It's been a long while in the making but I have settled on what may be my third and last Jeep Wrangler - a 2005 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited. I've done "build" threads on cars and bikes, but this will be my first Jeep thread of the process. It's not a "build" per se, but just ownership and the inevitable changes that many of us do. And some repairs that are inevitable as well.
My first Jeep was a 1980 CJ5 with the 4 banger. Man, that thing was slow! But it did really well off road. That was back in the 80s, so it's long gone and probably been turned into sardine cans or wherever recycled metal goes. The second Jeep was far more recent. We relocated from Wisconsin to Washington and the region is perfect for wheeling. So we ended up dipping our toes in the Jeep waters with a a nice 2003 TJ sport -
It was really nice but I soon learned that if I wanted to do any serious trails, or even semi-serious ones, I needed to make some changes. I added up the cost to do what I wanted to do and decided it would be best to just start over with a Rubicon to get the D44s and the Rubicon transfer case, among other things.
Wanting is one thing, but buying is another. Prices vary greatly on LJs and even more so with LJRs. I saw them as high as $40K and the average seemed to be around $18K - $22k. I searched for about 3 months and found this one in Sedona AZ -
The price was right, the miles were right (87K) and the prior owner had done a lot of nicely executed mods. The gentleman that owned it passed away and his widow sold it to the Jeep dealer in town. I just happened upon the ad doing a national search the day they got it. I bought it over the phone when the salesman did a Facetime chat with me. I flew down and drove it back home in the 110 degree heat! As it turns out, the gentleman that owned it was part of a Jeep group associated with the dealer and did a lot of search and rescue using this Jeep. As such, he needed it to work and work well. The salesmen where all gathered around it when I arrived and they told me that they were well aware what a special Jeep this was and if I didn't buy it, there was a line forming behind me. I did not need any convincing, rest assured.
The 1200 mile drive back was eventful due to the weather. it went from intense heat to intense wind. I basically drove into a Haboob once past Las Vegas. The Jeep struggled to maintain highway speed the wind was so intense. And the dust and sand made it seem like it was foggy out. I was really hoping the Jeep had been well maintained and would take this punishment. And it did. Beautifully. Ultimately, it got me home safe and sound.
Next up - Be careful when you tell your wife "This Jeep needs nothing".
My first Jeep was a 1980 CJ5 with the 4 banger. Man, that thing was slow! But it did really well off road. That was back in the 80s, so it's long gone and probably been turned into sardine cans or wherever recycled metal goes. The second Jeep was far more recent. We relocated from Wisconsin to Washington and the region is perfect for wheeling. So we ended up dipping our toes in the Jeep waters with a a nice 2003 TJ sport -
It was really nice but I soon learned that if I wanted to do any serious trails, or even semi-serious ones, I needed to make some changes. I added up the cost to do what I wanted to do and decided it would be best to just start over with a Rubicon to get the D44s and the Rubicon transfer case, among other things.
Wanting is one thing, but buying is another. Prices vary greatly on LJs and even more so with LJRs. I saw them as high as $40K and the average seemed to be around $18K - $22k. I searched for about 3 months and found this one in Sedona AZ -
The price was right, the miles were right (87K) and the prior owner had done a lot of nicely executed mods. The gentleman that owned it passed away and his widow sold it to the Jeep dealer in town. I just happened upon the ad doing a national search the day they got it. I bought it over the phone when the salesman did a Facetime chat with me. I flew down and drove it back home in the 110 degree heat! As it turns out, the gentleman that owned it was part of a Jeep group associated with the dealer and did a lot of search and rescue using this Jeep. As such, he needed it to work and work well. The salesmen where all gathered around it when I arrived and they told me that they were well aware what a special Jeep this was and if I didn't buy it, there was a line forming behind me. I did not need any convincing, rest assured.
The 1200 mile drive back was eventful due to the weather. it went from intense heat to intense wind. I basically drove into a Haboob once past Las Vegas. The Jeep struggled to maintain highway speed the wind was so intense. And the dust and sand made it seem like it was foggy out. I was really hoping the Jeep had been well maintained and would take this punishment. And it did. Beautifully. Ultimately, it got me home safe and sound.
Next up - Be careful when you tell your wife "This Jeep needs nothing".
