Being based in Colorado, my local car graveyards tend to have more old four-wheel drive trucks than you’d see in flatter, less snowy regions. This includes lots of International Harvester Scoutsof course, and a lot members of the Jeep family. Of today Gem of the junkyard it’s a rusty and battered start SJ Wagoneerfound in a self-service courtyard just south of Denver.
I’m calling this truck a 1966 model, because I’m guessing that’s the average vintage of its components. The build tag that used to be on the driver’s door jamb is long gone and there are no identifying numbers that I can find on the firewall. Yard employees listed it as 1982. I say we have a Ship of Theseus Here. Feel free to include your best guesses in the comments!
Actually, really I could be an ’82, why an SJ frame of that vintage It’s not significantly different from a ’62 SJ chassis, and many states follow the chassis when issuing titles. The front body components are much newer than the rear body components.
It has a dual circuit brake system, which you’d expect to see on a 1965 or later SJ (which is impressive, because the federal government didn’t require such systems on light trucks until the 1967 model year). That doesn’t tell us much about the most likely model year for this truck, though, because truck owners who want to stay alive in the event of a brake system leak often upgrade their brakes (like I did it with my 1966 Dodge A100).
The engine is a 327 cubic inch (5.4 liter) V8 from American Motors, known as the Vigilante. This engine was available as an option in the SJ Wagoneer (or upscale Super Wagoneer as standard equipment) from 1965 through 1969 model years, and was rated at 250 horsepower and 340 pound-feet. Just to confuse everyone, Chevrolet had their (much better known) 327 V8 during the same era AND Buick 350-cubic-inch V8s were available in the Wagoneer from 1968 through 1971 model years. Also, engine swapping was a cherished pastime for SJ owners from the start.
A green SJ Wagoneer or SJ Cherokee provided much of the sheet metal in front of the A-pillar. American Motors’ 360 cubic-inch V8 first appeared in the SJ for the 1972 model year, and Chrysler continued to build AMC 360s for the Grand Wagoneer even after buying AMC. For the sake of further parts-counter confusions, Chrysler had their own 360 V8, completely unrelated to the AMC engine.
This truck has a GM-built automatic transmission, which would have been considered a frivolous luxury in early Wagoneers, but has become more popular as the decades have gone by.
They are not here Frequency markings of the CONELRAD nuclear attack on the factory AM radio, meaning it was originally installed in a 1965 or later truck (maybe this one too).
The interior is dusty and faded, with shag carpeting added at some point during its career. The holes above the glove box and instrument cluster locations suggest this truck had a dash pad, installed on 1965 and later SJs.
Here’s an accessory you saw in many vehicles in the ’70s and ’80s: an Audiovox under-dash FM/cassette radio.
The heater/vent controls were very simple.
There is rust in the usual areas. Very nice original SJ Wagoneers It can fetch respectable money these days, but a rusted FrankenWagoneer isn’t worth the cost of a serious restoration.
How many camping trips did you have under your tires when you retired?
When your beach party is invaded by a Vigilante-enhanced Wagoneer, with only a machine gun-toting first grader to defend you.
The SJ Wagoneer was a Kaiser-Jeep product until 1970 when American Motors took over. Then it became the thousand dollars Wagoneer for 1984 (because the Wagoneer name was needed for an upscale XJ Cherokee trim level), and Chrysler built it from the time it bought AMC in 1987 until the final examples were built in 1991.
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