Has the TJ reached classic car level?

It is the only vehicle I’ve ever owned that people walked up and said “how much ?”
Me too! I've had people ask me "how much?"on only two vehicles...my 1994 YJ (which I sold to get my TJ), and twice my current 2003 TJ
 
It is the only vehicle I’ve ever owned that people walked up and said “how much ?”

My very first jeep I didn't know anything about anything at all. I knew enough to know it was overkill for what I was initially looking for, but for the most part wranglers in general had been invisible to me. A few days into ownership a guy walked up to me and asked "how much for those rims" and my butt puckered up. From that moment on I knew something was going on. For crying out loud why you asking me about trading rims.

Yes they are fancy rims. :oops: How can I make this conversation end. He also asked me how much I paid for the whole jeep.
 
Like virtually ALL things with wheels, the less you've tinker-fucked with it from its stock configuration, the more desirable it will be to a much wider audience. By default, this will make largely "Stone Stock" TJ's much more in demand, due to the fact that EVERY swingin' dick thinks THEIR mods are the BEST mods...

I always laugh when I see guys that on the ONE hand think their modded Jeep is worth a bubillion dollars - then after it languishes on whatever FS Forum they've chosen to try to quit themselves of same, they settle for 1/2 to 2/3's of what they THOUGHT it was worth. These same guys, when they go to replace the monstrosity that they overbuilt, look for...wait for it...AS Stone Stock a TJ as they can find...
I like stock and I believe am in a minority! I actually only 4x4 sometime when I get the chance to go camping and we don't really rock crawl in Australia. all my mods are cosmetic, seat covers decals sun shade steering wheel cover and stuff that can be remove in seconds, I am quite enjoying making my export stock look like a US stock, my most expensive add on will be new OEM front fogs that didnt come with the export. My 65th came fully optioned from the factory with higher specs than the Sahara and I appreciate its capabilities for what they are not for what it could be.

25 Years in Australia for Classic 35 for vintage and 45 for veteran but to be honest Classic status really stopped as soon as all vehicles started to look the same in the 1980,s but wranglers up to TJ overseas are deemed as a classic due to their original look without having to be a "Retro" re release of a car that will never be a Classic in looks or enthusiast value no matter the age.

Plus I am getting old! lol
 

Definition of a Custom or Antique Vehicle in Florida​

Prior to registering an antique car or a custom-built vehicle in Florida, motorists are encouraged to get familiar with the difference between these types of vehicles and the specific requirements that they must satisfy.

Licensed Florida drivers can apply for an FL antique vehicle registration and special vintage license plates if the car they own is for private use, is at least 30 years old and has been manufactured after 1945. Vehicles that are used for private purposes and manufactured in 1945 or in the previous years will be considered ancient vehicles.

Owners of ancient vehicles may obtain special horseless carriage license plates. Custom car registrations, on the other hand, are needed for vehicles 25 years old or more and date from the years after 1948, or for cars that were manufactured with the purpose to resemble such vehicles.

Drivers may also apply for a custom vehicle registration when they own street rods. A street rod is a car from the year 1948 or older or manufactured in order to look like the vehicles from that age. Both the custom vehicles and the street rods may be modified from the original model and may have a body re-manufactured from non-original materials.

This is the main characteristic that differentiates custom-built cars from antique vehicles.
In Western Australia to have a classic/veteran/vintage authorised vehicle classification you need to be part of a Car/Bike club and it needs to be judged every few years as its status in category with original safety features being front foremost, this is of course to get cheap insurance a sticker to keep the cops off your back and almost zero road taxes and licensing fees.
I gave up on my 650 Bonnie as the inspector judges are Wanking themselves more and more over their internet knowledge rather than appreciating your pride and joy!
 
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neighbors walking yesterday evening asked if my LJ was for sale.

He had a YJ years ago and said to his wife "that one they only made for a few years".

Said he started looking at Jeeps again last fall and learned of the LJ. According to him there are three in the neighborhood:
- mine.
- a silver one with eyebrows and red "headlights" :unsure: (how he described it).
- a yellow one I've yet to see.

As far as the "wave" goes..... :ROFLMAO:
- CJ's wave - probably the most "wavy" bunch
- YJ's wave
- TJ's wave
- JK/JL they fear our ruggedness.


All that to say, my neighbor is on the hunt for a "classic jeep" as he put it.
 
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Hey guys I was scrolling through FB marketplace and Craigslist and it seems the market (at least around me) has flourished and even doubled. I bought my 2000 Wrangler Sport with 140k for around 8,000. Now I see clean examples around me going for 10k-15k. It really makes me think that the TJ is being appreciated and inclining in value? The TJ was the last true Jeep imo and it seems to be finally getting its recognition. Share of thought are appreciated.

I don’t know how much my 1998 TJ is worth, but after stumbling over this article I’m beginning to understand why I can’t go anywhere without someone wanting to buy it.
But, I’m NOT selling!
It was my late hubby’s.
It also has over 3 million miles on the odometer.
Has driven over EVERY road in BC, most in Alberta, and some in Saskatchewan. Has been to the Yukon and Alaska. Has driven every road in Washington, Idaho, and California (north of San Francisco). Has driven most of Nevada and a lot of Utah.
I make sure it gets regular servicing.

