Question of the Weekend: It’s 1972, so which 4WD Wagon would you choose?
I have been running a special International Harvester Travelall search to see if there are still any Hoonworthy Cornbinders in existence for us to enjoy. However, I also find that the other competitors out there are also Hoonworthy….
Take the Chevrolet Suburban. The Chevy is still true to its truck roots in 1972, the last year for this body style. The truck has three doors (imagine that!) with a metal dashboard, no safety gear to speak of, and were available with a variety of 6 or 8 cylinder power. The largest V-8 you could get was the small-block 400. These are very good looking and desirable trucks.
Now take a look at the Jeep Wagoneer. The Jeep brand was acquired by AMC in 1970, which meant that in 1972, the Buick Sourced V-8 was replaced with the AMC 360 cid V-8 for 1972, with the 401 offered as an option. Quadra-Trac would not be introduced until the 1973 model year, so the manual locking front hubs and 4WD lever were still in the mix. These are classically rugged beauties before all the woodgrain and leather of the later “Grand” versions.
The International Travelall was the vehicle if you were pulling a travel trailer during the 60s and 70s. By 1972, the Travelall was on its fourth year of the 1969 redesign, and it was holding up well. it was actually more modern looking than the Suburban, but not quite as attractive as the Wagoneer. A myriad of International 6 and V-8 power was available, and by this time, you could choose the AMC 401 V-8. These are just now starting to get collectible.
Or would you rather have the 1972 Toyota FJ-55 Land Cruiser? This would be the eccentric choice, as this was still a Land Cruiser with absolutely no luxury features whatsoever. It was equipped with a 3.9L inline six, and a 4 Speed Manual Transmission, with four-wheel drive that was engaged the old fashioned way (by lever) and with locking front hubs. The engine only made between 125 to 135 HP, but were nearly unstoppable.
Or would you have chosen a Land Rover Series II Wagon. These were impossible to find when new, and nearly extinct here in the US.
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I went Suburban. I just love that bodystyle.
Same for me and because I've worked on enough of them it is almost like putting your shoes on to repair them.
As an FSJ fan(atic), I was under the impression that the 401 wasn't available until late '73/MY74, with Gene Henderson failing to repeat his historic FIA rally win with his pre-production 401-power Moby Dick at the October '73 POR…
Would someone please create car configurator for the past so one could choose say 1972 + Jeep + Wagoneer and build car/truck using options and colours which were available then. Needs to be done only once and would be great little time wasting tool. Many Thanks in advance!
Don't need it, I've already decided to wait for a '74-'76 Tweety Bird (Mellow Yellow Wagoneer or Cherokee*, first available please) with 401 and Desert Flower stitched black leather interior…
And I'm stickin' to it…
* <img src="http://www.mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B32612.jpg">
I'll take the Toyota. It's the truck that 4 out of 5 terrorists recommend.
they think it's the bomb.
No optional big blocks according to the '72 Chevy truck brochures at TOCMP.
I've driven too many 4WD trucks and Suburbans for work in my life to actually want to own one. However, the Land-Cruiser is intriguing mainly because it's of a tidy size.
Since I'd be looking for a serious tow vehicle, the Landie and off-brand Landie are the first to go. With future hindsight, I prefer the next generation Suburban, with the Diesel and period correct Banks kit. I'm very drawn to the Wagoneer, but it has to be a 5-speed Travelall, with its awesome 1-R-2-3-OD-4 shift pattern. It's a school bus, especially if I wind up choosing the 392 over the 401.
I have to go with the closest thing to Mopar available, the Wagoneer. Wonder if I could get seat inserts done in my family tartan.
Oh, didn't see the FJ40 option. That makes it much tougher…
"Land Rover Series II Wagon. These were impossible to find when new…"
I immediately thought of Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch. Which I have corrupted shamelessly as follows:
Customer: I want to buy a Land Rover.
Gaydon: (lustily) Certainly, sir. What would you like?
