This 1978 Jeep Cherokee Chief is right in the sweet spot of being a vintage daily driver or a frame-off restoration candidate. The seller notes it has little in the way of rust and that it currently stops, runs, and drives. When it comes to old-school Jeeps, two-door Cherokee Chiefs are definitely in demand, but they can quickly become less desirable if there’s rust hiding the fender flares or if the original Cherokee Chief graphics have been burned off the paint. Fortunately, this Jeep looks like a survivor that doesn’t suffer from rust issues of any significance, and that means you can simply tackle some deferred maintenance and drive it largely as-is. Find the Jeep here on eBay with bids to $6,950 and the reserve unmet.
Cherokees are in high demand at any given time, but that doesn’t mean they’re all worth saving. The Cherokee Chief and the Wagoneer (and Grand Wagoneer) sometimes have the veneer of being worth big money once restored, and clean examples do command a fair price. However, given the extensive supply of classic Wagoneers and Cherokees at any given time, you really have to exercise some caution and buy the right one, as it can be easy to pay too much and have a basketcase on your hands. The good news is the drivetrains are generally pretty robust, so buying one in good running order is a smart place to start. The old-school decals appear to be in very good shape on the rear gate on this example.
The interior isn’t perfect by any means, and the ripped-up carpet around the driver’s seat is mildly alarming. I’ve had to do this on cars with heater core leaks and other forms of moisture intrusion from bad seals, so I’d want to know the back story here. Plus, now you have to find replacement carpeting as one of your first orders of business. The seat upholstery appears to be original, but it’s far from mint. The dash is cracked as well, and while Westminster, Maryland isn’t exactly an unforgiving climate, plenty of years of outdoor storage will cause a dash pad to perish in pretty much any vehicle of a certain age.
Maryland isn’t free from using salt on its roads in winter, so despite the seller claiming no significant rust, I’d still want to poke around underneath to confirm the frame is sound, even if it’s a bit scaly. The seller doesn’t go into specifics about its maintenance history, but I’d count on having to do the usual assortment of deferred maintenance tasks, from the ignition system to the drive belts before going too far with it. The preserved exterior and its original graphics will likely get some bidders to swing their paddles, and while I personally feel the reserve should have been cleared by now, the current bidding just goes to show you that a clean, vintage Jeep of any model and door configuration will always find a potential suitor.
I own a 79 and an 82 currently. All FSJ Cheros leak at the doors. Bad design as I have replaced every seal, they just leak. Best thing to do is make sure your drain holes are clear and let it run thru.
Located in Maryland? I assure you it has rust.
Finding a rust free Jeep from that error is not easy in the Bonneville Salt Flats of the Northeast.
Dang…I just sold a Blue one just like this for $3,500! It was a lifelong NC car and the fender flares were replete with rust.
I live 20 minutes from Rustminster Maryland.
This is not in bad shape at all. There is a lot of ‘age scaling’ and surface rust but the frame rails (what we can see of them) are thick and solid, the floor has a lot of surface rust that would probably clean up pretty well, all of the shown known problem areas on these – those being the corners and bumper flanges under the rear lights, the dog legs, the bottom of the quarters behind the rear wheel, and of course the flares – look very very sound. I’d take up the rocker trim because they’re salt catchers from salty boot treads but as long as they’re clean and the gas tank shielding is clean, this is a good starter in pretty good shape.
The “teeth” on the razor grille are all straight, and the mentioned stripe kit isn’t flaking or even faded bad. Someone took care of this truck and it shows. Yeah the interior is worn in spots but it’s also 43 years old. Seller doesn’t mention whether the QuadraTrac has low range or not so I’d definitely want to know that as a bidder. A good “clean it up and drive it” example imo.
I had one just like this one in the late 1980s, even the same color. The tailgate was already rusting through even then, and this is dry Colorado. Mine didn’t know what a garage was, though.
I had a few 70’s vintage, one a highly optioned 1976 401 Waggy bought from the original owner’s family…a doctor that never wanted to get stuck in winters making house calls (remember those). It was pristine, always garaged, EXCEPT for rusted quarters. Colorado salted their roads in those days and a lot of these suffered
Hmm, VIN from eBay shows engine Z which is the 401…if only I was closer!!
Good spot. If it’s still got the 401 this auction could heat up
I had one of these back in the day , loved it , so did the X she got it ! I went out and bought a Wagoneer had that for years , this one is a little rough but it survives , could be nice again ! Rust loves these vehicles .
Located in:
Westminster, Maryland
Auction ended early. Reserve not met.
You don’t see many of these. I had one off these back in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Bought it of a junkyard man who used it in the yard. He had dumped the quadra-trak for a shiftable j-10 transfer case with low gear. Loved that truck.
Rear body mounts were shot though when I got it. Knew an awesome welder though who could rebuild them so no problem.
A monster of a truck in my opinion. Wish I still had it.
Ended: Nov 09, 2021 , 6:00PM
Current bid:US $7,450.00
[ 38 bids ]
Reserve not met
Somebody call David Tracy!
My dad bought This. Jeep brand new in1979. Same two door with the decals…Our Jeep was tan on tan with a manual transmission unfortunately my mom hit something on the passenger side and then she drove it on the highway with no coolant needless to say the Jeep was about done after that…. We then Sold it to my uncle.. Sadly I was too young to ever drive the Jeep….