A New Direction with Project Prickly Pear
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- The 1974 Jeep Cherokee build is taking a new direction! It’s been 5 months since I did the walk around video on this Jeep and in that time, I’ve had it in and out of the garage, tinkered on all kinds of stuff, ordered way too many parts which I’ll show you and just sat in the garage with a cup of coffee and contemplated what I want to do with this Jeep.
1974 Jeep Cherokee Introduction video: • Why You Shouldn't Buy ...
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I wouldn't let the purists bully you into not making the changes you want. It's YOUR vehicle, you make it yours. I think it's going to be awesome. I can't wait to see it finished!
I suspect "patina" is often used as a well-meaning excuse by folks who don't want to put the money into a professional repaint job!
exactly! to me vehicles are designed to be used. So make it as comfortable and as safe to use as possible. If that means new seats, power train, brake system etc then do it. Regarding patina it looks okay at best. I would personally do a new paint job. No matter how cool the patina might look a new paint job always looks better.
Oh I'm not stressed about the purists, I get where they are coming from, but my goal is to make this Jeep look and perform well so I'll actually want to take it on some trips.
@@TrailReconI installed the Howell TBI on my 4.2 in-line 6. Runs awesome now. Highly recommended. But had an experienced shop do it. Beyond my abilities.
Forget patina. Preserve the body with a decent paint job. It’s not a museum piece or a show car.
Legitimately new front seats with headrests are safety needs. Looking forward to seeing the evolution from run down to ready to run!
Brad, Your ghost window operation is most likely from a switch. That window motor has two terminals, both are positive. Power to one is up, the other is down, ground is through the case. Good lick.
Brad, Thinking about your possessed window. You mentioned changing the motor. I can't picture how the motor can engage on its own in a circuit where there is a switch, or switch/relay. So, I think you need to check upstream of the motor. Even if your motor is totally shorting out internally, it wouldn't have electricity without a switch or relay sending some its way. My 2 cents, from hard learned lessons. Lol
Thank you! When the motor arrives, I'll be tracing the whole system and even taking a closure look at the switch onto dash.. Thank you!
I have an 86 Bronco thats been my daily driver for 3 years now. Lots of late nights were spent making it mine.and many more to come. But I’ll never remotely consider trading it in for anything newer. Classic SUV’s are so durable. And super easy to repair and maintain.
I do have the advantage of owning a body shop which also has a lift. Which makes it easier than the average guy.
BTW. If you’re ever in the Mesa/ Phoenix Area and need some assistance. Feel free to stop by. I would also be interested in joining you folks for a night out camping in the area.
Great content. Love the channel 👍🏻
Hey Brad, take a look at Retrosound for a classic looking modern stereo. They make some pretty awesome head units. hLove to see the Cherokee in the garage!
Brad you can add safety with a nice roll bar and add shoulder restraints to the bar. Glad you're bringing new life to an old Jeep.
When servicing drums, I’ve found having multiple size C clamps helps with giving you more “hands”. Long bent needle nose is a must. It sounds like you have some wiring to do 😅
I am another proud 74 Cherokee owner been living with most of the same problems but wouldn't trade it for anything
Don't neglect the A/C system. If it is a large York style compressor then everything can be refreshed/replaced with ease and modern compressors arrive complete with their own oil packet internally released already.
If you go 33x10.50s you might be able to use those wheels. Going to be fun watching you transform your Jeep, I'm in the middle of a frame off on a 1961 F100 4x4 that's been in the family since 73 so I love watching the old stuff get fixed up.
Love those old F100's!
You're making me not miss all the old pickups that I've had over the years ('29 Model A RPU, '59 Chevrolet Apache, 1990 F150, 1969 C10, 1974 C10, 1963 C10).
This reminds me of owning a boat. The best two days are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. You should check out Sarah n Tuned’s channel. She has a lot of great DIY restoration projects and is very meticulous.
My 47 2a had a ghost in the starter. It once tried to start at 1am in my friends garage, luckily in N otherwise it surely would have really caused some chaos. And again at my place, this time in R, luckily it got stuck on the curb across the street and not in the neighbors sliding glass door. I replaced it all but pretty sure it was the starter switch.