Customer: Well, eh, how about a 101" Forward Control?
Gaydon: 'fraid those are military only, sir.
Customer: Oh, never mind, how about a nice little SWB?
Gaydon: I'm afraid we never have those at the end of the week, sir, we get them fresh on Monday.
Customer: Tish tish. No matter. Well, stout yeoman, one Range Rover with all the trimmings, if you please.
Gaydon: Ah! they've beeeen on order, sir, for two weeks. Was expecting them this morning.
Customer: A wagon perhaps?
Gaydon: Yessir. It's..ah,…..it's a bit leaky…
Customer: Oh, I like them leaky.
Gaydon: Well,.. It's very leaky, actually, sir.
Customer: No matter. Fetch it hither!
Gaydon: I…think it's a bit leakier than you'll like it, sir.
Customer: I don't care how fucking leaky it is. Hand it over with all speed.
Gaydon: Oooooooooohhh……..!
Customer: What now?
Gaydon: The cat's stolen it.
Customer: (pause) Has he.
Gaydon: Toonces, sir.
(pause)
Customer: One ton?
Gaydon: No.
Customer: Figures. Predictable, really I suppose. It was an act of purest optimism to have posed the question in the first place. Tell me
Gaydon: Yessir?
Customer: Have you in fact got any Land Rovers here at all.
Gaydon: Yes,sir.
Customer: Really?
(pause) Gaydon: No. Not really, sir.
Customer: You haven't.
Gaydon: Nosir. Not a one. I was deliberately wasting your time,sir.
Customer: Well I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to shoot you.
Gaydon: Right-o, sir.
The customer takes out a gun and shoots the owner.
Customer: What a *senseless* waste of human life.
While I do love the Wagoneer and the Travelall, I can never turn down a well lubricated driveway. It's all Landy for me.
You'll get some oily discharge with the Travelall, too. It was a "design feature" of most International SV engines. I speak from experience.
After witnessing what a Wagoneer can do and after my parent's owned one I can't vote any other way. I've never seen anything go as good on soft sand as one.
Knowing the future and that I will soon be a awkward teen with little interest in US mussel cars a Datsun 510 Wagon. Who needs 4 wheel drive V8 its still 4 years before I get my license and by then we will be the middle of a recession the national speed limit will be only 55 and gas prices will be shooting up.
Ok ok
Rick's dad had Jeepster Commando I remember thinking that was pretty cool, so I voted for F. Man those original Bronco sure have stood the test of time.
The Travelall hands down. However in 72 there wasn't a mirad of IH 6cyls to choose from there was only 1 6 cyl and that was an AMC 258 unit and the only AMC unit for 72 as the 401 didn't make it in there listed as a 400 until very late in the 73 model year run. The AMC 232 dropped out in 71 and the Square body Travelalls never were graced with a diamond engine.
The other thing I forgot to mention is that the "Suburban" isn't 4wd, and it isn't a Suburban it's a Carryall being a 3dr.
The Surburban didn't get four doors until the complete re-do for 1973. http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/GMTrucks…
Oh man, that's a tough choice. I can narrow it down to the Jeep, the Land Cruiser and the Land Rover. But after that it gets fingernail pulling difficult. Oh what the hell, i'll take the Land Rover.
Landy
Jeep
Suburban
Toyota
Cornbinder
Well, for starters the Landy wont do. You'd have to be crazy to go British, even in 1972. And Toyota…since I'm a Midwesterner, not a trendy Californian, I think I'll wait a couple more years before I gamble on anything Japanese.
The Travellall? Too agricultural. And the Suburban still only has three doors, which really hacks me off. Haven't Jeep and International had four doors for a decade now? Typical GM. That's the kind of cut-rate design that keeps me out of their showrooms, 1972 or otherwise.
