TJ owners know it all

I think it's a symptom of the TJ being mostly an enthusiast vehicle, and something that tends to happen as cars age out of the utility market. I would guess that the typical JK/JL owner uses their Jeep more for utility transportation compared to the average TJ owner. The majority of drivers don't want to ever think about nor care to know about how their vehicle works, they'd rather just pay money to get around in something that looks and feels good. When it gets to be a headache, they'll move on with something else. Enthusiasts, on the other hand, welcome the headache by finding some weird little niche and diving in wholeheartedly. Memorizing part #s, collecting parts for spares, and going to bed hoping at least 2 of their 7 bids on Ebay go through is normal behavior.

And it's not just a Jeep thing, I'd bet the average owner of a 70's-era BMW 2002 tii can tell you the # of bolts on their intake manifold whereas the the owner of a late model 3-series probably has little to no inclination to ever pop the hood.
Post of the day right here . Nailed it.

Basically, TJ owners know more because they need to . Am I proud of all I’m learning ? I don’t know, but I’m sucked into it .

It’s kind of fun, takes me back to being a kid , trying to bring some ol car I admired back to life or keep it going.

At times it’s more than I wanted to learn...got in my Jeep Sunday...battery dead as a door nail. Guess why..? The engine compartment light came loose and fell into the on position...for like 4 days. Who would have thought .


I could afford a jk/Jl, but the TJ feels awesome . It feels like a Jeep always did, but also way more refined . I’m ok with it for now . When the headaches outweigh the fun , it will get modified into a trail buggy or sold . But it’s a lot of fun , the headaches may not catch up with that.
 
Very true indeed. The TJ is much more of an "enthusiast" vehicle than the later model Wranglers I believe.

This may of course change as time goes on and the newer JKs and JLs get older and become cheaper, and therefore more accessible to other people. However, for the time being, the TJ is definitely a very niche vehicle.

You're right though, this isn't just exclusive to Jeeps. I think it has to do with age. The older cars get, the more they become "enthusiast vehicles". No one is going to want to buy a 3 series BMW from the 80s anymore unless they are a true enthusiast.
I'll take one. Can't pay you, but I'd take one right now
 
The tj community is very much like the scion community 10-14 years ago. The vehicles aren't exactly what everybody wants, but the people that wanted them became passionate, fast. Helping everybody figure out what works and doesn't was a huge part of that community, just like here.
 
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The tj community is very much like the scion community 10-14 years ago. The vehicles aren't exactly what everybody wants, but the people that wanted them became passionate, fast. Helping everybody figure out what works and doesn't was a huge part of that community, just like here.
I had a new scion tC in '06. You nailed that comparison spot on. Dealers were limited by Toyota on inventory. They weren't heavily advertised the first few years, either. When I bought mine, the dealer only had 2 in stock, they were for test drives. Ordered mine, 2 months later she arrived.
 
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Most JK's are mall-crawlers. Typical owner reaches for a cell phone when they get a flat tire as they've surpassed their technical ability.
 
Shoulda' heard what a majority of the CJ & YJ owners used to say about TJ owners & drivers when the TJ was new back when..... Same kinds of things, same stereotypical narrative.......

That all changes quickly with enthusiasts.

RR
 
Shoulda' heard what a majority of the CJ & YJ owners used to say about TJ owners & drivers when the TJ was new back when..... Same kinds of things, same stereotypical narrative...….

I was just thinking the same thing. I remember when the TJ came out and everyone was all in an uproar about coils instead of leafs. As the JK/JL's age the soccer moms will move on to something else and the enthusiast will pick them up.
 
I was just thinking the same thing. I remember when the TJ came out and everyone was all in an uproar about coils instead of leafs. As the JK/JL's age the soccer moms will move on to something else and the enthusiast will pick them up.
Life changed and I couldn't hold onto mine. Now I will have to see what the used market turns up in five years. It won't have my name on the window sticker...
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I’ll tell you what would be a hit...if someone could figure out how to turn 3.8 jk’s into a v8 or had a way to rebuild and boost them fast and cheap, it would be huge. The market is full of them.
 
Some guy just tried to shame me because I called his 2.0 turbo JL anemic and he had to call me dumb... :whistle:
I can tell you, on the road, if thats all your gonna do the 2.0Lt is perfect. The 3.6 V6 is superior for people who actually want to crawl a trail.