Howdy from South Texas

danof76

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2018
Messages
318
Location
San Antonio, TX
Howdy! I joined and have been posting for a few weeks now but figured I would drop in here and introduce myself.

My name is Dan as the handle says, but I was not born in '76, actually '85 if you're curious but it's an old handle and 76 is meant for 1776.

So here's my story as short and sweet as I can make it:

I grew up riding my dad and granddad's '58 and '62 CJs around our ranch, granddad even taught me a little how to drive when I was 10. 15 years later I'm on my second boring sedan and end up totaling it. My friend (thankfully) urged me to go check out a YJ down the street from him. I had a lot of good changes in my life recently so I figured I'd try doing the same with vehicles.

I got the YJ and I loved it, even for all it's problems and 2.5L glory or lack thereof (also had to relearn how to drive manual). I sure did learn to love Jeeps though and learned a lot about working on cars. Maybe a year and a half later I found myself in a red 2005 4.0L TJ, once again it was also manual. Not even a year later I regrettably sold it as I was tempted to get a brand new black 2-door 2012 3.6L JK (oh you bet it was manual, too).

I did a lot to that JK (35s and even regeared it) and it was great but I always missed the TJ. A couple of years ago my then-girlfriend's car broke down. I got financing for a new car and we went shopping. What did she want? A JEEP! I was already thinking of marrying her then but that sealed the deal.

So now we were the proud owners of a yellow 2000 4.0L TJ (you guessed it, manual). After getting married I saw the writing on the wall, so of my own volition I sold the JK and got a nice 2015 F150. I was missing having a Jeep as a DD but the truck was nice. After my wife got pregnant I kept offering her to trade whenever she wanted and well, finally, six months in, she decided she wanted to swap.

Well now that we're swapped there's so much I am realizing I need to do to the TJ these days after driving in it day in and day out! I got a long list of things to do, inside and out, suspension and creature comforts, cheap and pricey, but I'll get to it all eventually and with the help of this forum I might just do it right, too!

P.S. If you stuck around and read all that thank you! I just like to type to my heart's content.
 
Welcome Dan:)

Greet'ns from up-yonder-way - in Salado - just a bit north of Austin.

Check-out the Regional Threads, and the Texas Thread, where you'll see the haps in Texas, with the growing Texas Posse:). Hidden Falls (near Marble Falls), NW of Austin, is an awesome placing for wheeling (the park is somewhere between 2100 acres and 3500 acres - I don't remember which). I was there with the gang a month ago, and they were back there a few weeks back, and are now planning another visit in the next few weeks. All levels are welcome (including levels of insanity :)).

Nice yellow TJ, there.
 
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Great story Dan. As @Jeepers-N-Creepers mentioned, you’re close by and could join us for a few runs at HFor elsewhere. Great swap with your girl, smart! These TJs are something aren’t they!? What do you have planned?
 
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So what did you end up trading her for the Jeep?

We've got a minivan and the Jeep... we need the minivan with the kids!

I always felt that way about the JKs as well. I would miss the simplicity and ruggedness of the TJ if I replaced it with a JK. The TJ is an awesome vehicle by all means. It's good to see that you finally made your way back to one!
 
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Thanks for the welcome, sorry haven't had time in the past few days to reply but I like replying to all!

Welcome Dan:)

Greet'ns from up-yonder-way - in Salado - just a bit north of Austin.

Check-out the Regional Threads, and the Texas Thread, where you'll see the haps in Texas, with the growing Texas Posse:). Hidden Falls (near Marble Falls), NW of Austin, is an awesome placing for wheeling (the park is somewhere between 2100 acres and 3500 acres - I don't remember which). I was there with the gang a month ago, and they were back there a few weeks back, and are now planning another visit in the next few weeks. All levels are welcome (including levels of insanity :)).

Nice yellow TJ, there.

I haven't looked at the regional threads yet but I definitely will! Hidden falls is great, only been once with the JK, I need to revisit with the TJ as it's been a long, long time. And thanks! I've always had an affinity for a yellow TJ.

Howdy from Houston

Howdy! I'm originally from Houston myself, still got family there.

@danof76 I’m right outside SA. Let’s meet up and take some cool pics of our TJ’s to make the other forum members envious!

Yeah, let's do it!

Great story Dan. As @Jeepers-N-Creepers mentioned, you’re close by and could join us for a few runs at HFor elsewhere. Great swap with your girl, smart! These TJs are something aren’t they!? What do you have planned?

I'm happy to have a TJ again, getting rid of my first one is one of the few regrets that creep up in my mind but not so much anymore these days.

Hidden Falls ought to be fun, truth be told it's been a year and a half since I've had time to go anywhere worth bragging about. I need to meet up with everyone while I can because sadly we are going to move to the valley probably come April.

Plans? Well, when money and time permits as I was just thinking to myself I think an Anti-Rock in the front and then saving up money to do a locking Super35 at some point and y'know 33's would be nice but I still got a lot of tread on the 31's left.... Well, in actuality I'll be doing some small, cheap stuff in the meantime: interior LEDs, floor mats, butt warmers, etc. creature comforts, y'know, it is a DD and it still makes me feel like I'm actually doing something.

So what did you end up trading her for the Jeep?

We've got a minivan and the Jeep... we need the minivan with the kids!

I always felt that way about the JKs as well. I would miss the simplicity and ruggedness of the TJ if I replaced it with a JK. The TJ is an awesome vehicle by all means. It's good to see that you finally made your way back to one!