That leaves the Wagoneer. The obvious choice, seeing how "Jeep Wrote the Book on Four Wheel Drive" (although that slogan didn't come until later in the decade). I might have avoided Jeep in the past for same reasons as IH. But now Jeep's owned by AMC, whose passenger cars have developed a reputation as the best-built in the industry and they offer an unheard of 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. And AMC's just gone through the Wagoneer for '72 to improve build quality and comfort. That 401 V8 doesn't hurt, either.
The Travelall hands down. However in 72 there wasn't a mirad of IH 6cyls to choose from there was only 1 6 cyl and that was an AMC 258 unit and the only AMC unit for 72 as the 401 didn't make it in there listed as a 400 until very late in the 73 model year run. The AMC 232 dropped out in 71 and the Square body Travelalls never were graced with a diamond engine.
I'm of a mind to choose either the Rover or the IH just because you don't see those around. The Suburban and Wagoneers are old time favorites though, and the Toyota is so different. Tough choice for sure, I just won't vote this time around.
Got to go with the Landy. It may break down a lot but, having had friends who have owned them, I am well aware of their cockroach-like tenacity for clinging to life.
Those old Landies are like VW Beetles, horribly unreliable but since they can be fixed with chewing gum and spit they will exist forever. A constant stream of minor yet debilitating issues but never a single catastrophic failure that scraps the vehicle.
Since I'm a bit of an anglophile, I have to go with the Land Rover. I love the shape of those trucks, and are less likely to rot to nothing here in the Northeast with their aluminum bodies. Close second is the IH simply because of the relation to the tractor we have on our property out west.
I bad to go with the Suburban. I love the body style love the thought if a big block in one too. The Jeep came in a close second.
Yes.
Make mine a Wagoneer, but can I wait one year and get Quadra-Trac?
I like the "iron pig" Toyota. Great lines. Plus, it'll tip over. Wait . . .
Gotta go with the Wagoneer, since I still miss my '81 terribly (even if it did have the underpowered straight six).
I voted Rover as there's something endlessly fascinating about the design and engineering ideology, just a different way of life than the one represented by the other cars in every curve and bolt point. But really I guess I'm more likely to buy a Wagoneer. The Suburban and Travelall have the same simple charm, but you can't beat Brooks Stevens styling on this side of the Atlantic, and it makes the difference here. The FJ was interesting in its day but now is more suited for a collection than for use.
Subtracting the seventies perspective and switching to a modern eye, practicality would dictate going for the CJ/FJ/Scout/Bronco answer, where parts are available and ownership easy. But sheer practicality in a working truck would also dictate going for an 80s option with less character but lower running costs. This is why we cannot simply follow sheer practicality.
Soft-top only for us, thanks.
<img src='http://pics.zenerves.net/galleries/vehicules/Chang/textures/TxtBJ0004.JPG' width='500'>Mine: Beijing BJ2020
<img src='http://pics.zenerves.net/galleries/vehicules/Esmeralda/pics/DigCam0003.JPG' width='500'>My wife's Kaiser-licensed Mitsu J20h
OK, that was some years ago, in Laos, and we moved since.
?? I did put the width='500' thing after the img src. sorry guys.
You don't need quotation marks around the width number. It should be width=500
The Series II is great, but as a former owner of a Firecracker Red '79 Cherokee complete with 4-speed and 4.2 I6, I have to give up the FSJ love. I miss mine and think I may need another.
I'd take 'em all, but the FSJ and the Iron Pig are tops on my list.
I voted Landrover, and your photo proves how hard it is to find a Series III 109, since the vehicle in the picture is actually a Series IIa (headlights in the grill panel instead of the fenders, protruding door hinges, and deeper rocker panels than a series II.
I OWN A WAGON, JUST LIKE THE ABOBE ONE AND A SANTANA. LOVE IT, IT IS IN CENTRAL AMERICA I USE IT WHEN I GO, WE MAKE APARADE ON THE STREETS ON SAN SALVADOR WE GO 4WHEELG AND YES THAY ARE SOME HEAD TURNINGS WHEN WE PASS BY. SEE US AT http://WWW.LANDROVER ELSALVADOR.COM