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The Last Real Jeep

8K views 54 replies 27 participants last post by  trw 
#1 ·
No van motor, minimal plastic :gunfight:, two doors only, no PDL or PW, c'mon now. :gunfight:
 

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#5 ·
Great post, and i own a 2006...so yes, yes indeed. But I also own a 81 CJ7. The TJ/LJ has a TON of plastic compared to the CJ. The CJ in IMHO is the last of the true Jeeps, but I love, hands down, and hope to never sell, my LJ.
 
#9 ·
I'd say the TJ/LJ and here is why. About roughly 97% of the JK and up owners don't bother to wave...kinda like the rice rockets who don't wave back at the Harley guys.

With both the Harley and the Jeep TJ/Lj we have old technology perfectly merged with modern technology and more importantly the sound. You can always reckognize that reliable thuddd sound of the 4.0 just like the v-twin rumble. [emoji16]

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk
 
#11 ·
The YJ, many probably don't want to admit it. But the YJ is an improved CJ, little longer, little wider, it is also the last AMC designed Jeep.



The only time Harley guys never waived to me on my crotch rocket is when they are frolicking around in large groups. I always figured that was because they were too busy holding up traffic when those guys frolick in groups of 5 or more they might as well get off their bikes and direct traffic slowly. Harleys are cool but I liked riding more than wrenching so i got a Honda.
 
#12 ·
The YJ, many probably don't want to admit it. But the YJ is an improved CJ, little longer, little wider, it is also the last AMC designed Jeep.
But the YJ was the result of 60 Minutes killing the CJ5!
Has small wheel openings and appeared to sit lower than the CJ. What's the largest tire I can fit without a lift! Yeah, I had to go there.
Has the worst dash (just my opinion and everybody knows the story about opinions).
OH, and the SQUARE headlights! Fire that headlight designer!
Reality, I'd like to own an original unmolested YJ for those very reasons! :wink2:
 
#15 ·
Nah this was the last real Jeep.

No seatbelts,no rollbars, no power steering, no power brakes, skinny NDT’s, mount for a machine gun, you sit on the gas tank, 60hp engine, leaf springs, no plastic anywhere, and everything is rebuildable.

At the time driven by MEN.

But wait, technically not a Jeep so maybe I lied.
 

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#17 ·
No van motor, minimal plastic, two doors only, no PDL or PW
Ok, I'll be the contrarian and say that I think a JK is basically a TJ with a mid-arm kit installed from the factory, but add 100HP - it was available w/o PDL or PW

If you want a long-stroke engine, the Liberty's 3.7 actually had a longer piston throw than the beloved 4.0
 
#22 ·
We'll have to take a poll on that one:

(1) Does he actually believe that ? or
(2) Does he think we'll be fooled by that ?

Feel free to answer (2) without having to proffer a theory about why he wants newbie forum members to believe that
 
#23 ·
I started wheeling in a 47cj back in 75 on the Rubicon. then moved up to a 66cj and today the 12 i have. these type question tend to come from those that may own a jeep but are not really a "jeeper". MY opinion. no matter what year it is. my 47 was fun but 45hp limits that rather fast, the 66 had the buick v6 had the power the 47 lacked. the12 has more power then any Cj Yj Tj ever made and its power is down low as well. and is just as good at WOT. but that is do to dual over head cams and VVT like anything made to day. the main issue is the complexity. I moved up to the 12 do to the specs of the 3.6 and the W5 back in 2011. stock 4.1 gears that can roll 35 and still blow away all before it. even on 37s the thing breaks them loose on the street. try that in a TJ stock<<<<<<37s on 4.1s how you doing? not well...

any off road vehicle is just a car if it not used off road, like most. i have wheeled all those jeeps on the wests trails now seems forever. the Jk is superior in its ability and inferior in its complexity at times. Fact is i would rather have a Buggy.......But my jeep has ran Con 4x, Dusy 4x Fordyce once and many other of calis harder trails. Many in Utah and Home is AZ and we have more miles of trails then about any state i know of.

A real jeep is anyone of them that sees rocks the more it see's and the harder the trails the more it is a REAL jeep.
 
#25 ·
A real jeep is anyone of them that sees rocks the more it see's and the harder the trails the more it is a REAL jeep.
Party pooper! I guess I won't buy this TJ on 54s then. :(

p.s. I hate rocks more than Jerry B hates mud. Va red mud/clay rules the "redneck" pits.
 

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#24 ·
I got to agree with the doc on this one.

Incidentally, my 14 JKU has a check engine light on that doing the key truck fails reveal a code. I have not had time to take it in because of other things happening with me. I am dreading bringing it in. It might a simple sensor and a relatively inexpensive repair. Or it could be something major costing thousands of dollars to repair. I love my 14 JKU and the way it is set up is perfect for my needs and wants. If the repair costs too much, then I might end up selling it and replacing it with something older, simpler, and more DIY friendly. I used to have a 95 YJ. It wasn’t practical and had many shortcomings as a daily driver, but I could fix just about anything wrong with it with simple hand tools and whatever cash I had in my wallet. I remember paying ten bucks for a reman brake caliper that came with a lifetime warranty. A brake incident on a major road in my 14 ended up costing around $1,200 and I had no choice but to pay it due to the circumstances

Also, Jeeps used to be relatively inexpensive and costs less than most vehicles. Now, it is common to see a price tag of $52,000 and sometimes higher, and that is before you make a single modification.

