cheap jeep?

[look 171]

No more Jeeps. Playing dirty is behind me plus, I am a big Land Cruiser fan. Thanks anyway.

[Aragorn]

Just a little more light reading on the subject...

Jeep Wrangler TJ Buyers Guide - Jp Magazine

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by techweenie

'The idea of a Jeep' is the key. Yes, the idea is great, but the reality, well...

Skip the Wrangler. Crude, unstable, etc. Bypass 4X4s because in town, it's just extra weight and complexity you're hauling around.

Look at a Grand Cherokee or vintage XJ Cherokee. Same bulletproof straight 6 in both. Automatic transmissions can be a problem after 130K or so. Some Vintage XJs had 5-speeds, and that might be the sweet spot. Either that, or hold back money for a rebuilt automatic when the time comes.

Not the same thing. The whole point is living the idea of a Wrangler - soft top, noisy, cold, etc. She likes that kind of thing in short doses.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Not the same thing. The whole point is living the idea of a Wrangler - soft top, noisy, cold, etc. She likes that kind of thing in short doses.

Sounds like my ex-girlfriend...

[Josh D]

I bought this YJ new in '95 and have been beating on it and modifying ever since. It is literally a part of the family. To list all of the places it's taken me would take pages. It's been by far the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned, and I'm sure the fact I'm the only owner and the only one who's ever drove it and worked on it has something to do with that.

[look 171]

Josh, I think you missed the point.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Not the same thing. The whole point is living the idea of a Wrangler - soft top, noisy, cold, etc. She likes that kind of thing in short doses.

Exactly right, but JoshD, wow.

A quick search of eBay and other sites: Plenty of Jeeps at your price point.

I got me this and missed the point as well:

[nostatic]

Yeah, tons of them on CL. Almost all stick though - will have to think about whether or not that is a deal-breaker. I wouldn't mind having a manual trans car back in the lineup but the point it to get it for her. We'd just have to abuse the clutch for awhile in a parking lot to get her sorted out. I thought there would be more AT jeeps out there. Maybe just in more recent years.

[Dantilla]

Jeeps, even more than Porsches, are merely the "starter kit", Hard to find a used one that is still stock.

The coil-sprung Wranglers are far better, both on-road and off-road than the earlier leaf-sprung Jeeps. The six cylinder engines are bulletproof, and way better than the four.

My wife's current daily driver is a lifted Rubicon. She likes the auto tranny, I wish it was a 5-speed.

Nothing beats it in nice weather with the top and doors off.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by Josh D

Native appear to be well fed.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by Josh D

Natives appear to be well fed.

[porsche4life]

If that's in AZ, those aren't the natives!

[steveo12345]

Originally Posted by look 171

People get tired of those things all the time. They see it and want it because its looks cool, ones the novelty wears off, it goes for sale. I look at Craig's list instead of a small use car lot.

+1 I had one for a year. As fun as it was on weekend off roading it was a PIA during the week. Not a viable option for a daily driver. Most used Wranglers are beat to a pulp before tradein. I had a blast in mine until my company was sold and my commute went from 1/2 mile to 30 miles.

[RWebb]

I have friends who use one as their only car & daily driver. Viable depends on what you want, what you'll put up with.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by steveo12345

+1 I had one for a year. As fun as it was on weekend off roading it was a PIA during the week. Not a viable option for a daily driver. Most used Wranglers are beat to a pulp before tradein. I had a blast in mine until my company was sold and my commute went from 1/2 mile to 30 miles.

My intention was to build a short wheel base, mild off road vehicle for the back country after I destroyed my Land Cruiser. Business grew, I eventually grew up and just stopped going out to the trials. Got rid of it because it had no AC for the socal traffic jams in the dead middle of summer. It leaked even with the new soft top (930 is the permanent resident in the garage), so it went. Do I miss it? Sure but I don't miss covering it because rain is the the forecast. I sold it for nothing after 3 years of ownership.

[Josh D]

Originally Posted by look 171

Josh, I think you missed the point.

Actually, I do get the point. I didn't mean to suggest that a Jeep be turned into a trail beast to be useable. The pics were used to illistrate the durability. Ok, and maybe show off a bit.....What fun is a pic of a stock Jeep parked in the driveway?

Reality is that a stock Jeep makes for a great runabout. Great visibility with upright seating position, and very easy to manuever in traffic and parking lots with it's short wheelbase and tight turning radius. You don't have to worry about door dings or curb rash. They handle surprisingly well on twisty mountain roads if not lifted too high. Heat and A/C also work well in these. The stability myth dates back to the narrow trac, short wheelbase CJ-5 that they dropped the 304 V8 in and stupid people would drive them passed their limits. They widened the tracs significantly on later Jeeps. Downside? They are noisy at highway speeds and don't get the best fuel mileage. That's it.

Whenever the wife, kids and I travel by motorhome, we always flat tow the Jeep behind to use as our runabout. Even in it's highly modified form, it still works pretty well on the street. It's been to Disneyland, Seaworld, downtown LA during rush hour, the canyons of Malibu, numerous Cali beaches, and even sections of Mullholand Dr. Never skips a beat!

[Josh D]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Natives appear to be well fed.

That trail is near Las Cruces, NM. And just for the record, I don't resemble any of those observers!!