TJ or JK?

AZ erik

AZ erik

Member
Joined
May 29, 2019
Messages
26
Location
Arizona
Hi all I'm new here. But not new to cars etc. I'm 45 and looking for my 45th 'car'. That car being a Jeep that I can use up in Flagstaff to have fun, wheel and sometimes haul sh*t, via a trailer or in the back. Trying to get my wife and 7yr old daughter involved as well.

I currently have a RX400h AWD but it's not a wheeler by any means. The Jeep would be a 3rd car, weekender with it possibly running back and forth from Chandler to Flagstaff. So it's got to be able to do 400 miles in a weekend with possible wheeling.

The TJ fits my cost and mentaility of "Pay about $5k get a decent 6cyl x or Sport. Liability insurance only and call it a day. Sometimes leave it by it's self up at our place in Flag or use it around town in Phx."

However the JK fits the "And I can tow a small boat, thow stuff in the back, not have to listen to my daughter (who's almost 5 ft tall at 7yrs old) complain about being in the back seat."

There is a JK 4 dr 6cyl, manual with 180k on the clock local for about $9k, but I don't know if JK's suffer the "don't buy the first year of a model change" let alone the motor, trans and other stuff that changed. With 180 on the clock is it possibly nearing a big over haul?

I'm not looking for the biggest and best modded jeep out there. I'd be more than happy with a pretty much stock U or Rubi but the pricing seems to get out of control quickly. I can deal with miles as it's probably not going to see more than 4000 miles a year.
 
Your wife and kids would probably be happier with a JK since the on road comfort will be much better then a TJ. As far as the JK goes I wouldn't get one with the 3.8. They swapped to the 3.6 in 2012 I believe and it is a far superior engine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dudehitt, Flivver250, Equilibrium31 and 3 others
AZ erik said:
Hi all I'm new here. But not new to cars etc. I'm 45 and looking for my 45th 'car'. That car being a Jeep that I can use up in Flagstaff to have fun, wheel and sometimes haul sh*t, via a trailer or in the back. Trying to get my wife and 7yr old daughter involved as well.

I currently have a RX400h AWD but it's not a wheeler by any means. The Jeep would be a 3rd car, weekender with it possibly running back and forth from Chandler to Flagstaff. So it's got to be able to do 400 miles in a weekend with possible wheeling.

The TJ fits my cost and mentaility of "Pay about $5k get a decent 6cyl x or Sport. Liability insurance only and call it a day. Sometimes leave it by it's self up at our place in Flag or use it around town in Phx."

However the JK fits the "And I can tow a small boat, thow stuff in the back, not have to listen to my daughter (who's almost 5 ft tall at 7yrs old) complain about being in the back seat."

There is a JK 4 dr 6cyl, manual with 180k on the clock local for about $9k, but I don't know if JK's suffer the "don't buy the first year of a model change" let alone the motor, trans and other stuff that changed. With 180 on the clock is it possibly nearing a big over haul?

I'm not looking for the biggest and best modded jeep out there. I'd be more than happy with a pretty much stock U or Rubi but the pricing seems to get out of control quickly. I can deal with miles as it's probably not going to see more than 4000 miles a year.
Click to expand...

I was considering a later model 4 door, but ended up with a TJ. My 16 year old son was happy, telling me 4 door Jeeps are "for old people". That punk, lol.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: TomT509, dudehitt, Jamison C and 3 others
An LJ is rated at 3.5k towing capacity, so maybe one of those models. Plus they are bigger than a TJ and not as big as a JK. Family will easily fit in there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 04 LJ
Owning two TJs and having worked on them multiple times and JKs several times, I'd take a TJ any day over a JK. JKs are even more computerized than a TJ. Even the JK's headlights operate on a databus.

The above suggestion to go with the longer wheelbase TJ Unlimited was a good one. The Unlimited version of the TJ gives more room for a family and a bigger 3500 lb. tow rating.
 
If your someone that likes playing in the mud do not get a jk. They hate mud and water because of the vast about of computers and can network system. The 3.8 motor is a dog and should have never been put in a Jeep. The 3.6 is much better but the early years would drop a valve sealing face on the head(mostly on cylinder 5) around 40k miles. We saw so many at the dealership. There were covered under warranty but it happened again after 40k miles untill they cut the valve seal and face a different way but that took a few years for Chrysler to finally start doing that. So just keep that in mind. So in the end I would say get a Tj and use your other vehicles to tow.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jerry Bransford
This is the TJ forum , by the way. we name our kids Tj. We have parts company’s on speed dial. The UPS guy ask US for directions .

Our favorite number is 4.0, not 4.

We remove back seats and the people that need them.

We get death wobble just for something to do.

We lift our kids skateboards.

Our garages are considered topless joints.

A few members on here have seen JK’s, one guy said he rode in one . We don’t believe it.

Our wives are jealous of our relationships with our Jeeps . They should be.




We are like a KMart radio...we don’t play.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Gibsonfirebird12, JeepZilla380, mgroeger and 19 others
What is your idea of “wheeling”? I ask because many think a dirt road is. You do t need a Jeep for that. If your after cool, convertible, and iconic, Jeep (TJ) fits, but I caution you to drive one for a good distance.

People think they want Jeeps until you own and wrench on one. 😂 they are definitely enthusiastic ownership vehicles. I DD mine but won’t for long as I’m truck shopping. It’s a good toy, not for the faint of heart.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JMT
Dirt roads for the kid and wife, some rocks and shit that can make you pucker for me. I have a place up north which is where it’s main duty would be. Medium game hauling vehicle, maybe.
I’d like to use a winch but not sure India get that ballasy for a while. For the last 25 years I’m a duner with a hell of a fast quad, and racer. Drag, DE, SCCA etc. wrench time has been lacking since I sold my last Porsche about 3 years ago. I drive, yes, a Ford. And we’ll wait for it, it’s a Focus, and wait there’s more, it’s electric. This was my choice mid you. It’s my city/work car that costs next to nothing to drive that i’ve Driven for nearly 100k. There’s logic though, it’s costs nothing so I have plenty of other toys. Currently need another 2 safes for them.

I haven’t driven a Jeep other than my sisters JKU for a week, and my BIL’s COD MW on a trail about 3 years ago as well.

I partially lost my man card holding out for a job at which I had sold off most of my fun. Sunday I’m going to look at a 97 with 150k on it for $5k it looks clean, enough. I’m not expecting a whole lot other than a 6 a stick and some rubi wheels with a hard top.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rick Flair
Do you have a code reader? You can borrow my scan gauge but I'm up in nw phx. That 97 sounds good, but may be a mess. Hard to say for sure, but that's even cheap for here.
 
Yeah, i figure even it the motor lets go next year I'm possibly still a head, untill upgradeitus sets in. I have one of those crappy bluetooth odb2 plugs, should work with my daughters tablet. I see to buy the toys that need specific tuners etc. Durametric, Bullydog, etc. The sellers been real flakey, says it's his wifes.
 
I ended up buying 2 cars in the last 6 months or so. Ended up buying from dealers because of the flakey/shady people on CL. Listed as private party, show up and it's a lot with 20 cars, a shack, and a fence.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jerry Bransford
He looks to have flaked. I did some digging and he’s got a prior felony against him from 2009. Could be anything but he’s not bothered to contact me
 
  • Like
Reactions: skrelnik
The market is flooded with 3.8 wranglers...for a reason.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 04 LJ
Top Bottom
Back