1976 Cherokee Chief S Purchase

[had]

edit: looked at the picts... sorry for a few bad news

That charcoal canister has non connected nipples that will fail visual smog check... it is not the OE canister nor the usual place for that vintage.

The intake manifold is seems like a non EGR, so that fail smog check for Cali.

No Air pump, and no diverter valve, albeit the exhaust manifold has the air hoses on both side, 76 is probably a catalytic converter year... so you need a CARB approved cat.... $$$$ they have number stamped/laser etched that are 2" in size...

and you have the prestolite distributor that is notorious for failing in the middle of nowhere, need to be ditched for something serviceable, points, HEI or motorcraft.

letank, thanks for the information. Wow, I'm totally blown away. How can you tell it's a prestolite distributor? Any idea how much all this would cost to fix for CA smog? Not sure where i would see this number stamped you're referring to...thanks again.

[had]

This one is cheaper, and it is here in Spokane, too (not mine).

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?p=1372411#post1372411

Thank you, 66. It's nice. But not as nice as the one I want. What a debacle.

[asphaltrockdweller]

I'm completely obsessed over this Jeep. And that's one of the things I'm obsessed over. I don't know if the seller will come down to $9k, but that's really what I want to offer. In a conversation a week ago, stupidly I said "I can see myself coming up to the $10-$11k range, but no way to $18k", and now he's got the $11k figure he's latched onto. I don't know. I guess it's one of those things where I need to either man up or go away.

I obsessed on the 1976 wagoneer I have now, and it was on feebay too.

It was in OR, and I too am in LA. It looked great in the pictures, and the seller answered all of my questions about it.

The only problem was he LIED!

Mine also did not have any of the smog equipment on it, and I thought no big deal?
Well it was a big deal. Had to find all of the parts, including new exhaust manifolds.
The motor that I was told was in great shape, was so tired, it got angry hot, and just fell asleep. The interior was crap (and of course he told me it was in great shape).

I noticed in the ebay ad on your chief that he does not show pictures of these custom leather seats? Also it looks to be a rip in that drivers door panel.
I also noticed that really ugly rear panel on the tailgate, the cover on the steering wheel, the fact that the dash was cut for a stereo that is not there any more, he painted everything on the dash the same color including the ash tray, and all other plastic parts.
If he did all of this cool custom stuff, why did he leave the prestolite ignition system on it? That is a major weak link.
Usually when someone is inclined to "under coat" an under carriage there is a reason for hiding something bad.
There is a hole in the roof for that CB antenna, and there is no AC, nor did it ever have it. That is something you will want when stuck in traffic in the middle of summer.

(EDIT) LeTank The 1976 did not have catalytic converters on them yet, so you do not have to worry about that. but good catch as well on the distributor, and the non EGR intake. The Charcoal canister is in fact in the right spot, as it is stated in my 1976 TSM, but once again it is not connected to anything.

Don't make the same mistake I did on ebay.
I payed wayyyyyy to much, and have spent far more than I ever wanted too.

I would be more apt to buy from someone here, or something local, than to ever buy something that I can not go look at in person. Just my two cents I reckon?

[letank]

letank, thanks for the information. Wow, I'm totally blown away. How can you tell it's a prestolite distributor? Any idea how much all this would cost to fix for CA smog? Not sure where i would see this number stamped you're referring to...thanks again.

The vacuum diaphragm on the side is a dual system.

The other thing that came to my mind is that the gas tank is pressure/vacuum tested for calif smog... so it is not set up right.... another headache.

The new registration is even trickier, as it can cost you $50 every two months to keep it road legal.... I am not too sure about the rules for out of state vehicle.... but it is a real pita. I had to deal with a non passing smog calif civic to spare the wagoneer on short trips... It was a friend's one owner, the price was less than a dinner for two in a top notch restaurant.... It failed smog, it could not pass smog, after $500 of parts as recommended by a smog technician -not the parts that you decided to install- you can ask for a 2 year waiver, but in 2 years the CARB police will not let you free.... The few techs that I visited where baffled.... so after 11 months.... out of the blue I found the reason, yes a vacuum leak from a recessed hose in the back of the engine....

As asphaltrockdweller as pointed out, there is too much fresh paint all over.... I have 2 calif. waggy, and there is so much surface rust.... and holes, the calif. label is not a guarantee. Those vehicle were not treated to stay alive for over 7 years, so after 30 years.... when you grind the paint on a non-rusted area, you can see the metal rusting under a perfectly good paint.

Edit (thanks for the placement of the charcoal canister, mine is between the firewall and the engine, at some point it was crushed by the EGR valve, so may I'll put is somewhere else)

It is not a debacle, you did the right thing by asking questions to one of the best FSJ list....

Check the local wagoneers even if you do not want to buy it... for the feeling of driving. I used to do it from time to time, it helped me evaluate the power response of my engine and transmission... and sometimes you get into a $$$$ waggy and there is no power.... THen you spot the little oddities

BTW it is also missing the fan shroud.

As for wiring for a 76 and any 85 and older, the ammeter bypass is a must... you do not want to end up with a BBQ. Search this site for the quick recipe.

