Why you bought a full-sized Jeep

[OrlandoAlex]

I'm awfully curious as a newbie as to why you guys got into owning FSJs (a lot of you owning more than one), so I figured I'd ask. Why?

I got interested in them three or four years ago when I first saw a Jeep J10 driving around in Longwood, two towns over.
I have seen it twice in my life, once parked at a Home Depot, so I got to check it out really close, and I thought it was the coolest pickup I'd ever seen - white with orange accents, but the body was what got me. And the best part - it had "Jeep" in huge letters painted on the tailgate. Sweet.

A few months back I got the sensation that I needed to have one of these, because I was tired of having a VW Jetta with so much technology I was afraid to touch it. I'd had two Jeep Cherokee 4x4s (compacts) before, and loved them both dearly - and they both died catastrophic deaths. I wanted a Jeep again. That and the guy across the street who I'm convinced ratted my brother and I out to code enforcement for project cars, he's got an early 70s Chevy pickup and I figured I might as well show him up.

I've wanted a truck for a while too, and that was the clincher. I am now the happy owner of a J10 for about a month. It's been away at a shop for a week and I can't wait to get it back.

Hope I didn't bore ya'll.

Alex

P.S. I've only seen three J10s with my own eyes in my life, other than the one I own. I'd love to see more, especially if the guy in Longwood reads this forum. I'm just north of Orlando. We should do a little rally sometime for the Florida folks.

[RicoBlaster]

I can't recall the first one I saw...I've just always liked how tough they look.

I nearly cried when they totalled that J-truck in Twister.

The cleanest one I ever saw belonged to a city worker in Murfreesboro, TN in 1997. All white, looked factory new. Wow.


Anyway, I bought mine because it was a steal - and a great building block for a project that my family could tinker with for the next handful of years.

[krek]

I owned a 1991 Grand Wagoneer years ago, loved it.

A couple of months ago I put "mud jeep" into the eBay search and when it popped up a modified J10 I said "that looks fun"... bid and won. :D

[J10-401]

I always liked AMC performance cars. Every car I ever bought was an AMC. By 1983 there were no AMC performance cars - or much of any other brand either -- LOL.

I bought my J-truck to tow (U guessed it) an AMC race car on a trailer. My friend, Bob Stange, owned an AMC dealership. He was the most honest businessman I've ever known BTW. Between my family and friends we had bought over 25 cars there over the years. He made me a deal that was his way of sponsoring my SCCA racing efforts. I did that for almost 10-years. I sure wasn't going to buy another brand.

I was at least familiar with the AMC motor in the Jeep and it looked cool. It was built by the factory for towing. Since then, I've gained much more admiration for its off road ability and general durability. And it still looks cool! This one is a "keeper". Every day I drive it it gets good comments and it is irrevocably part of my "persona" now.

[brent]

Another vote for Twister.
I was pretty young and I thought "this girl has the coolest truck I've ever seen in my entire life. What the he** is that?????"
Even after buying it that feeling is still there.
Brent

[del]

I've owned several smaller jeeps, but always thought the FSJ stuff looked cool. Got my current J10 for 350.00 bucks. Sounds like a deal but it needed a lot of work. That's why alot of jeepers drive them I think. You can say " I " kept this vehicle on the road. That and they have so much personality. Everyone I know who drives a FSJ has personality also...Del

[jdubya]

I started with FSj's because I wanted to learn to wrench and I've always loved them.

It's been a real blast :banghead:

[The PIG Smith]

I've always liked Jeeps and FSJ in particular.

As a teenager, the local bank in which my family banked out, had a late 70's blue Jeep J10 with gold Honcho stripes that they had repoed.
When my father and I went to talk to the bank about it, it was sold. :(

Then, how I really got started was back in the mid 90's, I was in need of a family hauler/Mom Bus and had little money to do so.

My wife had a good friend that basically gave us a '82 Wagoneer Limited.
It has lots of problems of which the largest immediate problem was the PO that my friend got it from, had started to do some type of lift/suspension work.
All the suspension, brake lines, driveshafts were disconnected.
Once we got all those issues fixed, then the 258 I6 was next to have many issues, like a broke plastic valve cover and nasty Carter BBD carb.

My wife was taking a trip from Charleston, WV to Fort Wayne, when in Columbus, the engine seized up.