Regarding the rear window check the switch before moving to the motor.
Inside the glove box is the switch for looking the center diff. The level for the low gear is under the drivers seat
Will do. No lever under the seat in this old girl.
@@TrailRecon Our Wagoneer was 77, maybe they changed it. Lever was on the floor directly in front of the driver seat
The push-pull cable for 4-low is original for his 74. Jeep changed to the flag shifter on the floor later in the 70s
Love that you are going to do more of a resto-mod! I’m on some of the FSJ groups and many of tried to modernize the older engines only to find that there was a lot of money spent for not too much gain in fuel economy nor reliability. Nearly everybody that goes that route, eventually rips it out and goes with either an LS (which feels sacrilegious to me) or a Hemi (which to me makes more sense since Chrysler eventually buys Jeep many years after your Jeep was built, so technically all in the same family. You might find it better to just pull that fresh engine and sell it to a purist and go a more modern route with the drivetrain. I bet Todd at Jeep Speed Shop out near Santa Rosa would LOVE to help you Hemi swap your FSJ and even maybe get the 8 speed transmission in it! Can you imagine going from 9 mpg to upwards of 20+! Looking forward to the build! #JeepWave 👋🏻
Cool Jeep, one issue with running the exhaust out the rear is if you ever plan on driving with the back window down the air flow has a tendency to pull the exhaust fumes into the vehicle, depending, of course, on were you have the actual exhaust tip.....just a thought.....
This video gave me a lot of Trucks! / Stacey David vibes and I’m all for it! Looking forward to seeing this thing transform!
Stacey is an Icon, thank you!
I"d suggest seeing a custom upholstery shop have the fronts done rebuild the rears
I agree with the other comments about the pierce it’s your rig your ideas do what you want. As for the seats, I toss both benches but a new bench in the rear and maybe two buckets in the front.👍🏽
The insulated garage door, that’s genius 😂
Sniper for sure! You’ll never look back
Great Video, I have a 75 Cherokee S . We have a lot of the same issues . This is how I fixed the gas Fumes, I popped of that back removable panel by the gas tank , and there are some gas tank vent tubes that get rotted and leak , I should have replaced them , but just duct taped them up, Never had a problem since. "LOL " With the Electric Window. My dash switch would only go down too, until it stopped working.
Mine goes up and down with the key only, and only with the motor running, it blows a fuse about every 3 months. Sorry to hear about the Ghost in the Machine. That huge bundle of wires in the back by the tail gate. I believe that has a lot of problems, Mine is way too big for just a few wires that are needed, the opening and closing of the tailgate stresses the wires on mine. I am going to rewire it and find the problem sooner than later. Fine I got a brand new up and down switch thought my problem was solved, it did nothing but pointed me in the right direction. Glad to find your Videos on TH-cam looking forward to see someone else going through this same Historical path of the long and winding road.
The exhaust tip needs to be a side dump. These fsj aero will pull the exhaust through your back window with a normal back exhaust tip. I would move it to be straight out the side after the back wheel. The factory for all the years did that because they new it was a problem. I have a 88 Grand Wagoneer with 5.3 swap that the exhaust shop messed up and didn’t listen. I tried it and switch it back to a side exit.
Brad, cool jeep, my thoughts jack the backup and set on jack stands remove both wheels and take the brake drums off, do just one side of the brake job replace at a time that way you have an example from one side to help you get that job done. on the seats you could go to the wrecking yard and find some really cool modern fold flat seats with possibly maybe a trunk under the bottom cushion. just some ideas to help you out. leave the buddy seat or put a powered cooler there. (you know for drinks)(
I just bought a 1986 with a 360 and 727 torqueflite transmsission. I got 13 mpg out of it driving it from Idaho to Utah. I was pretty impressed. I have a lot of stuff to do to it. Funny enough its already on 33" tires.
To replace your wiper fluid pump, use a boat bilge pump. Just make sure it is negative ground since many boats are positive ground.
Here's and idea... Get rid of the back seat. It'll give you a place to store all the new parts!!! Good luck Brad. I'll be watching.
Jeep needs to sponsor you on this project, that is all I got to say.
Take LOTS of pictures of the stuff as you take it apart (drum brakes hint, hint) so you know which spring went where, and which pad was the front pad vs back pad. might want to consider replacing the parking brake stuff while you're in there too and possibly axle seals.
regarding the old seats: You said you wanted to have vintage overlanding adventures. well 45 yeasrs ago those are the seats they had.... Keep them,, have the full experience.
Wiper motor/ pump looks to be a GM sourced unit, try similar year GM car or truck lookup
J-10 Pickup Front Fenders! I had a 1970 Jeep Wagoneer. The J-10 fenders were a direct bolt hole to bolt hole fit. Wider opening with flares. I had a 3 inch Rancho Springs lift with Dick Cepek Fun Country tires. I didn't have many options on rear wheel opening as I was dealing with rear doors. Look at the 1980 2 door Cherokee. Same fenders as J-10. ALSO: What engine are you running? Certain engines ran a plastic ring on the timing gear to make it run quiet. Plastic gets old and hard, breaks up and timing chain will slip a tooth.
Hi Brad, @TrailRecon, not sure you'll see this after 400+ other comments and a few days. But a couple of thoughts consistent with the "resto-mod" direction:
1. Driveability on these old jeeps (on *any* 70s era vehicle actually) is considerably enhanced by going EFI. Tweaking carburetors is a pain in the burro, and even a tune you dial in for hours to work passably well at San Diego elevation suddenly turns lousy once you're in the mountains at high elevation.
2. Seats. Once you embrace "resto-mod" instead of preservation or pure-restoration, and think about the possibility of longer trips, there's no reason to stick with those original, unsafe, and uncomfortable seats. Get some Recaros with a bit of green accent. And then remove the back seat entirely, because nobody's going to climb in to ride back there. The only kids who were young enough to ride back there are in their 50s and 60s now.
3. Bumper/winch. 60s/70s era auto styling was a bit of a pinnacle of auto design - in my humble opinion of course. And the grill and thin-line bumper appearance of the classic Cherokee is just wrecked if you try and put some type of winch bumper on. That's fine, and a cost that must be endured, if you really need it. But do you?
Really, this is a 70s era classic, and it's always going to be somewhat "hope-and-a-prayer" level of reliability, no matter *how* much work and money you sink into it. So realistically, you'll be quite unlikely to pick the Prickly Pear for any solo adventures to any kind of remote or tough wheeling destination -- the kind where you might need a winch. Instead, you'll travel with a buddy, or just pick one of your other Jeeps. So if you're travelling with another Jeep, and probably not on the toughest trails, do you need that winch? My point-of-view is that only recovery points are what's really needed, so that the Pear can be strapped or tugged by another Jeep. Think it over.
Very helpful information, thank you!
Steering wheel covers are easy to sew on and make a dramatic difference for under $20.
I think a modern front bench seat from a newer truck would have an old school vintage look, but be safer and possibly more comfortable. I think to my 2010 Tundra's front bench seat. It's so comfortable, still has a lowback look, but with a good headrest.
I am salivating on this build Doc !!! I would keep the stock seats and get them reupholstered in black cloth or vinyl with a black and green houndstooth to bring in some contrast. What you could do is a 2-3 body lift with the 4 inch lift springs and that should give you plenty of clearance for the 33's. I wouldn't use that radiator hose for a fuel filler neck as it isn't fuel impervious hose and will deteriorate and cause issues down the road. For a winch idea what about using a front mounted receiver that you can disconnect and store when not wheeling just a thought.
I was looking into a body lift but would have to find the right parts, no one sells one for a 74 that I can find. The hose is a specific fuel hose, just meant to fit the stock application, which this one no longer is. Thank you for the advice!
@@TrailRecon Daystar still makes them Doc !!! PA923 is the part number for the Body Lift !!!
You should check all the grounds. Every place where there is a body ground stud. Must be clean and tight. some ground studs might have 3 or 4 ground wires attached that are corroded. use a multimeter set to ohms to determine wire harness continuity/damage by wiggling the wires looking for changes on the meter. open up all connectors and clean the connector terminals. the electrical system on these cars is horrendous.
Very cool to see some focus on an Old School Jeep for a change. I have a couple of these, and they are fun vehicles! Yes, there are a lot of little issues with these things, but most are documented on the Full Size forums... Rear the tech sections for help. NO stupid questions, we have all been there ! You obviously found BJs Off Road for support already... Good guys!
Please check into that rear window ... I assume your Jeep has an AMP meter? That causes a lot of fire issues. Potentially when you have a heavy draw going on. There is an AMP meter bypass rework out there, I would seriously check into that asap. If it fails, your garage and project are at risk. Disconnect battery when not in use please.
Rear tailgate wiring has 2 feeds, one from the dash switch (up/down wires, tan and brown in the small connector on driver upper right firewall). The rear switch has a direct power feed all the way to the back - Heavy red wire. Totally separate circuits. BJs has a tailgate window relay kit to help this situation. Worth the trip.
Check the connector at the driver rear corner, this feeds all the lights and is known to corrode and cause issues with tail gate and tailight operations. Be sure there is a GOOD ground to the tailgate as well. Study that factory service manual - the wiring diagrams in the back are invaluable !
Thank you, I was reading up on the amp meter and something I'll get sorted when the new gauge cluster arrives. Tailgate on the other hand is causing me new gray hairs! LOL!
Espero ver pronto terminado tan hermoso proyecto
I love the project name! Cant wait to see how it all comes along. My husband & I love resto mods
Awesome! Thank you!
@@TrailRecon Oh and a tip on drum brakes. Do one side at a time so you can use the side you are not currently on as a reference when putting the side you are working on back together
Beware of running the exhaust out the back, not sure if it will be the same on the Jeep, but station wagons have an issue with exhaust out the back where if you drive with the rear window down, fumes will come in the car. I would run it out the side, but behind the rear wheel.
Brad, the rear window motor is definitely tired but I’m pretty sure the ghost is the key switch sticking. Great project and looking forward to the process!
What he said I would be looking for the switch in the rear gate
Check the guide track for binding and dirt.
Man, what slippery slope~!
LS swap all the way for this beast. It's SO MUCH better than the original engine. I want to help, I live in Ramona. About to retire and need to have something to do...
Holley sniper or Fitech or TBI style wont help your fuel economy. At least in my experience. More power? Yes for sure. They are too crude imo. If you can find a port injection it might be difficult. Just food for thought.
Could Consider going for a Vinyl wrap. Allows you to opt back to the patina or change colors at some point if you want and to save considerable money. I wrapped my Tracker and my FJ. The latter to protect a perfect paint job, and the former to fix a bad one. Great colors avail; get a ton of comments -easy to do with someone of your skill. $500 vs 8k for a good Paintjob.
Vinyl wraps are cool, but they are not cheap these days.
Love these longer style videos!!
Thank you!
The rust is already there so I don't see anything wrong with cutting the body for clearance. If it was a clean body I'd be against it but with the rust already there you're preserving the body by cutting out the cancer. Also I think it would be a clean look to cut the rear fender wells to match the front wheel wells so I don't think you're losing any style points. Lastly, it's your rig and it'll look great on 33s and most of all it'll be used on the trail which is way better than any garage princess in my opinion!
I just got a 2022 Tacoma god I regret it I am an old type of guy I enjoyed this vid
Best be careful with routing the exhaust out the back. The design of the vehicle makes it tend to suck fumes in when the rear window is open
There's an automatic switch in your tailgate automatically roll the window up
Lol, my Dad had the same year Cherokee. Beige instead of Green. Enjoyed driving it. Do you still have the Power Wagon?
I’d you need parts, I’ve got ‘em!
Upgraded front seats. Scheel-mans if you really want to do it right 😊 Ditch the rear seats.
Plasma cutter!!!!!!!!!!
I could use one!
@@TrailRecon you can get a very good one at a pretty low price nowadays. You may not need it all the time, but it sure is nice to have it when it's needed.
Better and safer seats in front. Delete rear seats.
Could get a vinyl wrap in the original paint until you can afford a new paint job.
