Memories are a powerful accessory when it comes to old cars and trucks, as they can compel us to either hold onto a vehicle forever or decide to invest in an otherwise ordinary vehicle. Sometimes, however, it also makes us decide to sell a treasured vehicle on because we know we’ll not be able to do it justice. The 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer shown here on craigslist belonged to the seller’s mother before she passed away in 2013, and was used as a daily driver. “The Old Gray Lady” is said to have resided in a “…high desert climate” for the last 20 years and appears to be bereft of the usual rust issues that plague these classic SUVs. The seller is asking $8,200.
The color intrigued me, so I did some digging and I’m wondering if it’s Dover Gray Metallic. That was a color offered in 1989, and it’s one I can’t recall seeing – at least not often – when scanning Grand Wagoneers for sale (of course, in doing so, I learned they offered the truck in Hunter Green Metallic, and now I must find one.) The seller notes that it is heavily faded as is the wood trim, so you’ll need to plan for a paint job if you want it to look pristine. However, the attraction of old SUVs is they don’t have to be perfect, as they wear their battle scars with pride. The Jeep had a respectable dent/scrape on the driver’s side quarter panel, which may need some actual bodywork.
Inside is the familiar maroon interior that almost all Grand Wagoneers seem to come with. While generally durable, they can still look fairly rough if not looked after, but with 136,000 miles, it seems likely the long-term owner took care not to trash it. The good news is that if you buy a Grand Wagoneer with some cosmetic needs, you can generally find replacement parts from a variety of suppliers – which will make sourcing the exterior woodgrain panels pretty straightforward. As far as repainting it goes, that’s a tougher call as to whether it’s worth it. The seller notes that the truck can be used like a daily and that it has a new carburetor and battery.
The seller notes the power back window still works, and aside from the already mentioned cosmetic issues and a drooping headliner, I don’t see much to fault for an unrestored vehicle. The Grand Wagoneer will forever be an American classic but with prices dropping a bit, one should proceed with caution when embarking on a restoration. The somewhat uncommon color and dry condition makes this one worthy of improvement, and especially since the seller’s mother seemed to want to preserve it for long-term use. Cars and trucks with great stories deserve to be saved, and the Old Gray Lady will likely continue to run in the hands of the right owner. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Barney for the find.
I had an 89 with the window sticker.
11 mpg city 13 hwy – it was dead on.
But it would go anywhere and shutting the doors was like shutting a bank vault. Great truck!
I have looked at and worked on a bunch of these over the years in KY , many looked better than this on top, complete rot on bottom..
I actually don’t mind the worn/patina look on the passenger side panels. Too bad the driver side doesn’t match.
These jeeps are holding there value recently. 1991 was the last year for these beasts and they handled and performed well for what they were back then. Last of the carb 360’s for jeep back then.
I remember back when AutoWeek was a weekly printed magazine, there was an outfit that advertised restored Grand Wagoneers, and they weren’t cheap.
Because of that, I’ll bet that there are many really nice ones still out there.
looks solid but the rarely ran well. good candidate for F/I conversion. price seems fair. you can lose yourself quick if you start dropping cash into it if not careful
My daughters first car was an 89. She couldn’t afford to drive it very far at 10 MPG and would survive an accident with anything short of a Sherman Tank. Perfect car for a sixteen year old. That said it was really cool and obviously a quality piece.
I had an ’83 GW. 12 MPG on GOOD high-test gasoline only. It would go anywhere and had a great turning radius.
Leave it like it is. Grab it.
I had one with all that wood trim on the side of it . Washing it by hand was out of the question . Your finger tips were constantly bruised up. You need to wash it with a brush, or get your showfir to wash it . Replacing that wood trim and wood decal is very expensive. If your thinking of restoring it .
I had several Wagoners,Cherokees,Cherokee Chief also several Honchos been trying to find a full size Jeep to Restore I own a Jeep CJ-7 frame up restore the wife always wanted a Cj and we also have a Jeep Cj-5 that Jimmy Super Fly Snuck a owned the wrestler started to restore not finished yet but thinking about selling it to find a Honcho short bed and restore it because it was the last that I owned a 79 Honcho 360 4 speed just rather do a pickup or Cherokee instead of the Cj-5