The Jeep Wagoneer is an FSJ, a Full-Size Jeep – with lots of little secrets.
Some of them are revealed in the following video, which was shot at a place called The Jeep Farm. Nothing is planted there, but some of the Wagoneer’s problem areas are dug up as the company goes about stripping down and rebuilding one before it puts it up for sale.
For instance, the Cherokee and other FSJs have a tendency to leak water into their cabins, no matter the shape of their weatherstripping. The amount of water they’ve collected – and the rust that it’s led to – is most evident under the front footwell carpeting.
The tailgate glass of Wagoneers is also slow to move. Blame that on its motor. Luckily, all it usually needs is some gear greasing and well-connected ground wiring. The 401-cubic-inch V8 motor under the hood has its own needs, one of them in particular being a better and more reliable ignition system.
It’s a revealing look at one of Jeep’s most handsome rigs – and an informative one. Of course, what we wanted to see the most was how the project turned out after a fresh coat of gray paint, new woodgrain trim, and a four-inch lift. We were not disappointed.
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.
