Recommend a firm to restore a US Jeep

[petjam]

Morning all,

Can anybody recommend a firm who are able to restore a US 1980's Jeep Wagoneer?

Thanks.

[neutral 3]

Tread carefully......

[petjam]

Please elaborate. I've never done this before and have always lusted over an old 70's Cherokee "Woody" Jeep.

[pcn1]

https://www.thedenniscollins.com/brands/blkmtn/

Ship it to this guy, he knows his stuff !

Great YouTube channel also

[aeropilot]

petjam said:

Morning all,

Can anybody recommend a firm who are able to restore a US 1980's Jeep Wagoneer?

Thanks.

How bad a state is the one you are starting with...?

Not going to be easy to find a UK firm with the specialist knowledge to do this, and will be hideously expensive if it need serious work, as you won't get bits for them here, and with the current cost of shipping bits from the USA while the virus is around, I would suggest you dropped the idea completely. You be better off spending the money on one already done over in the USA (or better still a very original one instead) and ship that over, and keep the one you have for parts.
This will be a much cheaper option.

[petjam]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JEEP-GRAND-WAGONEER-5-9...

That was the car I was thinking about. It was originally on their website for double so I expect there is something majorly wrong with it.

[aeropilot]

petjam said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JEEP-GRAND-WAGONEER-5-9...

That was the car I was thinking about. It was originally on their website for double so I expect there is something majorly wrong with it.

Its cheap, because of what it is - no one wants them here in UK.

If its really rust free and in good nick, its even cheap by USA prices.

I doubt it needs 'restoration' looking at it, maybe a good service and recommissioning, rather than restoration. Any of the number of US car specialists in UK could do that, although if you can wield a spanner they are not complicated...and are very DIY'able.

[tr7v8]

I know an ex-Chrysler/Jeep guy who could recommission it in the UK, Kent in fact. PM Me if serious & I'll put you in touch.
Probably fairly sought after in the UK for its rarity.
You'll be importing most of the bits from the USA but parts are generally reasonably priced. Lots of parts common to the later Grands as well.

[aeropilot]

tr7v8 said:

You'll be importing most of the bits from the USA but parts are generally reasonably priced.

Shipping them over isn't anymore - its horrific now.

[geeman237]

These Grand Wagoneers are getting quite a cult following here in the US now. The can go for $40-60k in mint condition. Many have been driven almost into the ground and suffer terrible rust. From what I understand they are HUGE gas guzzlers and the engines aren't the best.

From the ad I am seeing poor photos and a bit dare I say 'sketchy' a presentation. Price-wise, I'd say it may be about right for what it is. Note they haven't photographed the driver seat for wear (pet peeve of mine for online ads), nor underside/chassis photos.

I am not sure what they are like parts-wise though.

They certainly have a retro-cool about them.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

[tr7v8]

geeman237 said:

These Grand Wagoneers are getting quite a cult following here in the US now. The can go for $40-60k in mint condition. Many have been driven almost into the ground and suffer terrible rust. From what I understand they are HUGE gas guzzlers and the engines aren't the best.

From the ad I am seeing poor photos and a bit dare I say 'sketchy' a presentation. Price-wise, I'd say it may be about right for what it is. Note they haven't photographed the driver seat for wear (pet peeve of mine for online ads), nor underside/chassis photos.

I am not sure what they are like parts-wise though.

They certainly have a retro-cool about them.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Just Checked road tests of the time say 13-14.6MPG (Imp) so not that much of a gas guzzler. I suspect rust will depend where it came from, This one is from Japan which means very little to no rust I suspect. Interior from the pics looks OK, US interiors seem to be harder wearing than European ones from my experience.
The only real comparison would be a Range Rover which will have rusted to nothing by now or be like Triggers broom

[aeropilot]

tr7v8 said:

I suspect rust will depend where it came from, This one is from Japan which means very little to no rust I suspect.

Do Japan not put salt on their roads then?

They get a lot of snow there, especially the north island etc., and its an island so anywhere is never far from the coast and lots of salty air.

[tr7v8]

aeropilot said:

tr7v8 said:

I suspect rust will depend where it came from, This one is from Japan which means very little to no rust I suspect.

Do Japan not put salt on their roads then?

They get a lot of snow there, especially the north island etc., and its an island so anywhere is never far from the coast and lots of salty air.

Nope no salt on the roads, hence why older stuff never had rust protection.

[aeropilot]

tr7v8 said:

aeropilot said:

tr7v8 said:

I suspect rust will depend where it came from, This one is from Japan which means very little to no rust I suspect.

Do Japan not put salt on their roads then?

They get a lot of snow there, especially the north island etc., and its an island so anywhere is never far from the coast and lots of salty air.

Nope no salt on the roads, hence why older stuff never had rust protection.

Same as NZ then, as I believe they don't salt the roads down in the south island despite the snow they get down there.

[samj2014]

aeropilot said:

Same as NZ then, as I believe they don't salt the roads down in the south island despite the snow they get down there.

Yeah they don't use salt, they use sand. They don't get that much snow at sea level anyway, about as much as the UK.