OP
Why did you buy your TJ
- Thread starter StG58
- Start date
I bought mine because of the simplicity and the ease of working on it myself. I like the JKs, but I don't like the fact that they're more complicated, more electronics, and ultimately have tons of plastic interior pieces (which I don't like) and all around more stuff. I like that the TJ is almost like owning a CJ, in that it looks classic, but it's got just enough "modern" features to make life easier (i.e. fuel injection, AC, etc.). To me, the CJ really falls right in the middle of being old enough to have that classic look, but modern enough to have those few features you really want to have.
And don't get me wrong, I still appreciate a nice JK. I just thought about this a lot, and I don't think the JK will ever be for me. I like to wrench, and I like simplicity.
And don't get me wrong, I still appreciate a nice JK. I just thought about this a lot, and I don't think the JK will ever be for me. I like to wrench, and I like simplicity.
I previously had a ZUK (Suzuki), and was driving one day with my family to the beach and an elderly lady t-boned me and totaled it weeks after I finished paying it off. Totally sucked. After all the paperwork drama and me finally getting my check, I decided to start looking at Jeeps. I knew I wanted one, just didn't know which one or what kind. My stepdad actually has been saying to me all along that I needed a Jeep, and I needed one with the 4.0. He actually found 2 that were in the neighborhood, a Green Sahara and a Red X. I fell in love with the Sahara and got it for the exact amount I got for my totaled vehicle. So it was basically and even trade.
I wish I knew to check for rust and where precisely to look like I do now...I may have passed on it because of what I went through with frame repair on this one, but i'm also glad I didn't..I learned a ton about this TJ and I now know that this is the vehicle for me. I can see myself owning a TJ forever now.
PS: When I got it I didn't know about this forum, or what to check for when buying a used TJ...but I do now because of this forum, and for that I would like to give some props for. Thank you everyone! You know who you are.
I wish I knew to check for rust and where precisely to look like I do now...I may have passed on it because of what I went through with frame repair on this one, but i'm also glad I didn't..I learned a ton about this TJ and I now know that this is the vehicle for me. I can see myself owning a TJ forever now.
PS: When I got it I didn't know about this forum, or what to check for when buying a used TJ...but I do now because of this forum, and for that I would like to give some props for. Thank you everyone! You know who you are.
JJinQC
New Member
I love the Jeep Wrangler. I presently own a 2002 TJ purchased as used. It is my third Jeep Wrangler. I previously owned a YJ and another TJ.
Roger that Travis, im glad to find out that it's ok for me to talk to my Jeep ..whewHere I was thinking that I was the only one that does this
OP
Well, since you all have been so kind as to share your stories, here's mine.
The history: I was an XJ guy, I put over 400,000 miles on two different XJ's over the course of raising two daughters. When the last one wore out (you don't want to buy a used Jeep from me. Seriously.) I went looking for a two door, four banger XJ as a replacement. Those things are as rare or rarer than Rubicons around here. Not having much luck finding one that wasn't already trashed out, I started looking for something similar.
So, how did I end up looking at TJ's? Taking my checklist of requirements, I started to make tick marks on all the small SUV type vehicles available. After looking at all the off road capable rigs available on the used market two floated to the top. The TJ, and a Gelandeswagen diesel conversion from the shop that we were taking my wife's S class to for mechanical work. Side note, those guys do absolutely outstanding work, and their conversions are pieces of off road art. But that's a different story for a different time. So the TJ became the target vehicle. I wanted a four banger, so the SE was the only choice at that point. The manual transmission was a no brainer for me, if no other reason than the simplicity and reliability of it. Knowing that Jeep has never been particularly good at options and extras from a reliability standpoint, the SE became an even stronger candidate. Then I discovered a little detail about the ECM on the early 2.5 SE's that sealed the deal. So, a 2.5 SE with the minimal amount of options and no history of molestation was what I started looking for. Easy, right? Not so fast there Buckwheat, as it turns out, Jeep didn't sell all that many of them. A lot of them that are on the market were beat all to hell, and hadn't been properly maintained. Finding a nice, clean, unmolested TJ SE turned out to be more of a chore than it appeared on the surface. But, the game was afoot and the chase was on!
