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So I'm not exactly sure how this started. I think I was showing a really nice Wagoneer ebay ad to my wife and said something along the lines of "if we ever need something bigger to tow a larger trailer, this is one of the only SUV's I could see owning". Her response was "Ooo, I've always liked those." So of course I start surfing Craigslist, and lo and behold this little green gem was listed out in Hood River, an hour east of Portland.
We just happened to be heading to Hood River for the day for some berry picking and sunshine, so it seemed like fate. I called the owner and he was glad to show it to us.
I liked the fact that it was a '73 with the smaller "wood" trim, and pre-smog here in Portland.
We stopped to look at it. The owner was very nice, and seemed reasonably honest. He had picked it and a vintage trailer up at an auction, but said he didn't need 2 4-wheel drive vehicles, so he was letting it go. But he had all the fluids replaced, put in a new battery and new tires.
She started right up and drove just fine, well fine for a 40 year old truck. My wife thought it was cute, as did my daughter, so we made an offer and somehow suddently owned a third car. Again.
The plan is just to get her running reliably and see how we like her. We mostly want it for towing, as I'm more of an autocrosser/track day fan. But having the four wheel drive will I'm sure come in handy here in Oregon. Who knows what the future holds.
Enough jabbering, here are some beginning pics. First up was replacing the headlight and dimmer switches to get the lights working. Oh, and fixing a fuel leak at the carb (both done). I'm loving the prices of parts compared to the Italian stuff I'm used to.
The day we bought her:
Removed the peeling vinyl off the rear:
Can anybody explain what this is?
Front seat looks to have been recovered at some point:
Good dash pad:
Original AM radio, still works! Need to find a replacement fast though...
New headlight switch, don't know where the wiper switch is from, and I'm bummed about the broken gauge facia.
I found these vacuum ports all open, so capped them. Runs about the same, I need to look for more leaks:
Anybody know what this might be? Found it under the dash when replacing the headlight switch.
Already has electric trailer brakes, but not sure they work:
What else... oh, owner claims the engine was rebuilt recently but had no papers. It runs well, once it starts.
I also need to retrofit 3 point belts and a 4 point harness for our daughter in the rear.
She'll likely need new springs, the headlights need adjusting, a radio, new front carpet and she'll be ready for service. At that point I'll decide if I fix the front end, or just drive her.
Anybody have a '73 owners manual? That will cut down on some stupid questions.
Thanks in advance for all the help!
Cheers,
Ian
Portland OR
We just happened to be heading to Hood River for the day for some berry picking and sunshine, so it seemed like fate. I called the owner and he was glad to show it to us.
I liked the fact that it was a '73 with the smaller "wood" trim, and pre-smog here in Portland.
We stopped to look at it. The owner was very nice, and seemed reasonably honest. He had picked it and a vintage trailer up at an auction, but said he didn't need 2 4-wheel drive vehicles, so he was letting it go. But he had all the fluids replaced, put in a new battery and new tires.
She started right up and drove just fine, well fine for a 40 year old truck. My wife thought it was cute, as did my daughter, so we made an offer and somehow suddently owned a third car. Again.
The plan is just to get her running reliably and see how we like her. We mostly want it for towing, as I'm more of an autocrosser/track day fan. But having the four wheel drive will I'm sure come in handy here in Oregon. Who knows what the future holds.
Enough jabbering, here are some beginning pics. First up was replacing the headlight and dimmer switches to get the lights working. Oh, and fixing a fuel leak at the carb (both done). I'm loving the prices of parts compared to the Italian stuff I'm used to.
The day we bought her:
Removed the peeling vinyl off the rear:
Can anybody explain what this is?
Front seat looks to have been recovered at some point:
Good dash pad:
Original AM radio, still works! Need to find a replacement fast though...
New headlight switch, don't know where the wiper switch is from, and I'm bummed about the broken gauge facia.
I found these vacuum ports all open, so capped them. Runs about the same, I need to look for more leaks:
Anybody know what this might be? Found it under the dash when replacing the headlight switch.
Already has electric trailer brakes, but not sure they work:
What else... oh, owner claims the engine was rebuilt recently but had no papers. It runs well, once it starts.
I also need to retrofit 3 point belts and a 4 point harness for our daughter in the rear.
She'll likely need new springs, the headlights need adjusting, a radio, new front carpet and she'll be ready for service. At that point I'll decide if I fix the front end, or just drive her.
Anybody have a '73 owners manual? That will cut down on some stupid questions.
Thanks in advance for all the help!
Cheers,
Ian
Portland OR
/T18/D20/D44s
"The Jeffrey"
We figured there was little downside on a running, practically rust-free, pre-smog, classic Jeep. Old cars come and go around here, mostly old Alfas. Now my wife's into vintage trailers. I think I might start dabbling in old American iron since prices are so much cheaper for parts. Just need a job that pays the same and only requires 4 hours of work a week!
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