Vinyl is a good option, but it's really not that cheap these days.
Hey Brad, this is one of my favorite videos. This is such a real world look at what it's like owning an old Jeep or any old vehicle. I'm looking forward to some more videos on the Cherokee. Thanks again for providing such a variety of awesome videos.
Brad this video hits home for a lot of us DIYers truth is most of us spent so much time in the garage trying to fix problems and we get very frustrated too 😊
Frustration is part and parcel with older equipment, unfortunately. And with newer equipments as well!
I have a 69 Wag that has been patiently waiting for me to get around to finishing an engine swap. Going with Fitec efi, btw. Thanks for the inspiration!
best thing to do with a new project, live with it. drive it for a bit, stare at it and just soak it in. Cant wait to what happens with this one!
Brad you might want to talk to Christian Hazel, he was editor of 4WOR, is a bonafide Jeep expert, and has a similar SJ that he just LS swapped. I believe he lives in North County.
LS swap in that beast would be a great step in the right direction for multiple reasons.
You've got some great plans for the Cherokee. Can't wait to watch the series and see it come together!
Hey there, I recently chased down some vacuum lines on our 1976 cj7 with the Quadratrac. You mentioned the steering is a bit unhappy when turning which sounds like the “emergency drive” is stuck in the lock position. Once you free it up and take it out of “emergency drive” it should turn nice and smooth….as the limited slip was designed. Our lines were clogged full, but after a can or two of brake parts cleaner and the air compressor, we were back in business. This switch is different than the “high low” gear selector…
While reading about how to fix ours, I learned that most people converted the CJ’s equipped with quadratrac to a locking hub setup, turning them into a 2wd/4wd setup, or swapping out the t-case altogether. The borg Warner full-time t-case was just not stout enough for some, making them kinda hard to find parts for. They also use a specific oil that is not cheap. Anyway, I’m stoked to see the build along with all your other adventures…we have a Tacoma as well so your sons build will be a fun watch too!
Hope this was at least a little useful.
Good luck and safe travels!
I like the changes you have planned… will a 33” spare fit in the original location? I would definitely change to more modern, safer front seats. Looking forward to the project videos!
I don't know if a 33 tire will fit, but looks like it should. Challenge is there are none of the old brackets left down there, so will need to figure that out as well.
Definitely do the EFI I believe that will make you very happy in the long run. I would also look into the Warn hubs to try free up that front end and improve your MPG every little bit helps 🤷🏼♂️. Love the video thanks for the update 👍🏻.
Thanks! Hub conversion could be a good solution.
My first vehicle was a '76 Wagoneer with the full time 4wd. The vacuum switch in the glove box wasn't to put it into low range, it was a part time override you could use in low traction situations. It had a warning label on it that made it sound Like the Jeep would self destruct if you used it for anything but your moment of greatest need, but that always begged the question of whether this was truly that moment or if another more dire moment was coming?
One time I had a vacuum hose come off and it started dragging tires when I turned which makes sense now but really freaked an 18yr me out thinking there was something seriously wrong with the front diff or something.
I had a lot of fun time in that Jeep and I'm excited to see this build!
Brad , great video! On your back window, I converted my manual crank on mt 1983 Cherokee to a motor because the manual cranks kept stripping. I used a relay from a winch controller to power it and it works great. I had a remote with it but the delay was more than I could control every time when closing it. So I just wired it to a double throw momentary switch and control it from the dash. Simple and reliable without any ghosts since I put in all the wiring to the battery
The low range is original. The knob in the glove box is emergency drive for the Quadra trac transfer case. It locks both axles together.
Thank you! I was actually trying to look that up after I filmed this because I know I miss spoke.
Mine is a vacuum switch with 3 vac hoses attached. Yours might be the same?
The switch is missing, but you can see the cut out from where it use to be, I haven't started tracing vacuum switches yet... but also on the to do list!
Ive been tooling on my buddy's 90 grand wagoneer with him.. We did the relay mod for the rear window, it goes up and down tremendously faster. There is also a stop switch in the tailgate on the passenger side that is supposed to cut off power when the window is up, maybe down as well?? This may be part of your issue.
