1985 J20 Project Restore/Build

[lunchbox1671]

I would just strip the paneling if you are going to save the fenders/doors.

In my worthless opinion, I would save a J-truck over a Wagoneer. They seem to be much harder to find and more useful for my needs, being a pickup instead of a SUV.

If you really want a Waggy, there are many other ones out there in better shape with all the running gear. You just have to look really hard for the right one. The Waggy you are showing looks like a parts rig. I wouldn't restore it knowing there are better options out there. I'm not saying you can't do it, because you could if you wanted to. It just seems like an awfully long road to get it in better shape compared to other candidates.

Strip what you need and junk/sell the rest. It's what MANY people do with older rigs. You can sell a lot of the parts that won't fit on your j-truck on ebay or this website.

Also, if you really wanted to, you could save the leftover frame/body and build an FSJ based mudder/crawler/buggy/whatever...

[GrCherokeeL]

Sometimes you have to kill a jeep to save another.

I would trade out the interiors for sure. Save the fenders, grille, heat/cooling components, axles, turn signals, windshield, door glass, etc. and sell the rest.

What you don't sell, take to the dump and get money for scrap. FSJ's are not common as a whole group, but there are quite a few out there still. You are not angering the FSJ Gods by sacrificing a Wagoneer for your J-truck!

What about the Grand Wagoneer wood paneling? I'm so tempted to put it on the J-truck but figured it might look kinda funny.

Most of the paneling is still pretty good though. The moment I saw that Wagoneer up close I was like "$$$$$"

Because when he said $250, I knew the interior alone could make up for that. That FSJ has sat for years, the last time it ran was in 04 but sometimes...I wonder if these Jeeps drop in front of me like they were meant to be mine for a reason.

This Wagoneer is supposed to be the parts vehicle, I guess I just gotta park it next to my truck and decide which one I want more. Obviously the truck, so when its all fixed up I can go buy more Jeeps and haul them home

[lunchbox1671]

Sometimes you have to kill a jeep to save another.

I would trade out the interiors for sure. Save the fenders, grille, heat/cooling components, axles, turn signals, windshield, door glass, etc. and sell the rest.

What you don't sell, take to the dump and get money for scrap. FSJ's are not common as a whole group, but there are quite a few out there still. You are not angering the FSJ Gods by sacrificing a Wagoneer for your J-truck!

[GrCherokeeL]

Looks like a decent parts rig!

X2! I say buy it for $250, take what you need, and part out the rest. You definitely have a good chance at making more than $250 back after parting it.

Yeah, I was hoping it'd be more rusty so I wouldn't like it so much. It has a title..and the guy wants to sell it to me for $250. Minus the engine and drivetrain of course...looks like the front wheels are already gone.

It's got some rust...less rust then my truck though. I wanted it for parts cause I know it'd make my truck complete in no time flat.

But...I have only seen 3 Full Size Jeep Grand Wagoneer's ever.

1 at a dealership for cash for clunkers, one passing me in the opposite lane on the highway.

And 1 in a very small town that was still a Daily Driver. Even saw a Willy's filling up on gas!

The interior in the Grand Wagoneer is so clean, and by that I mean...rain hasn't gotten to it like it has in my truck, its not torn up...the floor panels are solid with no rust. The seats and radio are what made me decide I had to save this Jeep.

A friend of my Uncle's came over tonight and saw my truck he told me "Wow, your truck's dash is so clean!"

The bad thing about Jeeps? I've got a soft spot for them, I've found out last week that its the Full Size Jeeps that really put a smile on my face.

I saw this a few days ago,

Only rust on it was the roof, but even then...it was only surface rust. I knew it was a Cherokee when I saw it.


Yeah, but I'm having a hard time deciding whether or not to use that Wagoneer as parts...or try bringing it back to life. I dislike killing Jeeps

One of the bad things about parting it though...I really don't know anyone else around me who would need Wagoneer parts.

[bruner1981jpce]

Looks like a decent parts rig!

X2! I say buy it for $250, take what you need, and part out the rest. You definitely have a good chance at making more than $250 back after parting it.

[lunchbox1671]

Looks like a decent parts rig!

