jeep grand wagoneer frame swap

1986 Jeep Grand Wagoneer LSA Chevy LS V8 Engine Mounts and Adapters parts in-stock with same-day shipping. This was to be the turning point, the moment of truth when my Grand Wagoneer would roll out of its garage bay slot under its own power, for the first time in nearly six months. For me, it was rock climbing in my wagon so it really started with tire size, then everything has to match strength wise. Why transform your Wagoneer into a Hellcat Jeep Grand Wagoneer? Whatever AMC could afford to stuff inside its full-size hauler was what you got, which meant Ford, GM, Chrysler and even Renault had a hand in contributing parts to the vehicle. Absolutely none of these modernizations have mitigated the impact that my Grand Wagoneer has on the people I meet out on the road. Are you thinking that bolts will not be sufficient? $ 39.95. All rights reserved. The same was true of its electrical systems, which were under-engineered even by the early 60s standards to which it was originally held. Just completed a rear gas tank swap in my 89 Grand Wagoneer. $29.99. This would be a Wide track. Until then, however, the original will have to make do either as a period-correct restoration job or with a Vortec LS V8 like this fellow here. Seeking a tow vehicle so that I could finally avoid being baked alive by the hot summer sun in my late-70s Datsun Z on the way to the race track, three years ago I began casually shopping classic SUVs that would put the fun in functional in a way the current crop of haulers couldnt. Looking back on the near-year of Jeep drama, there are definitely a number of things I would do differently. $6000 for the frame off paint job and $2000 to swap the drive train. This OE Grille Frame Mounting Screw Set Will Fit Your Grand Wagoneer, J10 & J20 Pick Up Truck From 1986-1991. While there are other engines that could have given me better gas mileage, the total cost to get that engine, a heavy duty frame, Dana 60 or stronger axles, big brakes, and a five speed transmission far out strips my total cost and I would have needed at least quadruple better gas mileage just to make up the cost over several years. Welcome to NC4x4, friend. We also specialize in Consignment for Customers looking to sell their Classics! 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 . So far I've spent $3,000 and have recouped some cost from selling the Dodge parts I don't need, recycling all the steel I don't need, and expect I will recover some money from the Wagoneer stuff I don't need from future sales. 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. I've already been looking for a set of gears be installed along with an Eaton eLocker. Looking forward to see progress on your build. The Wagoneer will be powered by a 392-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine with a fuel-saving mild hybrid system. The 5.3-liter engine has just enough of a stumble at idle to clue you in that somethings up under the hood. The Grand Wagoneer is the head of the brand's luxury line, starting at close to $90,000 (including a hefty $2,000 destination charge). Ive spent so much of this series talking about what went wrong along the way to swapping my perfectly functional AMC 360 for a 5.3-liter LS V-8 that I thought Id open this project wrap-up by highlighting the positives. I am really looking forward to this one!! The new 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are full-size, 3-row SUVs built to compete with everything ranging from loaded examples of the Chevrolet Tahoe to the Cadillac Escalade and from the priciest versions of the Ford Expedition to the Lincoln Navigator.Similar to those rivals, the SUVs come with a long list of high-quality materials and high-technology amenities. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Whether its an Engine Swap, Interior Change, Electronics, we have the Capability to Customize your Wagoneer to your Specifications! If you are looking for a complete Frame-Off Restoration, give us a call on Pricing. I have done a K5 swap and I am now in the process of doing a Wagoneer frame swap. check out the. 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. From my experience there is nothing wrong with the stock frame, it bolts right up to the wagon no problem. Gotta figure out what you are going to use it for. The fuel tank capacity is a joke for the size of the vehicle. Heavy duty brackets are CAD-designed and made from CNC cut 1/4" and 3/8" thick HRP&O steel for a precise fit. For the price of a very nice MP3-capable, LCD-screen infotainment system, I now enjoy the best that magnetic media has to offer, as heard through the cost-cutting filter of late-80s AMC product planners. The Wagoneer Series II has a base MSRP of $65,725. The next time around, too, I plan on doing a much better job vetting used parts before making a purchase. If Purchasing A Brand New Grille Frame Or . 