4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Area for General NON-Jeep related chat. Topics are typically not moderated, but must fall within the Use Guidelines.
Post Reply
User avatar

Topic author
toothofwar
Posts: 354
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:38 am

4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Post by toothofwar »

So I was doing some online reading and stumbled across mention of a unicorn. Supposedly an 81 model. Is this correct?!?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Image
Last edited by toothofwar on Mon May 06, 2019 7:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar

mud89
Posts: 641
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:09 pm
Location: Burgundy, France

Re: 4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Post by mud89 »

There is an error, we should read "The Cherokee S was canceled for 1981. In its place was a new NARROW-TRACK Chief four door variant"
By the way , as far as unicorn are concerned, the dealer Brian Chuchua built some wide tracks Wagoneers back in the days
J10 81, J10 77, CJ7 80, Gladiator 64, Wagoneer 65, ZJ 5.9
parts vehicles : wagoneer 63, cherokee Golden eagle
User avatar

Stuka
Site Admin
Posts: 11789
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 5:53 pm
Location: CA
Contact:

Re: 4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Post by Stuka »

2dr WT Cherokees were made until 84. The 4dr Cherokee was made from 80-84 (I think, maybe it started in 78, I cannot recall off hand), and was typically a very low end model (basically a wagoneer with very few options. Cherokee S and Cherokee Chief are mutually exclusive. From 74-79 you could buy a 2dr NT Cherokee S. This was basically a highly optioned Cherokee NT, and typically had the diamond stripe down the side and the Indian head badge behind the rear window. A Cherokee Chief was WT only, and 2dr only. The Chief was a dress up package that was applied to S model WT Cherokees that was basically just some stickers. There were also S model WT's that were not chiefs.
2017 JKU Rubicon
Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ
User avatar

derf
Posts: 1403
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:10 am
Location: Littleton, CO
Contact:

Re: 4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Post by derf »

Last year for the WT Cherokee was 1983. The 1984 model year saw the introduction of the small XJ Cherokee.
User avatar

Stuka
Site Admin
Posts: 11789
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 5:53 pm
Location: CA
Contact:

Re: 4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Post by Stuka »

derf wrote:Last year for the WT Cherokee was 1983. The 1984 model year saw the introduction of the small XJ Cherokee.
Last year they were built was '83. Left overs were sold as '84. Almost bought one once, but it was a 258 with an automatic.
2017 JKU Rubicon
Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ

rocklaurence
Vendor
Posts: 2565
Joined: Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:53 am

Re: 4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Post by rocklaurence »

I remember 1982 like it was yesterday. I was at a Chevy dealership and saw the NEW S10 Blazer and thought it was the coolest thing out there. They also had a Chevy Love [Isusu] but it looked like a toy in comparison to a Real truck. Little did I know that AMC was moving wholly to a Down Size inventory and the XJ would roll-out in '84 with the Chevy 2.8L [turd]. I was driving a '67 Gladiator in 1982 and paying $.89 per gal for fuel.
User avatar

mud89
Posts: 641
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:09 pm
Location: Burgundy, France

Re: 4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Post by mud89 »

I don't agree for the production last years : In 1981 the Chief dress up package was no more WT and 2 doors only, it was offered as an option for the model 18 (4 doors NT)
J10 81, J10 77, CJ7 80, Gladiator 64, Wagoneer 65, ZJ 5.9
parts vehicles : wagoneer 63, cherokee Golden eagle
User avatar

tgreese
Posts: 7118
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:31 am
Location: Medford MA USA

Re: 4 door wide track Cherokee chief?!?

Post by tgreese »

First year for the model 18 4-door Cherokee was 1977. As Stuka points out, that model was intended as the down-market 4-door complement to the model 15 Wagoneer, with the Wagoneer only offered as a V8 automatic full-time (Quadratrac) model, foreshadowing the future "Grand" Wagoneer. I recall the 6 cylinder and/or manual transmission Wagoneers came back for a few years, maybe starting in 1980? From '77 to '80ish you could only opt for the six or manual transmissions in 4 doors with the model 18. The 2-door models 16 and 17 and the new model 18 could be delivered with the full range of drivetrain options.
Tim Reese
Maine beekeeper's truck: '77 J10 LWB, 258/T15/D20/3.54 bone stock, low options (delete radio), PS/PDB, hubcaps.
Browless and proud: '82 J20 360/T18/NP208/3.73, Destination A/Ts, 7600 GVWR
Copper Polly: '75 CJ-6, 304/T15, PS, BFG KM2s, soft top
GTI without the badges: '95 VW Golf Sport 2000cc 2D
Dual Everything: '15 Chryco Jeep Cherokee KL Trailhawk, ECO Green
Blockchain the vote.
Post Reply