[GrCherokeeL]

Been wanting to look at it all day, so I decided to go take some more pictures of it tonight...

[GrCherokeeL]

Well I was going to work on my Jeep truck today...but its just trying to figure out where to start that makes it a little complicated. I guess I'll try again Sunday.

I was somewhat distracted since for the past 3 years I've been driving my Grand Cherokee on the back road to my Grandma's house, and each time I'd look up and see an old Grand Wagoneer just sitting there on a hill.

Well today was the day where my Uncle and I decided to go take a look at the old Jeep, I was hoping it'd be rusted to pieces and there wouldn't be anything to salvage from it.

Turns out...the Grand Wagoneer has less rust then my J20.

So..I can't tell if this is a great find, or if its that Jeeper side of me who just loves any Jeep that crosses my eyes.

Its supposed to go to the scrap yard, but...the guy wants to sell the whole thing (Minus the engine and drivetrain) for just $250, let me know if its a good deal or not....cause I'm so close to buying this beautiful Grand Wagoneer.

[joe]

1985 FSJ Wagoneer and Truck--Drivers side pumpkin or passneger side?

All 80 up FSJ's have drivers side front pumpkin and centered rear.

[GrCherokeeL]

1985 FSJ Wagoneer and Truck--Drivers side pumpkin or passneger side?

?

[hhoope]

1985 FSJ Wagoneer and Truck--Drivers side pumpkin or passneger side?

[GrCherokeeL]

...now...

GET TO WORK!!!

I got to work on it a little bit today, I was planning on getting a lot of things done today but my uncle got busy and had to go pick up stuff and was buzzing around town all day so...can't do much if I don't know where all the tools are at in the shop.

After next Wednesday though, I'll be bringing home my tools and working on it a lot more.

This sunday I'll hopefully get more taken care of

I did test out the tailgate though, I was standing on top of it and unloading parts. Also got my truck doors on so the critters don't think its a place to get warm for the winter.







Yeah...I'm missing the passenger side mirror

[lunchbox1671]

...now...

GET TO WORK!!!

[GrCherokeeL]

Today the J20 was loaded up, I worried since Monday for trying to figure out how I was going to load the heaviest J20 possible with my baby Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Tow hooks are rated at 5,000 lb's, tow straps at 3,333 lb's, and then there's the J20 that weighs more then the Grand Cherokee for sure. Well my smaller Jeep proved that it would do the job no problem, it pulled the truck on to the trailer all the way





My J20 got dropped off at my grandma's house, and that's when I had to put my Grand Cherokee back to work again as it went behind the truck and pushed it a few times, then I strapped the tow strap on again and pulled it over beside a Chevy truck.

I think my Jeep truck is a lot happier with 7 Chevy's for company

I didn't get a chance to work on my truck today, maybe tomorrow...but Friday and Sunday for sure I will get a lot of work done on this truck. No more excuses, homework, or being told I can't get this truck finished.

[GrCherokeeL]

Well the time has finally come, my auto teacher told me last Wednesday that the J20 had to get out of the cage and get brought home. He told me "It needs to move and so do the parts because the maintenance guy at the college snow plows in the cage"


Alright...so when the whole college is on break for a few weeks, you're going to snow plow inside the cage, where none of the vehicles move anyways? By the time the next semester comes along the snow will be gone.

I decided enough time has been wasted, and I wasn't going to argue with my auto teacher.

My truck sat in the cage for far too long, along with the other vehicles in there that wasn't good company anyways.

So this Monday I drove in with my Grand Cherokee, and loaded up as many of the parts as I could.



That evening I decided to take a few pictures of my two Jeeps, the J20 stopped holding a grudge over the baby Jeep and decided a few pictures was alright. Not many people looked at the truck as they drove past, although I did see one of my friends keep turning his head and staring at both of them. Guess he wasn't expecting the truck to be parked outside.











My Grand Cherokee got spoiled that day, brought it in for a tire rotation (I do know how to rotate my own tires, I just have a good friend who takes good care of my tires when I go to the tire shop). Bought the tires in January and today they have 18k on them. When I got back in my Jeep, I saw this: