Jeep regrets

ejay

ejay

TJ Addict
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CA to WY refugee
What Jeep do you regret losing, selling, or buying?

I had a 92 XJ Laredo way back. Was an XJ guy for a while. I picked up a 99 XJ Classic that didn't run. A mom was selling it for her college aged daughter. Went down to LA and trailered it back. Had hoped it was an ignition issue. Not so lucky. Tested everything and it was fine. Hand cranked the engine to see if it was seized and heard clink clink in the oil pan. Pulled the pan and this was at the bottom.

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Jeep had 150k on her so I sourced a junkyard engine out of the same year with 50k miles. Made sure it wasn't the 0331 head and took it back home. Put it on a stand and started changing out the the little things. Timing chain, dist, etc. Started the process of pulling the old engine.

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Got everything situated and paid a buddy $100 and all the beer he could drink to help me swap it out. Took us the better part of the night. But, by morning it was done and we were drunk.

Took it to get inspected and had myself a good running XJ.

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A year or so later I had to sell her. I was working offshore as a medic and it wasn't my primary vehicle so it wasn't getting a lot of use. I needed the cash at the time too. Ended up letting it go for $3600. I really wish I hadn't done that. It was a clean XJ that I put a lot of work into.

Years later I bought my 04 Rubicon. Up till that point I was a unibody guy and didn't hold much interest in the Wrangler. Now I wish I had got one when i had my first XJ.

Jeep regrets.....
 
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I've only had two jeeps. A 2015 Grand Cherokee and a 1987 YJ. I can't say I miss either of them but our 12 year old still has fond memories of the YJ. If you were to ask her she would say it was better than the TJ.

Chris said:
I regret selling my khaki TJ quite a bit.
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I don't blame you. That rig was amazing. Luckily it's still in the family so you get to see it every so often. Make sure you ask to have the first right of refusal if he decides to get rid of it.
 
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I've had many jeeps over the years, but I miss my 79 CJ-7. I owned if for 10 years from the time I was 23 until 33. It started out a stock and rusty $500 jeep. It ended with Detroit lockers and a T-18 granny gear. It was tons of fun taking it to Rausch Creek in Pa. When my wife and I decided to move to WA it didn't make the trip... I could kick my own ass. A fallen homie. I'm getting a tattoo of a tear drop as we speak.

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I miss them all. My first was an M38 back in high school. Then a Gladiator, the real Gladiator with a 401.
A CJ5 with the 304.... and highway 2.70 ??? rear end. A death trap in 3rd at more than 2000 rpm.
Moved to an F250 Crewcab as the kids grew. And back to Jeep with a YJ once they hit college. I most miss my
5.9L Grand which was true luxury, with 360 plus AWD in a vehicle more compact than a CRV it was the ultimate performance SUV, they called it the first Hot Rod SUV in the 1990s. I actually dropped that one 2" with an Eibach suspension kit. And since then an LJ, sold it within 6 months. I much prefer the short wheelbase, no idea what I was thinking going from a YJ to an LJ but it sold fast, for a profit.

And for the past 10 years, a TJR. It is my daily driver and it hauls a 2K# trailer with my tools on work days. I average 24K miles a year, at least 8K of those towing in the mountains. The TJ with the 4.0L is the best "tow" vehicle I've ever had.

There were plenty of cars mixed in there too but we have always had a 4x4.... for 50 years now. Jeeps for all but 10 of those years.
 
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Alex01 said:
I don't blame you. That rig was amazing. Luckily it's still in the family so you get to see it every so often. Make sure you ask to have the first right of refusal if he decides to get rid of it.
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The underside might be rusted out by that point. I think they use salt heavily where he's at :(
 
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First car I ever had (full disclosure, parents bought it for me) was a '98 XJ Sport in high school. I loved Jeeps even though I didn't care or know anything about cars. I had no idea just how good I had it.

Today, I know better and can't believe the great shape it was in. Completely took it for granted and couldn't wait to get rid of it when I started to look for my next car, despite loving it unconditionally. Knowing what I know now, the issues it was having were probably stupid easy to fix. I'd kill to have it back today. Got it with around 115k at the time in 2008-2009. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to keep it for as long as I can, it'd probably still be running strong today, I'd have less debt, and I wouldn't have just started learning about cars in the last year and a half...
 
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My 83 cj7 with 13,000 miles , belonged to the ladies tennis coach at the University of Alabama ..pale yellow, white and gray stripes yellow buggy wheels , white top , 258 before the vacuum line wormbed motors that came later.

It was a beach buggy if there ever was , so nice.

Traded for a YJ in about 1988 or so....I'm still sick about that.

My TJ was redemption for that , I had a few tough years in business in 2010-12, real bad, made it through and got the TJ ..first Jeep in 25 years.

So glad I did. A TJ is a CJ 7 refined.
 
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I wish I hadn't waited so long to get one. I looked at them every time I bought an automobile but either someone would talk me out of it or the price just seemed too high at the time.
 
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I sold this one back in 2013 or so when my main car died, I couldn’t make the case for it to be a daily driver and was a broke kid just married and starting a career.

fortunately the LJR is pretty much meeting everything I wanted this one to become, but there’s nothing like building up from a non-running, rusted out floor board Jeep to where it got.

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I regret selling this one
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bought it brand new 2006 .. had it for 8 years .. 50 k miles on it and never had top on it so it was practically new, sold it to buy a lake house.. wish I went a different route!!
 
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Hog said:
I regret selling this one
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bought it brand new 2006 .. had it for 8 years .. 50 k miles on it and never had top on it so it was practically new, sold it to buy a lake house.. wish I went a different route!!
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Man Hog . I like the lake house . sorta wish you had both .
 
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