A comparable JLU sells for almost fourteen thousand dollars more than my 14 JKU sold for. That being said, I felt like a fool paying as much as I paid for a Wrangler which was less than msrp. It’s a different demographic that is buying these expensive Jeeps for sure.
 
#27 ·
I might be biased because I own a TJ, but I'd have to say the TJ is the last real Jeep (or at least when they peaked). As someone else mentioned, you can still work on the TJs. Too many electronic nannies on the new Jeeps, that whole stop/start thing just bugs me with the newer ones, etc. TJs are still narrow enough to fit on tight trails.

And I'll say it: "Real Jeeps have round headlights".

I also own a 46 CJ2A, so I appreciate the improvements made to the Jeeps since 1946. I like power steering, power brakes, fuel injection, heat and air that work, etc.

At least the new ones are still solid axles front and rear (which in my opinion really is the definition of a real Jeep, so I guess the new ones are still real Jeeps).

(And don't tell anyone, but I've been eyeing the used four-door JKs I see on the used car lots - the later ones with the 3.6 engines).
 

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#28 ·
Just completed a 3800 mi round trip Virginia to Colorado and return in our 2013 JK. Aside from a really expensive brake failure the JK did well. The 3.6 took mountains (7% grade on one) with rarely a downshift. One time on the 7% it downshifted twice and start screaming. I yelled at my wife (well, suggested) that she back off the gas and it settled back down. This was at around 70 mph. My 4.0 5 speed, no match. Not that the TJ is going away any time soon. So was the TJ the last real Jeep? That depends on if you call the JK a Jeep. Depends on if you say a real Jeep would never have stock performance close to the 3.6 JK. If the JK is a Jeep then no, the TJ is not the last real Jeep.
 
#29 ·
I don't equate engine performance (good or bad) with being a real Jeep. I don't think anyone would say the old WWII jeeps and later flat-fender Jeeps were not "real Jeeps". And they were all woefully underpowered (ok; barely adequate at best) four cylinder engines.

Heck; I wish my four cylinder TJ had more power.
 
#36 ·
#32 ·
Real Jeep:

Nine or Seven vertical-slat grill, solid axles front/rear, body on frame, two-speed transfer case, can be had as a soft-top, sold as a "Jeep" or "Willys Jeep" or "Wrangler". MA, MB, CJ, YJ, TJ, JK, etc.

Edit: Add GPW (WWII Jeep), M38, M38A1 and other military versions of CJ series Jeeps.
 
#43 ·
There is no last real Jeep yet. As long as they can wheel and have straight axles it’s all good.
The great thing about the new generation is you can drive them across country and wheel them then drive home again.
And when the JK is all done it’s DD duties you can turn it into a buggy with no electronics if you choose.


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#44 ·
Going to bump up this good thread.


Since this is 100% opinion based I was just say the "Real Jeep" ended with the CJs, but with that said Jeeps live on today in JLs but after the CJ they slowly took the fork in the trail more towards comfort/safety then bare utility. And a lot of that is simply legally required.
 
