1969 Jeep Gladiator Back on the Road! Vintage Jeep Resurrection After 55 Years

[@adamsfly6212]

What a great find. Call me old fashioned, that's because I am old, but really glad that you are bringing it back to its former glory, stock.

[@foregonetrails]

I agree it’s going to be a really fun truck. I think a lot of people will be glad we decided not to turn it into a rock crawler and bob the bed. The other one we purchased is going to be great for that.

[@bruceklassen8261]

That Jeep is super clean….. patina finish

[@foregonetrails]

Thanks, agreed!

[@tinkerjeeppublications9823]

Nice find! it has good exrerior steel. these bodies were heavily undercoated and usually lacking in rust that attacks the bed wall seams due to AMC-JEEP adding an inner bed wall in 1973-5. FSJ floors were optional. the warer comes in from holes in the plenum (open vent with grill at base of windshield) and the foot well vents fill with leaves which allows crud into the cab there too. if you want to avoid future floor rusting out as bad, try two things: 1) raise the outboard edge of your new floor, because the factory floor boards are angled to allow water to pool there inside the pinch weld. 2) do not install ANY floor mat or carpet over a painted floor. seamseal it and hercu-line it and then maybe you wont have insta-rust when your floor matting attracts moisture like a sponge. grills. 1963 to 69 Jeep trucks used the original "Rhino" or "Rhino Chaser" grill. i dont know why its called that. but thats what you have. Razor grills replaced the Rhino in 1970 through 1978 in trucks. 1978 they got the plastic grills and square headlights. Wagonner grills and Jtruck grills crossed over, henerally the Wag got grill updates more often, and had a plastic grid grill in 1974 or 5. fuel pump...you got it. ive found long cranking is required when the truck isnt run daily. i bypass and remove all the mecha fuel pumps on the Jeeps ive owned for at least a decade or two. i like electric inline pumps wired to the run circuit. you can prime the carb without cranking the motor. most Edelbrock 1405 and 1406 carbs are good, they still require rebuilds (cleaning out) about every six months even with a 5-micron filter for a 1994 GM V8 truck. Also...you might want to try a few things with your carb in Oklahoma: 1) install a heat insulating spacer between yiu carhnand intake. at the v ery least, the cellulose fiber one, i recommend a resin or hard plastic spacer...make sure they are flat on both sides or they will crack or leak. 2) install a stock steel filter with a bypass nipple for a return line. run the return line at the 12oclock position and the return line (and feed) AWAY from the exhaust system. it really helps fighting hot start issues, and vapor lock. 3) run a snorkle from tue core support to tue air filter housing, it may be sucking 120° exterior heat into the carb, but with no snorkle, its sucking 200° heat from the backside of the radiator, the exhaust manifolds, and the motor itself. that isnt ideal for running in hot weather. your TH400 is a Buick model. the internals are swappable between pretty much all TH400s, but the bellhousing is a bolt pattern exclusive to Buick. your Dana20 transfer case is the weak link if you drive like an idiot. they are NOT rated for abuse behind a built up V8. check Novak's website for more knowledge. they sell adapters for 20s, but most CJ trail guys i knew back in the 90s just recycled em. a couple ran warmed up 360 and 401s with Dana44s and 35inch tires...and stuff broke. the Buick V8 will NOT have hardened exhaust valve seats. it was designed in the era of high octane tetra-ethyl leaded gasoline at around 97octane. running low octane gas at high RPM will wear out that engine. your axles and brakes are about the most undesirable hardware on the truck. They were closed-knuckle Dana44 fronts until 1974 or 5. the wheel stud pattern was also upgraded then, to six studs. trying to find good drums in general (and specifically hardware) for Jeep truck drum brake axles was a pain 10 years ago with my buddy's 1973 J3000...same axles and brakes you got. we had to use 1970s Dodge brake parts kits. I dont recall parts numbers. plan on getting the wrong parts multiple times. most Chinese parts are notmthe correct specs for Jeep trucks. I'd convert to disks if possible. swapping on newer model (73-87) J-truck axles wont be easy due to spring differences and perch type/locations. Forget Wagoneer axles...they are 6 inches narrower. ScotchBright - is used professionally to SCUFF the surface of paint to allow new primer and paint to adhere. you dont buff anything out with ScotchBright. the best results i ever got on old paint was using a wet Cotton T-shirt and just rubbing the paint down (using some force). the cotton is finely abbrasive - like way nicer to the old paint than ScotchBright or metalic scouring pads. it removes the oxidized paint and polishes whats beneath. Avoid microfiber towels...they are polyesrer and dont have any tooth. good luck!

[@foregonetrails]

Thanks! Lots of good info there. I’ll be making some notes. We haven’t decided exactly the plan for it yet. Probably just something to cruise around town in and make hardware store runs.

[@kdsboosted4954]

I just acquired a pair of these. 68 swb and a 71 long bed

[@foregonetrails]

That’s awesome!

[@jeffreypinder9398]

Great save on that one. Nearly the best condition of any older Jeep that I have seen as I am from the Mid-Atlantic. Saw a couple decent ones in Reno, Nevada a few months ago but that one is better. Wet sand and buff afterwards.

[@foregonetrails]

Thanks! This one actually came from Elko so originally not far from Reno.

[@jeffreypinder9398]

@@foregonetrails That's amazing. I like the wheels that came on it but kudos for putting back original.

[@beaumont9072]

America 🇺🇸 💪🏼🦅🛠️ One of my dream trucks👍🏼

[@foregonetrails]

It sure is cool!

[@phillipbouchard4197]

Glad to see you restoring the 1969 Jeep. Is yours a 7 or 8 foot body ? I have my Dad's 1966 Jeep J-2000 7 foot body model with 232 straight six engine and three speed transmission, which is still my plow truck for over fifty years. I just replaced the cutting edge on the seven and one-half foot Meyer plow - the first replacement since new. Those old Jeeps are great workhorses being low geared, no highway cruiser here.

[@foregonetrails]

It’s an 8ft bed I think. It’s pretty long. This will definitely be an around town cruiser.

[@Mrcopper204]

Have you seen my build on the fsjforum of the 1971 truck on 2010 Jeep rubicon frame?

[@foregonetrails]

I’m going to give it a look! My brother and I were talking about doing that and exact thing when we start his. We’re considering a Chevy 2500 frame swap, JKU frame, or just work with the stock frame. Whatever route we go it’ll end up on one tons and linked suspension with an LS.

[@larryok8156]

What are those wheels off of? They fit the look of the jeep

[@foregonetrails]

We bought them from a Jeepster Commando page. But they’re Kaiser Jeep wheels so possibly a stock option for the gladiator as well?

[@jimrepp7631]

Its called a "Rhino" grill - with "Pie plates"

[@foregonetrails]

I was wondering if someone would catch that.

[@coltonupchurch4368]

🎉

[@georgecass8529]

Just leave it original it doesn't need a winch

[@foregonetrails]

It more than likely won’t get one. But they come in handy.