A well-kept survivor with a freshly rebuilt engine and nearly 43 years of single-owner care? That’s exactly what you’ll find with this 1982 Jeep Wagoneer Brougham, offered here on craigslist by its original owner in Poulsbo, Washington. This mid-range Brougham edition came from the factory without the woodgrain panels, giving it a cleaner and more understated appearance. With 195,000 miles showing, but only 600 on a newly installed Jasper 360 V8, this classic full-size 4×4 has a lot of life left and comes with its original sales receipt and manual. Thanks for the tip Curvette!
Finished in blue and riding on fresh tires, this Jeep has been carefully maintained since it was purchased new in December 1981. It’s equipped with the AMC 360 cubic inch V8, automatic transmission, and selectable four-wheel drive with manual front hubs. According to the seller, it’s never been wrecked or damaged, and though it has mostly served as a backup or winter vehicle in recent years, it has always remained in running condition.
A host of recent mechanical work backs up that claim. In addition to the Jasper remanufactured engine, the seller has installed a new carburetor, alternator, starter, power steering pump, radiator, heater core, water pump, steering gearbox, brakes, ball joints, and tires. Despite its age and mileage, the drivetrain is said to be in very good condition, and the Jeep is ready to drive.
Cosmetically, the exterior shows some minor wear, such as small rust spots and paint blemishes, but nothing major is reported. Inside, the original upholstery and carpet show age-related discoloration and wear, but are serviceable. The air conditioning is non-functional, and the manual windows are all working but stiff. The seller notes the Jeep could benefit from an interior refresh, though it remains usable and presentable for a classic driver.
These early ’80s Wagoneers, especially clean, well-maintained one-owner examples, have seen increasing collector interest. The seller points to Hagerty’s valuation of $20,000 for one in good condition but is realistic about private sale expectations and open to reasonable offers. Whether you’re looking to restore, preserve, or just enjoy as-is, this old-school full-size Jeep is ready to roll.
“Howard A, Howard A, to the white courtesy telephone, please.”
Lock the hubs Howard 🔒 👍 😎
Back in 1981, I was an intern with the Ohio EPA, working the summers with the “fishkickers”. We were a group of college guys, all majoring in environmental science, fisheries, biology, etc. There were four crews of 3 men, each with a Jeep, a boat, and a river assignment to sample.
We would drive these Jeeps all over the state, towing a johnboat rigged with a fish shocking setup, to monitor species diversity in the state’s main rivers. Our job was to float down the rivers, shock the fish, scoop them into the boat, then finally pull over and work the live well full of fish to record the species/length/weight etc. It was hard work, but we loved it.
The other guys were more the fish nerds; I was more of the McGuyver-type guy that worked the truck and trailer and could pull that boat out of any muddy bank along the rivers. Mind you, I got to know my Ohio fish and minnows as well as anyone in those days: Creek chubs, rainbow darters, longear sunfish, northern hogsuckers. etc. Those guys were great and we had a blast slogging through the waterways of Ohio those summers.
Those Jeeps with the 360s were tough as nails. They could get anywhere and get out of anywhere. What a great vehicle.
As they say ” get ya where you wanted to go ” Rex 👍
Thats a really great experience Rex. It does sound like a lot of work ( especially if you get stuck in the mud ).
This is it! I learned to drive in the EXACT same truck, same color and everything! That 360 consumed fuel like it was free, not ideal for a high schooler scrounging gas money through odd jobs! My friends and I called it “the pumpkin” because for some reason it would fail every time we drove it after midnight (alternator, starter motor, battery, etc..). Lots of great memories with it, though!!!
These look so much better to me without the wood grain sides. This seems like a lot of Wagoneer for $13,500.
The last time I drove one of these. (New Grand Wagoneer in about 1984 or 85) I was coming home from a factory AMC meeting in CA. It was raining pretty hard and night had fallen and I had to drive over the pass on US50 where I knew it was snowing pretty hard. I was just starting to make the climb (it was still raining) and all of a sudden the left side of the road (the oncoming side) was no longer shiny but dull looking and there was many rocks on my side. (Up to 6″ in diameter) At first I was not able to grasp the situation, but and come to a stop before driving over the rocks. And there was this eerie glow from behind the non-reflective area. The non-reflective area was a gigantic boulder about the size of a VW Beetle. Behind the boulder was a VW Beetle that and run into the boulder and the glow was one headlight that somehow and not been broken. I checked to make sure that there were no injuries and hustled on down to the nearest pay phone. After very gingerly picking my way over the rockey rubble. Everytime I see one of these, the experience crosses through my mind. I changed a water pump on one of these for a neighbor. You can’t believe how many little adapter plates are used to mount all the engine accessories. It’s like the engine was the same for 30 years and every year the accessories had been changed. WHICH IT HAD!
I owned an ’83 GW with the 360, auto tranny but it didn’t have the locking hubs set-up.
It had a really tight turning radius and would go anywhere. But 12 MPG, using high test gas, was a real killer.
Also, if you buy one of these. Make sure you can buy the tailgate window lift strap and order a pair for stock. BECAUSE, you will eventually break one. When that happens, and the window is up, you can’t open the tailgate. In the parts department I always had 10 on the shelf. So that means you have to crawl into the cargo area and disassemble the window mechanism and lower the window so that the tailgate can be lowered and repaired. NO FUN!