This Specific Jeep Cherokee

While searching for photos for the Jeep Cherokee post, I stumbled across this photo of a much older Jeep Cherokee, a contemporary of the old Wagoneers. Just look at it--it's completely gorgeous.

The most remarkable thing? According to the photographer (user Katie and Joe on Flickr), roughly five months ago it was for sale for only $5,000. That's a fantastic price for such a pretty truck. It looks as if it just rolled off the showroom floor.

Somebody, please tear me away from my monitor. I just can't stop looking at it.

--Chris H.

Comments

[Mochi Mochi on June 25, 2008 at 03:56 PM]

so clean !

[Cookie the Dog's Owner on June 25, 2008 at 04:21 PM]

It's so clean you'd almost hate to take it off road.

"The mud . . . it calls to us . . . it calls us . . . ."

[David Colborne on June 25, 2008 at 10:00 PM]

Heck with the monitor - I think your wife would prefer it if we pried you away from the checkbook. *grin*

[OldCarGuy on June 26, 2008 at 02:11 PM]

I agree it appears to be beautiful. Photos sometimes hide a multitude of sins, however, so not having seen the vehicle in person $5,000 just might not be remarkable. I recently looked at a 1969 Toyota FJ40 owned by an acquaintance in another state. He had decided to sell it, and knowing what an old Yota enthusiast (see: crazed, misguided, devoid of logic when it comes to old iron fool) I am, he gave me a private showing. He teased me with a photo attached to an e-mail showing this gorgeous beast of a machine, and let me tell you it looked sweet. Plans hatched in my mind . . . what would I sell, not so much to come up with his asking price, which seemed unbelievably reasonable, but to make room for this new addition to our rolling stock? Finally came the day I had awaited, a chance to meet the old FJ in person. I was practically giddy. Until I looked closely at rust. First bubbles. Then an actual hole here and there. Oops, there's a pretty fair sized one on the windshield frame -- that's going to be a project. Wait, there's more on the frame, and it's not just surface rust. Even the pleasant little burble of the straight-6 (if I close my eyes and dream a little, I can still hear it) couldn't undo the damage to my pipe dream, the realization that the purchase price would only be the beginning to making the old girl into the object after which I had so long lusted.

Such is life, and the world of car photographs.

But I'm sure that THIS old Cherokee was probably mint. The chance of a lifetime, gone forever. But hey, I just got an e-mail from an old friend up in Michigan, who owns a first generation Bronco. What? It's for sale?

[Brian on June 26, 2008 at 08:12 PM]

Not to twist the knife, but imagine how many '84-'96 Jeep Cherokees you could acquire for $5K. At $500.00 each, that's TEN Jeep Cherokees. Certainly that's enough to make one or two mint condition Cherokees.

[David Drucker on June 27, 2008 at 05:11 AM]

My own 1980 Jeep Cherokee Chief, acquired in 1992, had the "wide body" option that included fender flares and gigantic off-road tires. A previous owner had installed a black brush bar and a roof-mounted light bar of which nothing remained but the bar itself. No lights. It had the 258ci six, and the last carburetor I'd ever own.

By the time I bought it, from a friend, for very little money, it had become what my wife called it from the very beginning: The Heap. The litany of things that didn't work, didn't fit, and didn't quite belong, would fill several pages, but I didn't care. It had full-time 4wd (the lever had three positions: normal, free-wheel, and low) and would go anywhere.

I spent a ridiculous amount of money trying to get the a/c to work, and then an even more ridiculous amount of money having the engine -- bottom and top ends -- rebuilt after it imploded one day.

But it was a tough old beast. One summer afternoon my wife and I were heading home from Block Island, doing about 75 (top speed!) on the interstate. All of a sudden we heard a loud noise, accompanied by a flash of bright white light. The Heap had been hit by lightning, which left a six-inch scar on the hood. The rest of the trip home was uneventful. I flat-out loved that scary-looking truck.

[Rob the SVX guy on June 27, 2008 at 06:53 AM]

Since you guys mentioned A/C repair.... I'd just like to share a bit of experience here. I bought a $60 kit off ebay, of "Freeze 12". It came with 3 cans of refridgerant, a can of oil, a can of leak detector, and a filler hose. In about 15 minutes, I had successfully recharged the non working A/C in my SVX, and I now have EXTREMELY cold A/C. A/C repair is so expensive I wouldn't have paid to have it fixed, but for $60, this kit is just unbeatable. Even if it leaks out EVERY YEAR, it's still cheaper than taking it in to have it professionally repaired. Plus, I only used one can! :) I still have 2 cans left!

[Chris Hafner on June 27, 2008 at 06:53 PM]

David Drucker: "The Heap had been hit by lightning, which left a six-inch scar on the hood. The rest of the trip home was uneventful."

Now *that's* a Jeep. I'd like to see a Jeep Compass shrug off a lightning strike.

[Mochi Mochi on June 28, 2008 at 06:34 PM]

Great story David. As you came to the "bight light" for a second I imagined that an episode of the X-Files would ensue. Would the Jeep be abducted by aliens? Was GM the real source of the "Black Oil"?

The fact that your Jeep was actually hit by lightening is even more interesting. And in my mind raises the car to mythical or at least shamanistic status. Amazing.

[Scott on February 01, 2009 at 05:15 AM]

So where is this beauty and is it still for sale?

[jim adkins on April 09, 2009 at 03:02 PM]

as a owner of over 70 thats right 70 full size grand wagonners and cherokee chiefs i belive to this day it is 1 of the most all around vehicles i have ever driven.i live in arizona and the whole state was built to 4 wheel in there is every kind of terain possible to imagine.i presently own a 79 cherokee chief that i would not trade for anything.the people driving any kind of new off/road vehicles and have never been out to play in a old jeep have never had the pleasure to experince the fun of the original s.u.v the others are only cheap imatations of the best.i welcome your comments.jimadkins@rocketmail.com