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Fully Loaded: 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

There’s nothing like grabbing a tent and some essentials before venturing into the wilderness to commune with nature. However, while the experience means forsaking such luxuries as the TV, a plush bathroom, and a fully-appointed kitchen, the journey need not be one of hardship. That might make this 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer the perfect escape vehicle. It presents impressively for its age and comes loaded with enough comfort features to ensure the journey is a pleasant experience. The Jeep is listed for sale here on eBay in Dothan, Alabama. Intense bidding has pushed the price to $26,000, although it is yet to hit the reserve.

Companies like Jeep designed these vehicles to take their occupants into some pretty harsh territory, and it is common for them to look pretty rough as a result. That isn’t the case with this classic because it presents well after more than three decades. The recently applied Charcoal Gray paint shines nicely, with no flaws or defects. The faux woodgrain shows no evidence of fading or physical damage, which is significant. Repairing or replacing this type of vinyl is easy, but obtaining a perfect color match is challenging. Owners in that situation usually face replacing all of the vinyl to achieve a uniform appearance, so the lack of issues with that aspect of this Wagoneer is a blessing. It may have been refreshed during the repaint, but the seller doesn’t specifically mention that. They say it is rust-free, and I can’t spot any problems in the supplied photos. The original alloy wheels are free from oxidizing and physical damage, while the trim and glass are excellent.

Lifting the Jeep’s hood reveals a 360ci V8 that should produce 144hp. The power finds its way to the road via a three-speed automatic transmission and a transfer case to cope with rough terrain. Power steering and brakes make life more bearable when the going becomes tight and twisting. At 4,499lbs, this Grand Wagoneer is not exactly light, but its ability to cover the ¼ mile in 19.9 seconds remains impressive. That V8 will eventually run out of breath with the needle nudging 91mph, but it should still cruise happily on the open road at freeway speeds. The seller indicates that the Wagoneer received a recent 3″ lift and a new set of Toyo tires. They supply no specific information on how well it runs or drives, but we receive this YouTube video. It includes a detailed walk-around and allows us to hear the V8 running. It sounds crisp and clean, with no rattles, knocks, or unwanted noises. It appears to be a turnkey proposition for its next owner.

This Jeep’s surprise packet is its interior condition. It is almost inevitable that venturing into the wilds will allow mud and other icky substances will make their presence felt on interior trim and carpet. That hasn’t happened with this Wagoneer because the upholstered surfaces and carpet are impressive. The seats wear Maroon leather and cloth that remains soft and inviting. The dash sports a cover, but the video seems to indicate there are no pad cracks. Some of the woodgrain trim is slightly faded, but it remains presentable. Creature comforts abound, with this Jeep featuring air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power front seats, cruise control, a tilt wheel, and a factory AM/FM radio and cassette player.

I described the bidding on this 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer as intense, which seems the correct term. It has attracted an incredible sixty-one bids, and plenty of time remains on the auction for that figure to climb higher. Recent sales results suggest that the price could rise beyond $30,000 before proceedings end. That’s a fair slice of cash for a vehicle of this age and type, but it deserves placing into context. You can wander out to your local Jeep dealership today and slap down the cash for a shiny new Grand Wagoneer. It will roll off the showroom floor equipped with the bells and whistles we find on our feature Jeep but will throw a few more into the mix. It will also come with a price tag of $90,000. That’s a lot of money, and you would then face the evils of depreciation. Even if you treated the new Jeep with care and respect, expecting its value to drop by 30% in the first five years would be fair. When the hammer falls on our feature vehicle, the final sale price will be well short of $90,000, and the depreciation will not be as profound. Therefore, the new Jeep will offer more for potential buyers, but does it represent a better buy than our feature vehicle? I don’t think so.

Comments

  1. Avatar alphasud Member

    I have always liked the looks of this vehicle. A great design never gets old. Whenever I talk to other car friends they all have fond memories of the Grand Wagoner for it s design and go anywhere ability’s. Reliability was never one of its strong suits and that almost always follows what they were good for. They always seemed to be falling apart.
    I I were to own one it would have to get a modern drivetrain and part time 4X4 especially with gas prices at $5 plus. I never thought I would gravitate towards wood siding. I guess I’m showing my age.

    Like 6
    • Avatar nlpnt

      And the window tint’s gotta go, along with the lift kit and larger-than-stock tires (preferably to be replaced with white stripes as new).

      Part of what makes these stand out from modern ones is that the windows aren’t blacked out so you can see into and through them. Coupled with the lack of headrests (not required on “trucks” until ’92 and on the back seat of anything until much later) it means the driver of a sedan behind you has a relatively unimpeded view of traffic ahead.

      Like 4
  2. Avatar wuzjeepnowsaab

    This is a nice example in a great color combo. GW’s gave you two choices…sand or burgundy for the interior and having owned sooo many of these I dunno why but the burgundy always seemed to hold up better. The lift kit really changes the look of these from “gentleman wagons” to on and off road beasties. A well sorted one is fun to drive…unstoppable in snow, narrow enough to follow CJ’s on the trail, a turning circle smaller than a lot of cars…

    All that said, what you get with these “air plows” is 10mpg city and highway coupled with a tank you have to coax 15 gallons into. At $5/g gas, these prices are definitely suffering and will likely continue to shed values for a while

    Like 1
    • Avatar Gene

      I had a “87 with the same drive train. It averaged 12 mpg. Couldn’t afford to drive it today.

      Like 1
  3. Avatar CCFisher

    Does anyone else think these look silly lifted with balloon tires?

    Like 12
    • Avatar SirRaoulDuke

      Nah, I think they look purposeful with a small lift. 3″ is about perfect.

      Like 3
  4. Avatar Mike T

    I don’t like the lift and tires. I had a 1991 Cherokee with a six cylinder and 5 speed manual transmission and got 276,000+ miles out of it. I loved it and used it to haul my 1929 Model AA Ford truck. That was back when American Motors owned them and their 6 cylinder ran forever. I only had to put one clutch in it.

    Like 7
  5. Avatar jimAND ROSE nashwinter

    we have a 92 briarwood;great truck;goes anywhere;cant believe the prices??crazy;more than new;ours is like new;green;no lift kit?stock six;love the motor;no lack of power;and good on gas;love it;wont sell it

    Like 0
  6. Avatar 71Boss351

    The lift kit ruined it for me! I do remember the 360 as a fairly reliable motor in the day although the gas mileage was not very good.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Gil Davis Tercenio

    I had an ’83 GW that came with the 360 engine. Lots of power, but that sucker only got 12 MPG and that was with Premium gasoline.

    Like 1
    • Avatar BOP_GUY Member

      Agreed, had an 82, we always joked it got 12mpg driving around town, going uphill, going downhill, pulling the boat, and any other time! Loved that truck. Wouldn’t “fully loaded” include the rare electric sunroof option?

      Like 1
  8. Avatar Peter Knapik

    I had 69 Wagoner. Factory Buick 350 automatic, two-way Meyers Plow. Heck of a camping vehicle, it went anywhere. Unfortunately it rusted out, sure miss that Jeep!

    Like 0

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