Good luck with the washer pump....need some loooooong skinny fingers
Go with the fuel injection that way you won't stall on something steep. Plus it will adjust too the high altitude places you like going.
Two great benefits!
For a winch mount, you can do a hidden mount like they offered in the 70s. It goes in between the front springs under the front crossmember, pretty slick setup. Most aftermarket bumpers look terrible on these things, like buck teeth. It is possible to build a nice one though.
Buck toothed humans all gasp, in unison….
I like the idea of a hidden winch, I'll have to take a closure look behind the bumper.
BJ's Offroad sells some nice-looking bumpers. I have an old-school Warn bumper I plan to use. (might make me buck-toof? lol)
The vacuum switch in the glovebox activates the center diff lock, not low range, it should have both. That vacuum switch saved my butt twice in my 73 Wagoneer when I blew a rear ring and pinion. Only the infamous Quadratrac transfer cases had them.
Yes Yes Re$toration Those AMC engines got a bad rapp back in the day... that being said in reality they work stong and the key to that is mechanical knowledge of the engine it's self. There's a builder out of Nashvile does a nice rebuild. I ran a 360 AMC acouple of days ago in a 81 J1 and it ran as good or better than Mopar 360. I really enjoy your videos as it's been said by all Thax
Thank you!
For classic Car radios with modern function consider customautosoundmfg I used them for my 1964 Chevy II Nova, no dash trimming knobs match original and all the tech is in the background. They might not have turn key match for your vehicle, but I bet they would work with you to find the closest fit.
Old vehicles are awesome and need TLC - you show it love and it will love you back.
I would leave the seats.
Be mindful that if you do relocate the exhaust to the rear instead of the side you'll end up like me in my 4Runner with exhaust fumes coming in if you drive with the rear window down. I know Toyota has some exhaust coming out of the side behind the rear wheel to counter that issue.
Up to you! But you might still like a side exit exhaust pipe if you see yourself driving with the rear window down. I know I like it, but that's just me!
New seats, no question. Hoping you do a light gray interior. Would go nice with the green. Great project!
Just the person who loved that jeep. Letting you know to treat her right.
Have you considered a limit switch being bad on the rear window? Rebuilding drum brakes is actually fairly easy, now I say that because we did not have disc when I grew up, get a coat hanger, a metal one, and bend it to hook the springs, just pull them off, thats the easy way
And take picture before you take it apart !
I'm really looking forward to this series. I too have a 1974 resto mod, except it's a CJ5 with the 304(with some modifications). I still have plenty of work to do on it as well, like power steering and power brakes... Maybe one day I'll find a top and doors for it. I also had electrical gremlins running around playing tricks like you, but I gutted the old electrical rats nest, went with a new wiring harness and fuse box. Maybe something for you to consider.
Hey I’ve got a 75 CJ did tons of work on. Did the power steering and went with power disc brakes. Made a huge difference in driving behavior and pretty much replaced everything on it. But I’ve had her for over 40 years can’t sell.
@@gregchiropolos9885 This is great. How did you end up mounting the power steering pump?
Probably wise to upgrade the seats to add headrests. You can likely find something a few model years later that keeps the old school look, but upgrades the safety. I owned a ‘69 Plymouth Roadrunner from my Dad, and I was rear ended twice, one gave me a nasty whiplash. Even with headrests, that solid steel body and bumper transferred all the energy to my head and neck. It Would have been ugly without headrests. However, it was my daily driver, so that changed my odds.
I 2nd the seat upgrade option! You really want something you enjoy being in and driving. And then there's the safety aspect 👍
As a purist. There is nothing wrong with improving and making a vehicle more enjoyable to drive.
That’s why I have two Grand Wagoneers - ha! One all factory and one upgraded, lifted, 32” BFGs, tinted, fuel injection, etc.
on your rear window, check to see if your gasket is gone. Without the gasket it keeps trying to lift even when it should be done. At least that’s true on my 87 and 91’s.
Hi Brad - I have a 1979 J10 so I understand your pains. I put a new wiring harness and that eliminated most of the gremlins. Worth considering and not really difficult. I also have wagoneer seats and a proper seat belt so that's an easy fix. 33s fit well with a 4-inch lift.
