WyoDak
Member
oldschoolsdime92
TJ Enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2016
- Messages
- 150
My journey of becoming a jeep owner was interesting to say the least. I was a die hard motorcyclist. I would disappear for weekends on moto trips. I did track days, did some off road also. My life revolved around motorcycles. One day, while putting up our christmas tree back a few years ago,my wife came to me and told me she was pregnant. Initially, I didn't think that would effect my motorcycling. Boy was I wrong. After the baby was born, riding was never the same again. I just didn't enjoy it as much. Constantly having the lingering thought of that little boy in the back of my mind.While I still have a motorcycle,I don't ride near like I used too. As he got little older, I thought I wanted to have something the whole family could enjoy. So being the muscle car addict , I once was, I bought a shiny black on black leather 2001 mustang GT. I owned that car for 4-5 months tops. Had my son in it once. Just wasn't my gig.
So fast forward 6 months after selling the GT. A friend of mine suggested checking out a jeep. I started looking at them and fell in love with the idea of a jeep. After looking at nearly 10 different jeeps all over ohio/indiana , I found my little blue 03 Tj. Its now turned into my daily driver(I still have my ridgeline, but it doesn't get driven often) and My son loves it. He points out jeeps when we see them driving down the road or in parking lots even. My wife unexpectedly fell in love also. She drives it all the time. Its become a whole family thing. It has brought us closer together, and we all go on jeep adventures together. I would venture to say, its the best thing I've ever purchased. I had no idea it would turn into what it has... Sorry for my long winded response.
So fast forward 6 months after selling the GT. A friend of mine suggested checking out a jeep. I started looking at them and fell in love with the idea of a jeep. After looking at nearly 10 different jeeps all over ohio/indiana , I found my little blue 03 Tj. Its now turned into my daily driver(I still have my ridgeline, but it doesn't get driven often) and My son loves it. He points out jeeps when we see them driving down the road or in parking lots even. My wife unexpectedly fell in love also. She drives it all the time. Its become a whole family thing. It has brought us closer together, and we all go on jeep adventures together. I would venture to say, its the best thing I've ever purchased. I had no idea it would turn into what it has... Sorry for my long winded response.
I grew up on a hill country farm off-roading as part of daily life and hanging up everything (all 2wd- even tractors) in the mud. Ahh- go get the bigger tractor Started backpacking in Colorado in college and still do to this day but as my body slowly gives out I bought a jeep LJ to get me closer to the Fourteeners without carrying a 40# pack 100 miles. Now it's just a 2-7 mile walk to the top. Love the LJ, simple, functional, can drive in the woods with no trail to get firewood, drag my trailer to lumber yard, or just take the top down and enjoy the ride. Only thing it doesn't do well is let me see behind my pontoon boat Guess I might need to extend mirrors.
OP
So funny... you and I literally have the exact same story.
Kiwi TJ
I don't suffer from insanity I enjoy every minute
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Ditto to all the other comments on here about the variety of how my Jeep looks.(top off or on) and the fact that you will never see two Jeeps the same. No matter how bad my day has been my Jeep is my 'Happy Pill' 
whether I'm working on it, driving it or simply cleaning it up a bit...... Not many vehicles can do that.
whether I'm working on it, driving it or simply cleaning it up a bit...... Not many vehicles can do that.
OP
I just love how easy the TJ is to work on. And the fact that I basically never need a jack to get under it and work on things!
derekmac
TJ Addict
brianb2
TJ Enthusiast
Wanted a vehicle to get me deeper in the woods before I had to go it on foot. Wrangler because it's just cool.
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StoneCold
TJ Enthusiast
My best friend had one.....then another. I loved them. Loved going off road and seeing the ease which they went along the trail. Once I could, I got my own. Something about it made me want to drive with the windows down and the music up....big 'ol grin on my face.
The TJ I just got is awesome. Makes me feel the same way. Plus I can go top down, into hunt areas, and I can do the Jeep wave !!!
The TJ I just got is awesome. Makes me feel the same way. Plus I can go top down, into hunt areas, and I can do the Jeep wave !!!
- Nostalgia for the CJ Renegade my dad had while I was in grade school.
- Nostalgia for the TJ X I had about 10 years ago.
- The ability to go where most other on-road vehicles can't.
- The versatility — top down, soft top, hard top, doors on/off, full/half doors.
- The individuality that can be expressed with a multitude of aftermarket parts to make each Jeep a unique ride.
- The unity of fellow Jeepers that understand the tradeoffs and perks of a utilitarian vehicle.
My thoughts exactly! although I have to switch out the jeep my dad owned from a renegade to a willy's. Each of my two uncles on my mothers side owned CJ's. One was a red renegade the other was a brown golden eagle.