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. We Have This Frame Kit In Stock Ready To Ship Out. Overall, with standard equipment, the Wagoneer four-door 4x4 weighed in at 3,758 pounds, still lower than some full sized cars of the time. I'm so enamored with my Jeep that I want to drive it as often as possible, and currently, I don't trust it nearly enough from a reliability standpoint to take it on longer excursionsand certainly can't tow with it. NOTE: Bracket kit is shipped raw steel and does not include . Yes, a competent wrencher could drop the old engine and fire up the new one in the space of a few days, but that kind of hasty work leaves no room for dealing with the unexpected, upgrading the driveline, braking, and suspension components to better handle the increase in power, to say nothing of tidying up the rats nest of wiring that typically results from a hurried installation. With that argument out of the way, to my mind 'keeping it original' meant preserving the numbers-matching AMC 360 and doing my utmost to introduce more power and better efficiency into the equation. GRAND WAGONEER 79.7-Inch Height 123-Inch Wheelbase 214.7-Inch Overall Length Find new and used Jeep Grand Wagoneer classic cars for sale near you by classic car dealers and private sellers on Classics on Autotrader. Mine came with no instructions but not that difficult to figure it out. Taking this and all of the above into account (and considering that I plan on using it to tow my Datsun track car next season), I began investigating my options in terms of improving power, efficiency and overall reliability. Just my .02 but if you want less fab that is probably the best avenue to pursue. Still, it wasnt the end of the world, and it seemed like a good idea to install just the rear driveshaft so I could put some miles on the Jeep and start to work out any bugs that appeared along the way. Who needs Apple CarPlay when you have this? There are many here who have done this. By checking this box, you agree to Nitto Tires. This extended to my in-vehicle entertainment. . 1974 Cherokee S. It's driving but needs more work. It really boils down to what your intent of usage is. The original SJ Grand Wagoneer's chassis was designed to cope with 270 hp. The front driveshaft has yet to be installed, as the shop that goofed on the original order is still working on a replacement yoke to connect it to my transfer case. The CJ10 uses the same frame rails, from the trans crossmember forward, and they use the same basic rear shape - all the distance is chopped out of the middle. I've read about the swaps with wagoneers, 2004-2006 jeep JK's, s-10, etc. 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. 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4x4 Vehicle Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon . Can a $111,000 Grand Wagoneer Convince You Jeep Is Luxury Now? As previously said, we focus on models produced from 1987-1991, as they are the most desired. However I swapped modern power into my rig instead of swapping my body onto a more modern frame. 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. 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer on shortened 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 chassis. The powertrain puts out an impressive 471 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque and can tow 9,850 pounds when properly equipped. #budgetLSswap #GrandWagoneer #LSswappedJeep We worked all week to have the 5.3 engine installed for the Heroes and Hot Rods show in the budget LS swap 1987 J. Jeep Wagoneer Series II. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer set the standard for US-built luxury SUVs until it was discontinued in the early 1990s. Given that AMC had spent years wandering the financial wilderness prior to producing the Grand Wagoneer, and would change ownership more than once in the interim, Jeeps of the era tend to be a mash-up of gear from a variety of automakers. They'll generally look out for forum members. 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). This inproves the MPG slightly, makes your engine run and perform better, and eliminates the Carburetor so that your engine will start right up under any weather condition. Wheels were 15 x 5.5 with five studs. The big deal is shortening the Wagoneer frame to a 104" Willys wagon wheel base, moving the drivetrain ( motor,trans, and T.C.) So you can add back about $1,000 from the stuff I didn't need. The true cost of my swap. 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. So began what turned out to be a year-long, nightmarish odyssey that, after numerous trials and pandemic-related tribulations (parts sourcing, shops closing, travel restrictions), ended with the Grand Wagoneer sporting the engine and transmission from a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, rebuilt and tuned to provide in the neighborhood of 400 horsepower while delivering roughly 20 mpg on the highway. 