How I started my "Jeep Life"

[ptmt86]

Just wondering how everyone else became Jeep owners?

I started with a used '98 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It had 49,000 miles when I purchased it. When I sold it, it had 217,000 miles on her. Next we bought a new '04 Jeep Liberty Limited (still own it) for my wife. My daughter was going in to 3rd grade. My daughter now drives it to college. It just turned 230,000 miles. In 2008, I bought a '06 Jeep (my icon photo) Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited 4.0L (last year for the 4.0 in Wranglers) TJ/LJ with 400 miles on it. The owner of the dealership took the Wrangler home drove it for 400 miles and sat in his garage until he decided he didn't want it. I bought the Wrangler for $20,000 firm. They wanted $24,500. The Wrangler now has 91,000 miles on it. We bought a new '15 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. I loved that Jeep. We only had it for 7 months. Due to my wife's work she needed something with more room. So we traded it in for a new '15 Chrysler Town and Country. The T&C is one of the best vehicles we ever bought. Second to none. We've loved ever Jeep (or Mopar) we've ever bought. That's my Jeep (Mopar) history.

 

[59 wagon man]

first time I was ever in a jeep was in may of 2017. I rented a jeep and spent a few hours in Moab. I didn't get to do a lot of it and being it was my first time I did I think it was chicken corners and hurrah pass.it was a lot of fun.I came back home got injured, somehow spent a week and a half in the hospital , 8 weeks of daily nurse visits at home to change my bandages ,finally got better and decided it was time for a new toy. I thought of an old Harley servicar but figured my family could only fit in a jeep

 

[AndyG]

When I was about 9 , I saw a CJ-5 renegade ...the guy driving was Cecil Tungate , it was summer and the top was down as he drove in the little burger shack in our tiny Town.

I loved it . Years passed , and every Jeep I saw I loved (except the scrambler , it didn't look balanced )

There were Golden Eagles , Laredo's, the Levi's package , and then my favorite , the Renegade.

Fast forward and me and my best friend we're 17-18 or so , and met Alan Simmons . He was hilarious , handsome , drank more beer before 9a.m on campouts than I could believe (I never imagined beer before 12-1 pm..ever) and we idolized him...and Alan got a real nice CJ-7.

So I got a CJ-5 Renegade, later a near new CJ -7, a YJ, (recently saw that jeep at my local 4wd shop), then came another CJ-7, a CJ-5 again , then another CJ-7, then a Cherokee , then work vans for 23 + years , finally started making a little money - and got my 03 Rubicon last summer. We have had a ball.

I liked the drive and simplicity of the CJ-7, but you froze in them -even in Alabama , unless you had a hardtop, the YJ had a far better soft top system though , but the TJ surpasses them all. It has the same cool look , but in a better total package...and the tops are great compared to what we snapped on them years ago . ..yes , they snapped on. Geez.

Why so many ? Just fun to drive.

 

[Chris]

I started with an XJ a long time ago, long before I ever really even thought I wanted a Wrangler. Coming from nothing but sports cars, I never could have imagined myself wanting a Jeep. However, something about that XJ made me fall in love. I think it was the fact that it was so simple, but also gave me a real feeling of "ruggedness" along with being very capable in just about any environment.

Of course I eventually came to realize that the ultimate Jeep was a Wrangler, and then I set my sights on a TJ. This was so long ago though that I couldn't have afforded a TJ at the time. However, as years went by, I finally was able to make it happen!

Now the only thing I wonder is how I went through a good part of my life without owning a TJ!

This thing is more fun than any sports car I ever owned!

 

[Westtown Willy]

It all started for me when I first saw Catherine Bach climb out of a CJ, though it coulda been her shorts, it’s all pretty confusing

 

[Jeepers-n-Creepers]

My Jeep saga began with this movie right here:

(circa 1980)

I'd go on to buy and mod a whole bunch of 4x4's, namely trucks - then a Gen-I Mitsubishi Montero (a beast of an SUV - lifted/modded) - then a '99 WJ (Grand Cherokee 4.0L - lifted/modded) - then my current '04 TJ.

Why it took me so long to go through so many 4x4's, to arrive at the TJ, I cannot say. I do however feel enlightened at this stage

*Pics of '90 Montero and '99 WJ, attached (in early stages of mods).

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

It all started for me when I first saw Catherine Bach climb out of a CJ, though it coulda been her shorts, it’s all pretty confusing

View attachment 62858

I think that's the Jeep from when it was given to her to replace her Road Runner her cousins flew over a cliff. That was before the hood had Dixie painted on it.

 

[CAJACK]

We had a 1948 CJ2A. I used to feed horses out in the pasture after school by loading the back end with hay and then spread it for the horses. Started when I was 8 years old and had a love affair with jeeps ever since.