I realized a few weeks ago that it had never been in Montana, so I drove down to the border to remedy that. As I was going through customs heading south they asked me where I was headed. My answer, “My Jeep has never been to Montana so I’m just driving across the border, flipping a u-ey, and heading right back to remedy that. They laughed and waved me through. It got even more interesting trying to cross back into Canada. The standard question, “how long were you gone” brought total hilarity when my answer was, “About 1minute.”
 
Well the used market has settled down a bit since this thread was active.

That said, I bought my TJ as a restoration project that I plan on hanging onto for quite some time.
 
...It also has over 3 million miles on the odometer...

Is that really 3 million, or 300,000 miles? If it's 300,000 it's impressive but not terribly uncommon. If it's really 3 million (which the odometer can't display) it might be some kind of record.

I realized a few weeks ago that it had never been in Montana, so I drove down to the border to remedy that...

I, too, have been in a couple of states for a few minutes only. I cut across the corner of Nebraska once, and Idaho too. I can say I've been there, but both times were in the middle of the night, so I have seen neither state. :confused:
 
Hagarty thinks so. They were open to insuring our 2004 with a cutoff at 2005, by their bean-counters. We just happened to find a better deal with another insurance company based on how we’ll use it.
 
I would say no, because I am a classic hot rod owner and enthusiast for many years now with 2 protouring GMs

Asking prices
DOES NOT equate to
Selling/Sold prices

TJs are a niche market and their value isnt going to equal that of classic muscle anytime soon. Look at YJs and actual sold values
 
When you can no longer buy something new that is comparable to a great thing, or what a large percentage of people see as a great thing, that great thing becomes in demand and the prices go up. Depending on how many are left and how many people want one will affect price naturally, supply/demand and all that. They depreciate to a certain point then start going back up. Look at the 7.3 Powerstroke, there will never be another like it and it is much coveted, prices have been going up on them for years. I think sitting on a decent TJ is good, I don't see much if any depreciation left in them, I think they are fully depreciated and will only go up in the future, barring a catastrophic economic collapse. Plus, Jeeps are a "survivalist's" type of vehicle and when the poop hits the fan a lot of people go into survivalist mode.
 
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When you can no longer buy something new that is comparable to a great thing, or what a large percentage of people see as a great thing, that great thing becomes in demand and the prices go up. Depending on how many are left and how many people want one will affect price naturally, supply/demand and all that. They depreciate to a certain point then start going back up. Look at the 7.3 Powerstroke, there will never be another like it and it is much coveted, prices have been going up on them for year
The 7.3L is highly coveted STRICTLY because it was pre- EPA emissions choke fukkery with the DEF, and the failed 6.0L & 6.4L International diesels they put in Fords. Guys that are skerred of the EPA wrath buy these

The 6.7L Ford introduced in 2011 is leaps and bounds better, but not everyone is brave enough to remove the Emissions crap. Those that remove the emissions Bs, like my buddies did, have a diesel 3x more powerfil then the 7.3L was
 
Non-Jeep people don't know the difference between the generations of Wranglers.

My neighbors think my 99 is new. Granted, they are all older than dirt.

Not just TJ's, used car values across the board are going up as new car prices go up.
 
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The 7.3L is highly coveted STRICTLY because it was pre- EPA emissions choke fukkery with the DEF, and the failed 6.0L & 6.4L International diesels they put in Fords. Guys that are skerred of the EPA wrath buy these

The 6.7L Ford introduced in 2011 is leaps and bounds better, but not everyone is brave enough to remove the Emissions crap. Those that remove the emissions Bs, like my buddies did, have a diesel 3x more powerfil then the 7.3L was

I agree in part, but not strictly. The 7.3 is still affordable, simple, dead reliable and easy to work on. It has enough power for some people. (I intentionally never test drove a 6.7 because I didn't want the temptation and I didn't want to pay 70-90K for a truck). Sure by todays diesel standards they're slow and cumbersome but if it will do the job you need it to do it's a great truck, and like you said, after the 7.3 there's really no good options till the 6.7 came out. Mine does everything I need it to do, it's really comfortable, easy to work on and I have very little money tied up in it.

As far as emissions it's not easy here, we have annual testing with visual inspections. If you know someone in another county that doesn't do testing you can sometimes get away with registering it there but not in Phoenix or Tucson.
 
Non-Jeep people don't know the difference between the generations of Wranglers.

My neighbors think my 99 is new. Granted, they are all older than dirt.

Not just TJ's, used car values across the board are going up as new car prices go up.

Yep I get that all the time, they think my 2000 is new.
I don't know if there is any hard and fast rules about what makes a classic, I think the following of a particular vehicle has a lot to do with it. There are a lot of particular older vehicles that have a large following, sometimes I'll hear about one I never even knew about like some of the Toyotas. About 6 years ago I had a customer with a Ford Taurus SHO which I had never heard of, Yamaha high output V-6 and a 5 speed MT, who knew? That one slipped right by me probably because the Taurus was one of the most boring cars I ever saw IMHO.
As far as production numbers on our TJs it looks to be around a million, wonder how many are left, and in decent shape?