[Schlagger]

The new registration is even trickier, as it can cost you $50 every two months to keep it road legal....

Dang. I pay $51 a YEAR

[letank]

Dang. I pay $51 a YEAR

That is if you fail smog within the alloted registration deadline, you still pay the full registration but are not issued a sticker.... welcome to Cali.... I received the registration for the wagoneer and it is $90 for the 74, $99 for the 85.... they both have a $20 SF city .... time to move to a cheaper county....same for the motorcyles....

[Chuck Brown]

x100!!!!! Did the same thing with the J200 in my signature. Interior was shot to heck, bed was 1" thick with bondo, motor wasn't hooked up, missing stuff that was promised to be there, you heard the whole story before. Four years later, and Im still not even close to finished. Obsession will get you messed up, kids.

I sometimes feel like the narrator in Coolridge's, "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner", doomed forever to tell my tale of warning to weary travelers.

Chuck Brown

The vacuum diaphragm on the side is a dual system.

The other thing that came to my mind is that the gas tank is pressure/vacuum tested for calif smog... so it is not set up right.... another headache.

The new registration is even trickier, as it can cost you $50 every two months to keep it road legal.... I am not too sure about the rules for out of state vehicle.... but it is a real pita. I had to deal with a non passing smog calif civic to spare the wagoneer on short trips... It was a friend's one owner, the price was less than a dinner for two in a top notch restaurant.... It failed smog, it could not pass smog, after $500 of parts as recommended by a smog technician -not the parts that you decided to install- you can ask for a 2 year waiver, but in 2 years the CARB police will not let you free.... The few techs that I visited where baffled.... so after 11 months.... out of the blue I found the reason, yes a vacuum leak from a recessed hose in the back of the engine....

As asphaltrockdweller as pointed out, there is too much fresh paint all over.... I have 2 calif. waggy, and there is so much surface rust.... and holes, the calif. label is not a guarantee. Those vehicle were not treated to stay alive for over 7 years, so after 30 years.... when you grind the paint on a non-rusted area, you can see the metal rusting under a perfectly good paint.

Edit (thanks for the placement of the charcoal canister, mine is between the firewall and the engine, at some point it was crushed by the EGR valve, so may I'll put is somewhere else)

It is not a debacle, you did the right thing by asking questions to one of the best FSJ list....

Check the local wagoneers even if you do not want to buy it... for the feeling of driving. I used to do it from time to time, it helped me evaluate the power response of my engine and transmission... and sometimes you get into a $$$$ waggy and there is no power.... THen you spot the little oddities

BTW it is also missing the fan shroud.

As for wiring for a 76 and any 85 and older, the ammeter bypass is a must... you do not want to end up with a BBQ. Search this site for the quick recipe.

[had]

I obsessed on the 1976 wagoneer I have now, and it was on feebay too.

It was in OR, and I too am in LA. It looked great in the pictures, and the seller answered all of my questions about it.

The only problem was he LIED!

Mine also did not have any of the smog equipment on it, and I thought no big deal?
Well it was a big deal. Had to find all of the parts, including new exhaust manifolds.
The motor that I was told was in great shape, was so tired, it got angry hot, and just fell asleep. The interior was crap (and of course he told me it was in great shape).

I noticed in the ebay ad on your chief that he does not show pictures of these custom leather seats? Also it looks to be a rip in that drivers door panel.
I also noticed that really ugly rear panel on the tailgate, the cover on the steering wheel, the fact that the dash was cut for a stereo that is not there any more, he painted everything on the dash the same color including the ash tray, and all other plastic parts.
If he did all of this cool custom stuff, why did he leave the prestolite ignition system on it? That is a major weak link.
Usually when someone is inclined to "under coat" an under carriage there is a reason for hiding something bad.
There is a hole in the roof for that CB antenna, and there is no AC, nor did it ever have it. That is something you will want when stuck in traffic in the middle of summer.

(EDIT) LeTank The 1976 did not have catalytic converters on them yet, so you do not have to worry about that. but good catch as well on the distributor, and the non EGR intake. The Charcoal canister is in fact in the right spot, as it is stated in my 1976 TSM, but once again it is not connected to anything.

Don't make the same mistake I did on ebay.
I payed wayyyyyy to much, and have spent far more than I ever wanted too.

I would be more apt to buy from someone here, or something local, than to ever buy something that I can not go look at in person. Just my two cents I reckon?

asphaltrockdweller,

This is turning into an eye opener. I was planning on having the car inspected and using the report as a bargaining chip. Now I don't know.

What's the panel on the tailgate you're referring to? You mean underneath, with the new hitch?

So you think the undercoat on the under carriage is potentially hiding rust?

I'm beginning rethink this. Hmm. Depressing.

Thanks for your thoughts. Much appreciated.

[had]

As asphaltrockdweller as pointed out, there is too much fresh paint all over.... I have 2 calif. waggy, and there is so much surface rust.... and holes, the calif. label is not a guarantee. Those vehicle were not treated to stay alive for over 7 years, so after 30 years.... when you grind the paint on a non-rusted area, you can see the metal rusting under a perfectly good paint.

