We knew my $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer project was going to have a hard time driving 1,700 miles from Michigan to Utah, especially over the Rocky Mountains. But we weren’t expecting the Jeep to burst a hose and vaporize its coolant after the mountains, on the flat home stretch.
Last fall, I bought an $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer that hadn’t run in 12 years. After months of wrenching, in March, I drove with my coworker Andrew Collins on a grand journey from near Detroit, Michigan to the off-road trails of Moab, Utah. Here’s video of that trip’s first leg—the Jeep’s first highway voyage in over a…
I ran my Jeep out of gas on Friday, stranding me in an “authorized vehicles only” turnaround between carriageways of one of the busiest stretches of Michigan’s Interstate 75. But I didn’t call AAA like I normally would have; I requested a Lyft. And it worked great.
A few weeks ago, I took a rusty Jeep named Project Redwood on a 3,500 mile road trip to and from the off-road Mecca of Moab, Utah. While the aim of the trip was to show that grand off-road adventures don’t have to be pricey, I did end up spending quite a bit more than the $800 I initially put down for the junker.
After driving my $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 1,700 miles from Michigan to Utah, I finally got a chance to take the big Woodie off-road. And my god was it glorious. Much more so than I expected.
Project Redwood—my $800 Craigslist Jeep Grand Wagoneer that hadn’t run in 12 years when I purchased it—just drove 1,700 miles from Michigan to the off-road trails of Utah almost flawlessly. I say “almost” because in the middle of nowhere, Colorado, the big Woodie left me and my copilot stranded.
I built two two extra days into my 1,700 mile Michigan-to-Moab expedition to give us some leeway in case of breakdowns. I’ve now used those two days before ever leaving my driveway, thanks to my 1986 Jeep Grand Wagoneer’s copious brake problems. Now the Jeep is ready, but there’s no margin for error. If the Woodie…
I’m wrenching like my life depends on it right now because today, I’m supposed to begin a 1,700 mile trip to Utah in my $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer with a Willys CJ-2A in tow. How that’s going to happen when I still have so much work to do is absolutely beyond me.
I made an idiotic error the other day while trying to get my $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer ready for its 3,000+ mile off-road trip. And instead of hiding my shame, I’m here to share it with you.
Jeep is busy dominating the global market, and when it comes to new models specifically tailored for other countries, it would seem its not too shy about its prototypes. Here’s what’s most likely the new Jeep Grand Commander for the Chinese market.
With only 10 days left before my $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer has to drive 1,700 miles from Michigan to the off-road trails of Utah, I’ve been desperate for wrenching help lately. Luckily, this past weekend, some friends noticed this desperation, and helped me defeat my arch nemeses: electrical gremlins.
I love my Jeep Grand Wagoneer. I think it’s one of the most soulful, charming vehicles ever built. But this old episode of MotorWeek made me snap out of my Woodie trance for a second and realize that maybe my beloved SJ isn’t as perfect as I want to think it is.
The 2018 Easter Jeep Safari—a big off-road fest in Moab, Utah—isn’t far away, and I’ve still got tons to do to get my $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer ready to tow another Jeep 1,700 miles, and then go rock-crawling on some of America’s most arduous trails. The good news: after 12 years, the Jeep finally lives!
The Moab Easter Jeep Safari is less than two months away, and my $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Project Redwood, is still in shambles. But I’m not as worried as I was, because I made a lot of progress last week.
A reader just sent an email telling me about two Jeep SJs (one Grand Wagoneer and one Cherokee Golden Eagle edition !!!) that she’s got to get rid of for dirt cheap. “Would you know of anyone who would be interested?” the email reads. After yelling “BOY WOULD I!” at the top of my lungs and hyperventilating into a…
December is here, meaning Michigan has shifted into a wintry hellscape. And, because of some poor planning on my end, I’m now wrenching on my $800 Jeep Grand Wagoneer in my rock-solid, snow-covered backyard instead of in my garage. It’s true misery.
When I bought my 1986 Jeep Grand Wagoneer a few weeks ago, I’ll admit that I didn’t really look at it very carefully. “Frame doesn’t have holes, engine isn’t seized—I’ll take it,” I decided in desperation after failing to find a project for months. Now I’ve had some time to look the Woodie over, and, well, it’s not…
Last night, a friend came over to help me shoot some video. He wanted me to crank over my 1986 Grand Wagoneer to see if it ran. I doubted it would, but I gave it a shot anyway. While I was cranking the engine over, he picked up a can of starting fluid. Big mistake.
We have been hearing for awhile that Jeep wants to take on Land Rover’s Range Rover line in the upper luxury segment and the brand recently confirmed the upcoming Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models. It seems that Jeep’s new luxury SUVs will be priced like Rovers as well.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has big plans for its Jeep brand. (Still.) But after announcements about new factories and models, there seems to be some confusion about the Wagoneer, and whether or not it’s “Grand.” The answer is, yes, there is a plan for a new Jeep Grand Wagoneer. And a Wagoneer.