I was going to say, Nearly 50year old wiring is going to lead to insane amounts of gremlins coming up. It's a lot of work but a full rewire would make things safer, better, more reliable and would eliminate the majority of the quirks.
Make it your own,the purists have never liked mine,but I don’t trailer mine to car shows. I drive hours away to things like Trail Hero …….then run the trail before driving back home. having a unique vehicle is so much fun. side note here, don’t let anyone touch your column unless they have the proper tools (pivot pin pullers etc)and they have done at least two before. I would never repair one that messed with,too many small parts that have to assemble at the same time. I want to be the first one to go in so I know that nothing is broken. I started my truck in 1980 and I am a professional mechanic still today,my truck is entirely built and fabricated by me. I would love to talk to you about your project and help out if I could.just respond to me if you would like 😎
FYI, If you pull the York compressor for the AC, keep it to make onboard air compressor. Some like to switch to the sanden unit because its cheaper than a York.
Beautiful 74' Jeep Cherokee...I had one (Bronze colored) and I enjoy every little detail that you share about your 74'.
Glad you enjoyed it!
As far as the windshield squirts. Grab a mid 2000s washer fluid bottle from the junk yard, any vehicle will do. 90 percent of them use the same pump. Grab a new dorman universal pump and wire it in. They come with rubber grommets to make it fit perfect.
Unless it’s a museum piece, making changes to keep it a road worthy and road trip able vehicle really have to be part of owning old vehicles.
I have a NV4500/Magnum 360 out of 2000 Ram in my 79 Ramcharger. Converted from full time to part time 4x4. Eventually a Hemi/8spd will go in it for our road trips. I’m rewiring it as we speak, getting ready for Moab in April.
As for paint, I’ll do mine myself because it will get dings and scratches again. But I’ve done a few, it’ll be very presentable.
After that it’s back into my Duster, T-56 swap this summer.
Oh the contact for the window motor probably needs adjusting (position) or replaced.
Howell EFi uses GM Holley TBI efi. I’m against Sniper or any aftermarket in any vehicle we take off road away from civilization.
Brad, for all of the body work/painting/rust/trim work you MUST call Robby Layton. He is the best ! Check out his TH-cam channel including the rebuild of Ed's Golden Nugget from Matt's Off Road Recovery.. You will not be sorry. Robby does World Class work
91 wiper bottle should have pump in it. Steering column repair, ignition, wiper switches cause many gremlins. Rear window harness... motor, or switch causing draw?
Painless wiring, omix-ada, crown automotive are good parts sources.
EFI TBI well worth it.
Custom hidden winch mount is nice (like on XJ, MJ) retain oem chrome bumpers.
Hello again, Drinking Coffee this morning trying to wake up, I remember you talking about your steering problem, then I went back to the video and seen your power steering reservoir , I am by know means a expert but I have never seen one leaning that far down, it should be upright. I would believe it is getting air in the lines like that. This is coming from a guy going back to the junkyard for the 4th day in a row that is 1 bolt short from getting a front drive shaft off from the Double Cardan on locked up Transfer Case under a 77 Waggoneer. Today is Victory Day, As my 64 year old Brain has finally started to figure out the problem. Cut a hole through the floor above the Double Cardan. 3 Day old problem solved in 5 Minutes.So far I have got a Pristine Instrument Gauge Cluster & Original AMC AM FM Radio looks like it came out of the box, never used Cigarette Lighter, Power Steering Unit & Radiator, Front Seats all the back panels, My new theme is Original Cherokee Black and Waggoneer Blue. I took the body all the way to bare metal and primered it, cut out all the rust Flared the Wheel Wells had no other choice. I guess i've bored you enough , Hopefully my 2 cents is better than a Wooden Nickel.
Hey Brad,
Watching your video gave me flashbacks. Used to have a 73 cj5 with the 304. Same color and trim. Many of the same issues. After fighting ghosts in the wiring to the point of exasperation, I wound up installing a full painless harness.