So, searching in ever widening circles and using more resources led me to a 1999 TJ SE in the Seattle area. It was on a Subaru dealership lot and had just come in on trade. Since I was going up to visit youngest Daughter at JBLM for the weekend anyway, I called them up and scheduled a look-see. The guy on the phone was pleasant, and seemed very willing to do whatever it took to get me in the door. I chalked it up big city sales tactics.
Visited Daughter, and ambled over to take a look at the SE. Blue, not green. Bummer. Grey interior, not tan. Another bummer. Air. What!? On a TJ SE with half doors and a soft top? What were they thinking. Mismatched all season tires. OK, that's fixable. Extra wide fender flares? What is even up with that? (It had wide and tall tires on it at some point) But it was straight, clean, unmolested and very low miles. When I test drove it, it drove out just fine with no obvious issues or problems. Took it back to the lot and told the guy that I liked it and would get back to him after doing a little research on it. He was really bummed out and got mildly pushy. Oh well. Fast forward a week, and I get a call from the salesman. He was asking if I was still interested in the TJ. I told him yes, it's not a bad rig and I'd like to look at it again. He told me that they would put a new top on it and a set of good matched tires if that would seal the deal. I told him that I would think about it and get back to him.
The next weekend we went up to look at it again. The salesman was super nice and extremely accommodating to my every whim. Hmmm, what's up with that? Test drove it again and all was well. They had obviously gone through it at this point and made everything sparkle and shine. Very curious. We started negotiating price and such, and he was bending over backwards to make this deal happen. At the time I chalked it up to being the end of the month, meeting quota, etc. etc. After all was said and done we were chatting, the salesman, the sales manager and I, and I straight up asked them what was up with selling this thing so cheaply and in such an accommodating fashion. They looked at each other, paused for a moment and the sales manager looked me in the eye and said "We really wanted this thing off the lot. It has been costing us sales since we took it in on trade. People would come in to buy a Subaru, see this, test drive it, and then go next door to the Jeep Dealership." I grinned, shook his hand and said "You're welcome!" Then the lot boy ran it through a car wash and ripped the new soft top before I took delivery.
And that's how I ended up with a TJ, and this TJ in particular.
The history: I was an XJ guy, I put over 400,000 miles on two different XJ's over the course of raising two daughters. When the last one wore out (you don't want to buy a used Jeep from me. Seriously.) I went looking for a two door, four banger XJ as a replacement. Those things are as rare or rarer than Rubicons around here. Not having much luck finding one that wasn't already trashed out, I started looking for something similar.
So, how did I end up looking at TJ's? Taking my checklist of requirements, I started to make tick marks on all the small SUV type vehicles available. After looking at all the off road capable rigs available on the used market two floated to the top. The TJ, and a Gelandeswagen diesel conversion from the shop that we were taking my wife's S class to for mechanical work. Side note, those guys do absolutely outstanding work, and their conversions are pieces of off road art. But that's a different story for a different time. So the TJ became the target vehicle. I wanted a four banger, so the SE was the only choice at that point. The manual transmission was a no brainer for me, if no other reason than the simplicity and reliability of it. Knowing that Jeep has never been particularly good at options and extras from a reliability standpoint, the SE became an even stronger candidate. Then I discovered a little detail about the ECM on the early 2.5 SE's that sealed the deal. So, a 2.5 SE with the minimal amount of options and no history of molestation was what I started looking for. Easy, right? Not so fast there Buckwheat, as it turns out, Jeep didn't sell all that many of them. A lot of them that are on the market were beat all to hell, and hadn't been properly maintained. Finding a nice, clean, unmolested TJ SE turned out to be more of a chore than it appeared on the surface. But, the game was afoot and the chase was on!