She ended up with the 2015 F150, we got a good deal on it and it's got all the aforementioned creature comforts. As much as we drive around Texas to visit family it was nice to get something a bit more comfy than the JK for those long hauls on a weekend. Great truck too, especially when you put it in Sport mode and that turbo kicks in!!

Yeah the JK just didn't have that simplicity, it was certainly more a paradigm shift than any one model to the next. Maybe I wouldn't appreciate TJs as much if I hadn't gotten rid of mine and rode a JK for five years. The TJ is just the perfect Jeep in my mind but at the very least the JL looks like what the JK should have been (but I haven't even been inside a JL yet so what can I say)

Welcome from DFW !

Thanks!!
 
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The TJ is just the perfect Jeep in my mind but at the very least the JL looks like what the JK should have been (but I haven't even been inside a JL yet so what can I say)

Well said!

I had a chance to drive a JL. It doesn't feel like a Jeep at all anymore, literally. It feels like a modern SUV with all the creature comforts. It disappoints me, because I want a Jeep to feel like a Jeep.
 
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Well said!

I had a chance to drive a JL. It doesn't feel like a Jeep at all anymore, literally. It feels like a modern SUV with all the creature comforts. It disappoints me, because I want a Jeep to feel like a Jeep.


Amen that, pardner. If it don't feel like a Jeep--it ain't one.

1545235783319.png
 
It feels like a modern SUV with all the creature comforts. It disappoints me, because I want a Jeep to feel like a Jeep.

I can definitely see that and even my own thinking is something along the lines of "Would I want a JL? Or a 4Runner? Or one of the new Rangers?" I didn't even realize until you said it but just to compare a Jeep to those others just means it ain't a Jeep!

But if asked if I'd want any of those over a TJ? Nah, I'll take a TJ. Hell, I'll take an XJ over those too... actually I like XJs anyway, so that's an easy choice. One day I'll have one of those too but the wife isn't so keen on the XJs as she is the TJ.
 
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I can definitely see that and even my own thinking is something along the lines of "Would I want a JL? Or a 4Runner? Or one of the new Rangers?" I didn't even realize until you said it but just to compare a Jeep to those others just means it ain't a Jeep!

But if asked if I'd want any of those over a TJ? Nah, I'll take a TJ. Hell, I'll take an XJ over those too... actually I like XJs anyway, so that's an easy choice. One day I'll have one of those too but the wife isn't so keen on the XJs as she is the TJ.

Having owned a number of XJs before my TJ, I really love them. The only issue is that they're so small, and the backseat is all but useless for anyone adult sized.
 
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I can definitely see that and even my own thinking is something along the lines of "Would I want a JL? Or a 4Runner? Or one of the new Rangers?" I didn't even realize until you said it but just to compare a Jeep to those others just means it ain't a Jeep!

But if asked if I'd want any of those over a TJ? Nah, I'll take a TJ. Hell, I'll take an XJ over those too... actually I like XJs anyway, so that's an easy choice. One day I'll have one of those too but the wife isn't so keen on the XJs as she is the TJ.
While I like the idea of XJ's too, the TJ is far superior. I've seen both in action and combined issues of departure angles, weight, etc...make the TJ a far better off-road vehicle. In all fairness, I suppose on-road an XJ would have better manners because of the weight and longer wheel base.
 
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I can definitely see that and even my own thinking is something along the lines of "Would I want a JL? Or a 4Runner? Or one of the new Rangers?" I didn't even realize until you said it but just to compare a Jeep to those others just means it ain't a Jeep!

But if asked if I'd want any of those over a TJ? Nah, I'll take a TJ. Hell, I'll take an XJ over those too... actually I like XJs anyway, so that's an easy choice. One day I'll have one of those too but the wife isn't so keen on the XJs as she is the TJ.
Ran with TJs for quite a few years, then got the itch in 2006 for a brand new 2007 JK when they first came out. Ordered a JKR with all the options I wanted, and drove it (manual also) until 2012. It was a nice Jeep, but still had the itch for a TJ. Found the Rubicon I have now in 2016, and the rest is history...glad you found what you wanted.
 
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She ended up with the 2015 F150, we got a good deal on it and it's got all the aforementioned creature comforts. As much as we drive around Texas to visit family it was nice to get something a bit more comfy than the JK for those long hauls on a weekend. Great truck too, especially when you put it in Sport mode and that turbo kicks in!!
Thanks!!
The one in this photo, I imagine:
1545237707992.png
 
Ran with TJs for quite a few years, then got the itch in 2006 for a brand new 2007 JK when they first came out. Ordered a JKR with all the options I wanted, and drove it (manual also) until 2012. It was a nice Jeep, but still had the itch for a TJ. Found the Rubicon I have now in 2016, and the rest is history...glad you found what you wanted.

Sounds a lot like my story! I went from a TJ to a JK and then... I looked back, wistfully. My friend told me it had to do with the fact I was paying like $250/mo for my TJ at the time and my JK payments were like $450 (I didn't have stellar credit then). But even after the lift, the gears, all the mods and everything I still longed for my TJ, bare-bones stock as it was (but it did have halfies, which I need to get for this one).

The one in this photo, I imagine:
View attachment 68452
Haha, yup, that's the one! Great truck! We've already put over 30,000 miles on it in just over a year but after we move that might go down.