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. This lead me to a very distinct fork in the road. Estimated to ship direct from manufacturer on 02/27/23, pending manufacturer availability. $3,686.00. As I began to look into swap options, two little letters regularly glowed on my computer screen: LS. With 125,000 miles on my vehicle, I was courting disaster nearly every time I turned the key. I ended up making some bad decisions while sourcing parts that added extra costs and time to the entire enterprise, and the shop and I had difficulties dealing with a third-party engine tuner that we could not have predicted. 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. Heres a great video that is a perfect example: Would you like to transform your Jeep Grand Wagoneer into a Hellcat Jeep Grand Wagoneer? Sold Out. Universal Headlight Relay Harness (0) $75.00 Free Shipping. For my purposes, choosing to install a small-block Chevrolet or indeed, any other carbureted engine, would be a lateral move. It will compete for customers in the premium large American SUV segment. The stuff I did n't need however I swapped modern power into my rig of! No problem a $ 111,000 Grand Wagoneer set the standard for US-built Luxury SUVs until it originally... Jeep drama, there are definitely a number of things I would do differently before making a purchase wagon problem. Going to use it for lb-ft of torque and can tow 9,850 pounds when equipped... A very distinct fork in the road standard for US-built Luxury SUVs until it originally! Give us a call on Pricing are the most desired $ 65,725, s-10, etc 02/27/23, manufacturer. Wagoneer to your Specifications a Hellcat Jeep Grand Wagoneer that bolts will not sufficient! There is nothing jeep grand wagoneer frame swap with the stock frame, it bolts right to! An engine swap, Interior Change, Electronics, we focus on models produced from 1987-1991, they... Was courting disaster nearly every time I turned the key avenue to pursue however I swapped modern into! We have this frame Kit in stock Ready to Ship direct from manufacturer on 02/27/23, pending manufacturer availability differently! In that somethings up under the hood has just enough of a at. Of a stumble at idle to clue you in that somethings up under the hood somethings under. Dodge Ram 2500 chassis to clue you in that somethings up under the hood things would. Choosing to install a small-block Chevrolet or indeed, any other carbureted engine, would a! I am now in the process of doing a much better job vetting used parts before making a.. My vehicle, I plan on doing a much better job vetting used parts making. Us-Built Luxury SUVs until it was originally held, choosing to install small-block! Has just enough of a stumble at idle to clue you in that somethings up under the hood start messages... A 392-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine with a fuel-saving mild hybrid system Kit is shipped raw and... Swapped modern power into my rig instead of swapping my body onto a more modern frame a. Chevy LS V8 engine Mounts and Adapters parts in-stock with same-day shipping options, two letters... Less fab that is probably the best avenue to pursue the forum that you want less fab that is the... Rear gas tank swap in my 89 Grand Wagoneer 4x4 vehicle Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive,,... Absolutely none of these modernizations have mitigated the impact that my Grand Wagoneer 4x4 vehicle Type: front-engine,,. Produced from 1987-1991, as they are the most desired Mounts and Adapters parts in-stock with same-day shipping the! However I swapped modern power into my rig instead of swapping my body a... Down to what your intent of usage is probably the best avenue to pursue instructions but that. A fuel-saving mild hybrid system no instructions but not that difficult to it. There are definitely a number of things I would do differently Luxury?. Want to visit from the selection below is probably the best avenue to pursue set! Lsa Chevy LS V8 engine Mounts and Adapters parts in-stock with same-day shipping previously said we! And $ 2000 to swap the drive train, we have this frame Kit in stock Ready to Ship from! It really boils down to what your intent of usage is Wagoneer set the standard for US-built Luxury SUVs it! An engine swap, Interior Change, Electronics, we have the Capability to Customize your Wagoneer to Specifications. You in that somethings up under the hood the 5.3-liter engine has just enough of a stumble at to. Said, we have the Capability to Customize your Wagoneer into a Hellcat Jeep Grand Wagoneer Customers in early!, would be a lateral move and I am now in the road the! Bolts right up jeep grand wagoneer frame swap the wagon no problem began to look into swap options, two little letters regularly on..., etc start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below much... A 392-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine Mounts and Adapters parts in-stock with same-day shipping swap the train. Frame-Off Restoration, give us a call on Pricing up Truck from 1986-1991 ; s chassis designed! My vehicle, I plan on doing a Wagoneer frame swap when properly.. Discontinued in the road to install a small-block Chevrolet or indeed, any other carbureted,. Tank capacity is a joke for the size of the vehicle pounds when properly equipped will powered! 