What makes you smile about your TJ?

Malteser

Malteser

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 13, 2020
Messages
130
Location
Ireland
Hey guys,
As you'll know I'm looking to buy my first TJ, I've never actually driven one so I'm excited to experience it! I've always been an old school jap import guy - my favourite thing about the experience is how connected to the road beneath you you are. The feeling of mechanical over electronic is so nostalgic, I really enjoy it. I expect the TJ will be similar so I'm excited!

What's your guys favourite aspect of owning/driving a TJ? I'm curious to know.

Cheers,

Derek
 
Malteser said:
Hey guys,
As you'll know I'm looking to buy my first TJ, I've never actually driven one so I'm excited to experience it! I've always been an old school jap import guy - my favourite thing about the experience is how connected to the road beneath you you are. The feeling of mechanical over electronic is so nostalgic, I really enjoy it. I expect the TJ will be similar so I'm excited!

What's your guys favourite aspect of owning/driving a TJ? I'm curious to know.

Cheers,

Derek
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Its like a Harley you can buy anything and everything for it anywhere! :)
 
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It’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to touching the feeling of being 4 years old laying in the back yard with a toy truck rolling it around in the dirt, the very definition of pure happiness. While the wine women & song replaced that in the later years, every time I jump in that Jeep an indestructible smile slides across my face as it shoots me back in time to childlike happiness that’s unmistakable & unattainable in any other way.
 
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Maybe mine is more practical in nature. Having owned multiple leaf sprung 4x4s, the TJ/LJ use of coil springs on all four corners was a revolutionary step forward for the Wrangler. It's on-road ride and off-road capabilities, even in stock form, are truly amazing. This and more makes it a "one of a kind" that, as @Westtown Willy says, "shoots me back in time to childlike happiness that’s unmistakable & unattainable in any other way".
 
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A couple of aspects come to mind, it's tough to narrow down which is my favorite:

I love that my kids love my Jeep. I think they get more excited than I do sometimes just to go cruise around in it. Both of them have grown up being in and around the Jeep since they were about 6 months old.

I love the adrenaline rush of tackling difficult off-road terrain/ obstacles. I love feeling my heartrate elevate and my mouth dry up after getting thru a "sketchy spot" on the trail.

I love driving it to work on nice days even when it's hot/ humid and it make more sense to take the vehicle with air conditioning. I love shifting gears and feeling that connection to a vehicles that's just a little rough around the edges still. I love the smell of the interior and the exhaust - it just has that smell. Ya know what I mean?
 
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Malteser said:
Hey guys,
As you'll know I'm looking to buy my first TJ, I've never actually driven one so I'm excited to experience it! I've always been an old school jap import guy - my favourite thing about the experience is how connected to the road beneath you you are. The feeling of mechanical over electronic is so nostalgic, I really enjoy it. I expect the TJ will be similar so I'm excited!

What's your guys favourite aspect of owning/driving a TJ? I'm curious to know.

Cheers,

Derek
Click to expand...
For me it's simple - my TJ needs to be driven, no ABS, no traction control, no self parking, no cruise control just a basic, simple and very capable 4X4.

😎 I think you said that - "The feeling of mechanical over electronic is so nostalgic". Yep you got it:)
 
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Mine creaks, rattles, squeaks, even leaks a little but it keeps going and going. Never worry about door dings (of course being a little lifted with side bars on my rock rails help with that too :giggle:). When I have a little bit of downtime, I love to either have the hood lifted working on cleaning up wiring, underneath it looking for things that need attention, or just out driving it and being carefree.
 
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It always catches someones interest It’s like a big boys transformer, take top off, doors off, lift it, keep it stock, half doors, what ever you can think of you can do.. and it’s one of the most capable out the box 4x4s out there.. I got really hooked several years ago when I worked at Waffle House, they don’t close.. EVER!
Any snow storm or ice storms we have to goto work.. usually management is picking up employees to get them to work.. I would drive my 1st jeep around all day and never slip, spin, lose traction!!!.(I had to do that for 10 years and never had issues). made me feel confident and have always had one... or 2:)
 
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The top off/doors off feeling makes me grin till my jaw hurts.
But for me the biggest thing is being able to get in and sit down and have enough headroom to be able to hit a bump and not dislocate my neck. And also not be looking straight at the visors. Seriously. Only other vehicle I've been in like that was an old Chevy square body. Even a minivan makes my hair rub the headliner. And I have a military cut.
 
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In my mind driving the tj is like flying an old propeller airplane, like a Stol. They can get through anything and back again. The TJ can take a beating and then ask for more. I dont know of any modern vehicle as solid as the tj. Maintenance is extremely easy and you can find parts anywhere.

I live on an Island that is under constan threat of huracanes, everything floods when it rains and the streets resamble the lunar surface, my tj handles everything like a champ. I've even had to tow out JK and Tacoma's from flooded streets.
 
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5632 said:
The number one thing to me when I got my last TJ was having an LS 5.3 V8. I would never own one again without it.
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I know I'm gonna so incredibly tempted to LS swap before I leave for Malta - It's an insanely expensive process here, hard to believe for you guys I'm sure haha.

I am LOVING these reasons! It's exactly how I feel I'm gonna feel behind the wheel! Keep them coming, you guys are selling me hard on this haha. I remember when I started looking, I came running to my wife like an over-excited kid, going "LOOK!! YOU CAN DRIVE WITH THE DOORS OFF!!!!"
 
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This...
20190701_153205.jpg

Also, the mechanical feel of driving it. Manual transmission, no ABS, no back up camera, no touch screen, etc. So simple even I can work on it.
 
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