I’ve said it many times before: The vehicles most at-risk of going extinct aren’t exotics or luxury cars, they’re “normal cars” — old Ford Escorts, simple Chrysler LeBarons, and regular old Jeeps. The Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ, for example, gets no love from collectors, largely because it’s justifiably overshadowed by its prettier sibling, the Jeep Cherokee XJ. The result is that ZJs are cheap, often poorly-maintained, and just a basic fender-bender away from heading to a junkyard. That fate, however, cannot befall the most coveted version of the ZJ, the manual, one-of-1400 “Holy Grail.” I simply will not allow it, which is why I’m writing this post to help a gentleman find a good owner for his rare, incredible Jeep.
Whew, it’s been far, far too long since I’ve written about “Holy Grail” Jeeps, and taken a lashing in the comments from folks annoyed by the fact that, somehow, there appear to be far more Holy Grails than one might expect (apparently there’s only one true grail? I’m not buying it). But if anything, that just furthers my point that these machines are excellent automobiles that never die.
For those of you who have somehow missed out on my 2.99 x 10^8 articles about what I consider the greatest overlanding Jeep of all time, what you need to know is that the Jeep Cherokee XJ was meant to be phased out in the early 1990s, with the Grand Cherokee taking over. Chrysler decided to keep the XJ around as a cheaper, smaller option, but make no mistake: The ZJ was an improvement to the XJ in many, many ways. It was a bit bigger and only about 350 pounds heavier, it featured a fully coil-sprung suspension with a much nicer ride, NVH improvements meant the cabin felt 20 years ahead of the XJ, the cooling system was much more robust, the seats were more comfortable, and on and on.
The only problem was that Chrysler decided to install its own automatic transmissions into the thing instead of using the tough AW4s found in the XJs; the result is that many, many ZJs found themselves unable to drive themselves to a junkyard, instead strapped to a tow truck. There were, however, a few ZJs built with the AW4, and a few built with the also-tough AX-15 five-speed manual transmission. If you could find one of those, you’d have a machine as reliable as an XJ Cherokee, but improved in almost every other way. That is to say, you’d have arguably the greatest overlanding Jeep ever built; there’s a reason I call them the “Holy Grails.”
Now, just because I’m obsessed with them doesn’t mean anyone else is, which is why I come to you in search of an owner who can give this rare machine the love and respect it deserves:
Oh yeah, that’s right: It’s a Forest-green, tan-interior’d, manual Grand Cherokee, and it’s for sale at a reasonable price.
The owner did not ask me to post this; I’m writing this because I really, really want to buy this thing myself. I mean really want to buy it. Look at that beautiful tan interior! And it’s only ever been owned by a single family! That’s the original radio in there!
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But I can’t pull the trigger on the 242,000 mile Grail, because I’m moving to LA, and am in fact currently selling a Holy Grail of my own (see above). I will have my fleet reduced to five cars soon, and though it’s killing me a little inside, I know it’s for the best. Still, I can’t bear to see this glorious green machine potentially go to the crusher. “There has been limited interest in the Jeep and I am thinking of just donating it to NPR or the like,” the owner, Alex emailed me recently.
What the hell is wrong with this world? Limited interest? Do people not realize how incredible this Jeep is?
There are a few dings here and there, but you can find pretty much every panel at your local junkyard for dirt cheap. This is the single most common early-ZJ color in existence, and it’s also the best:
The armrests are a bit cracked, but otherwise the interior looks great:
As you can see, there are a few issues. Rebuilding the PCM is doable, and in fact, my friend Dustin has done it on his old “Holy Grail” that I wrote about years ago.
The rust doesn’t look too bad at all! (but you’ll want to check it by poking with a screwdriver):
Plus, the owner slapped in a new clutch two years ago! And a whole manual transmission last year! The damn crankshaft position sensor was replaced this year; that’s a tedious job requiring 900 extensions and 30,000 universal joints.
Someone, ideally someone not in the rust belt looking for a winter beater, should consider having a bake sale, making $3,000 off homemade rice crispy treats, and handing those 3,000 singles to Alex. Email me at david@autopian.com, and I can put you in touch with him, should you be interested in rescuing a Holy Grail from the cruel, cruel jaws of the crusher. You’d be doing car culture — and also your heart — a service.
Are we still talking about a Jeep here? When was this hairy buff edition of which you speak? A link would be nice…your friend Harry Johnson
Interior is in nice shape for the mileage.
I say buy it and sell another junker. Change your fleet over to nothing but running, driving, holy grails with minimal rust. You’ll feel better about modding one of them if you have 3 other stock ones. You’ll be able to wrench all day on cars that are worth it, AND they will all be nominally driveable!
