The Jeep Grand Wagoneer has as much a reputation for its wood exterior panels as it does for getting people through the actual woods…and across the creek in them…and up the mountains beyond that.
Truck Yeah!‘s David Tracy, a former Jeep engineer, has an explanation as to why the FSJs had those woodie sides. Sort of. He heard all sorts of stories from his fellow employees back in the day. He admits that the tale about why the GW had all of that woodgrain cladding is “almost certainly not true.” He goes on to say:
“The story goes that the Grand Wagoneer’s vinyl trim is actually hiding imperfections in the stampings, because the tooling for the doors and fenders wore out after decades of use.”
It’s possible. Jeep built the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer for decades.
Someone in the comments section of Tracy’s post chimed in with this:
“the Jeep CJ’s had this problem, too.
the ‘Jeep’ stamping on the side of the tub behind the front wheel well would wear out over time and the interior indentations for the ‘ee’ would fade away until flat, at which point they would read ‘Joop’ before they put the letter stickers on them.”
Another person said:
“If you look at the progression of fender stamped ‘Jeep’ logo in the 80’s and 90’s, you’ll see a progression to ‘Joop’ and the designation of the ‘e’ defined with the vinyl decal instead of the physical stamping. I’ve long heard this was due to molds wearing out.”
Worn-out molds could be why the blemish-masking vinyls were so popular on the Grand Wagoneer, but consumer tastes could also explain Jeeps use of them. Personally, I think the FSJ looks handsome with faux-wood on it, such as this 1975 Wagoneer:
Have you all heard any rumors about this? If so, feel free to share them in the forum.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
