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what to do, what to do :/

3K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  jstman 
#1 ·
so my dad bought me a 2000 jeep wrangler tj and i get my licence in a few weeks. its the 2.5 3spd auto. i really want to trade it for a 5spd. but the thing is he did a hell of alot of work on it, aluminum checkerplating along the corners and running bordes, new fenders new hardtop ect. i was considering swaping it but i heard its way too much work and not worth it. so i am baffled. Help!:confused:
 
#4 ·
I agree with bmpregler I came across a 03' auto and it was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. At first I hated the auto but I recently start my own jeep club and seeing people have so much trouble with standards made me feel better. We do have some people with standards and they are pretty dang good. It's one of those things that when your good your good and vise versa. If your gonna do trail rides stick to the auto. Even if you do get to where you want a standard, some swaps are pretty easy and straight forward with the right know how. Good luck just be happy your dad got you a jeep. Your gonna love it it's like a drug!
 
#5 ·
Your username is 4mudding... If you're going to be mudding you will probably find auto to be a lot less annoying on the trail and thus you may find your offroading experience more enjoyable... But that depends on the individual!

Not to mention that you could always keep the auto for now and see how it goes. And if you want, in the future you can just do a tranny swap :D
 
#6 ·
I dont know your experience level off road, but learning to wheel is a skill that is developed over time. That skill is alot easier to learn when you dont have to worry about shifting gears all the time. Granted it can offer a extra level of control if you know what you are doing, but in my opinion I would stick without the stick for now. See how it goes and if you still hate it later on, then do the swap.
 
#9 ·
Okay that's like 5 votes for auto! We are not telling you what to do just our opinions and experiences. Do what you want but there's alot of experience on this forum and we will help you alot. You just have to ask! The 2.5 is a good base model to learn. Get to know your jeep learn what it can do and read plenty on here and might wanna check out Pirate4x4 when you start getting serious because you will.. Trust us! Have fun!
 
#14 ·
I have the 2.5 w/ standard 5 speed tranny. Our group does a lot of different types of trail riding - mud, hills, rock, leisure.... and those out of our group that have auto trannys make it look so much easier. I'm seriously contemplating doing an AT swap. Keep it, you'll love it in the long run.
 
#15 ·
Stick with the auto for now and be happy with what your dad provided you. I will say it does make me feel good that someone your age wants to learn to drive a manual. I've been in a few situations where no one who was legally able to drive could because they couldn't drive a manual. It's like rising a bike. Once you learn you never forget.
 
#16 ·
I looked high and low for an affordable automatic Jeep for my son and we ended up with a 2.5, 5 speed. I wanted to get the auto so he could get out and drive without having to shift right away, get used to it and all. He is doing fine with the 5 speed and I don't regret it but I do understand why a dad would go with the automatic....
 
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