I bought a 94 ZJ Limited 5.2L for $3000 15 years ago and it’s still running like a beast. The headliner dropped so I threw it out, the bare metal looks boss. Also the carpets and the interior pillar trim bits. Manual would be fun – did they ever offer it on the Limited?
Perhaps if they were referred to as unholy grails?
Why is donating it a bad option? Seems like someone who needs a ride could use it?
When you donate a vehicle to an organization (like NPR, to use this article’s example), they sell the vehicle for scrap.
Your car donation will be picked up, for free and at your convenience. The vehicle will be sold at auction and the proceeds benefit your chosen public radio station. It couldn’t be easier, and its just a call or form submission away. Call or click today and donate a vehicle to an NPR station!
What’s the deal with Jeep headliners? Every other carmaker can get theirs to stay in place, but on every Cherokee it is falling down.
Counter-examples — Chrysler: ’89 Voyager, ’90 Dakota; both had falling headliners.
(But maybe Jeep was included by then?)
My dad’s ’04 Accord would beg to differ…it fell a few years ago and is now held up with thumbtacks. =)
Vw rabbit, tacks and more tacks!
@David Tracy, please don’t tell me this is in western PA? scanned 4 times for a location but can only see the plate) if it is in W PA, I may not be able to help myself.
The Pennsylvania plates gave me pause as well. If it was too close, this is dangerously close to an impulse buy.
Man…this reminds me of the 1993 ZJ I had a couple years back. It was a sweet rig. Hunter Green Metallic paint, driftwood interior, the high falutin’ sound system (only a couple speakers worked). The digital vehicle display screen worked, the auto dimming rearview mirror worked, all that stuff. AND as an added bonus it had the coveted AW4 hooked up to the famous 4.0 I6 and the NP231 Command-Trac. It was a great Jeep, but had a terminal rear pinion bearing whine I never had to address. It never gave me any grief besides that and an AC evaporator with a slow leak. It got about 14.5-15.5 MPG, but it was unstoppable in the snow. ZJs are totally slept on. Here’s a link to what mine pretty much looked like (not far off in condition either):
https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3yQpmDgp/1993-jeep-grand-cherokee-limited-4×4
David seems to think that there are a lot of grails, perhaps he has chosen poorly
So, when do you pick it up?
You should make some nameplates that say ‘David Tracy: Holy Grail Edition’ so you can stick them on under the Grand Cherokee name on every instance of these Jeeps you can find. Guaranteed $2k increase in value!
How hard is this to bring to Canada? Can mercedes export it for me?
Speaking of nearly extinct cars, my friend’s 91 Chevy Corsica burned down a few weeks ago.
it had less than 80,000 miles and it was the only one I’d ever seen.
Bought my son a much-used black Corsica for college. I guess it lasted (despite at least one minor fender-bender), but what a steaming hunk of trash!
My friend’s was both very nice and garbage. the interior was in great shape and it had almost no rust, however you had to punch it whenever you wanted to take off from a stop or it would stall, it only had front brakes, and he had run a rubber fuel line to replace the rusted out hard line. We think the rubber line was the reason for the fire. well, that and whipping doughnuts in an old corn field.
Unfortunately it is on the wrong coast for me, but I am still waiting for you to offer up the Golden Eagle before fleeing Michigan.
Gotta call Alex out on this. Contacting you about a HG he has for sale just to see if you know anyone is like contacting a drug addict trying to recover to see if he knows anyone that wants to buy some crack.
This made my day after a miserable morning, thank you random commenter!
(most people on the Autopian, including myself) If only I had room…
“Someone, ideally someone not in the rust belt looking for a winter beater, ”
If you don’t live in the rust belt, do you really need a winter beater?
No, which is why that’s all in one clause.
Yes, here in the PNW they hate plowing the roads and just spray a brine solution all over the place when we have weather.
Perhaps someone here on Autopian will bite on this (it won’t be me), but it seems to me that the best way to do someone, and this fairly decent Jeep, a good turn is to let the owner donate it to a charity. It probably won’t go to a crusher if it’s in good shape. They’ll most likely sell it to someone in need for a decent price and the proceeds will benefit the charity as well.
Super neat but unless I sell my D100 I don’t have room in my finances or driveway! Hope it goes to a good home, I’ve been considering picking up the Grand Cherokee from my neighbor for pennies because it’s sat for a while, it’s only a 2WD with the 3.7 but it’s clean and would make a good flip or winter beater. Plus being next door I can just drag it home with the Polaris!
