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Opinions on 1970 Wagoneer?

Darky

Darky

NAXJA Forum User
Location
29 Palms, CA
I found one for sale locally. I'm strongly considering buying it if it's still around when my money comes in.

It's got 44s front and rear, the Buick 350 V8, body's straight. Interior could use some work. But I'd be using this as my trail/family rough terrain vehicle. I plan on buying a classic Chevy truck as a DD.

Anything in particular I should look for?
 
The only thing it sounds like it has going for it is the pre-smog registration.
The Buick 350 is a good engine but hard to get parts for and expensive to rebuild. Are the axles 5 or 6 lug ? If they are 6 lug they are swapped from a later year and good, but if they are 5 lug they are original. The 5 lug axles are closed knuckle in the front and 2 piece shafts with thin tubes in the rear. The rear springs are "post mount" (later is box mount) and lift springs are hard to come by, I think only one company makes them. Look for rust on the front & rear floorboards and the frame along the gas tank. The transfercase will be a dana20 but unlike the Ford cases with a 2.46:1 low, the jeep case only has a 2.03:1 low range.

If you have the skills to fab suspension and swap the engine to something more modern if needed, the early wagoneers are the way to go. If not its probably a better idea look for something later and deal with the smog test issues. You cant give away newer wagoneers right now, so theres lots of deals to be had.



k.
 
I was looking into the Buick engine on IFSJA.org and it sounds like it should be powerful enough and decent for use while I work on getting a newer crate motor or something similar. But I did notice it was hard to find any parts during a cursory search of the Google machine. :D The pre-smog registration is the biggest attraction cuz then I could swap whatever engine I want and never pay for smog again.
I'm fairly certain the axles were 6 lug, I'll have to recheck though. They were spring under though, or at least I know the front end was. Didn't notice any leaks fron the engine or diffs in my quick look at it.

The main downside is that if I do this....the XJ will be going away. The Waggy would make a better choice for the family since we could fit all the car seats across the bench in back (2 boosters and a full car seat) so I'd be able to take the whole fam out in it. But then, that could be a score for y'all here. I'd try to sell whole, but would probably part it out since it's worth more in pieces than it is whole. :D
 
try harder, I fit a booster, a full size carseat, one kid in a seatbelt, and a full load of camping gear + me and the wife in the XJ last socal fest I went to. ;) it can be done.
 
Darky said:
The main downside is that if I do this....the XJ will be going away. The Waggy would make a better choice for the family since we could fit all the car seats across the bench in back (2 boosters and a full car seat) so I'd be able to take the whole fam out in it. But then, that could be a score for y'all here. I'd try to sell whole, but would probably part it out since it's worth more in pieces than it is whole. :D
Click to expand...

Well, I can tell you that the extra room is nice. But I can also tell you that depending on what types of trails you do, building the Wagoneer to the point of sucessfully navigating trails like Swamp and Dusy is alot more work than doing the same in a xj. Id do the Dusy in an xj with 3-4" of lift and 32's or 33's. You can put that together in a weekend. The wagon takes a SOA and 35's minimum and nothing is off the shelf. Everything on mine was fab'd in the driveway.

WagDusy.jpg


The power leather seats, plush carpeting, and a/c in the newer models is really nice too. ;)

How much is that '70 going for ?

k.
 
GrimmJeeper said:
try harder, I fit a booster, a full size carseat, one kid in a seatbelt, and a full load of camping gear + me and the wife in the XJ last socal fest I went to. ;) it can be done.
Click to expand...

x2. I'm with Grim.

my wife and I and three kids (5, 3, 1) just went 200 miles up to ventura and back about two weeks ago.

We use a Thule aero box up top, and honestly didn't feel cramped at all.

The car was full, but we even had room for gifts from my parents for my three little girls.

Only thing that would have been nice are cupholders for my wife and I.

Other than that it was a swell ride.

