Recognize this rig? 79 nt Chief

[jasonthomasfrance]

Up for sale here in pa. 1979 Cherokee Chief S Baby blue with lift

I’ll attach the pic in a minute

[threepiece]

That's about as far from a Chief as an SJ can get.

[jasonthomasfrance]

Wikipedia says the 4 door Cherokee came in a narrow track. The two door versions were wide track.

[threepiece]

Wikipedia says the 4 door Cherokee came in a narrow track. The two door versions were wide track.

It is indeed a Cherokee however it is not a Cherokee Chief.

The Chief trim package was only available on the two door wide track body in 1979.

[rang-a-stang]

It's a cool rig, regardless. you buying/selling it?

[SOLSAKS]

nice FSJ

a comment on the powder blue color:

i live in central NC
and over the years GM did a few special editions fr this area of the U.S.

since we are partial to carolina blue for the UNC Tarheels

Buick used to run TV Commercials in the 80s for the
"Carolina Edition" Buick Regal

it was that same Powder Blue

you either "love it" or "Hate it"
not much in between on that one.

dave in NC

[Rooney77]

So for us FSJ newbs (I'm an info junkie), where can one learn about all the different versions and models? I was always under the impression that 2 door was cherokee and 4 door was wagoneer. I had no clue there was a 4 door cherokee.

[rang-a-stang]

If you download the service manuals the descriptions are in there. Not all 2 doors were cherokees, not all 4 doors were wagoneers, not all wide tracks are Chiefs, and not all 2 doors were wide tracks. The Indian head “S” medallion did not mean chief, it meant “S” but all chiefs were also an “S” and got the medallions. All 4 doors were narrow tracks though (both Cherokee and wagoneer) from the factory. Best way to tell is the VIN and tag (if there are no factory emblems/badges/stickers left).

[threepiece]

[QUOTE=rang-a-stang]

[threepiece]

Yes, however I question your belief that all Chiefs were an S as I have not seen mention of a Cherokee Chief S in any Jeep literature.

The 1979 sales brochure indicates three trim packages, the S the Chief and the Golden Eagle. While they say the "Chief has most of the interior features of the S package" there is no mention of a Cherokee Chief S. Doing so would likely cause confusion for their dealers.

I believe the Indian head emblem is the source of the confusion. All emblems had the letter "S" on them and all Cherokees got the emblem. I'm not sure the meaning of the "S", perhaps it means Sioux.

[fulsizjeep]

[wiley-moeracing]

Brian Chuchua! Jeep should have run with this and made them part of the line up.

[joe]

So for us FSJ newbs (I'm an info junkie), where can one learn about all the different versions and models? I was always under the impression that 2 door was cherokee and 4 door was wagoneer. I had no clue there was a 4 door cherokee.

In the early Kaiser series there were also 2 door Wags long before AMC came out with the Chero's.

[rang-a-stang]

Yes, however I question your belief that all Chiefs were an S as I have not seen mention of a Cherokee Chief S in any Jeep literature.

The 1979 sales brochure indicates three trim packages, the S the Chief and the Golden Eagle. While they say the "Chief has most of the interior features of the S package" there is no mention of a Cherokee Chief S. Doing so would likely cause confusion for their dealers.

I believe the Indian head emblem is the source of the confusion. All emblems had the letter "S" on them and all Cherokees got the emblem. I'm not sure the meaning of the "S", perhaps it means Sioux.

I can't speak to all years but here here is what I understand, at least for 79 (most of this is from the service manual). The base models did not get the S medallions and I am fairly certain was only available as a NT. I am not sure if there was a base model 4 door. There were 2 trims levels. S package was available on all Cherokee models and included the medallions. Chief package was only available on WTs and also got the medallions but it was not a Chief S; it was just Chief. There was also the Golden Eagle package but it did not get the medallions and was WT only. I think Golden Eagles were just "Golden Eagles" too, not "Cherokee Golden Eagle". Anyone know for sure? These are the same general characteristics for most (but not all) years of the Cherokee but in the later years Laredo comes in and I think Chief goes away.

I think the confusion comes in because, from what I have seen in my many less years experience (so correct me if I am wrong), seems like most Cherokees sold were Chiefs. If not Chiefs, they were S's (you hardly see any base models or GEs these days). So, over the years, stickers are removed, medallions lost, and it makes it hard to determine if a Cherokee is a base, S, Chief, Golden Eagle, Laredo, or other.

haha! Flint! I love it! But that's not a factory WT!

[threepiece]

I can't speak to all years but here here is what I understand, at least for 79 (most of this is from the service manual).

Gosh, I don't know what service manual you are getting your information from but it is clearly not a factory TSM.

According to the 1979 Jeep Service Manual the only Cherokee models available were the model 16 two door NT, model 17 two door WT, and model 18 four door NT. There is no mention of a "base model". Earlier Jeep service manuals reveal basically the same information with some minor changes.

The Golden Eagle was simply a trim package that was first offered in 1979 for the model 17 only.

If you are interested in these sort of useless facts I recommend getting some sales brochures. There are also kewl pictures in them that show details of different trim and emblems and such for the different trim packages.