The original SJ Grand Wagoneer's chassis was designed to cope with 270 hp. 06-Corvette z51-6spd,b&b,K&N low miles. If not, we will find and restore one for you. You will need transmission and motor mount adapters. Fit nicely on my frame and the included pieces covered all the weak spots that had rusted on my Cherokee WT. What Happens to the Vintage Bronco Market Now? The fuel tank capacity is a joke for the size of the vehicle. I did look into a number of different choices, including a modern Mopar motor (such as the 5.7 Hemi V8), Cummins diesel swaps, and even Ford Coyote options. Strange as it might sound, the more time I spent with the vehicle, and the more of its character I came to admire, the greater the impulse became to move to a newer engine. In the context of the project itself, however, the pandemic time-out was a fitting capper on several months of the one-step forward-two-steps-back learning process that has so far defined my LS engine swap experience. According to your plans, the Wagoneer would only end up donating the engine and frame, and the frame is a poor fit to the CJ-6 body - both too long and too wide. Known for its rugged chassis, comfortable ride and respectable off-road chops, the stylish Grand Wagoneer represents a bygone era in truck design where wood veneer and Brooks Stevens-penned greenhouses dominated showrooms. Heavy duty brackets are CAD-designed and made from CNC cut 1/4" and 3/8" thick HRP&O steel for a precise fit. Yes, the Jeep now runs and drives around the shop rather than having to be pushed out of the waybut only just. Adapters can run from $150 to $1000. Each side mounts to frame and front mounts to the factory crossmember Approximately 27 Gallons! JavaScript is disabled. Next came a month of swapping in sensors (and even installing a new known-good transmission controller shipped to us by Easy EFI) that didnt fix the problem, before an extended stint with a local GM guru confirmed that there were 20-plus lines of code that had to be rewritten in order for the engine and transmission software to play together harmoniously. If Purchasing A Brand New Grille Frame Or . After the original owner flim-flammed me about the condition of the 5.3-liter donor engine (which turned out to have a bent rod), I was eager to get the New Year started off right. The doner car is a 2004 Chevy suburban that Ive since new. If you have a particular Year and Model of interest, we would be happy to discuss it with you. So you can add back about $1,000 from the stuff I didn't need. I want to dispel the pervasive myth that a properly executed LS swap can be done for no money over the course of a weekend in your driveway, with only basic mechanical knowledge. Guess who's back, back again? I did an LSx swap with a th350 and narrow track wagy axles. The First Name in Bronco Restorations Is Now Doing Vintage Ford Pickups, Rad For Sale Is a New Auction Site That Specializes in 80s and 90s Dream Cars, Woody Harrelson Is the Latest "SNL" Host to Deliver a Controversial Monologue, Some Doctors Are Now Making More Dubious Claims About Ivermectin. These swaps are exciting, enjoyable, beneficial and well-documented as with these Jeeps. A true friend WILL NOT come bail you out of jail. As usual! 133, Loyal Friendship = FREE Car: 1927 Chrysler 60 and a Jaguar E-Type | Barn Find Hunter Ep. $2,122.00. The secondhand rods themselves could work, but it was time to bore the cylinders and move to .020 inch oversized pistons and rings in order to get back to an acceptable level of clearance. Joseph kind of hit the nail on the head. Although I initially entertained 90s-era Ford Broncos as well as two-door GMC Yukon GTs (a model that would briefly enter my life a few years later as a cautionary tale of forgoing a professional pre-purchase inspection), my real quarry quickly became obvious: the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The Wagoneer front axle should be a direct bolt in, or so I've heard. It fits the frame. Heavy-duty plate steel boxes were fabricated to move the front springs forward about 2 inches and move the rear. This would be a Wide track. Install rear bumper. In researching the best five speed automatic transmission I could mate up to my AMC 360 in my 88 Grand Wagoneer I came to the conclusion, after much research, that the total cost was more than I wanted to spend just for a trans swap. $ 39.95. It's free. If you plan to wheel it, you will never be done tweaking it. The Wagoneer was penned by legendary . The Jeep Grand Wagoneerbuilt between 1984 to 1991 by the tag-team mix of AMC and Chrysler, and based on the long-standing SJ platform that dated back to the brand's Kaiser years in the early 1960sis an icon in the SUV world. It was . Privacy Policy Before showcasing the new Wagoneers, Jeep revealed the all-new, First Helicopter Flight on Mars Takes Place in April, Juicy Details Inside. I didnt need much more convincing. The seller had stowed his 1987 Grand Wagoneer in the parking garage of a seniors residence, and while it wasnt listed for sale he was willing to let it go to a good home. jedelbrock. For those keeping score at home, thats triple the fuel mileage and nearly two-and-a-half times the grunt of the original setup. You see, to fix what the factory has wrought under my hood, there are only two real options: update AMC's original iron, or swap in something much more modern. I've read about the swaps with wagoneers, 2004-2006 jeep JK's, s-10, etc. It sounds like you want to build a rock buggy (60s (expensive), huge tires (expensive), kilobucks transmission), but are rationalizing it as a 'modest' buildup. Thanks. Who needs Apple CarPlay when you have this? Cons: Not the best fuel economy, looks similar to the regular Wagoneer, no diesel or PHEV yet. Ships from 3rd Party. NO PROBLEM! Built on Rams DT frame, these models promise to take body-on-frame construction