It was cool enough that we never worried about no A/C(on my to-do list). Just made sure we had lots of cool drinks and fruit to eat.

Cheers,
Brian

p.s. every time i think I can find a better car for me than the XJ, the Lord shows me that it is in fact, the perfect car for me right now. Cheap, useful, flexible, capable of towing a trailer, comfortable, and good on gas.

The grass is green right where I am. I'd rethink the FSJ route, brother. :)
 
Btw, I understand that its going to be a trail rig, I just think the XJ would do a better job. The classic chevy pickup sounds, on the other hand, sounds like a very good DD/work/utility truck.

I've considered getting a classic single cab truck, too, since I do so much work for my wife that entails hauling lumber, etc.

Might just end up getting an MJ, since I can swap parts over as needed.
 
SDOverland, you're right about the same place as I am. Eldest will be 6 next month, middle will be 4 next week and youngest will be 2 in Nov. So right now, they're 5, 3, and 1.

Getting rid of the XJ is the big showstopper. I love my XJ and have too much money into it by this point to easily get rid of.

I might have to give it a shot and see how we all fit. I'm 6'2" and mostly leg, so legroom could be tight, the big car seat definitely won't fit behind me. Maybe we can arrange seats somehow.

The ideal truck I'm looking for is going to be a 4x4 67-72 Chevy/GMC. Preferably in nice shape paint and body wise with a good dash. I wouldn't mind having to put a little effort into it, but would prefer for it to be plug and play overall. :D
 
Nice choice in truck, for sure. That'd be a sick ride. Fun thing about that is that you can find something that's like 5-10 years off a restoration, that can be driven while you freshen it up.

I'm a fan of Ford's myself, with a hankerin' for a late 60's-early 70's f100. Maybe even a 4x4 w/ a heavy duty pto winch up front for stump-pulling duties..(haha).

Certainly if you guys are simply outgrowing the XJ, it's definitely time to check out options.

For me @ 6'-0" tall, the XJ is a good fit. When my kids get bigger, I'll likely keep the XJ as a 3rd or 4th vehicle for my daugher's to drive when they're older. If I had to replace my truck with a bigger vehicle, honestly it wouldn't be within the Jeep brand.

I'd look hard at FJ80 landcruisers (7 seater), mitsubishi montero's (only the 7 seater version), and possibly even a series 1 or series 2 discovery 7 seater that has been well maintained. Isuzu troopers in the 2000ish range are known to be good trucks, too. They have lots of leg/cargo room, with the ability to run a rear-facing third seat, if need be.

Another option is the AWD astro-van. Lots of guys over on the expeditionportal have done a NP231 swap for true 4x4 ability, along with a mild lift and 31's. They then have a comfy 8 seater van that can take them a LONG ways down some pretty rough trails.

I've considered that idea, since astro's have a very reliable motor.

Just some thoughts for ya. Definitely can't go wrong with a FSJ, but there's lots of options aside from it, too. :)
 
SanDiegoOverland said:
Just some thoughts for ya. Definitely can't go wrong with a FSJ, but there's lots of options aside from it, too. :)
Click to expand...

Is that cuz you can't put a snorkel on it easily? :gee:
 
SanDiegoOverland said:
Nice choice in truck, for sure. That'd be a sick ride. Fun thing about that is that you can find something that's like 5-10 years off a restoration, that can be driven while you freshen it up.

I'm a fan of Ford's myself, with a hankerin' for a late 60's-early 70's f100. Maybe even a 4x4 w/ a heavy duty pto winch up front for stump-pulling duties..(haha).

Certainly if you guys are simply outgrowing the XJ, it's definitely time to check out options.

For me @ 6'-0" tall, the XJ is a good fit. When my kids get bigger, I'll likely keep the XJ as a 3rd or 4th vehicle for my daugher's to drive when they're older. If I had to replace my truck with a bigger vehicle, honestly it wouldn't be within the Jeep brand.

