordered the factory shop manuals for the truck a while back, so I decided to see if I could fix it myself. Also, my mechanic explained to me that my Gen 2 Montero engages 4-wheel-drive by connecting the right-front axle shaft to the front differential by means of a vacuum-powered actuator. (That’s different from the Gen 1, which has auto-locking hubs.) Armed with that knowledge I looked up the actuator in the manual and noticed that it recommended greasing the actuator rod.
I got under the truck, removed the skid plates, pushed aside the rubber boot and saw that the grease, where the rod entered free-wheeling clutch housing (red arrow), was old and jelly-like. I cleaned out the old crud, packed it with fresh grease, reattached the boot, and left the whole thing sit while I reinstalled a pair of marker lights in the bumper.
When I took the truck for a test drive an hour later and shifted into 4 High, the indicator lights flashed briefly, then immediately went solid. Whoo-hoo! An easy fix!
I recently had a set of ARB locking differentials installed in the truck and it was irritating that I had this great new gear and yet the basic four-wheel-drive system wasn’t working. That made this quick fix all the more satisfying.
Natalie snapped this Land Cruiser FJ22 Blizzard in Northern California a little while ago. This cool (and rare) little 4×4 was based on the Daihatsu Taft. I posted about one of these a while ago. Check that post for more details.
Update 5/14/2013: In that post I wrote that the Marin county seller of the Blizzard I featured had previously sold a convertible version, claiming it was the only one in the country. If that’s true, this is that truck!
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