Looking like it’s been in the same spot for a very long time, this 1979 Jeep pickup was running just a few years ago according to the seller. It’s being sold here on eBay without a reserve, and as I write this it’s only up to $930. You’ll have to travel to Ridgeway, Missouri after you buy it if you want to be the one to pick it up and flip the odometer from the current 89,995 to 90,000 miles.
The functional but aesthetically challenged grille guard is hiding one of the more pleasing front ends on a truck I know of. Not only that, but I’ve read that under the grille is the original front end sheet metal from the 1963 Jeep Gladiator, so I guess you could go really retro if you found some vintage trim and lights.
While the pickup has some rust, to be honest I was expecting a lot more. I really like the rugged look of the fender flares on these trucks, but the white wall tires would have to go. They’re probably dry-rotted anyway. That decal over the “e e” in the center of the tailgate is for a dealer in Minnesota, so there’s no telling where the truck has been.
Assuming this is the original engine, the VIN decodes it to a 258 cubic inch inline six cylinder with a two-barrel carburetor. The seller tells us that the carburetor was “trashed” and that they planned to replace it but never did. It’s unclear whether or not it’s included with the truck, but you certainly shouldn’t expect to come and drive it home. There’s an automatic transmission behind the engine, which I believe at this point was a Chrysler-sourced Torque-Flite.
I think that dash top might be salvageable if you don’t mind putting a speaker grille over the broken area (I think there’s a speaker under there, right Jeep fans?) The seat will need some help eventually, but a $20 blanket will do for a while in this truck. Do you like this one as much as I do? Let us know in the comment section.
since i have 3 old busted parts j20’s I’m thinking a 360 – t19 swap along with the 3/4 ton axles. Then hit up Silver Lake’s Sand Dunes!
This is a great candidate for clean it up and go if the price stays reasonable (under 1500). The 4.2 six is not going to be head snapping fast but it will at least get you 15mpg (+/-) instead of the 10 a 360 will do. No bed seam or tailgate rust is a HUGE plus if you know these trucks and you can probably sell the brushguard to the FSJ crowd since it has the later style bumper horn mounts. Lots to like about this truck
Ridgeway is just a liiiitle bit too far or I’d be cleaning out some garage space
I would have to ditch that hideous pignose grille though :D
Love the grill, just like the one on my 79 Golden Eagle.
calling david tracey ….. david tracey ….. j10 on line 1….. needs you stat!
Owned an ‘81 J-10 with a manual transmission and the 258 for twenty four years. Never failed me – Ran like a top. Kept it way past when it was safe to drive. These are really great trucks with things that are increasingly hard to find like crank windows, eight foot beds, manual transmissions, vinyl benches and rubber flooring. Only thing these things can’t do is NOT rot. Lot of life left in this one, it seems. Hope someone saves it.
Boy, could my BIL’s use this as a scrap hauler! These old Jeep trucks could
take beating after beating and come back for more. As for this truck, I’d
get it running, sort the mechanicals, throw on a new set of tires, and tell the
guys to have at it! With work hard to find here in Polk County, Fl, this truck
could create two good-paying jobs all by itself. I’d also leave that grille guard
exactly where it is to protect that hard to find plastic grille behind it, as most
of the drivers on our roads drive like fools.
Owned a very nice J10 with the 258. Unreliable as it might quit running at any time. Finally replaced dizzy with a spare points/condenser dizzy from a 232. Never another problem and better advance curve
This was my dad’s truck. He bought it brand new and owned it for 17 years. He put the NRA sticker in the back window and built the back bumper himself after it was rear ended. Yes, it is originally from Minnesota. It is so crazy that I can across this.