I think I read elsewhere on the forum here that you started with a black TJ X too. We both gave 'em up for kids (temporarily!) it sounds like.
Speaking of Willy's... I have a neighbor we affectionately call the drug dealer for the constant flow of "that type" of vehicle coming in and out of their garage (in reality, they're probably just gear heads with different tastes than me
)... but they had THIS parked in their driveway one day! Man, I was drooling! One of them saw me gawking and waved from the 2nd floor window with a gigantic smile.
OP
I think I read elsewhere on the forum here that you started with a black TJ X too. We both gave 'em up for kids (temporarily!) it sounds like.
Speaking of Willy's... I have a neighbor we affectionately call the drug dealer for the constant flow of "that type" of vehicle coming in and out of their garage (in reality, they're probably just gear heads with different tastes than me
View attachment 7320 View attachment 7321
That is so friggin' badass
Head Lice
TJ Addict
It's very simple. I am a mascochist and also wanted some place to sink every extra penny I ever made. Stinger is my 6th CJ/YJ/TJ and my 12th Jeep!
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I think I read elsewhere on the forum here that you started with a black TJ X too. We both gave 'em up for kids (temporarily!) it sounds like.
Speaking of Willy's... I have a neighbor we affectionately call the drug dealer for the constant flow of "that type" of vehicle coming in and out of their garage (in reality, they're probably just gear heads with different tastes than me
View attachment 7320 View attachment 7321
I had a black 02' X that I bought new. It had a hard top and full doors. Sold it when my oldest daughter was born in 2008 to buy a Subaru outback. Which was much easier to get a car seat in but not as much fun to drive. Ever since I sold it I wanted another one. Spent the past year looking for another one. Finally found it in San Jose in May. Patriot Blue 02' sport with half doors, soft top , and 42,000 miles on it.
My dad's old willy's was "rattle can" red with a tow bar. It was a hunting/beater vehicle. The old man graduated to a jeep Wagoneer after that. Tan with the faux wood trim, "sharp". your neighbors willys looks awesome. Super clean.
Drove pickups most of my adult life, and bought a 1980 CJ7 back in 1988 on a whim. Hated it, sold it within a couple of months, back to a pickup truck. But the Jeep bug bit. A couple years later, bought another CJ7, ran that for a while then gave it to my daughter to take to college. Got a brand new 1997 TJ 4 banger in 1996 when they first came out, ran that for 6 months, then sold it to get a Sport 6 cyl. Went through several TJ Sports, then sold another 1997 to a friend in 2006 to get a JK Rubicon when those first came out. Kept that until 2012 when I got a 2006 TJ Rubicon, but that had been modded, didn't turn out well. Sold it and went Jeepless for a while. Long story short, every time I would get one, sell it, I would regret getting rid of it. After 13 or so Jeeps, including 3 CJs, 1 YJ, 2 JKs, and many TJs, I decided I was just better off getting one and keeping it. Stumbled over my current '04 Rubicon last summer, this one's the keeper. I will give it to my daughter when I can't drive any more. After having a couple of JKs, the looks never grew on me, and in spite of all the creature comforts they have, the TJ always beckoned to me. I consider it the perfect combination of power, comfort, and size, without all the electronic nannies.
Life's too short to not drive a TJ.
Life's too short to not drive a TJ.
Sometimes I'm not sure if I own a wrangler or if it owns me... I have been completely fascinated by them for as long as I can remember... they were so different and had so much attitude! Later I fell deeply in love with driving and found I was quite good at it. I became obsessed with the idea of riding motorcycles (I like a little badass and danger mixed with my ho-hum) It became my goal to learn to ride one day and become a mechanic...my love of jeeps persisted (especially the older models). My first boyfriend grew up riding bikes and had a Harley, a ninja, and a rotating variety of four wheel vehicles... I loved them all (particularly the '74 beetle) but I never had the chance to get close to a wrangler. I finally realized my dream and got my motorcycle license while living and working in Florida on a motor yacht. I never rode though, as my future riding buddy died in a motorcycle accident the day I got my license... I took it as a sign. I have always lived relatively debt free, so I had vehicles because I could afford them, but I was always researching and hunting my dream vehicle. When the Saturn ion was 12 years old I realized I might have to go into debt to acquire a vehicle, and there was only one I was willing to go into debt over. So here I am, very much in debt and very much in love (most days).
Luke
TJ Enthusiast
My dad got one and I became obsessed, but I don't usually use it for mudding and stuff. It's my daily driver so I like having it because it's fun, gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day. Also I like to go exploring so I go explore state parks which often means I'm using 4 wheel drive.
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