wife wants a Jeep

[LittleHorse]

her dad bought an 82 CJ-7 before she was born, and she's loved the thing her whole life. Now has decided it's time to get one.

Not sure how I feel about this since I was raised to be vehemently anti-Chrysler but I have to admit I'd appreciate having a solid front axle and a (factory) removable top that actually includes the roof over the driver. On paper it seems like a great deal but I'm a little concerned with how reliable it turns out. Seems like the TJ is about the best choice to look at, considering it has to do daily driver duty for the wife.

 

[strvger]

if you could find a CJ7 in really good shape, i'm guessing that would make you her "knight in shining armor". good luck!

 

[Kirbot]

Get one!

My parents have a cj7, and while its not on the road anymore, we use to go out four wheeling in it a lot.

Fords are nice, and in many ways probably better, but there's just something about a Jeep.

I don't know what it is about them, but I'm still in love with that old cj7, even now that it would probably fall apart if you took it over 25 mph.

It's sort of a farm truck now, with the back seat out, and a sort of an improvised pickup bed.
I still love to drive it every chance I get.

Be warned though, many CJs seem to be in worse shape than other trucks from the same year.

A Yj or Tj probably would be more practical choices, but there just not the same.


-Mike

 

[LittleHorse]

There's a pretty clean CJ-7 for sale nearby, with just a bikini top, for $7k. I don't mean to insult any Jeep fans, but I just can't bring myself to pay that for a 30 year old truck with no A/C or any of the modern features. I'd drive one if money was no object, but even then I don't think I could put my wife in one as her daily. She's not mechanically inclined so I'd be leaving work all the time to go help her when she had trouble. I've already had to do that with cars in the past so I need something new enough that it won't be finicky...which is why I'm mainly looking at TJ's.

Jeeps seem to carry some sort of intangible, maybe sentimental or emotional value to people which causes them to be overpriced for what they are when you think about them in terms of technology, materials, or manufacturing expense.

If I found an LJ (the Unlimited TJ, with +10" wheelbase) with 50,000 miles or less I'd gladly pay $14k for it. Of course we'd have to sell the F-150 first. I have a household rule of no more than one car payment at a time.

 

[RangerSVT]

My G/F's dad owns a 2002 TJ 4.0L 5spd, he has about 125K on his motor, and his has spun a bearing.....The G/F has a 97 XJ with 204K and the radiator literally blew the plastic tank off the side (this is the 2nd one in less than a year)...I'll never own a jeep, too many problems, too cheaply made


It's a jeep thing, you wouldn't understand...
SVT

 

[canyoncritter]

get the 4.0L,the 4banger is gutless for freeway driving or if you even dare to put larger tires on it.

the auto's are fire boxes.they make alot of heat.and not cheap to rebuild. trans cooler is your best friend.bigger the better.

research the diffrent types of T cases. on how they work. if it what ever jeep you look at has the quadtrac type of tcase you can learn how to tell if its working like its suppose to.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

time to divorce



LOL joke.
jeeps are cool man, its the only chrysler product worth to own

 

[LittleHorse]

I told her I wouldn't even consider it unless it had a 6 cylinder, a manual trans and a D44 rear axle. Haven't quite got up to speed on the transfer cases yet, I just thought there were two, the standard one and the one from the Rubicon with the 4:1 low ratio.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) I've been burned plenty of times buying used vehicles so I've gotten pretty good at knowing what kinds of things to watch out for.

I saw one that would have been a great deal but it had one tire that was on the wear bars while the other 3 had 50-70% tread. It only had 47k miles on it and they weren't the stock tires. Weirded me out.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

that could be a sign of abuse/ lack of maintenance.

 

[Kirbot]

$7000 sounds awfully high, even for a nice one.
Around here you can find a decent one for, I think about half that.

Jeeps seem to carry some sort of intangible, maybe sentimental or emotional value to people which causes them to be overpriced for what they are when you think about them in terms of technology, materials, or manufacturing expense.

Very true, and it's tough to try to explain.

I think maybe it's sort of the image.
I mean, they have been around since the 40s, the militery used them, hell, it helped win WWII.
In my opinion it was one of the few places we were ahead of Germany, we had the Jeep, while they were using souped up Beetles.

When I think of 4x4s the first truck I think of is the Jeep.
Something about there history, it just makes you proud to drive one.

Does any of that make it worth more? Well, that depends on the driver, I suspect your wife thinks so.

So do I, but I had to put practicality first, I certainly can't find a running cj for $600 like I can a Bronco II.

Simply put, "It's a Jeep Thing"

 

[RangerSVT]

a D44 rear axle..

I would think twice about that...Factory 44 rear's had aluminum centersections....
SVT

 

[Ranger Kip]

CJ's were not a gas-saving vehicle, but were designed for farms and industrial purposes, thus the PTO on the back end, and some had the 3point.

Now for fun, get an older Wrangler or a Willys

 

[LittleHorse]

I would think twice about that...Factory 44 rear's had aluminum centersections....
SVT

the alternative is a D35...surely that wouldn't be better?


I wouldn't be doing any rock crawling or other hardcore stuff with it. The worst it would see, at least for several years, would be relatively light trails.

The D44 front (only on Rubicons) I could care less about - it's a D44 ring/pinion/carrier with D30 axles, spindles, hubs, and brakes.

 

[RangerSVT]

8.8's are a very popular swap on those, though they are 1.5" narrower than the jeep axles...Of the 35 and 44 I think I'd run the 35 over the 44...IIRC the axles are the same size, the R&P is slightly larger (but not by much), and the centersection is way weaker on the 44 than the 35
SVT

 

[martin]

I'm having a bit of a problem trying to figure out a woman using a tj as a daily driver. Where on earth is she going to put her shopping, trailer perhaps.