The Jeep is not a showroom piece. It’s a daily driver type of car, not a perfect time capsule from its birth. That’s what we wanted, but it’s not what everyone wants so know that up front. The wood paneling is long gone, someone repainted it white and didn’t do a great job, but I thought/think it looks great, much older than it is since the previous owner put on the “rhino chaser” front end. The original front end and square headlights are in the back of the Jeep as well if you prefer the 1989 look.
It has a brand-new-to-it transmission that had 50k miles on it. We pulled it from a pick a part, had it rebuilt and installed in late summer of 2023. I put new brakes on the front (disk) in spring of 2023 and changed the oil every 3,000 miles.
The engine needs a rebuild. I haven’t spoke to the mechanic yet to get the details, but definitely a new cam (flat tappet or convert to the rolling), probably a new oil pump. The valves seemed in good shape. New pistons wouldn’t hurt. The water pump, power steering pump and alternator are all new within the past two years and could be re-used. Or you could swap something else in. People do diesel conversions, I’ve heard of people putting in hemis and all sorts of things.
These are the only photos I have, though I am working on getting some more.
She’s an incredibly fun car to drive. The best I’ve ever driven. I love almost everything about it, but it just isn’t the right thing for life on the road.