So, searching in ever widening circles and using more resources led me to a 1999 TJ SE in the Seattle area. It was on a Subaru dealership lot and had just come in on trade. Since I was going up to visit youngest Daughter at JBLM for the weekend anyway, I called them up and scheduled a look-see. The guy on the phone was pleasant, and seemed very willing to do whatever it took to get me in the door. I chalked it up big city sales tactics.
Visited Daughter, and ambled over to take a look at the SE. Blue, not green. Bummer. Grey interior, not tan. Another bummer. Air. What!? On a TJ SE with half doors and a soft top? What were they thinking. Mismatched all season tires. OK, that's fixable. Extra wide fender flares? What is even up with that? (It had wide and tall tires on it at some point) But it was straight, clean, unmolested and very low miles. When I test drove it, it drove out just fine with no obvious issues or problems. Took it back to the lot and told the guy that I liked it and would get back to him after doing a little research on it. He was really bummed out and got mildly pushy. Oh well. Fast forward a week, and I get a call from the salesman. He was asking if I was still interested in the TJ. I told him yes, it's not a bad rig and I'd like to look at it again. He told me that they would put a new top on it and a set of good matched tires if that would seal the deal. I told him that I would think about it and get back to him.
The next weekend we went up to look at it again. The salesman was super nice and extremely accommodating to my every whim. Hmmm, what's up with that? Test drove it again and all was well. They had obviously gone through it at this point and made everything sparkle and shine. Very curious. We started negotiating price and such, and he was bending over backwards to make this deal happen. At the time I chalked it up to being the end of the month, meeting quota, etc. etc. After all was said and done we were chatting, the salesman, the sales manager and I, and I straight up asked them what was up with selling this thing so cheaply and in such an accommodating fashion. They looked at each other, paused for a moment and the sales manager looked me in the eye and said "We really wanted this thing off the lot. It has been costing us sales since we took it in on trade. People would come in to buy a Subaru, see this, test drive it, and then go next door to the Jeep Dealership." I grinned, shook his hand and said "You're welcome!" Then the lot boy ran it through a car wash and ripped the new soft top before I took delivery.
And that's how I ended up with a TJ, and this TJ in particular.
OP
I don't know @Chris, I did pass up a theft return Rubicon for less than $12k when I was looking for a TJ. Everything was there, including a nice Warn winch. It was just a little trashed on the inside and the stereo was missing. Almost, but not quit wish I'd snagged that one up. But then I wouldn't have tales of the SE in the backwoods to share.@StG58, you're the most practical man I know.
Ahhh, maybe one day? I only bought the Rubicon for the lockers. That alone seemed to make it worth it to me.
I have a different tale for all 12 or 13 Jeeps I have had over the years, but this is the tale of the '04 Rubicon - one Saturday I was at the local Toyota dealership having the oil changed on my '13 Tacoma, and was wandering the lot while they did their thing. Upon arriving in the second row of the used lot, I stumbled on this '04 Rubicon that looked brand new. It had 18.3k miles, the interior looked showroom new, hard top, and even still had the soft top on the frame folded up behind the rear seat, it had never been put up or taken out. I asked one of the lot guys what it was priced at, no one seemed to know. One guy told me he thought $24.9k. At that, I lost interest, and called it a day. I already had a Wrangler, I was driving a 2012 JK Sport that was perfectly fine. Couple days later, I decided to email the guy I had gotten a card from to inquire if they had a price set. He was out of the office, and a woman called me back to say it was $16.9k. I jumped in my JK, drove over there, and made the deal. I could not pass up a practically new Rubicon at that price. That was a Wednesday. On Saturday I sold my JK to Carmax, walked over to the Toyota dealership, and gave them the down payment. To this day, I cannot figure out why it was still on the lot in that condition...probably because it had chrome nerf bars, and this hideous cargo rack that looked totally stupid. Those were the first to go.