to the next level, thanks to the multitude of enhancements and state-of-the-art materials they utilize. We Have This Frame Kit In Stock Ready To Ship Out. 131, Ive previously documented the comedy of errors, The 37-year-long rolling resto of my BMW 3.0CSi, Hummer history: Where it came from (and where its heading). Wagoneer engine swap: The long view through Jeep project hell Benjamin Hunting 21 August 2020 Leave comment Benjamin Hunting There's a certain point in which a short-term project makes the subtle yet emotionally wrenching transition to a long-term saga. That being said, originality is a moving target when discussing a vehicle built on the SJ chassis. This lead me to a very distinct fork in the road. Where is that connection point at? The powertrain puts out an impressive 471 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque and can tow 9,850 pounds when properly equipped. Here is a link to my build so you can look at it more detail: My 61 wagon is on a K5 Blazer frame and drivetrain. The four-wheel drive wasnt functional when I purchased it. Past that, I wish I had better informed myself about the variances in transfer case and transmission designs I was interested in, so as to avoid last-minute shaft and bearing replacements. It will compete for customers in the premium large American SUV segment. autoevolution and the autoevolution logo are registered trademarks. TKs owner, Tom Kolimatsis, quickly determined that the piston-to-cylinder-wall clearance in the engine was measuring .004 inches, which is decidedly terrible when factory tolerances are listed at .0027 inches. From my experience there is nothing wrong with the stock frame, it bolts right up to the wagon no problem. 2008-2023 SoftNews Net SRL You are using an out of date browser. With the rear shaft installed and the truck running, the transmission shifted into gear andnothing. check out the. It got to the point where I even had a good friend in California check out a potential West Coast purchase, only to discover that the owner (a former member of a seminal 70s psych-rock band) had been living in it, denting the roof with his sleeping bag each and every night. Joseph, Great post in answer to his question. While my Jeep Grand Wagoneer LS swap project had had its share of ups and downs, the experience of a modern drivetrain in an old school platform is something unique on the automotive landscape. Setting out to make one mine, I endured the harsh realities of hunting down a classic SUV in a rust-prone northern climate, spent a small fortune upgrading the truck to modern specs, and came to love the quirks that come with driving a vehicle that was designed 20 years before I was born. You are using an out of date browser. In the grand scheme of things, to be sure, this was a small frustration. I just picked up a 2012 GMC 2500 HD low miles for my daily. In addition to the power, reliability, and efficiency of its new LS engine, I wanted to ensure that the rest of the Jeep could keep up with its heart transplant. (Abimelec Design). Aluminum Hood Release Lever Kit (1) $35.00 Free Shipping. So why not transform your true classic SUV into a modern day performance ride? 6BT also requires a D60 front axle to properly handle the 1200lb engine. Sold Out. Looking forward to pictures! Learn More. My restoration journey could not start without a good shop place. At the very least, once the refreshed engine was back at AGM Performance, there were no further issues in fitting it inside my Grand Wagoneers engine bay (aside from a bit of tightness between the exhaust manifolds and steering shaft). I'll need to weld mine. do you have any information on that? JavaScript is disabled. There is over 150 years of auto experience that is put into our restorations. We are dedicated to serving the needs of Jeep Grand Wagoneer owners as well as the Full Size Jeep owners with a large selection of Parts for Jeep Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, J-10, J-20 Trucks, Cherokee Chief, and also C101, C104 . The Jeep Grand Wagoneerbuilt between 1984 to 1991 by the tag-team mix of AMC and Chrysler, and based on the long-standing SJ platform that dated back to the brand's Kaiser years in the early 1960sis an icon in the SUV world. Can someone tell me if I'm understanding this correctly, I have Dana 60 axles that are 4.10 and down, but if I purchase the Eaton e Locker I can get that 4.56 and up version and put 4.56 gears in it? Jeep hasn't been even close to the full-size SUV space since the Commander went extinct in 2010, but that Grand Cherokee-based unibody ride was a far cry from the sturdy, trucklike rigs made by GM and Ford; indeed, in hindsight, it's almost easier to think of it as predecessor to the Grand Cherokee L than an intermediate between the new Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer and their . You don't even need them for a v8, depending on the engine and how you drive. 94 XJ Beat not babied! The number-one priority for me in finding a Jeep of this vintage was that it be rust-free. Ive gone from having to carefully plan out each and every highway merge to roasting the rear tires at will, or if Im not careful with the throttle. *83 Jeep CJ7 engine swap (305/TH400,Dana300/Dana44s) . I also didn't need long tube headers and 3 inch exhaust. 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer on shortened 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 chassis. Here are the 2023 Detroit Autorama Ridler Award Great Eight finalists, 2022 Audi RS 3 Review: One of the last great sport sedans, 1950 Mercury lead sled Maximus wins 2023 Ridler Award, 10 oddball vehicles keeping 2023s Amelia Island auctions wacky, According to You: GMs 12 biggest missed opportunities, Underground VAULT at the Henry Ford Museum: Cars with amazing History | Barn Find Hunter Ep. 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