Yeah
@Chris, you're right there.
Well I still don't want Jeep to go out of business any time soon or just become another one of those "car" companies. They need to sell new vehicles and living in the past doesn't do it for them or the aftermarket world. Sorry to say but the JK out-sold the TJ and was wildly popular. It attracted a new generation of Jeep Wrangler followers as the TJ did when it was introduced.
I remember back when the YJ Wrangler was introduced, I remember all the snye comments and under-breath berating that the YJ "Wrangler" took on when it was released from die hard CJ owners. They said it would never perform on the trail, it was caving in and giving up on what the essence of Jeep CJ was etc. Hey, we all love our TJ's that's why we are on this forum, not a JK or other specific forum right? But time moves on, these vehicles are becoming old now and there will be enthusiasts LIKE ALL OF US that will always only love the TJ. I have one of the first ever built in fact so what's that say? It is a toy of mine, I do modify it and no I don't commute or often drive it except for the fun of it. The TJ is uniquely placed in the Jeep line where it is very capable and refined compared to the CJ & YJ era yet it is still basic and very compact. New Jeeps don't keep anything really the same as previous generations other than basic cosmetics but the actual vehicle is 100% totally different than the prior generations.
The CJ-7 was introduced in 1975 for the 1976 model year. When it was introduced, it corrected and fixed many of the problems people had with even just getting into the CJ-5. It (The CJ-5) was a wonder that was produced for more than 31 years! A very long run by any motorized vehicle of any standard.
The CJ was replaced by the YJ Wrangler for many reasons including updated safety standards that went into effect during those years. AMC was embroiled in lawsuits over the CJ-5 from the likes of Ralph Nader and other ambulance chasing lawyers for anything that they could pin on corporate American companies. It didn't matter that it still passed the then DOT and federal laws for what was allowed on public roads, someone had to pay for idiot drivers, that was that!
The YJ was a refinement of the CJ-7 and improved on the previous model in several key areas. It was made tamer to attract a new generation of SWB Jeep owners and had many advancements like EFI engine management, galvanized body to help it live longer and a much stiffer full-box frame. There were some shortcuts taken that some think were improvements but the die-hards think of as skimping such as unit bearing hubs instead of real manual "lockout" hubs. Family roll bars were added and shoulder harness passenger restraint systems along with other things including ABS brakes on some models.
The TJ Wrangler borrowed heavily on the XJ Cherokee and ZJ Grand Cherokee in the suspension department. It remained within 1/2" dimensional proportion wise to the CJ-7 and had the best ride yet of all the SWB Jeeps to date. It had dual air bags (many thought this was ridiculous) but required to be approved on Americas roads. Many body changes had to be made so it could be sold in many European countries as well. I think one of the reasons we love the TJ Wrangler so much is that it still "looks" like what you expect the SWB Jeep to be. Parked next to my CJ-7, they are remarkably similar and you can tell the lineage is 100% back traceable for more than 30 years as of 2006. Again, a major feat by any manufacturer last carried by Jeep in the CJ-5 and SJ lines of old.
The newer JK and JL's are basically a complete new book or chapter. No borrowing of even the standard dimensions that were used back to the earliest CJ-7's. Everything was new and more electronics than ever packed inside. The cooling system is electronically controlled, the windows are electric, the locks, the headlight circuit is computer controlled for that matter! The earlier JK engines were borrowed from the mini-van line, ( I still believe to this day it was in haste with no real thought and a rush to market) because the old in-line 6 was mandated obsolete by CAFE & federal motor vehicle emissions laws. Chrysler Jeep was forced to go with something different. At that point, they should have used the Hemi from the light truck RAM but Chrysler since early on acquiring Jeep didn't want ANY competition with the RAM line of trucks. Chrysler killed off repeated attempts by the Jeep engineering department to build another light duty pickup as example of the Commanche MJ pickup. Chrysler also killed off the J-series full size pickups. If you were buying a truck from Chrysler, it was going to be a Dodge RAM not a Jeep and that was period!
This has all hamstrung the Jeep brand since being acquired by Chrysler back in 1987.
Every parent company of Jeep has struggled and gone bankrupt or been bought out throughout history. Not for the sales of the SWB Jeep though, as most all of the manufacturers were sold off just for the Jeep brand itself. Chrysler paid more than a Billion dollars almost entirely for the Jeep brand. That's how powerful it is to it's parent companies. In many markets, the Jeep brand still outsells it's owners original brands hands down. Today, Jeep can't make the JL fast enough they fly off the dealers lots at blazing speed, it's that iconic STILL!
One of the things that you really have to understand about Jeep SWB vehicles is that enthusiasts buy and own them especially when they get to be older and more affordable. Being an enthusiast vehicle, enthusiasts want to work on and know everything about their vehicles so it makes the newer generation Wrangler owners look clueless comparatively. That is what we are seeing and that is why it looks like TJ owners know so much more than JK and now especially JL owners do. It's not really a post "millennial stereotype" thing or that the owners don't know anything, it's more that they don't care as much because it's still just a vehicle to them. They come with a warranty so they don't have to work on them all the time and key here is:
ownership hasn't become a passion........ Yet. Give it time and JK owners will start to look a lot more like us TJ owners do knowing a lot more about their vehicles than even the dealers own sales department and shop mechanics do.
Evolution my friends, plain and simple.
Something tells me that if FCA doesn't pull their heads out of their keesters, eventually it will happen to the CA portion of FCA and dragg FCA down again like Kaiser, AMC, Chrysler and Daimler Chrysler before them.... It's a matter of time. All Jeep sales count towards the bottom line for FCA so YES I think they should innovate with the Jeep brand including the trucks and variant versions of the JL Wrangler.
RR
.. anyway I remember laughing when I pulled in dealership and the salesman said what can I do for you and I said I was wanted to look at a Jk. He said what is that.. I said a wrangler, thinking I was an idiot and he said , we have plenty of those but not sure if we have any jk’s