As for wiring for a 76 and any 85 and older, the ammeter bypass is a must... you do not want to end up with a BBQ. Search this site for the quick recipe.

I appreciate the input, letank. A couple questions.

--Why do you say there's too much paint? Why is that a warning sign? Not sure I understand. I get that rust could be hidden under bondo, is that what you're referring to?

--I noticed that the inside wall of the engine bay looks rust colored. Did you see that?

---Where do you see the ammeter bypass? is that the cannister you've been referring to?

Newbie blues.

Thanks again.

[had]

Obsession will get you messed up, kids.

Chuck Brown

I'm going to work on that. Seriously. I'm really glad I came here, even though it's depressing. No more obsession over this Cherokee.

I kind of feel like I'm hardening my heart against a puppy, but I'll make it.

Thanks again

[asphaltrockdweller]

Had don't get discouraged!

We are just trying to point out a few things that might need to be addressed, and might help bring the price down a bit as well.
There is really nothing special about that Chero. Quite a few here have pointed out that other than the manual transmission, and TC, it is just a very nice looking jeep.

Obviously it was a rather stripped down rig from the factory. No cruise, no AC, no tilt, no rear defroster window, and a manual crank rear window, and no carpet (which is actually a plus to many).

I think you are doing the right thing by having it inspected, and like others have pointed out, make sure who ever inspects it has some liability if in fact this jeep turns out to be too good to be true.

It is a very pretty truck, but you will have to spend some money making it pass emissions here in CA, and who knows what else it might need?

Chin up! and maybe things might just turn out OK?

[had]

Had don't get discouraged!

We are just trying to point out a few things that might need to be addressed, and might help bring the price down a bit as well.
There is really nothing special about that Chero. Quite a few here have pointed out that other than the manual transmission, and TC, it is just a very nice looking jeep.

Obviously it was a rather stripped down rig from the factory. No cruise, no AC, no tilt, no rear defroster window, and a manual crank rear window, and no carpet (which is actually a plus to many).

I think you are doing the right thing by having it inspected, and like others have pointed out, make sure who ever inspects it has some liability if in fact this jeep turns out to be too good to be true.

It is a very pretty truck, but you will have to spend some money making it pass emissions here in CA, and who knows what else it might need?

Chin up! and maybe things might just turn out OK?

I gotcha, asphalt. It's just a little disheartening. It's all good! (In my mind, the Cherokee is now a bondo mobile lathered with paint )

I can't find an inspection company that will take liability for the vehicle. I don't believe that's possible. I know they'll do a magnet test, and check everything out, best they can with a onsite inspection at the sellers.

Seeing that I can't know how much it will cost to smog, I don't know what to offer now. I'm very happy to find all this out now, but it's a little bit of a bummer. Sorry for whining.

I kind of feel like telling the seller these issues, and telling him I'll pay $6k, and then he'll laugh and that will be that.

Oh well. You take care, asphalt.

[letank]

I appreciate the input, letank. A couple questions.

--Why do you say there's too much paint? Why is that a warning sign? Not sure I understand. I get that rust could be hidden under bondo, is that what you're referring to?

--I noticed that the inside wall of the engine bay looks rust colored. Did you see that?

---Where do you see the ammeter bypass? is that the cannister you've been referring to?

Newbie blues.

Thanks again.

Too much paint as in "it is too good looking to be true", a bit like your neighbour painted his neglected house.... he is ready to sell. I like to see what I am buying, and stay away from clean engine compartments... after 3 or 5 years an engine will show some dirt and oily residues. Or course most FSJ are running exxon valdez... you fix one leak, another shows up.... My 74 is not bad... a few drops at the transfer case and the rear differential... the 85 even after changing gaskets... engine, transfer case.... it marks it terrain, then I need to do the tranmission shaft seal and NSS.

Did not see the inside bay, you are correct, the firewall is a bit rusty....

The ammeter bypass is a modification done at the instrument cluster to reroute high amperage away from the original ammeter, where the charging current goes to from the alternator to the dash and then the battery, with time the ammeter will fail creating some annoyance. And totally separate, the canister is for the gas vapor.

The easiest ammeter bypass tutorial

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

[had]

First, I feel like I should apologize for whining on this forum.

I wanted to share this Cherokee with you guys. The owner is in SoCal, andd said he'd deliver it to me for $4k. The problem: It needs a bottom end rebuild. He says that it runs mint to 60 mph and then the crank shaft starts knocking. He's thoroughly demoralized about it, and his wife (ha!) is PO'd about putting so much time and money into it, and now he just wants to unload it. I thought the other Cherokee would be better, but this one is really nice, and just thought I'd share with you. Would you do this route and deal with the crank shaft issue?

Check this out:

***Wow. The JPG files the owner sent me are 2MB each and I can't upload them. Sorry. It's super nice. I'll see if I can get them in here somehow.

[asphaltrockdweller]

I have a good 360 from a 74 that I will be parting out. Let me know if you want it?
I am also in Los Angeles.