I was up in western North Carolina recently and spied a new 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer parked at a small artsy, boutique shopping area. I also spied its $101K price sticker and muttered, quietly, to anyone within earshot, “That’s nuckin’ futz!”. I’m no stranger to Jeeps, I’ve owned a bunch, but a six-figure one? C’mon man! Anyway, the trend for upscale Jeeps has been around for a long time. Note today’s find, courtesy of T.J., it’s a 1966 Jeep Super Wagoneer, perhaps what would have been considered the “Grand Wagoneer” of its day. More on the differences between this version and the pedestrian Wagoneer will follow. Long Beach, California is this Jeep’s home and it’s available, here on eBay for a starting bid of $20,000. There is a reserve as well as a BIN price of $28,000 too.
Introduced in 1963 and continuing through 1991, the Wagoneer (SJ platform), later named Grand Wagoneer, was initially offered as a two or four-door station wagon, including a panel delivery version, but the four-door Wagoneer was the body style of choice. The Super Wagoneer was introduced in 1966, and according to hotcars.com, differed from the less exalted model by virtue of the following, “The Super Wagoneer came standard with AC, power steering and brakes, and a console-shifted automatic. The rear tail window was electric, also the car featured tilt-adjustable steering and map lights. The woodgrain was much simpler in design, despite going across the fenders to doors and the rear quarter was slimmer and made the car appear elegant. Another nice feature of the time was the push radio button. Just four colors were available, Empire Blue, Indian Ceramic, Glacier White, and Prairie Gold“. Production lasted through the ’69 model year and totaled a bit less than 4K copies.
One other big difference separating a Wagoneer from a Super Wagoneer is the Super’s engine which is a 270-gross HP, AMC 327 CI V8, and in this case, it’s connected to a GM Turbo-Hydramatic 400, three-speed automatic transmission, complete with a 4X4 transfer case. The seller claims “The vehicle is drivable and is not regularly driven“. I have to say, for 56 years of age and a 142K mile odometer reading, that’s a clean-looking engine compartment – the motor looks like it has been out, apart, and reassembled. Note the Holley four-barrel carburetor!
Bucket seats and a center console were also a Super feature, and in this instance, the entire air-conditioned interior looks surprisingly clean – it wouldn’t surprise me if the neat two-tone vinyl upholstery and the carpet have been replaced. Even the cargo bed is tidy, it’s either a redo or has not experienced a lot of rough handling. The right-hand side of the steering column is packing an attached gauge which I imagine is an add-on tachometer but I can’t tell with certainty. It’s a fine-looking setting in there!
The seller tells us that we’re looking at a repaint and it’s showing a lot of fade, or what is nowadays called Patina. Regardless of definitions, the exterior is sound, appearing with no sign of crash damage or rust though the driver’s side front door may have had a minor encounter with something. The minimized faux paneling has managed, over time, to further minimize itself as it has disappeared revealing the undersurface. Good riddance, subjectively speaking, who needs fake fiber clinging to the side of your car anyway? One really surprising Super feature, however, is the padded vinyl top, which on this Jeep, shows to be in amazingly nice condition. I’m betting a redo on that too.
OK, so, admittedly the mileage is high and I’d like to know more about the engine and its current status. Beyond that, it’s a decision, $20 to $28 K for this Super or $100 large for a gargantuan ’23 Grand Cherokee? Hmmm… What’s your call?
Okay….I feel that I’m in a ‘Jedi Mind Trick’…the firewall in that glorious engine shot looks green. I think Jeep called it Spruce Tip green.
The interior looks green, too. One picture shows a door jamb that looks blue. Also – the shot of the back – looking foward, is showing a blue interior. What’s going on? I’m on a Samsung, not a computer.
BTW. I’ll take this over the new 2023. Oh, sure, the passenger seat video monitor is great(!), but I’m sure I can find four channels on that AM radio almost anywhere: Fox Sports, ESPN, NPR, and conservative talk….
The engine and interior photos are a different vehicle. There’s no way this one could look so worn on the outside and so fresh on the inside.
If it’s a real Super Wagoneer, this is an incredibly rare Waggy. A grail Jeep for FSJ fans and collectors
waggy ?
@bone, “Waggy” is full size Jeep love-speak for “Wagoneer” lol
Agree completely. The Super Wagoneers in this condition are extremely rare. This one looks in great shape. Engine bay looks tremendous. Could drive with the blue patina, or a collector may want to repaint in the original color and then re-decal. Awesome opportunity here.
The light green was a very popular color choice for Jeeps back then, I suppose it could have been repainted blue sometime in its life, although I cant see anything that says it definitely was. It sure looks solid and complete and its definitely something you dont see every day ; I can only imagine how hard it would be the find a replacement for that dented aluminum tailgate panel !
If you can’t see anything suggesting a repaint you’re not looking. See pic 14 of the eBay listing AND the description that says “1 repait that has really nice patina”.
Nice, rare truck and commenters here are suggesting the photos are from two different vehicles.
Sometimes it’s best to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
Sorry to have upset you, but I didnt look at the Ebay auction , I was just going by what I saw here .
no need to be condescending… are you selling this Jeep??
The pictures do look like there are different color variations throughout the interior and exterior. My guess would be that the engine bay, exterior paint, and interior were all done a different times…
Regarding the new Grand Wagoneer. I notice in the ads they really downplay “Jeep”. Don’t be surprised if Stellantis hives off the wagoneers into a brand of their own to sell through their various international brands.
Its not just the ads , I was behind a new Wagoneer the other day, and it hasd large letters saying “Wagoneer” on the rear gate, but nothing else. When I got by it, I noticed the header panel also had Wagoneer across it, but I didnt say anything that said Jeep
Cool and rare, but kind of wrinkled up all over for 28K!
Those west coast mirrors are a fairly hideous touch.
Bought via BIN by a collector with 2 degrees of separation from me. Multiple Jeep collectors were requesting information and preparing to pull the trigger on this find.
Looking at the pics more closely this Super is definitely the real deal 1414D and is worthy of a restoration. Non-Jeep people won’t get it but this is an amazing find. A little rough around the edges gem that just needs spit and polish to double its value. Only 1200 of these were made and not many have survived.
The motor wouldn’t be a AMC they didn’t buy jeep until 1970. My farther had a 1968 which had a Buick 350 in it for a motor.
Kaiser bought AMC 1st generation V8s (327 cid) and offered it as the “Vigilante V8” in the Wagoneer from 1965-1968. The AMC 232 cid six was also offered, replacing the original Wagoneer overhead cam six.
https://www.jeeptech.com/engine/amc327.html
That’s definitely the AMC first generation V8 in this Wagoneer. The distributor at the rear of the engine and the the stud mounted valve covers are a couple of giveaways.
What a tidy, 66 Super Wagoneer. The engine bay is certainly pristine looking and I see what some are saying it doesn’t match the exterior pics. Does make you wonder if the engine was rebuilt at some point. If not owner did a fantastic job cleaning it up. My dad bought a new 1990 Grand Wagoneer and it’s engine died at only 65k miles. I wish I had either replaced the engine or completely, rebuilt it but I didn’t have the funds back then. This 66 is something Jeep fans will be crawling all over. Great find
The ‘66 over that new gussied up school bus any day.
Nice find.
Nice Wagoneer , does it also have a tilt column ? looks like two levers on left side of column , one would be directional and other the tilt lever right ? my dad rest his sole loved AMC products and would have owned one right up until his passing but sadly AMC got bought out