 

[cliffish]

Always wanted one, then in 2012 walked into a dealership got 0% finance and a decent trade for my explorer and walked out with jku. Kept it for 5 years until wife wanted a Benz, so I traded it in. Lasted 6 months and went out and found the half door TJ...love it so much better than the 12.

 

[tworley]

Always wanted one from what I can remember. I wanted it to be orange, lifted and big tires. My uncle had an old CJ he once let me and my dad borrow. Doors were off and I thought it was the coolest thing, that was my first time in one.

In 2013 I sold my pickup and thought "no time like the present", found a low mileage sport that I now call mine

 

[Equilibrium31]

Back in 2007, I was in need of a new car and was about to move to Colorado to finish off college. My dad talked me into getting something with 4wd and suggested a Jeep.

We went to the dealership together and started by looking at the '06 TJ I have today. The dealer tried to sell me on one of the new '07 JKs that they had, but I thought the things just looked like wannabe Hummers and wasn't interested.

It still took me a while to really gain a real appreciation for the TJ and Jeep culture, but that's emerged more and more as I've learned more about working on my own car and utilizing the off-road capabilities for more than just snowy roads.

 

[ac_]

When I was a young buck, My Mom went out with this guy that was into Jeeps. I am talking I was 5. We used to go to West Port WA, and wheel on the beach. Back then, he had a mid 60's CJ with beer taps on the dash. No back seat. I hit my head on the roll bars multiple times. I hated it. I did like the beach however. After a few years he died. (not tragicly), but he was out of the picture, and the roots were set.

When I was 18 I wanted this huge Ford F250 4x4. It was jacked up and awesome, something any 18 year old would want. I went into financing, and they said there was no way in hell I could buy it, but they had a 76 CJ7 I could buy. It was pretty stock, with a granny 4 speed, and a 4.2 engine, but I could afford it. I was pretty disappointed, but bought it anyway because I knew I needed a 4x4. After getting it home and working on it, and beating the living shit out of it, I knew I was home.

 

[Ohio Kirk]

Great thread and stories! I started out with an XJ that was pretty beat and fixed her up, drove her about 300,000 miles. The rust won the battle on that one, and I had an ah ha moment and found the TJ that is eating up my wallet now. You will always have car repairs but they are so much less painful on a FUN vehicle!

 

[Alex01]

I had roughly 2k burning a hole in my pocket and saw a YJ on craigslist not to far from my house. I went down to check it out to find out the battery was dead. So my buddy and I push started it. It had 33s, 3.07 gearing, a manual, a 4 cylinder, could only go 60 on the highway, but put a giant smile on my face. I bought it for $1,800 ish and drove it down the street to sears to get a new battery. Over the years I owned it I didn't do much of anything apart from stopping leaks, changing oil, and replacing wear items. I flat towed behind the truck with me to Chico and had lots of fun with it on the dirt roads near by. I sold it roughly 3-4 years later and got 4K!! (lets not account for the new MTR's or the large number of other things I replaced over the years). So with the money from the jeep and the money I was saving I got the TJ I have now.

I still have the last photo I took of it for the craigslist ad.

 

[lindsey97]

I grew up on our 500 acre farm in southern OK where the county road sucks and is a dead end. Before I came along, mom and dad would park 1.5 miles away(no 4wd) and drive their Allis 160 tractor to feed the cows because the road was so messed up. This was in winter with no cab, on a daily basis.

I learned a lot about how not to get stuck, how to recover stuck vehicles and such well before I had a driver's license.

Friend of mine and I used to mud bog our 1955 chevy 2 ton hay truck. Dad wasn't pleased or amused. Mom simply was not informed.

First vehicle I picked out and paid for was a 1990 chevy fullsize 4x4 blazer. It was nice, got me thru college, and got lifted about 5 years later. It had everything, lockers, warn winch, 8" superlift, modded motor, etc. Dad was a mechanic by trade, owned his own shop and parts store, so I got to repair my own rides and modify them at will. We also sold parts thru transamerican auto parts(4Wparts) so I got a few goodies from time to time.
During college, I found a used 1995 dodge 1/2 swb white 4x4 pickup. It was very clean, I brought it home and couple years later it got a skyjacker 5" lift with all the options, and 35" tires. The dodge was a sweet ride. Dad drove it quite a bit, and liked it.

In 2002, I started my own business. Got into dirtworks, and had to figure out how to start buying equipment. So I sold the blazer and then the dodge to raise funds, it broke my heart to see them go, full well knowing what it would take to replace them. In 2007, my now wife and I purchased 2 ford F350 superdutys, 4x4's of course. We have had many adventures with them, they make a good toy hauler, tax write off, and tool hauler, but nothing more. By 2016 I had bought many machines, couple dump trucks and was mostly out of debt, but never managed to replace my beloved blazer.
I got into military trucks in 2014, specifically M939 series M923 5 ton cargo trucks, they are awesome 6x6's almost unstoppable and very dependable. We wound up keeping 3 of them, my wife loves them and drives them to work, and I suspect the military trucks are what triggered the Jeep acquisition impulse.