David,
Tempting!! Inregret passing on the grail I shared with you a few tears ago in RI.
Where is this one located (if you know)?
I see a PA plate, but that could be Jersey, Ohio, or Colorado for all I know!
“(apparently there’s only one true grail? I’m not buying it)”
Given the number of religious artifacts that have been produced over the years, I am with you on this. There are enough pieces of the “true cross” to probably build a good-size boat. Besides, if it was just a cup Jesus drank from, I’m guessing he didn’t use the same cup EVERY time. There’d have to be a few.
Good point but incorrect it was a chalice Jesus performed communion with the Apostles. The whole body and blood thing not an AD Christian kegger party. But i am sure Togas were involved either way.
The first miracle of Jesus was turning water to wine after all the wine was gone. So we don’t REALLY know how much wine they went through at the last supper / first communion. Also, if the Catholics get to have transubstantiation and turn wine into blood, I think it’s okay to turn a few more goblets into holy cups.
On a related note, if the Christian god is real, I assume I’ll be headed for Hell.
Fun fact, most of the monks at my Catholic university were way more okay with this sort of borderline blasphemy than a lot of the Catholic students.
Water-into-wine always seemed like a waste of a miracle to me, he should have saved it for wooden-cross-into-escape-motorcycle.
Plus how much of a miracle is turning water in to wine? Grapes do it all the time.
“Plus how much of a miracle is turning water in to wine? Grapes do it all the time”
I guess that makes yeast the Holy Spirit.
https://youtube.com/shorts/RnZb3-eA3aE?feature=share
Not to be a pedant, but I am. The Holy Grail is specifically the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper and was later used to collect his blood from his crucifixion.
I’m sure there were many holy grails (little “h” little “g”) all around the place circa 0-33 BC
Inappropriate tangent, would Mary’s boobs be holy? Like, all of Mary was holy, but Jesus specifically drank from them, and later on the cup he drank from became holy, soooooo….
Depending on the sect, more or fewer things are considered holy. Given the pieces of saints that the Catholics have stashed/displayed all over the place, if someone had preserved them (or, like the “true cross” and many other relics, claimed to have found them perfectly preserved), I’m going to say that Mary’s boobs would certainly make the cut.
As to the Holy Grail vs holy grails, I am aware of the distinction (and Dave beat you to it), but I’ve seen enough religious artifacts to figure they’d make anything linked to Jesus a holy relic. I think David’s rust religion is fine to have a few grails.
“later on the cup he drank from became holy”
…and still later on He became holey Himself, once the Romans took a few nails and a spear to Him.
Race you to Hell, Drew!
Trick question.
ALL boobs are holy in my sight.
Catholics believe in the assumption of Mary, so there wouldn’t have been anything left to make holy relics of.
The Holy Grail is in fact a General Motors relic currently embedded in the altar of the Church of Saint Mark of Excellence. I think it’s an ignition-only square head key (someone lost the door/trunk round head key years ago).
This does seem like a good deal, it’d be a shame if it went the donation route. Not for me, though – I have no interest in SUVs (I had a Wrangler twenty years ago and consider that itch fully scratched) and my inner Greenie has no interest in something this heavy and thirsty.
I’ll wait for Mercedes to find me a Suzuki Carry Joy Pop.
DT, are we ever going to find out what happened to Project Cactus?!?! I must know the fate of the Valiant Ute!
I promise, it’s coming! There’s just soooo much footage!
Hey David, we will NOT forget about project cactus ! ..
GOOD. Because another (LONG) video is coming verrry soon.
Hold onto your hats.
I can hardly wait
Please make an article, too. Videos aren’t as interesting, and I’m sure you can get an article out quicker than a video.
Agreed. I am a big fan of your writing, David!
Plus you can read at work and look useful
I expect that you guys make more money off of a video viewing than off of an article read? Therefore you have to put out the video first while there is interest. I think I understand that.
Who does the video editing? I take it it’s not their full time job?!
That said, I really do just want to read the article.
I want words, please.
I’ll be providing LOTS of words.
So, was the Last Supper like some huge college party with 50 million red Solo cups strewn all over the place? Because there certainly seem to be a LOT of “holy grails” out there.
Hey, you have your religion (or not, I dunno), let the automotive gods produce as many holy grails as befits their religion.
I’m picturing Jesus turning water into Hairy Buff at this party. Then that asshole Judas calls the cops.
I lol’d about Judas calling the cops 🙂
And I learned that “Hairy Buff” is short for “Hairy Buffalo”, a punch drink.
I also learned that if you’re going to google “Hairy Buff”, be sure to have SafeSearch turned on.