I'd look hard at FJ80 landcruisers (7 seater), mitsubishi montero's (only the 7 seater version), and possibly even a series 1 or series 2 discovery 7 seater that has been well maintained. Isuzu troopers in the 2000ish range are known to be good trucks, too. They have lots of leg/cargo room, with the ability to run a rear-facing third seat, if need be.

Another option is the AWD astro-van. Lots of guys over on the expeditionportal have done a NP231 swap for true 4x4 ability, along with a mild lift and 31's. They then have a comfy 8 seater van that can take them a LONG ways down some pretty rough trails.

I've considered that idea, since astro's have a very reliable motor.

Just some thoughts for ya. Definitely can't go wrong with a FSJ, but there's lots of options aside from it, too. :)
Click to expand...
I've actually thought of doing the AWD Astro and possible 231 conversion for my wife. But that'd be a little ways dwn the road. The FJ60 and FJ80 are both nice, but gas guzzlers for sure. Not like the FSJ would be much better, but if I bought something as nice as an FJ80, I'd be driving that thing everyday! I looked at a few Monteros before buying the XJ back in 04. I've always liked them, but they seem to be somewhat lacking capability wise.

Maybe I'll just buy a deuce and a half or 5 ton with the canvas and bows in back... :D
 
I had a Buick 350 powered J10. It had plenty of power with 4.27 axle gears. I also had a 72 Skylark and a 71 GS-455 and all 3 of those Buick engines ran hot. I blew the head gaskets in both cars. If you go for the Waggy, take a good look at the condition of the cooling system. Good luck.
 
Darky said:
SDOverland, you're right about the same place as I am. Eldest will be 6 next month, middle will be 4 next week and youngest will be 2 in Nov. So right now, they're 5, 3, and 1.

Getting rid of the XJ is the big showstopper. I love my XJ and have too much money into it by this point to easily get rid of.

I might have to give it a shot and see how we all fit. I'm 6'2" and mostly leg, so legroom could be tight, the big car seat definitely won't fit behind me. Maybe we can arrange seats somehow. ...:D
Click to expand...

I know how you feel. I have a rear facing car seat behind me and a forward one on the passenger side. I'm cramped when I have the baby behind me.

On the other hand, we have plenty of room when we take my wife's WJ. Not only is it a nicer ride, it's also easier to get the kids in & out.

I'm seriosly considering selling my stock '91 XJ and getting a ZJ.

The Wagoneer sounds like it would be a lot of work to get it to the point you need it.


E
 
I love the FSJs, kinda wish I had built mine instead of selling it.
 
Darky said:
I've actually thought of doing the AWD Astro and possible 231 conversion for my wife. But that'd be a little ways dwn the road. The FJ60 and FJ80 are both nice, but gas guzzlers for sure. Not like the FSJ would be much better, but if I bought something as nice as an FJ80, I'd be driving that thing everyday! I looked at a few Monteros before buying the XJ back in 04. I've always liked them, but they seem to be somewhat lacking capability wise.

Maybe I'll just buy a deuce and a half or 5 ton with the canvas and bows in back... :D
Click to expand...


:yelclap:



Expect 10-14 with a fj60. Cold, wet, warm, towing, thats pretty much the best they do. My dad has a 94 fzj80 with front/rear factory lockers, and the later motor, and he consistantly gets 15-20mpg. My XJ gets between 18-20mpg's, and its much smaller, so I'd say that the fj80 is NOT bad at all on gas for such a big truck.

The downside (there's always a downside) is that they are fairly slow on hills. Like 55mph slow. Who cares, though, right?
 
Last edited:
jeeperjohn said:
That would make an awesome tow rig!
Click to expand...
If I could convince the wife (and get the class B license and justify having it plus a pickup plus the XJ...) I would love to get one and make some ramps to park the XJ in the bed while towing whatever the heck I feel like behind it...
 
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