Jeep Wagoneer (SJ)
Designed under Brooks Stevens and launched in November 1962, the Wagoneer replaced the Willys Station Wagon with a lower, car-like body on the new SJ chassis it shared with the Gladiator pickup. It offered two-wheel or four-wheel drive, an overhead-cam six, and, rare for a 4x4, an automatic and independent front suspension. Kaiser added V8s and the plush Super Wagoneer in the 1960s; AMC fitted its own engines for 1971, introduced Quadra-Trac full-time 4WD for 1973, and moved the Wagoneer steadily upmarket with the Limited and Brougham. By 1983 it was a woodgrained luxury wagon, and for 1984 the top version carried on as the Grand Wagoneer.
Engines
| Engine | Power | Torque | Fuel | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8 L (230 cu in) Tornado OHC I6, 2-barrel Gross rating. A lower-compression 133 hp version was offered in 1964 and phased out within about a year. |
140 hp (104 kW) | 210 lb-ft (285 N·m) | Gasoline | 1963 to 1965 |
| 3.8 L (232 cu in) AMC I6, 1-barrel Gross rating. Phased in during 1965. |
145 hp (108 kW) | 215 lb-ft (292 N·m) | Gasoline | 1965 to 1971 |
| 5.4 L (327 cu in) AMC Vigilante V8, 2-barrel Gross rating. Available from April 1965; replaced by the Buick 350 in 1968. |
250 hp (186 kW) | 340 lb-ft (461 N·m) | Gasoline | 1965 to 1968 |
| 5.4 L (327 cu in) AMC Vigilante V8, 4-barrel Gross rating. Super Wagoneer only; 9.7:1 compression. |
270 hp (201 kW) | 360 lb-ft (488 N·m) | Gasoline | 1966 to 1968 |
| 5.7 L (350 cu in) Buick Dauntless V8, 2-barrel Gross rating. Special order only in 1971. |
230 hp (172 kW) | 350 lb-ft (475 N·m) | Gasoline | 1968 to 1971 |
| 4.2 L (258 cu in) AMC I6 150 hp and 240 lb-ft gross for 1971; later net ratings of 110 to 118 hp by year (IFSJA), and 115 hp for 1983 (eightiescars). Dropped in the mid-1970s (exact year not confirmed) and brought back as an option for 1980. |
110 hp (82 kW) | 195 lb-ft (264 N·m) | Gasoline | 1971 to the mid-1970s; 1980 to 1983 |
| 5.0 L (304 cu in) AMC V8, 2-barrel Gross rating. |
210 hp (157 kW) | 300 lb-ft (407 N·m) | Gasoline | 1971 to 1972 |
| 5.9 L (360 cu in) AMC V8, 2-barrel Net rating for 1973 to 1978. 245 hp gross in 1971 and 1972; IFSJA lists 155 hp for 1979, 160 hp for 1980, and 129 hp for 1981 on, while eightiescars gives 175 hp for 1983. |
175 hp (130 kW) | 285 lb-ft (386 N·m) | Gasoline | 1971 to 1983 |
| 5.9 L (360 cu in) AMC V8, 4-barrel Net rating. |
195 hp (145 kW) | 295 lb-ft (400 N·m) | Gasoline | 1973 to 1978 |
| 6.6 L (401 cu in) AMC V8, 4-barrel Net rating. |
215 hp (160 kW) | 320 lb-ft (434 N·m) | Gasoline | 1974 to 1978 |
Transmissions
- 3-speed manual (Warner T-90 and others) (1963 to the 1970s)
- Borg-Warner AS-8F 3-speed automatic (Tornado six only) (1963 to 1965)
- GM Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 3-speed automatic (1965 to 1979)
- Chrysler TorqueFlite A727 3-speed automatic (1980 to 1983)
- Chrysler A999 3-speed automatic (six) (1982 to 1983)
- 4-speed manual (Tremec T-176) (1980 to 1983)
- Borg-Warner T-5 5-speed manual (six) (1982 to 1983)
Sizes and weights
| Measure | Size |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 110 in2,794 mm |
| Length | 186.4 in4,735 mm |
| Width | 74.8 in1,900 mm |
A range covers the body styles and trims of this generation.
Trims and editions
- Standard
- Custom
- Super Wagoneer (1966 to 1969)
- Custom Special (1968 to 1971)
- Limited (1978 to 1983)
- Two-Tone (1979 to 1980)
- Brougham (1981 to 1983)
Worth knowing
- Development took about three years and US$20 million.
- The 1966 Super Wagoneer came with a 270 hp V8, automatic, air conditioning, power steering and brakes, and a tilt wheel, and is often called the first luxury SUV.
- Wagoneers placed first and second in the 1973 Sno*Drift rally, the year Quadra-Trac arrived.
