I’m also pleased to have sold my 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer — a vehicle that I received for free from the nicest lady of all time (the same one who sold me my 1979 Jeep Cherokee Golden Eagle). I towed the free Jeep to Michigan from Ohio with the then-new Jeep Gladiator:
The Wagoneer had some serious issues, namely a rusty body, rusted out brake lines, a broken ignition switch, and a mouse-infested interior. Look at this nastiness:
But I did get the machine running reliably after shooting a mouse-nest out of its exhaust. It was quite hilarious:
I removed the mouse-infested headliner and did lots of cleaning; in the end, the vehicle was presentable enough to sell for $4,000 to a gentleman named Sean, who sent me this photo of the Jeep in his mom’s upstate New York garage:
Sean, a military servicemember, describes the current status of my Free Wagoneer:
Originally, I was expecting to be stationed back in the US around October 2021, but instead received overseas orders to a remote location. Since I could not bring my dog, I took her back to the states in June to avoid the airline pet heat embargos. I used the opportunity to get familiar with the Jeep and see what I will need to add to the most likely endless to do list.
First, I had to get it running, which required a new battery. A new battery and a few cranks and pumps of the gas pedal and she roared into life:
With it running, I sorted out what did and did not work:
Working:
Carburetor & fuel pump
Ignition switch
Distributor, cap, rotor, spark plugs & wires
Starter
Engine
Transmission
Dash & under dash lights
Head, tail, turn lights
Tachometer
Temp Guage
Driver side windows
Passenger side front window
Door locks (3 of 4)
Dome light wiring
Thermostat
Power steering
Radio (minus the display)
Washer pump
Front brakes
Blower motor & resistor
Not Working:
Passenger side rear window
Passenger side rear door lock (caused by severed wires running to door)
2 flex tracks need replaced
Rear tailgate window
Fog lamps
2 door speakers
Both rear speakers
Wiper motor
Floor Pans
Rear brakes
Any rubber seal
2 tires when it comes to holding air
The steering gearbox seals (leaking)
My lungs after all the glorious exhaust fumes
Time was short, so I only got to test everything and drive it around the yard a bit. I also pulled up the rear carpet and discovered that the sheet metal is still in excellent shape. I started and drove it every day for a week, but had to leave to go back overseas. I then disconnected the battery, pulled the spark plugs and poured some transmission fluid in the cylinders. I then put some stabil in the fuel tank and set the axles on jack stands.
The project will now be on hold a few more years because my next base following my current remote assignment is in Tokyo, Japan. I view it as a great opportunity to save up the funds needed for the project and start stockpiling the parts. I also still need a name for the project. I’m leaning towards either Project Rust, Dust, Must and Wanderlust or Project Endless Delay at the moment.
The video above shows the Jeep running beautifully. I’m quite proud of that.
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