This is a 1989 Jeep Wrangler Sahara with a 5-speed manual transmission and a 350 small block V8 that was swapped in more recently. It’s been given a detailed rebuild to Jurassic Park-specification, including paintwork and decals.
The largest engine offered by the factory in the Jeep Wrangler YJ was the 4.2 liter AMC 258 inline-six, so the 5.7 liter Chevy 350 small block offers a considerable increase without too much of a weight penalty – a good upgrade to help you get away from that pursuing T-Rex.
Fast Facts: A Jurassic Park-Spec Jeep Wrangler
- This 1989 Jeep Wrangler Sahara has been rebuilt to replicate the vehicles seen in Jurassic Park, complete with Sand Beige paint, red graphics, and hood numbering. While the factory YJ’s largest engine was the AMC 4.2-liter inline-six, this example has a swapped-in Chevrolet 350 small block V8, paired with a 5-speed manual transmission.
- The YJ Wrangler, introduced in 1986 for the 1987 model year, replaced the CJ-7 with a design that improved on-road stability while keeping off-road credibility in place. Wider track, anti-roll bars, and square headlights marked the update, though purists disliked the styling. AMC and later Chrysler emphasized the vehicle’s daily usability with improved ergonomics and weather sealing.
- Standard specifications included body-on-frame construction, live axles front and rear, leaf springs, and a 93.4-inch wheelbase. Early models offered 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 4.2-liter six-cylinder engines, later joined by the injected 4.0-liter six. Transfer cases evolved from the NP207 to the NP231, with Dana 30 and Dana 35 axles standard, and the Dana 44 rear optional on some early builds.
- Jeep produced over 600,000 YJs through 1995, with leftover stock sold in 1996 before the coil-spring TJ arrived for 1997. Beyond the factory, the YJ’s fame grew through Jurassic Park in 1993, where Sahara-trim examples became icons. This particular 1989 build mirrors that look while adding more power and modern usability thanks to its V8 swap.
History Speedrun: The Jeep Wrangler YJ
The Jeep Wrangler YJ was developed with a brief that sounds obvious now but was contentious in the early 1980s – it was to replace the Jeep CJ with something more civil on pavement without losing the WWII-tested off-road DNA.
Above Video: The Jurassic Park Jeep Wranglers featured heavily in the film, and they can be seen multiple times in the trailer above also.
AMC green-lit the CJ-7 replacement program in 1982 and froze the design in 1983, using CJ-based mules before rolling out the production YJ in early 1986 as a 1987 model. The aim wasn’t to chase SUVs already going soft – it was to help fix the CJ’s on-road manners, safety, and packaging while keeping the open-top, ladder-frame template intact.
It had a wider track, slightly lower stance, and the addition of front and rear track bars with anti-roll bars helped make it handle a lot better on the road – though it was still far from perfect. The square headlights (in place of traditional round units) made the headlines, but the more meaningful change was how much calmer the YJ felt on the freeway at 65 mph.
Jeep Wrangler YJ: Specifications
Mechanically, the YJ kept the familiar formula – body-on-frame construction, live axles at both ends, and front and rear leaf springs – though set wider than on the CJ models to improve stability. The wheelbase stayed at 93.4 inches, with overall dimensions hovering around 152 inches long, 66 inches wide, and about 72 inches tall depending on the specific version/year.
Most examples weighed between 2,900 and 3,200 lbs, and early trucks carried over AMC’s 2.5 liter four and the 4.2 liter straight-six, the latter paired with Peugeot’s BA-10/5 5-speed manual or a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic. In 1991, AMC’s injected 4.0 liter straight-six arrived and changed the character of the YJ overnight.
With a little over 180 bhp and strong mid-range torque, it gave the Wrangler the highway legs many owners wanted without any negative side effects – in fact fuel economy and reliability increased.
The four-cylinder gained fuel injection and drivability improvements in the early 1990s. Transfer cases shifted, too – the NP207 appeared for 1987 only before the NP231 became the mainstay from 1988 onward. Underneath, a Dana 30 front and Dana 35 rear were standard – though a Dana 44 rear was available in limited early runs and now remains desirable among those in the know.
In 1993’s Jurassic Park, park staff drove Sand Beige Sahara-trim YJs wearing red graphics, hood numbers, and door logos. The production used 1992-model trucks, and the look became so recognizable that a number of YJ owners have converted their own Jeeps to Jurassic Park-spec. Image courtesy of Universal Studios.
Inside, AMC (and, from 1987, Chrysler) ticked off the comfort boxes that mainstream buyers had come to expect with better seats, tighter weather sealing, and more thoughtful ergonomics which made daily use less of a chore.
Running changes landed almost every year – a stronger roll-cage structure with rear shoulder belts, an electronic speedometer, and optional ABS which arrived in the early 1990s. Aesthetic packages like Islander, Sahara, and Renegade brought color palettes, decals, integrated flare kits, and trim that spoke to very different buyers.
What didn’t change was the Wrangler’s core usability – with its removable soft or hard tops, half or full doors, a simple dashboard, and mechanicals you could service with basic hand tools by the side of the trail.
The YJ directly replaced the CJ-7, a line that traced its lineage to the WWII models – that history brought both cachet and baggage, as purists bristled at the square lights and the lower ride height, yet the market responded to a Jeep that finally felt decent on the black top.
The YJ also benefited from component commonality elsewhere in AMC’s lineup. Borrowed bits from the XJ Cherokee and the broader parts bin simplified production and service, and they gave the Wrangler a hint of modernity without changing its silhouette.
Production Numbers + The Arrival Of The Jeep TJ
All told, Jeep built well over 600,000 YJs through the 1995 model year, with sales continuing into 1996 from remaining stock. There was no 1996 Wrangler model year per se, instead, the second-generation TJ arrived in 1996 as a 1997 model.
That successor reintroduced round headlights and, crucially, switched to coil springs at all four corners – Jeep labeled it Quadra-Coil – delivering better ride and articulation straight from the factory. The TJ kept the 4.0 liter straight-six, but the suspension change was the true generational line in the sand.
If the CJ built the mythology, the YJ put Wrangler on movie posters. In 1993’s Jurassic Park, park staff drove Sand Beige Sahara-trim YJs wearing red graphics, hood numbers, and door logos. The production used 1992-model trucks, and the look became so recognizable that a number of YJ owners have converted their own Jeeps to Jurassic Park-spec.
The Jurassic Park-Spec 1989 Jeep Wrangler Shown Here
The Jeep you see here now benefits from a couple of upgrades. The most obvious is the change to Jurassic Park livery – a look that’ll be immediately recognizable to anyone who’s seen the film. The other change is a little less obvious – under the hood you’ll now find a 5.7 liter Chevrolet small block V8 offering vastly more horsepower and torque than the original inline-six.
The Jeep you see here now benefits from a couple of upgrades. The most obvious is the change to Jurassic Park livery – a look that’ll be immediately recognizable to anyone who’s seen the film.
Power is sent back through a 5-speed manual gearbox to the rear axle. The gear ratios of that rear axle were changed after the engine swap for obvious reasons, the front axle wasn’t swapped in the same way and so the front driveshaft has been removed – it could be reinstalled if the new owner wishes once the front ratio has been swapped to match the rear.
This Jeep is now being offered for sale out of Pottstown, Pennsylvania with a clean Pennsylvania title in the owner’s name. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
