Junkyard Gem: 1976 Jeep Cherokee

People in america have been able to get a auto referred to as the Cherokee for most of the final 50 %-century, nevertheless the sizing and even maker of Cherokees has assorted greatly through that time period. Appropriate now, your Jeep vendor can sell you a compact crossover Cherokee based on a Fiat system and built by Stellantis, and the most iconic Cherokee stays the 1984-2001 XJ, which was made by American Motors with a excellent offer of Renault input and (starting up in 1987) constructed by Chrysler and then (beginning in 1998) DaimlerChrysler. The first Cherokees were being excellent significant two-doorways based on the Wagoneer, though, and they were created from the 1974 as a result of 1983 design years. Modern Junkyard Gem is one of individuals early Cherokees, photographed a pair of months back again in a Denver-space self-provider boneyard.

The 1976 SJ Cherokee was a 3,938-pound behemoth (in fact about the similar fat as the existing Cherokee and its a lot more compact footprint, but modern vehicles are a good deal heavier than their predecessors), with a base rate of $5,258. Which is about $26,590 in 2022 pounds, which is remarkably related to the $28,135 MSRP of the base ’22 Cherokee, but hold in mind that you definitely had to pile on the extra-value possibilities if you required capabilities we acquire for granted nowadays (for instance, energy steering, automatic transmission, and any form of audio technique price tag loads in your ’76 Cherokee).

The foundation motor for the ’76 Cherokee was the great old 258-cubic-inch AMC straight-6, rated at 110 horsepower and 195 pound-toes. If you think that appears like a system for an agonizingly sluggish truck, you are appropriate. That’s why most ’76 Cherokee prospective buyers opted for a single of the three readily available AMC V8 engines you could get a 304 (5.-liter) rated at 150 horsepower, a 360 (5.8-liter) with either 175 or 195 horsepower, or a 401 (6.5-liter) producing 235 horses. All three engines glimpse the same at a look and I failed to experience up to scraping off decades of motor-block grime to search at casting figures, so we will just say this Jeep has an AMC V8 created among 1970 and 1991 and depart it at that.

AMC pitched this truck as a tough-and-rugged relatives hauler, laughably small on luxury by 21st-century truck benchmarks but pretty comfortable when compared to the navy-design and style vehicles several Us citizens experienced bought in before many years. It truly is cheaper and sportier-searching than its Wagoneer sibling, many thanks to the attractive two-doorway set up, but accessibility to the passenger compartment was extra difficult. A 4-door edition appeared setting up in 1977.

This a single lived a hard lifetime and you can find not a great deal inside left.

Is there rust? Indeed, loads!

No air conditioning, but at least it has an automatic transmission (the foundation gearbox was a 3-on-the-ground handbook) and rear window defogger. By the way, that automated added 455 bucks (about $2,300 now) and the defogger expense $52 ($262 now). The A/C would have been a interesting 480 spondulix, which will come to about $2,425 in 2022). There would be riots in Jeep showrooms if Stellantis tried to sell any Jeeps with no A/C right now, so the cost is figured into the sticker rate.

A tinny, solitary-speaker AM radio expense 75 bucks from your Jeep seller in 1976 ($380 currently), but this truck has an aftermarket AM/FM/cassette deck from MetroSound.

Even although this property is just south of Denver, I uncovered a fitted Oakland Athletics cap in dusty but usually wonderful issue in the again seat of this Cherokee. I took it property, washed it, and donated it to a 24 Hrs of Lemons group comprehensive of A’s admirers.

As opposed to afterwards Cherokees (and Grand Cherokees), the SJ was built with huntin’ and fishin’ abilities prioritized above commuting convenience, and these stickers present that this truck expended its share of time in the woods.

Just the thing for driving your daughters cross-region to a campsite full of hunky boys.

A few of many years later on and every single mall parking lot would be packed with Cherokee Chiefs.