#46 ·
I drove my first Jeep in 1971. I had just finished the Navy's ET A school and was assigned to a ship as the radar tech. We were getting a new radar and went to a shipyard in Wando, SC. Our new Exec was flying to meet the ship. I was the only person onboard who had a military driver's license and we had two deuce and half trucks, two LCVPs, and two Jeeps. They hooked up the crane and put one of the Jeeps on the pier. I jumped in and took off. No keys, no doors, no seat belts, lousy brakes, felt like it was going to tip over at any moment and the engine sounded like it was going to explode at 35 mph. Big sticker on the dash stating Maximum Speed is 40 mph! Seat was a "cushion" about 2 inches thick on a steel seat. I make a wrong turn heading for the airport in Charleston and about 45 mins later stopped at a gas station and got set straight. Picked up the exec at the airport and, on the way back to the ship, we agreed that we would never ride in this POS again!
Jump forward 8 years. Just finished college with my BSEE and my wife just graduated and we decided to buy a 'new car'. We drove a bunch and decided on a 1978 CJ-7. It had the old AMC engine and a three speed transmission. It also ran on regular gasoline. We relocated to Long Island, NY where the marine atmosphere immediately attacked the Jeep. I think every weld was rusting out when I got a call from the local Jeep dealer asking if I would sell him the Jeep. Seems they could not get unleaded gas in Bermuda and some guy really wanted a Jeep. I said sure, and away it went. Before we sold it, we drove from Long Island to Kansas City one winter for Christmas. Leaf springs and interstate highways do not mix. That thing beat the snot out of us. You know it's cold when your arm sticks to the inside of the door because of the cold. Drove most of the way looking through one of the two clear spots on the windshield. Finally, got behind a Jeno's Pizza truck outside of St. Louis and followed him through driving snow all the way to KC. We really liked that Jeep and took many picnic trips with the kids to the beaches of Long Island GSB. Sold it in 83.
Spent the next 20 years traveling internationally working on large IT projects, but I always missed my Jeep.
Bought a new '04 LJR in San Antonio and took many trips to Padre Island. This Jeep had a much better suspension system and a 2 1/2 hour trip was not bad. Got a new gig in Atlanta, but could not relo, so I drove the LJ from SA to Atl and back three times. It's just not a long distance cruiser.
Traded it in for an '07 GC Diesel. After 5 turbos, Jeep admitted they couldn't fix it and made us a good deal on a 2012 Grand Cherokee Overland. We still own it and it has about 75000 miles and runs great. It has the air (nitrogen) bags and has given us no problems. We only use it for highway and it has made trips all over the country. It is a highway cruiser.
In 2014, after searching for about a year, I found a 2006 LJR (arrest me red!) with only 33k miles and no rust. I snapped it up and drive it down to Padre at least once a summer. In SA we don't have any snow, so no salt or chemicals. I expect to keep it forever and have little interest in the newer Jeep Wrangler styles. I think (my opinion only!) that four door Jeep Wranglers look silly. Also, they are huge, much bigger than my LJ. We don't have any mountains, so I have no need to lift it, put on bigger tires, or make any changes to a very stable engine. I did the gas filler burp fix and put in a new Crown OPDA, so no issues. For me, it is my last real Jeep.
 
#52 ·
With ridiculously long posts like this, most people tuned you out faster than a Bernie Sanders rant/Rally. Both of you have a zero chance of being heard.
 
#48 ·
In 2002 I bought my first Jeep - a ‘99 WJ with the 4.7 V8 that was perfect for towing our Jayco PU Camper. In 2018 I sold it with 235k miles and bought a 2013 JK Sahara 6-speed and 58k miles. With the 19” wheels, it makes for a great highway ride. Not ready to take it off-road yet, I searched around for a TJ. I found a white ‘03 Wrangler X 5-speed 4.0 in Memphis where it had spent most of its life in Florida and Mississippi. It was already set up with 1.5” lift, after-market front bumper with winch, and new 31” mud tires. The TJ is so much fun just poking around town. I also tow the TJ behind my Winnebago Navion/Sprinter RV. Looking forward to doing some jeeping in the Frisco, CO area this summer.
 
#49 ·
In 2002 I bought my first Jeep - a '99 WJ with the 4.7 V8 that was perfect for towing our Jayco PU Camper. In 2018 I sold it with 235k miles and bought a 2013 JK Sahara 6-speed and 58k miles. With the 19" wheels, it makes for a great highway ride. Not ready to take it off-road yet, I searched around for a TJ. I found a white '03 Wrangler X 5-speed 4.0 in Memphis where it had spent most of its life in Florida and Mississippi. It was already set up with 1.5" lift, after-market front bumper with winch, and new 31" mud tires. The TJ is so much fun just poking around town. I also tow the TJ behind my Winnebago Navion/Sprinter RV. Looking forward to doing some jeeping in the Frisco, CO area this summer.
I'm ready to head on my maiden tow voyage with my 03 TJ behind an LTV Sprinter. Just curious, but does you TJ tow well behind the Sprinter? My Sprinter is a 2018 with 5speed auto. Also, what type of tow bar do you use? I decided on the Demco Dominator - hope it works good! Thanks.
 
#50 ·
I am using a Smittybuilt Wrangler tow bar that connects to the D-Ring connectors. Then I connected some eye bolts underneath for the safety chains. I installed the Hopkins BrakeBuddy system to handle the TJ braking during tow. Everything works great together. I generally keep my speed to 60mph whether towing or not. You can tell the TJ is back there from dead starts, but otherwise pulls well at speed. I do toggle to the rear view camera periodically to make sure all is well. Have fun on your trip!
 
#51 ·
I am using a Smittybuilt Wrangler tow bar
Look at my avatar closely (today 3/3).It changes daily. Smittybilt in CHINESE crap, just like the virus they started by eating bats!!! Bad decisions.

p.s. I helped you out.
 

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#55 ·
Such a stupid discussion. Why can't some guys just admit they prefer certain Jeep models rather then try to bolster their egos by saying THEIRS is the last real xx.....

Anyone who's says the JKs are too complex are having a laugh. My JK is easier to work on than my YJ was, because the JK is more modular. Anything electronics related is plug and play minus 2 modules that are VIN locked. The flares that are super easy to remove also introduced easily removable liners that give total access to the sides of the motor. Stop being afraid of 'new'.

The JLs, I have no experience, can't comment in any way. There has not been a 'last real jeep' yet.
 
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