Is it too early to be talking about drop-tops? We just passed the Winter Solstice a couple of weeks ago and BangShift Mid-West is currently the land of frigid winds. It’s cold enough right now that I caught the neighbor’s dog leaving a gift for me on my front porch this morning and by the time I got dressed enough to go outside to clean up the mess, it was frozen. No, I wouldn’t want a drop-top in this weather. I won’t want a drop-top until the first day where I’m willing to wear a T-shirt and jeans without needing a coat. But sometimes you buy out of season because either the price is right or because it’s an opportunity you can’t pass up. At least, that’s what my wife tells me whenever she shops. In the case of this 1981 Jeep Wagoneer, I’d understand perfectly why shelling out the money for an open-roof ride might make a bit of sense.

First off, I’m a sucker for the FSJ Jeeps. The trucks and Wagoneer vehicles were ruggedly handsome and mythically stout so long as you didn’t utter the word, “rust”. They put the “utility” into sport-utility…hell, they existed before the term did! So why a 1981 four-door Wagoneer? Let’s look at two major factor: an AMC 360 that recently got $10,000 worth of work done to it backed up to a four-speed, and it’s party piece: a four-section open roof treatment that nobody, not even the factory, could’ve dreamt up. The roof has been skinned but the crossmembers have been left in place, turning the otherwise stately Wagoneer shape into a kind of safari vehicle. With the side windows easily removable (at least, from the pictures, they appear to be) and the rear glass can be lowered for a nearly-convertible appearance. A button-on soft top covers the open sections when you want it closed, and the whole thing looks almost OEM…remember, this was before true convertibles started to reappear, so it’s plausible as a phantom build.

Whatever the case, remember that warm weather will make a return and that the sooner you jump on such a fine vehicle as this, the less likely you will have to scramble to make plans for camping when your significant other informs you that you will not be sleeping in the house for the next couple of nights!

Craigslist Link: 1981 Jeep Wagoneer

(Courtesy: Bring A Trailer)