Who leaves a perfectly good 1965 Jeep abandoned for 42 years straight? And in Canada, of all the places – a country famous for its numerous lakes and dazzling winters and for having the longest coastline on the planet. In other words, it is a metal hell, especially for biodegradable old cars in humid regions. But this 1965 Wagoneer that has been recently pulled out of its slumber has miraculously survived the ordeal and is getting ready for a full resurrection in anticipation of an auction sale.
British Columbia is the residence of this rare classic Jeep from the Kaiser era of the brand, and Mitch Criton, the one-mar-army behind The Detail Geek YouTube channel, has been summoned to give it a new face. Which, in all honesty, wasn’t that hard of a job concerning the exterior of the car – but the inside was a monster of a cleaning nightmare.
Right off the bat, the Jeep is not in bad shape—something unusual for a 59-year-old 4x4 used in Canada until 1982. That was the last year this trusty SUV was in service—after that, it was put to rest. By the looks of it, I’d say it was under a roof and probably in a climate-controlled environment since rust is not present anywhere in grave or even moderate forms.
The paint job is custom—originally, the Jeep came with a white coat that’s still visible here and there. There is a bit of surface corrosion on the underside, and the seats can’t be taken out of the car because the nuts that keep the bolts in place are seized. The YouTuber did try his luck with a power tool, but I didn’t see him spraying any lubricant on the nuts beforehand. That might have helped get the seats out and clean the colony of cacti growing in the car.
Photo: YouTube/The Detail Geek
How so many brittle, prickly pears ended up in the Jeep is a botanical mystery, but the trash was put there by former owners. I’m not saying this Jeep is filthy, but a garbage truck would call it ‘little brother,’ and not in a metaphorical sense. The interior is depressing but salvageable, and the detailer has invested a lot of time in this project. The video below only shows the first part of the process.
The car is a four-by-four with a Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 transmission. This indicates that the axle gearing ratio is either 3.31 (standard ratio) or 3.73 if the original buyer opted for a bit more rock-crawling ability. The nice part about this Wagoneer is the engine—the 327 cubic-inch Vigilante V8 that was introduced as a late-model-year introduction in 1965.
The stout 5.4-liter motor was a serious workhorse, with 250 hp and 340 lb-ft (254 PS, 461 Nm) from a two-barrel carburetor spraying regular fuel in the low-compression combustion chambers (8.7:1). At the time, it was the largest-capacity V8 installed in a 4x4 production vehicle.
Speaking of firsts, the Wagoneer introduced the automatic transmission to the world of utilitarian vehicles. Coupled with the independent front suspension and other creature comforts, the stout Jeep was the essential first step toward an all-purpose automobile that could work nine-to-five and night shifts seven days a week. Still, it could also take the family out for dinner on Saturdays.
After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads. Full profile
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