- The 1979 front end with square headlights and a one-piece grille stayed until the Grand Wagoneer's 1986 update.
- Woodgrain side panels first appeared on a 1971 model and stayed on the top wagon until 1991.
Year by year, newest first
- Custom dropped, leaving Brougham and Limited; Selec-Trac 4WD made standard.
- Prices were US$13,173 for the Brougham and US$16,889 for the Limited.
- 18,478 built.
- Chrysler A999 automatic and a five-speed manual offered with the six (IFSJA).
- 18,709 built.
- Three models: Custom (four-speed and free-wheeling hubs), the new Brougham, and Limited (Quadra-Trac, automatic, air conditioning, power windows and locks, and six-way power seats).
- 13,741 built.
- 258 six returned as an option with a manual gearbox.
- Chrysler TorqueFlite replaced the GM automatic, with New Process transfer cases.
- Production fell to 10,481.
- Restyle with one-piece aluminum bumpers, square headlights, and a one-piece chrome grille.
- Two-Tone model added.
- 27,437 built.
- Limited added mid-year at about US$10,500.
- Last year for the 401 V8.
- Best year, with 28,871 built.
- Colour updates.
- 20,298 built.
- Stronger frame with boxed side rails and new crossmembers, improved front suspension, and new steering linkage.
- 21,912 built.
- Colour and interior updates.
- 16,708 built.
- 360 V8, automatic, power steering, power front disc brakes, and Quadra-Trac standard; 401 V8 optional.
- The two-door body returned as the Cherokee.
- 13,746 built.
- Quadra-Trac full-time 4WD introduced with the automatic.
- Colour updates only (Wagoneer World).
- AMC's 258 six, 304 V8, and 360 V8 took over; the Buick V8 became special order.
- A woodgrain-sided Custom was offered at about US$1,000 more.
- Dana 30 front axle (IFSJA).
- AMC bought Kaiser Jeep early in the year.
- Metal grille replaced by a plastic egg-crate grille (Wikipedia).
- Last year of the Super Wagoneer.
- T-18 four-speed manual offered (IFSJA).
- Buick 350 V8 replaced the AMC 327.
- Last year for the two-door Wagoneer; Custom Special added.
- Two-wheel-drive Wagoneers began to be phased out (gone by 1969).
- Super Wagoneer launched with a new grille, a 270 hp 327 V8, and Turbo Hydra-Matic; 657 built that year.
- Safety package made standard: front and rear seat belts, padded dash, high-impact windshield, and dual brakes.
- AMC 232 six replaced the Tornado, and the 327 V8 was optional from April.
- Independent front suspension dropped from 4x4s; Turbo Hydra-Matic added.
- Factory air conditioning offered.
- Lower-compression 133 hp Tornado six added.
- Introduced in November 1962 as a two-door or four-door wagon or panel delivery, with 2WD or 4WD.
- Tornado overhead-cam six, three-speed manual or automatic, and 11-inch drum brakes.
Notes
Generation scope: SJ Wagoneer only, 1963 to 1983; the same SJ body ran on as the Grand Wagoneer (1984 to 1991), and a stripped SJ Wagoneer Custom was also sold for 1984 (covered under grand-wagoneer). Production figures for 1974 to 1983 are from Wagoneer World, IFSJA, and JeepTech (all match) and add up to 190,381; no yearly figures were found for 1963 to 1973. Super Wagoneer totals: Wikipedia says about 3,989 were built from 1966 to 1969; Wagoneer World says 657 in 1966. Wheelbase: Wikipedia gives 110 in for the SJ; later Grand Wagoneer and Cherokee specs give 108.7 in. Length and width are from Wikipedia and match the 1989 Grand Wagoneer spec sheet. Fuel tank was 20.3 gal on the 1983 Limited (eightiescars), but earlier years were not confirmed. Grille timing: Cars.com says the Wagoneer got a new grille in 1965, while Wikipedia and Wagoneer World place it with the 1966 Super Wagoneer. The 1974 standard-equipment list comes from a Free Library of Philadelphia brochure record seen only as a search summary. Gross ratings apply before 1972 and net ratings after. Overseas assembly (Iran, Argentina, Mexico, Egypt) is not covered.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Jeep_Wagoneer_(SJ)
- wagoneerworld.com /by_year.php
- ifsja.org /tech/figures/engines.html
- ifsja.org /tech/figures/db.html
- ifsja.org /tech/figures/fsjprod.html
- ifsja.org /tech/figures/super.html
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/models/sj
- eightiescars.com /2020/08/25/1983-jeep-wagoneer-limited-suv/
- cars.com /articles/classic-pickups-65-jeep-gladiator-j-210-454298
- libwww.freelibrary.org /digital/item/55057
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/engine/factory/tornado230/
- terryhowe.github.io /JeepTech/engine/factory/amc360