Q. 229 or 208?

[Dean]

Quick question here. I looked at a '84 GW. I tried to clean the tag, too grimy. Vin is "J'. Has dash "2wd-4wd" vac switch, floor shifter has "4H-N-4L". Is it a 229 or a 208? Thanks, Dean.
Trying to save bandwidth until we get moved to new server, but not yet in "Kenspeak" mode.

[Baker]

229, if it's original.

Look at the back of the case. A 229 will stick out in the back about 5", where a 208 has the cone-shaped part right against the flat case. Say the edge of the text box here is the flat bit where the fill/drain plugs are. This is a side view: (disregard the ".."s, they're just placeholders)

_____
.......\
........><-----Yoke
_____/

_
..\
...><
_/

[edited 'cause UBB doesn't show leading spaces]

[This message has been edited by Baker (edited September 03, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Baker (edited September 03, 2000).]

[joe]

If it has a vacuum switch on the dash it's a 229. The 208 is a conventional part-time case operated with a single manual shifter, no vacuum.
-joe

[scotty]

if you suspect that the t case has been swapped,the thing that makes the 229/228 different from the 208 or 219 is 2 levers. youll have a range lever thats hooked up to the plastic flag,and a mode lever with a big,ugly vaccum thingy thats hooked to the vaccum switch. if the t case has one,simple lever someone has swapped it for something else.

as has been stated,the 208 or 219 were never installed at the factory into a grand wagoneer.



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scott
85 grand wagoneer
258 with motorcraft 2bbl/904/twin stick dana 300/dana 44/welded amc 20
38x15.5 gumbo mudders
snorkel/dual batteries/onboard air/"custom" convertable
3 inch body lift/mostly stock suspension/"modified" fender openings
custom front/rear bumpers and brushgaurd

possible small block chevy "test" swap in near future

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by scotty:
as has been stated,the 208 or 219 were never installed at the factory into a grand wagoneer.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I thought the 208 remained standard for a few years, with the 228 or 229 optional. I know that the fleet GW's could come with the 208, up until at least 1988.

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Bob Barry<UL TYPE=SQUARE>* '78 Cherokee 4-door
* '88 Grand Wagoneer[/list]http://studentweb.providence.edu/~rbarry/wheels/

[joe]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
as has been stated,the 208 or 219 were never installed at the factory into a grand wagoneer.
[/b]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Well Scotty that's correct technically for the 219 because it was only an option from 1980-83 and the GW badge wasn't used until 1984.
But the 208 was the standard case in all Wags, GW's and J-trucks from 1980-87.
-joe

[scotty]

i have never,ever seen a 208 in a grand wag.only 229s. i have only seen the 208 in a few 80-83 model cherokees,and of course,j trucks. in 1955 the powerglide auto was an "option" in the corvet,but none were actually produced with a manual trans.

i did not think that the 208 and 219 were never actually installed into a grand wagoneer at the factory. no arguments for the 219,since,as you stated,its production run was pre grand wag.maybe the 229 was an "option" that all were produced with,or maybe the 208 actually did make it into a few. this being the case,a 208 grand wag is certainly a rare sight, does anyone on the board,own one,or at least seen one that they know for fact came from the factory so-equipped?

the grand wag was a luxury oriented vehicle. the crowd that prefers leather seats,and power accessories,certainly also would want the "no worry" full time 4wd feature. it doesnt even make logical sense to install a convenional part time case into a vehicle aimed at this sort of market.

while were on the jubject,ive also never seen a 228 in a grand wag.ive only seen or heard of it in j trucks in the early,middle 80s.

and thats all i have to say about that...

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scott
85 grand wagoneer
258 with motorcraft 2bbl/904/twin stick dana 300/dana 44/welded amc 20
38x15.5 gumbo mudders
snorkel/dual batteries/onboard air/"custom" convertable
3 inch body lift/mostly stock suspension/"modified" fender openings
custom front/rear bumpers and brushgaurd

possible small block chevy "test" swap in near future

[This message has been edited by scotty (edited September 04, 2000).]

[joe]

Yeah Scotty the 208 is pretty rare in GW's. Like Bob B said it was more common in the fleet vehicles like the Forest Service, construction company rigs. You'll also see a GW w/o the contact shelf paper on the sides occasionally.
Like you said these were luxo rigs and the people who generally bought them new didn't want to mess with no icky shifter to have 4WD so most folks went with the full-time 229 Select-trac option over the standard 208 Command-trac.

So far as the 228 goes it was an option only in 1986. Not a well received item at all and they went back to the 229 in 87.
-joe

[Bob N]

Well, scotty, try this one...1984 Grand Wagoneer, Cloth seats, manual windows, manual door locks, close-nap carpeting instead of the standard shag, and a NP208 transfer case! I guess it must have been the Economy Model!

[scotty]

wow! thats really cool! every one ive ever looked at has been loaded- like joe said,i guess most people wanted an extravagant luxo suv to haul the kids to soccer practice and the grocery.

i never would expect to see such econonmy in a grand wag!




------------------
scott
85 grand wagoneer
258 with motorcraft 2bbl/904/twin stick dana 300/dana 44/welded amc 20
38x15.5 gumbo mudders
snorkel/dual batteries/onboard air/"custom" convertable
3 inch body lift/mostly stock suspension/"modified" fender openings
custom front/rear bumpers and brushgaurd

possible small block chevy "test" swap in near future

[Baker]

Bob: Probably originally owned by the gubbmint--forest service maybe? Coupla weeks ago on eBay there was an 86 or 88 with manual everything, 208, and no wood--ex- forest service.

[Bob N]

Couldn't tell you if it's ex-government - I bought it from a guy in the Border Patrol up here in the top of NY. I do know it was origionally from Arizona, has 194,000 miles on it, and has been repainted at least once.