I always wanted a Jeep. We had them in the shop, and I got
to drive them. One gal had a CJ that was so nice, every item you could buy was on it. A friend had a red YJ, I was tasked with pulling the bad transmission, and took it for a run on the farm before pulling the trans. Loved it, couldn't keep all 4 wheels on the ground, much different from my blazer.

So my mother had a accident in 2018, totaled her car in a slow rollover. She was fine, and after the fiasco with insurance was over, the wife and I poked fun at her, saying that we should buy her a Jeep because it comes factory with a ROLLBAR..... Next thing I know, mom is looking at Jeeps at a small used dealer in the next town over. I said buy the Rubicon, and she came home with it. So at 80 years old, she drive wherever she wants on the farm, no more tearing the Cobalt car up, hanging pecan limbs under it and such. She likes the Jeep because she can see out of it, and stand up straight when placing groceries in the back of it.

So, as it stands in this late hour of 2018, I am finally replacing my blazer. I looked at Jeeps since February 2018, cannot find a decent Rubicon. So I Put a down payment on a red 2002 TJ sport, 5 speed, soft top, with 129k miles. I am paying cash for it. No banker, no liens or payments. It'll be mine when it pulls in the driveway. If I can't pay cash then I don't need it....
It has JK rims/tires w/adapters. It is at the same dealer where mom found her Rubicon.
I have already amassed a small pile of aftermarket parts for the TJ, and it's not even home yet.

 

[lindsey97]

I had roughly 2k burning a hole in my pocket and saw a YJ on craigslist not to far from my house. I went down to check it out to find out the battery was dead. So my buddy and I push started it. It had 33s, 3.07 gearing, a manual, a 4 cylinder, could only go 60 on the highway, but put a giant smile on my face. I bought it for $1,800 ish and drove it down the street to sears to get a new battery. Over the years I owned it I didn't do much of anything apart from stopping leaks, changing oil, and replacing wear items. I flat towed behind the truck with me to Chico and had lots of fun with it on the dirt roads near by. I sold it roughly 3-4 years later and got 4K!! (lets not account for the new MTR's or the large number of other things I replaced over the years). So with the money from the jeep and the money I was saving I got the TJ I have now.

I still have the last photo I took of it for the craigslist ad. View attachment 62951

I would have bought your YJ in a heartbeat for $2k, just as you did. I love craigslist. Awesome!!

 

[06TJ35's]

One day I was walking home from High school I turn the corner to my block and there was A clean midnight blue Jeep with the paint looking so spotless. I said to myself dam that’s a bad ass Jeep. I kept looking at it as I walked to my house. I enter my house I see my older brother(18) I tell him “‘did you see that jeep outside” he said yea its badass. My dad over hears us talking about it he comes out and says “it’s mine” and shows us the keys. We immediately take the keys and go check it out. I fell love but it wasn’t mine(yet). My dad gave it to my brother because he had a baby. Couple years forward I graduated high school. I was driving a 83 Chevy blazer with a 454. Planning on keeping it but my brother did not want the TJ no more. He wanted something faster all my friends around here drive sports cars with v8’s.
He was still doing payments on the jeep. I told him I’ll take over the Jeep. Sold my blazer gave the money to my brother and now the TJ was mine! I immediately started looking to places to off-road. My brother never took it off road. The paint now dull and no shine to it . But I still love it!
My dad also bought a 1988 jeep YJ 2 years ago. He’s currenly getting the 4.2 rebuilt.

 

[Alex01]

I would have bought your YJ in a heartbeat for $2k, just as you did. I love craigslist. Awesome!!

I need to stop scanning craiglist. I'm kicking around the idea of an atlas but a miata is the same price

The wife said I cant have a 3rd car so now I just need to convince her it would be "her car". This could prove difficult since she doesn't drive a stick and I refuse to buy a sports car with an automatic.

 

[cliffish]

I need to stop scanning craiglist. I'm kicking around the idea of an atlas but a miata is the same price

The wife said I cant have a 3rd car so now I just need to convince her it would be "her car". This could prove difficult since she doesn't drive a stick and I refuse to buy a sports car with an automatic.

My wife said the same thing now I have 4 cars and stack two of them on a lift

 

[Blank]

My uncle had a YJ when i was in high school and he would take me out when it had the top and doors off i loved it. years later i had totlated my mustang and needed a vehicle fast my boss was selling a 91 Xj so i jumped i did so much stupid crap in her, but she never let me down. i got tired of my XJ nickle and diming me to death so i got my current TJ and wont get rid of it. My wife tells me all the time i need a newer vehicle i say ok but im getting rid of my TJ she rolls her eyes and i think she has finally realized its part of the family.