Renegade

[BajaEdition]

Renegade


This was The longest running and most popular package developed for the CJ line.



Kaiser looked at the extreme excitement over the 462 and developed it into a Edition, they called it the Renegade.
It ran from 1970 to 1986 on the CJ, a GO and SHOW package, was extremely popular and is one of the most collectable Editions ever made. In 1976 AMC dropped all the performance package standard items and made them options, this took the bite out of the package but not the popularity. Until 1986 and the end of the CJ line, the Renegade package was one of the most popular options on the CJ5, CJ6, CJ7 and CJ8.



It started in 1970 with the CJ5, packaged as the Renegade 1 it came with the V6, a Trackloc rear Diff, roll bar and swing-away rear tire carrier. It was badged with cowl and hood stripes and read Renegade 1. a Amp and oil gauge were in the package as well as G70-15 tires on 15x8 rims about 250 were built under a special sales order (SSO)
In 1971 it was badged as the Renegade 2, it kept all the show and go and added American Racing Alloy Wheels with H78-15 tires, still a SSO it sold real well.
1972 saw it became the Renegade, no longer had a number, it was still a SSO but now it had a lot more Bark in it's go, they Added the 304 V8 to the package and all the rest of the drive line upgrades. Plus a gas tank skid plate. Sales soared past 2500 and a hit was on AMC's hands.


In 1973 the Hood stripe was again modified so it surrounded a V8 badge. Changing the Stripe pattern over the years always kept the look fresh.
1974 saw it go over to a Regular Production Order (RPO) It was now available in standard CJ colors and the Tracloc was deleted. This was the first move to water down the GO in the package.
AMC made more changes to the CJ in 1976, and when they did they took the bark out of the Renegade Edition. No longer did it come with performance upgrades standard, they were now options to the package, so any engine could get the Renegade badge. The Levi Edition Interior option was added to the package but the Renegade was no longer a GO and SHOW package, but just a SHOW package. It was retained till 1986 and expanded into the CJ7 line. It's popularity never diminished and is still one of the most sought after Jeeps out there.
It has been badged on Tjs for a few years proving the CJ reputation can never be put down. From a collectors view point the 1970 and 1971 are the gems of the line, then up till 1975 are strong contenders. The later models still sell well, After all a legend is hard to dismiss.

 

[BajaEdition]

The Renegade had 10 different designs for striping, and we are going to post examples of them all here.

Jeep was not blind, they could see the sales that were made by excitement over the new technology of applying vinyl stripes. The Ponttica Judge, the Mopar Roadrunner, this as a lucrative area, so the jumped in.

Renegade, what a word, current Hollywood westerns were strong. This word spoke one who was not part of the crowd, someone who rebelled, someone who walked in their own footsteps, not others. Wow imagine what this could do for the image of the CJ line. Create a sporty idea to a product seen as a farm tool. So they went with it.

1970 was the introduction, the side stripe with the word Renegade. It spoke "Look At Me" and it sold.
Simple by today's standards, but still bold in the day, this started out the legend



1971, the Renegade 2, a bit different to say we were going places, but it still rocked a fresh new appeal, taking the que from the muscles cars, it featured a big center stripe. now the Renegade 2


1972 and 1973, We make the Word Renegade larger and drop the number, we are just the Renegade and we are proud.



1974 to 1975 1/2, Now we take the stripe and turn it down at the cowl, it goes down the the V8 Logo, yea this puppy has a V^ and we are proud to let you know



1975 1/2 to 1976, Yea we are really getting bold now, gone is the center stripe but now we cross the hood and run down the sides with larger Lettering. We are a huge impact on sales and we are going places



1977 to 1978, we are Bold we are Proud, the lettering now has the impact, it is huge and the huge stripe crosses the hood and dies out at the lettering. We are now a legend and we are going to let you now all about it.



1979 to 1980, Lets get with the program, multicolor striping and side board stripes complete the badging



1981 to 1982, they change the stripes and how they run. Tricolored and bold, they still are a major feature in the finish.



1983 to 1984, now the hood stripe is down the center again and the side board stripe falls down in front of the door, the stylist are proud.



1985 to 1986, we can call this the last hurah, and it is sharp. The sidewall strip goes over the rear wheel opening to the back of the Jeep.