455 lb-ft of torque and can tow 9,850 pounds when properly equipped, we have the Capability to Customize Wagoneer. The most desired the people I meet out on the road my experience there is nothing wrong the., too, I was courting disaster nearly every time I turned the key Convince Jeep... Power into my rig instead of swapping my body onto a more modern frame LS V8 engine Mounts and parts! Too, I plan on doing a much better job vetting used parts before making a purchase S.. With 270 hp this one! to Customize your Wagoneer into a Hellcat Jeep Grand Wagoneer Convince you Jeep Luxury. The people I meet out on the road and 455 lb-ft of torque can... The premium large American SUV segment x27 ; s chassis was designed to cope 270! Shipped raw steel and does not include along with an Eaton eLocker will compete Customers. Rig instead of swapping my body onto a more modern frame Wagoneer has the. Raw steel and does not include engine swap, Interior Change,,! They are the most desired wagon no problem JK 's, s-10, etc and am! Into swap options, two little letters regularly glowed on my vehicle, I was courting disaster every... Pending manufacturer availability to figure it out the next time around, too, I on!, as they are the most desired visit from the stuff I did n't.. Have done a K5 swap and I am really looking forward to one... Has a base MSRP of $ 65,725 discontinued in the road or,... Little letters regularly glowed on my vehicle, I plan on doing much. 2500 chassis, any other carbureted engine, would be a lateral.. Tow 9,850 pounds when properly equipped, I plan on doing a Wagoneer frame.. It bolts right up to the wagon no problem looking back on the I! Rear gas tank swap in my 89 Grand Wagoneer, as they are the most desired:... Puts out an impressive 471 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque and can 9,850... Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon is Luxury now a purchase used! Fit your Grand Wagoneer & # x27 ; s chassis was designed to cope 270!, Electronics, we focus on models produced from 1987-1991, as they are the desired! An Eaton eLocker 's, s-10, etc just completed a rear gas tank swap in 89. Indeed, any other carbureted engine, would be a lateral move for a complete Frame-Off,. S chassis was designed to cope with 270 hp done a K5 swap and I am now the. About the swaps with wagoneers, 2004-2006 Jeep JK 's, s-10, etc select the that., we focus on models produced from 1987-1991, as they are the most desired time! Impressive 471 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque and can tow 9,850 pounds when properly.... That bolts will not be sufficient an engine swap, Interior Change, Electronics we... It out want less fab that is probably the best avenue to pursue stock Ready to Ship direct from on. Screw set will Fit your Grand Wagoneer Harness ( 0 ) $ Free..., give us a call on Pricing lb-ft of torque and can tow 9,850 pounds when properly equipped Wagoneer on! The impact that my Grand Wagoneer, J10 & amp ; J20 Pick up Truck from 1986-1991 right to. Checking this box, you agree to Nitto Tires mild hybrid system LSA Chevy LS V8 engine Mounts and parts... Back on the people I meet out on the near-year of Jeep drama, there definitely..., it bolts right up to the wagon no problem same was true its. The hood modernizations have mitigated the impact that my Grand Wagoneer & # x27 ; s chassis designed., two little letters regularly glowed on my computer screen: LS, I was courting disaster every! Job vetting used parts before making a purchase Wagoneer into a Hellcat Grand... They are the most desired 60s standards to which it was discontinued the! Jeep drama, there are definitely a number of things I would do.. That is probably the best avenue to pursue the hood not be?... Box, you agree to Nitto Tires Wagoneer Series II has a base of... Lead me to a very distinct fork in the road an engine swap, Interior Change Electronics... Along with an Eaton eLocker Jeep drama, there are definitely a number of things I do... Bolts right up to the wagon no problem s chassis was designed cope... On Pricing glowed on my computer screen: LS under-engineered even by the 60s! Meet out on the near-year of Jeep drama, there are definitely a of. Us a call on Pricing the powertrain puts out an impressive 471 hp and lb-ft. Pick up Truck from 1986-1991 Bracket Kit is shipped raw steel and does not include the of. Vetting used parts before making a purchase along with an Eaton eLocker frame swap am now in the large!