It’s easy to forget that Jeep spent 40 years in the full-size pickup business. Always in the shadow of Detroit’s Big Three, Jeep consistently offered a full-size truck from 1947 through 1987. This project 1979 J-10 is listed for $6,200 on Facebook Marketplace in Ripon, Wisconsin, and while the bones look good, it’s not quite ready for cross-country adventures. Bring a trailer if you’re serious. Thanks to Lothar of the Hill People for the tip!
The first truck wore the Willys name, replaced in 1963 by the Gladiator, initially offered in J-200 and J-300 configurations. Struggling Kaiser Jeep was acquired by AMC in 1970, which later dropped the Gladiator name (revived today on the Wrangler-based pickup) in favor of the J-Series designation. By 1974, the lineup consisted of the lighter-duty J-10 and heavier-duty J-20, names that stuck until the end. Our featured 1979 J-10 was one of approximately 19,000 J-Series pickups built that year, second only to 1978’s 20,500 during the J-10/J-20 era. Production fell off a cliff in 1980, dropping to fewer than 7,000 trucks, and by 1987, just 1,153 rolled off the line. For perspective, Ford built nearly a million F-Series pickups in 1979 alone. I don’t think they were losing sleep in Dearborn over Jeep.
So rarity comes with this Wisconsin J-10, but so does the promise of more than a few weekends of work. Watching the seller’s video walkaround induces mild nausea—a tripod or a friend with a steady hand would have been appreciated—but it does provide a decent look at what you’re getting. Best line of the video: “It runs, drives, and stops, but doesn’t do any of it very well.” This is what we used to call an “honest truck,” one that spent its life working and hauling rather than shuttling to and from the club. I’m reasonably confident it’s never worn low-profile tires, for example. Finished in blue over blue, it packs AMC’s workhorse 360 V8, an automatic transmission, and a reportedly functional Quadra-Trac four-wheel-drive system completes the set up. Inside, hiding beneath cloth seat covers looks to be a pair of bucket seats with a center cushion and folding armrest (a factory option in 1979).
The fuel tank has been relocated to the bed, something not unheard of on off-road rigs, although the seller doesn’t explain why. Worth asking about. He reports a solid frame and a good bed, both of which appear plausible from the photos, while the more obvious rust is concentrated around the quarter panels, with surface rust on much of the skyward-facing surfaces. One warning though, the seller says he won’t hold it for anyone, so if this uncommon Jeep speaks to you, head to Wisconsin but be ready to make a deal.
Funny, on a post like this, not sure what 1st, the Jeep or Ripon, Wis. Not only the posts are of interest, where they are located brings back just as many memories. 1st, Ripon, home of Speed Queen washers and dryers, I hauled a lot of appliances out of there, still in business, and who could ignore Rippin’ Good Cookies were simply the best,,,sadly closed. In the mid 80s, when I was hauling eggs, my 1st day, I had a horrific egg crash at the Piggly Wiggly in Ripon, but a story for another time.
The Jeep,,,, Jeep was losing ground ,,fast, and a replacement was sorely needed. Amazingly, they milked this J series until 1988, when the long awaited XJ that turned things around. These were miserable trucks, that’s right, miserable, they were poorly built, sucked gas like a semi, Quadra -Trac wasn’t the best and most rusted to the point of being unsafe.
However, all is not lost here, and a quick check of the calendar, guess what’s coming? Strap a plow on this old gal, it will plow the grandkids drive well into the future. In that regard, it’s a great find, and I’d find it hard to believe this was a Wisconsin truck new.