Old Buckets Can Still Bring the Cash

Do you remember the early days of SUVs? Many of us who do remember that every SUV on the road was build off of a truck chassis, which was great when you needed more space and capability on the trails, but was rough on the ride and could give you a headache after too many bumps over obstacles. These old beasts not only were rough to ride in, but they had their own distinct style which made them feel like you were riding in a bucket that was welded together, but as you can see in this video, something interesting has happened to some of these big metal machines.

If you found an old Jeep Wagoneer or a Toyota Land Cruiser from the late 1970s or early 1980s today, you would think these vehicles were awesome throwbacks of a time gone by and you’d be right. The time has passed when these big brutes were part of our daily drive, but there is still a place in our hearts for these brutes because of the time they represent and the build they have. An older model of either of these two that’s in good condition right now will cost you upwards of $30,000 and may even bring in a price close to $50,000.

At the time these SUVs were built, they were the height of luxury in the SUV market and offered us the modern conveniences we wanted to enjoy. With that in mind, you can enjoy one of these with the lack of an air suspension, navigation system, adaptive cruise control, automatic craw control or any other modern convenience you can think of. These two are simple, raw and unfettered when it comes to the drivability and style that makes them fun to own and able to ask for the price they’re going for right now.

Another benefit to these vehicles, if you like a throwback style of driving and the raw feeling it gives you, is the fact that they were built before modern crash test standards and fuel economy regulations were put in place. These vehicles are distinctive, just look at the wooden sides of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and built to make a statement on the road. These big brutes certainly wouldn’t get lost in the crowd of SUVs on the market today; instead they’re more than capable of standing out and being admired for still running.

While spending $30,000 or more on a vehicle that’s 36 years old and isn’t a high end sports car seems crazy, that’s the going rate for the Grand Wagoneer and Land Cruiser from this era. Of course you could find one at a junkyard and rebuild it yourself for much less and even add some modern features to the mix. Even if you did that you wouldn’t have the pure admiration and joy that comes with an original that’s been perfectly maintained and still capable of crawling over rocks and trees on the trails while being admired when driving on the road.