OP
HomeBrew2
Banned
RedRocker said:
What drive train did you pick? Do you drive it much on the highway?
Jeep, '72, 304V8, 3spd, bone stock
- Thread starter HomeBrew2
- Start date
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What drive train did you pick? Do you drive it much on the highway?
Highbeam
Super Member
If the Jeep that you find truly is bone stock then that would be much preferred to a lifted monster jeep with all the mods. You can be sure that the heavily modified jeep will have seen some abuse in the last 35 years at the hands of young drivers and off-roading. Unmodified old jeeps usually mean one owner and one owner that either didn't drive it much or one that really took care of it.
OP
HomeBrew2
Banned
Yep, Joe, that's why I haven't bought one for this long time and was interested enough in this one to ask for actual experience, for which I appreciate your's and the other's detailed replies. I knew of the weak frame deal which kindof made the series a "black sheep" and, the ad is over 2 months old and still no sale. (Plus it's a "baby puke yellow" color.)
I'll likely go take a look at it Saturday.
I'll likely go take a look at it Saturday.
California
Super Star Member
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It's pretty much all been said.
Based on my experience with a similar '72 304 Wagoneer, I agree that AMC's brakes, distributor, clutch linkage, and wiring were junk as described above. I'll add that on this one, the gas tank leaked at its seams ("they all do that" - dealer) and the smog-pump tubes in both exhaust manfolds were rotted when I bought it so it needed new manifolds to pass smog inspection before I could register it.
This Wagoneer was apparently special order for the military. No power - anything, and a granny 4speed that I was told was the same as used in a Ford 3/4 ton. I could always count on 15 mpg, towing or not, it didn't make any difference.
This was from the era when a car was designed to last 100k miles. I sold it at 135k after nearly every subystem (except the running gear) was shot. The last straw was when I hit the low-beam button and lost all lighting, just as I met a logging truck unexpectedly on a tight blind corner with both of us moving a little faster than we should have been. Once I squeaked past him I had to lock the brakes - in the dark I had no idea which direction was pavement and which was cliff. (Up by Brown's Valley/Strawberry above Marysville for those of you who know the Northern Sierra back roads.) It was a fun rig but not reliable enough for a daily driver. After it got broadsided (while parked) I got rid of it.
Here's a problem and solution that is common to the 304 and the larger 401, where I encountered it in a later Wagoneer: The wire from the points to the distributor's external terminal can chafe and ground inside the distributor under certain combinations of vacuum and centrifugal advance. This throws an extra spark at the wrong time and in the case of my 401, I think that had broken the rings or bent the crank. Replacing that wire cured the misfiring, but it remained near impossible to start due to internal engine friction even after all new starting components. That's one of a couple of vehicles I've given up and sold shortly after buying it.
Photo: Jeeping with the Wagoneer, waay back in the woods on an old mining-camp trail. Truth be told, my later '88 Trooper did a better job in that terrain. But neither ever broke anything back in the woods.
Based on my experience with a similar '72 304 Wagoneer, I agree that AMC's brakes, distributor, clutch linkage, and wiring were junk as described above. I'll add that on this one, the gas tank leaked at its seams ("they all do that" - dealer) and the smog-pump tubes in both exhaust manfolds were rotted when I bought it so it needed new manifolds to pass smog inspection before I could register it.
This Wagoneer was apparently special order for the military. No power - anything, and a granny 4speed that I was told was the same as used in a Ford 3/4 ton. I could always count on 15 mpg, towing or not, it didn't make any difference.
This was from the era when a car was designed to last 100k miles. I sold it at 135k after nearly every subystem (except the running gear) was shot. The last straw was when I hit the low-beam button and lost all lighting, just as I met a logging truck unexpectedly on a tight blind corner with both of us moving a little faster than we should have been. Once I squeaked past him I had to lock the brakes - in the dark I had no idea which direction was pavement and which was cliff. (Up by Brown's Valley/Strawberry above Marysville for those of you who know the Northern Sierra back roads.) It was a fun rig but not reliable enough for a daily driver. After it got broadsided (while parked) I got rid of it.
Here's a problem and solution that is common to the 304 and the larger 401, where I encountered it in a later Wagoneer: The wire from the points to the distributor's external terminal can chafe and ground inside the distributor under certain combinations of vacuum and centrifugal advance. This throws an extra spark at the wrong time and in the case of my 401, I think that had broken the rings or bent the crank. Replacing that wire cured the misfiring, but it remained near impossible to start due to internal engine friction even after all new starting components. That's one of a couple of vehicles I've given up and sold shortly after buying it.
Photo: Jeeping with the Wagoneer, waay back in the woods on an old mining-camp trail. Truth be told, my later '88 Trooper did a better job in that terrain. But neither ever broke anything back in the woods.
OP
HomeBrew2
Banned
California said:
Really appreciate the info and commentary. Most of all I appreciate the vintage pic! Possibly to much info: On similar outings with a wife and 2 daughters, that pic was a "pit stop". It was a pit stop for me too but I was always ... well, usually always, faster
RedRocker
Veteran Member
HomeBrew2 said:
I've got a 4.0, NV4500, stock transfer case and Dana 44's with detriots in both ends. Headed to Moab in a week to bump some rocks. Very little highway, did drive it to work today cause the truck is in the shop.
HogSlayer6
New member
My two-cents worth.
I owned one back in '89 that I bought when I got out of the Army the first time. I had good luck with mine, did have to replace the clutch though once, I think that's way it is with 3spd manual trannys, plus I was running super-big mud tires (last time I did that). Replaced the alternator but that was my fault, hook-up up jumper cables wrong and fried the circuits. Kinda wobbly if I ran big tires and somewhat prone being top heavy.
My chief complaint was milage. I couldn't drive past a gas station without the thing trying to pull in on its own. I got a miraculous 11 MPG on the highway and around 7-8 in the city. I was in college at the time and also had a motorcycle so I didn't drive it very far. Long trips were hard on the college wallet (gas was $1-1.15 at the time, those were the days). I finally sold/traded it for a S-10 and some cash so I could afford to drive. I can only imagine what it would be like with gas at $3 a gallon.
Hope this helps.
Hog
I owned one back in '89 that I bought when I got out of the Army the first time. I had good luck with mine, did have to replace the clutch though once, I think that's way it is with 3spd manual trannys, plus I was running super-big mud tires (last time I did that). Replaced the alternator but that was my fault, hook-up up jumper cables wrong and fried the circuits. Kinda wobbly if I ran big tires and somewhat prone being top heavy.
My chief complaint was milage. I couldn't drive past a gas station without the thing trying to pull in on its own. I got a miraculous 11 MPG on the highway and around 7-8 in the city. I was in college at the time and also had a motorcycle so I didn't drive it very far. Long trips were hard on the college wallet (gas was $1-1.15 at the time, those were the days). I finally sold/traded it for a S-10 and some cash so I could afford to drive. I can only imagine what it would be like with gas at $3 a gallon.
Hope this helps.
Hog