Regarding the fuel vapors, my parents had a 74 Wagoneer. My dad was constantly searching the fuel system, trying to limit the vapors. Well, one day it caught fire due to the vapors. AMC jeeps had a lot of issues.
As far as the resto vs. mod, I would go radically mod. Too many problems and frustrations with a resto on these jeeps.
I had a 79 Jeep Cherokee 2 Door, like yours. Mine had the 258 Straight 6 Engine, with a manual 3 Speed Transmission. Great running Truck, but could never get really good strong brakes on it.
I wouldn't bother with the fuel injection you won't see any worthwhile increase in fuel economy you would do better getting a wideband and fine tuning the carburettor that will give you the best results, also the complexity of dealing with the fuel injection system will make it far more unreliable in the long term. carburettors are looked down upon but when set up correctly they are infinitely more reliable than any fuel injection system. I did this on my Cherokee chief and achieved 15 MPG on the highway 13 mpg average, and heard loads of horror stories with the fuel injection swap guys.
Hi Brad Really appreciate all the good information you provide us all. In regards to your project prickly pear I have some input for you. I do think this project would be beautiful restored original or near original or even custom for show. But to restore it to your plans I think will be a BIG mistake. That is with intent to wheel it. This vehicle will NEVER be reliable enough to take off roading. It will constantly just piss you off and continue to nickel dime you. Not counting the amount of time you will have invested to even get close to wheeling. Cant imagine it will be this year with your other jeeps and sons Toyota project.
The exception would be if your You Tube channel of this project creates enough funds to cover the project and then some. Don’t get me wrong if you follow thru I will be watching. Does make for good videos. But I would never trust a 50 year old vehicle off road. Some builder that has the means might put that body on a newer chassis perhaps? Hope it goes good for you.
Man! Some of the same things I have done to my 86 Grand Wagoneer. I put the Sniper EFI system, replaced the engine, power steering, headliner, fuel hose, speedo cable, window tracks, cleaned the contacts on my back window as well as replaced all the window wiper rubber. I too had no speakers but picked them up recently and now I have AM but no FM. It's an antenna thing. Once you put the EFI you'll be happy you did and won't have to smell the fuel vapors in the garage. I just rebuilt the rag joint and decided against the lift for now, my kids get in pretty easy at the stock ride height. But I am in need of rear leaf springs as I'm sagging in the back. Right now my issue is hot starts. The vehicle has to cool off a little before starting and I believe it is due to my external fuel pump overheating or vapor lock due to proximity to the exhaust. Have fun! These old rigs will give you a run for your money, but boy are they satisfying to drive.
Took my driving test in a green 74 wagoneer. That was probably in '77? Shortly after that Dad traded the 74 for a green 78. Both had the 401. Your video hits home for sure. If I was closer I would drive down to help with your drum brakes. Not that tough - don't over fret about it.
Thanks for the video.
p.s - what did you say you picked up for a dash cluster?
The sky is the limit on the 401, you could go big and do a stroker kit but personally I'd really just concentrate on the top side. a good set of flowing heads and exhaust will do wonders. Get a good set of heads, have them ported and will make a big difference. I'd look at possibly a cam that's got some good torque specs. I wouldn't go crazy, just small mods. Fuel injection is cool, I personally don't run it on anything, nothing wrong with it...just like to be able to fix a problem quickly and not go down a rabbit hole.
Hey Brad, this cherokee project will drive you crazy and make you question your decision making process. You are opening a huge can of worms and will completely dominate all your free time and jeep (just empty every pocket ). I will keep you in my prayers that you don't burn down your garage with the cherokee inside. Update your insurance and get your shots up to date.
Oh that can of worms was open a year ago.. too late now! LOL!
That's the thing about an old tinkering vehicle, I have a 51 Ford F1 that I don't drive & work on as much as I should. lol I'm a fan of patina but it's not my truck & it's about your smiles per mile. For the seats, I prefer period correct as long as they are comfortable & for 3pt seatbelts did you check out Seat Belts Plus? I think going to some black interior parts is the right choice. Thank you for sharing the update video & don't rush on my part because I know life gets in the way sometimes.
I’m here for this build!
Can’t wait to see how this project turns out!