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VallenMaes
TJ Enthusiast
I got mine when the Ram i was driving started to cost more to me than a car payment. Being 18 and whithout a cosigner, it was my only option. Id always wanted a TJ because of the offroading games i would play. The jeep ways always the underdog that always could. So i really wasnt too upset. I financed 10K and havent looked back with an ounce of regret. Its been a year since i bought jerry the jeep. im halfway through my five year loan and cant wait to get a daily (probably another tj, this time a little more unmolested) so i can build jerry up. The engine in the ram i was driving still works like a champ.... thinking about a 5.9 wrangler. exciting to thing about right!!!!
exciting to thing about right!!!!
If it did, I might have walked away also. It's biggest saving graces - absolutely no rust, one owner NM Jeep since new, plus the low miles. It's an auto, but I would have gotten it with a 5-speed also.
I had a ‘85 F150 that I used for Home Depot runs. It was a real piece of crap that I had bought two years earlier for $700. It was on its last legs and I was looking for something newer that also had a backseat. I looked at 5 2000-2003 F150’s, they were all rust buckets.
One night while cruising craigslist for a truck, I saw a 1998 TJ, Black with grey interior. I had learned to drive stick on my buddy’s ‘90 YJ in high school, and it was the same color in and out. I had wanted one since driving his, so I knew I had to test drive it. Needless to say, I didn’t get a truck.
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One night while cruising craigslist for a truck, I saw a 1998 TJ, Black with grey interior. I had learned to drive stick on my buddy’s ‘90 YJ in high school, and it was the same color in and out. I had wanted one since driving his, so I knew I had to test drive it. Needless to say, I didn’t get a truck.
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Wife and I retired in 2014 and I always promised myself I would return to Maine after living in CT for 50 years. At the time my daily driver was a mint 2000 Mustang GT convt. After 1 year of living the retired do nothing life I realized I needed at least a part time job just to keep me occupied and out of my wife's hair. The Mustang would be totally useless in these Maine winters and in the deep woods where I love to go hunting and fishing. The Mustang was sold to an older retired gent who , by the way sold his 97 tj to buy my car! I sold my car to buy my TJ!!! I would not have bought his Jeep as my wife refuses to drive a manual transmission! Who woulda thunk? Anyhow, It's an 05, Rocky Mtn, 4.0, auto, hardtop, ac 83K miles and awesome shape. No lift kits and perfectly stock...I'm not into the rock crawling stuff.
I have 2000 TJ 2.5L Std, and I have listed below the reason for buying such a model:
Reliability: Having a timing chain means it will last the life of the engine,and rarely requiring maintenance. having also non-interference engine means if the timing chain fails it won't result in colliding between the pistons and valves and causing extensive internal engine damage.
Simplicity: they are a very simple vehicle.
Versatility: extremely versatile, they hold 4 passengers, take the back seat out and you have a utility vehicle.
Cost: parts are cheaper, parts are readily available in yards,craigslist,auto stores.
Comfort: more comfortable than YJ
Safe: having dual air bags
Upgradable: can add ABS, rear disk brake, etc...
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fourpointzero
TJ Addict
Newark, Delaware
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TJ2
TJ Expert
Your photo frame speaks volume
Good looking TJ, what happened to your rear fender flare?
Good looking TJ, what happened to your rear fender flare?
fourpointzero
TJ Addict
Apparently I read the headline of this thread incorrectly. I was half asleep when I opened the app and thought it was, “where did you buy your TJ?“ lol
Thank you for the positive feedback, @TJ2.
I took the fenders off to clean, paint and ultimately trim them. I plan on changing the frnt one’s out with Poison Spyder or JCR. It’s just hard to let go of 600/700 bucks to get there. The money watermark says it all!
Bought a TJ because I sold my 82’ CJ7 and never got over it. More than 15 years later, I decided I wanted to daily drive a Jeep and knew the TJ would be the perfect candidate, for me. Now I’m here, dropping coin like a tree dropping leaves in the fall. Not complaining, just being honest about my addiction, hahaa!
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Rented this for a few hours in Moab and got hooked
