We ran into Brad Knaphus and his '78 Jeep Wagoneer while looking for adventure. We didn't see his rig at first, but what caught our attention was the heavy rumble of the 4x4's well-built engine and healthy exhaust note. As we rounded the corner, we found Brad and his four sons unloading this exceptionally clean Jeep from their trailer.
Brad purchased the Wagoneer in 1991 as the family go-getter and daily driver while he was in college, and it's been a constant project ever since. The Jeep Wagoneer had an extremely long production run and had perhaps the single biggest influence in starting today's four-wheel-drive SUV craze. As a professional Jeep mechanic, fabricator, and owner of The Rad Jeeper in Salt Lake City, Brad started into the Wagoneer with a frame-off restoration and then moved on to the critical things like fastidiously rebuilding the original AMC 401ci V-8. This classic Wagoneer isn't the daily sled anymore for Brad and his kids-it's now desigsnated as the family adventure wagon.
Drivetrain
Engine: AMC 401ci V-8
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case: Dana 20 with Tera-Low 3.15:1 low gearset, Advance Adapters HD 32-spline tailshaft
Front Axle: Dana 44, 4.56 gears, Lock-Right
Rear Axle: Dana 60, 4.56 gears, Detroit Locker
Suspension
Springs & Such: Custom Alcan springs front and rear, Warn Black Diamond XT shocks
Tires & Wheels: Pro Comp Xterrain 37x13.5Rx15, 15x10 Allied Rock-A-Thong
Other Stuff: Rad Jeeper custom front and rear bumpers and rock sliders, Con-Ferr cargo rack, Optima RedTop battery
The Wagoneer's rearend was...
The Wagoneer's rearend was built to reliably take the family wherever they need to go off-highway, even under the harshest conditions. The Dana 60 axle was fitted with 4.56 gears, a Detroit Locker for dependable traction, and custom alloy axleshafts. The axle sits below a set of custom Alcan springs, and the Jeep's ride is damped by Warn Superlift Black Diamond shocks.
The Jeep sports an extremely...
The Jeep sports an extremely stout front bumper made custom by Brad. It uses a Warn XD 9,000-pound winch for recovery purposes, and the original frame of the Wagoneer was boxed and gusseted and all the seams were rewelded to strengthen the entire vehicle.
There's nothing quite like...
There's nothing quite like the cool look of an old '70s interior, especially when it's still in great shape. A custom aluminum gauge panel was fitted with Auto Meter gauges to keep tabs on the engine and functions. Future modifications include a Stak three-speed transfer case with twin sticks.
The AMC 401ci V-8 was completely...
The AMC 401ci V-8 was completely rebuilt and fitted with AMC 390X high-compression heads, Harlan Sharp Aluminum Roller Rocker Arms, and an Edelbrock Performer cam and intake manifold. A Holley 4010 750-cfm carburetor is used to feed the engine, and a crossflow aluminum radiator from BJ's Off-Road keeps it cool.