From 1977-1983 Jeep offered the Golden Eagle trim package for the CJ-7 (this package was also offered for the Cherokee and J-10 pick-up truck from ’76-’83). The signature feature of the Golden Eagle Jeep, of course, is a giant eagle emblazoned on the hood, making it impossible to incorrectly identify one. Not so fast! For better or worse, a good number of CJ-7 owners simply went out and bought aftermarket eagle stickers and slapped them on the hood of their Jeeps. Voila! Instant Golden Eagle! Is this CJ-7, available here on eBay, a real Golden Eagle? Bidding is currently at $2,550 with the reserve price not met but plenty of time left in the auction. Located in Little Silver, New Jersey and claimed to be “vintage,” there are other features unique to the Golden Eagle trim package, so upon closer examination, perhaps we can confirm this Jeep’s true identity.
The first thing that jumps out at me is the chrome rims. To my knowledge and from what I’ve researched, the Golden Eagle package notoriously featured gold painted 8-spoked steel wheels. The rims on this CJ look more Laredo-ish, but their presence certainly doesn’t discount it being a Golden Eagle. Perhaps I’m wrong and some Golden Eagles did, in fact, come with chrome wheels? Or maybe someone simply swapped the gold painted steel wheels for chrome because they preferred the look. Nevertheless, this Jeep wears fender flares which were a feature included in the Golden Eagle package as were tinted windows, also present on this truck. Some Golden Eagles came with chrome bumpers, but many did not. This CJ probably wore the traditional black rectangular front bumper but it’s now gone, having been replaced with a modified tube-shaped bumper. The original rear bumper has also been replaced. Present and intact, however, is the rear mounted swing-away spare tire carrier.
Golden Eagles came with different upholstery options, including Levi’s denim. The seller of this Jeep mentions the original seats have been replaced. It’s difficult to tell how well the replacement seats match the original color scheme but by looking at the upholstered door panel in the photo above, it appears they are quite a bit lighter in color than the original material. If this CJ came with brown carpeted floor coverings, it’s long gone and the appearance of significant rust can be seen beginning to eat its way through the tub in both the driver and passenger side floor. Bolt holes in the rear floor reveal a backseat was present at one time. In old Jeep fashion, this CJ comes with its fair share of gouged paint on the floors and wheel wells, an indication that it hasn’t been overly pampered throughout the years.
Under the hood is an AMC 304 V8 with 11,161 miles although the seller mentions he’s “not sure how many times it rolled over.” Could this thing really have over 200K on it? Claiming to be a rare combo, the seller mentions the V8 is mated to a manual 3-speed transmission. He says a new clutch is on the to-do list as well as replacing the flywheel. Recent work performed includes a new starter, master cylinder, front brake hose and pads, rear spring shackles, clutch linkage, wiring, and body mount repair.
The seller acknowledges damage to the front left fender but says it is “easily replaceable.” I’m wondering about this vehicle’s true mileage and if I was a potential buyer I’d want to get a good look underneath to check things out and see what the frame looks like. It is, after all, a Northeast truck and according to Google Maps Little Silver, NJ is only a hop, skip, and jump away from the brine of the ocean and bay. Was this a beach Jeep? There are a bunch of spots where rust abatement will need to occur, most notably on the rear of the Jeep. Jeeps and rust go hand-in-hand and it’s often a slippery slope once the first rust bubble makes its appearance. Back to the question of this Jeep being a true Golden Eagle: I think it is. Are there any Jeep aficionados out there willing to weigh in with their expertise?
In 1979 it was a toss-up as to whether there were more Jeep Golden Eagles or Pontiac Trans-Ams around. Once the snow started to fall it was no contest. They both rotted out about as quickly and by the mid-80s they were gone.
No way to tell. Golden Eagles were essentially a decal package. Some items that options on other CJs were standard like: fender flares, tinted glass, clock and tach and I believe they were all V8s. This one doesn’t appear to be wearing original paint as there should be a gold and black pinstipe from the front fenders down to just above the rockers and then around the back.Trim tag would tell you if it had Levis interior originally
I drove a 78 golden eagle in college with the fiberglass hardtop and cloth soft top. Not sure on this one but it was a great vehicle-Derik Lattig
At the very least this is a Laredo, due to the clock being to the left of the steering column. The chrome wheels would explain this as well as they were standard on the Laredo package. Every real Golden Eagle I have seen has the golden wheels. None came from the factory with chrome. Since the seats are gone, thats makes this a difficult call. The Laredo seats were all two-tone, black with silver in the middle, brown and nutmeg, or blue and silver. Almost all Golden Eagles came standard with the hard top and doors. The hard doors tag would give a trim code denoting the Golden Eagle trim package, but also if these are not present then good luck guessing. The 304 is a great giveaway as it being a golden eagle because a very low percentage of Lardeos had 304s, But some did so it could still be either….
Also, all Golden Eagles came standard with power disc brakes, power steering, and A/C. It should be easy to identify those items…..
air conditioners came in the 80s. MY GE cj5 has disc front drum rear. the GE’s had a clock and a tach, the renegade didn’t.
Sigh… suddenly I’m 13 again. Oh Daisy!
Great pic!! I’m talking about the Jeep, of course! Ha!