Made another convert today

StG58

TJ Guru
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Oct 29, 2015
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Orygun, the wet side...
One of the young guys at work has been listening to my Jeep tales for over a year now. Two weeks ago he paid cash for a really nice '96 XJ. Today I took him out and showed him how to off road a little. Things like how and when to shift the transfer case into 4hi and 4lo, how to drive in the greasy snot we have for mud, how and why to choose a line, etc.

Thrilled the heck out of him. Pretty sure we have a new hard core convert to the Jeep tribe.
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Now we just have to wonder how long until he trades up to a Wrangler!
His needs are different Chris. He goes backpacking with three or four of his friends all the time. He's also, shall we say, frugal. A cash on the barrel head type of person. We have talked about it at length, and a good, solid, XJ fit him better than a TJ. Also talked him into an automatic rather than a manual. This is a superb fit for him and how he'll be using it. He'll never go rock crawling, but I bet this thing will get a ton of miles put on it getting way back in the pucker brush. He can't wait to go snow wheeling with it. The trip after next will be up into the Cascades chasing snow. I bet that's really going to trip his trigger.
 
Very cool! Sounds like he picked the right vehicle then and he'll enjoy it very much. Sometimes I still miss my XJ, that thing was really nice!
 
I bought one for 4650.00 with 20,000 miles way back , had been wrecked , man it was a great vehicle for the money . Drove the crap out of it .
 
One of the young guys at work has been listening to my Jeep tales for over a year now. Two weeks ago he paid cash for a really nice '96 XJ. Today I took him out and showed him how to off road a little. Things like how and when to shift the transfer case into 4hi and 4lo, how to drive in the greasy snot we have for mud, how and why to choose a line, etc.

Thrilled the heck out of him. Pretty sure we have a new hard core convert to the Jeep tribe.
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Hope you didn't have to come back up through that clear cut.....looks pretty greasy.
 
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I’m buying a 91 Cherokee Sport 4x4 for sub $1k with 13X,xxx on the clock for my kids first car. Interior is in great shape, straight 6 of course. Rare 2 door. Needs a little TLC, get rid of the awful pinstrip, 5” lift and 35’s. This should be fun.
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I’m buying a 91 Cherokee Sport 4x4 for sub $1k with 13X,xxx on the clock for my kids first car. Interior is in great shape, straight 6 of course. Rare 2 door. Needs a little TLC, get rid of the awful pinstrip, 5” lift and 35’s. This should be fun.
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I might ask you to re-consider 35's on a Cherokee...Buddy of mine has one, with 5" of lift I think...He had to cut fenders out to get the tires to fit...and they still rub when it flexes out. SMALL wheel openings.

He beats on it pretty good. Its a trail only rig at this point...

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I might ask you to re-consider 35's on a Cherokee...Buddy of mine has one, with 5" of lift I think...He had to cut fenders out to get the tires to fit...and they still rub when it flexes out. SMALL wheel openings.

He beats on it pretty good. Its a trail only rig at this point...

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Yeah, I’d be cutting for sure. Once I get to 5” I may be happy settling for 33’s. I wheel with a Cherokee with the same set up as your friend, 5” and cutting. Locked front and rear I could outwheel him open diffs. Sad really, but I still like Cherokees
 
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I’m buying a 91 Cherokee Sport 4x4 for sub $1k with 13X,xxx on the clock for my kids first car. Interior is in great shape, straight 6 of course. Rare 2 door. Needs a little TLC, get rid of the awful pinstrip, 5” lift and 35’s. This should be fun.
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My wife and I just talked about cleaning up our XJ. Her dad and her bought and restored it. My son will be 16 sooner than later
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Yeah, I’d be cutting for sure. Once I get to 5” I may be happy settling for 33’s. I wheel with a Cherokee with the same set up as your friend, 5” and cutting. Locked front and rear I could outwheel him open diffs. Sad really, but I still like Cherokees

That surprises me. "Blue Balls" is the most capable rig in our group... Or was. It's been beaten to within an inch of it's life now. He has a 4.6L stroker, HP Dana 30 up front, and a Spartan lunchbox. Nothing other than the factory limited slip in the rear. Not sure what lift he's running... He bought it with the lift already on it. Some sort of long arm.

He got a new Cherokee, and he's trying to decide what he wants to do. It's lots nicer than the blue one. I told him he should take the suspension and engine, put it on his newer one, and scrap the rest. Stick to 33's
 
That surprises me. "Blue Balls" is the most capable rig in our group... Or was. It's been beaten to within an inch of it's life now. He has a 4.6L stroker, HP Dana 30 up front, and a Spartan lunchbox. Nothing other than the factory limited slip in the rear. Not sure what lift he's running... He bought it with the lift already on it. Some sort of long arm.

He got a new Cherokee, and he's trying to decide what he wants to do. It's lots nicer than the blue one. I told him he should take the suspension and engine, put it on his newer one, and scrap the rest. Stick to 33's
Maybe it’s tires. This guy has a lunchbox up front and spool in rear. What he struggles with is mud on inclines. Might be tires and weight. I’m still trying to figure it out
 
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His needs are different Chris. He goes backpacking with three or four of his friends all the time. He's also, shall we say, frugal. A cash on the barrel head type of person. We have talked about it at length, and a good, solid, XJ fit him better than a TJ. Also talked him into an automatic rather than a manual. This is a superb fit for him and how he'll be using it. He'll never go rock crawling, but I bet this thing will get a ton of miles put on it getting way back in the pucker brush. He can't wait to go snow wheeling with it. The trip after next will be up into the Cascades chasing snow. I bet that's really going to trip his trigger.
A JK will fit the man better than a TJ.... just saying :)
 
I’m buying a 91 Cherokee Sport 4x4 for sub $1k with 13X,xxx on the clock for my kids first car. Interior is in great shape, straight 6 of course. Rare 2 door. Needs a little TLC, get rid of the awful pinstrip, 5” lift and 35’s. This should be fun.
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Your kid will end up driving your TJ and you will drive the Cherokee he-heh. That happened to me with my two kids.
 
Love the look and function of the square XJ. Simply Classic. If they made new ones today, I'd daily driver one.
My son had an 89' XJ, a 2 door also. A zillion miles on it. He had to concentrate on college so he sold it due to the monthly fix-it issues that come with a 30 year old car.
I actually welcomed the day he sold it and bought a new Jetta. Only because I was getting tired of seeing him (and me) covered in grease when he should be studying. Or getting it towed home from school.
But it was a priceless learning tool that he gained a lot of mechanical experience from. That well help him thru life.
He learned tire placement, throttle control, picking the right line, and that wheeling is a pure form of excitement and relaxation.