That is how I got started....

[AnnieL]

For me, it was the only logical choice. I live up in the desert, and dirt roads are the norm. Not nice dirt roads, either. I've seen so many SUV's get the tar beaten out of them, always needing front end or other suspension work, always getting stuck in the sand...but not my rig.

Never, ever been stuck, whether it's 4 feet of snow, or deep sand she never fails. They're built tough. Real metal!!! Ooh!!! She takes one heckuva pounding out here,and takes it very well. The gas mileage sucks, but I figure I'm still ahead of the game...as often as I see neighbors having their SUV's or pickup trucks being towed down the hill to a shop. :fsj:

I could go out and buy something that looks tough, but...in the end, I know my rig will do the same job and do it costing me a lot less money. I feel safe and secure with all that METAL around me too.

[incommando]

I have had a few jeeps, but when I was growing up a neighbor had a w/t chero that was sorta the color of a dr pepper can. I always wanted that jeep,and I always thought that the w/t's were the neatest jeeps. When I got a chance to buy one, I did. Took almost 20 years to find the right deal, but, heyuh, I wasn't doing anything else anyway......

[badaboom]

I hunt and enjoy camping and alot of other such outdoor activities.

The FSJ is everywhere you want to be, :D

And It get's me just about anywhere I want to go.. :drivin: :thumbsup:

I like that they are unique within the history timeline of 4 Wheel drive vehicles.

Baja 1000 Winner 1980 SOLO Roger Mears TWISTER??? No Tremors ...

And they look kewl too.:D

[learfxr]

I always liked the style. After watching the "Trucks" episode I was hooked. It planted the seed and I was going to buy an 80 Wag from a coworker, in the meantime I came across a J10 that was sitting around. I decided to get it instead of the Wag. I plan to sell the J10, don't need two 1/2ton trucks. I still wish I had a cool Cherokee. I like the two doors over the four door. I'm sure when I'm older and own a house I will have another full size Jeep, I have too many vehicles for a single guy and renting a home. It would take three trips just to move vehicles, that doesn't include the boat.

[Dmntxn77]

I got my first on (79 Chief) because I wanted a trail Jeep, and it had a big motor, strong axles, cool image, was made of steel, said JEEP and it was CHEAP... It didnt take long for me fall in love with it. I love the lines. Now, I am about to buy my 4th FSJ...

[Kali]

Another vote for Twister.
I was pretty young and I thought "this girl has the coolest truck I've ever seen in my entire life. What the he** is that?????"
Even after buying it that feeling is still there.
Brent

Another one for 'Twister'

[bill tomlinson]

allways been a loner and a 'weirdo'. never liked having/doing what everyone else was. driver was dying, looking for new wheels, saw '89 gw with a 'for sale' sign parked near the hospital where i work. downhill from there.;)

[FSJ-Earl]

I got my first by accident. I needed to get a vehicle to haul my new wife and child around in, saw my 89 GW for sale at the local gas station, talked to the owner and got a GREAT deal. He was the original owner, it was low mileage, but the interior was trashed, you know jumping in with screwdrivers in back pockets, greasy parts, etc. That was 10 years ago. It has been repainted, interior swapped in, lots of mods. I still have my 89. I now also have an 90 GW (for sale), an 83 J10, and have had at least 6 or 8 other parts rigs, beaters, unfinished projects, etc. Other than the gas mileage they just make sense with 2 kids, 2 dogs, camping equipment, 4 wheeling, just all around use.

[J10Joe]

I got my first two J10s for free:D But i love the style, character and community that goes along with an FSJ

[joe]

I'm awfully curious as a newbie as to why you guys got into owning FSJs (a lot of you owning more than one), so I figured I'd ask. Why?

I had a blond moment. :(

[jeepfan93]

Well for me I found myself with too much time and money burning a hole in my pocket, and a whole lot of patience, so I thought what can I waste it all on? A FSJ!!!;) Seriously, The movie Twister, and Tremors had way cool j trucks, then the Trucks buildup. Always had baby Jeeps and decided it was time to own a grown up Jeep. I have since bought five in the past three months.:eek:
Keep the faith
Lou

[Tad]

It's been in the family for 50+ years.
My father built a cabin using a Willys wagon as the hauler, I had Willys wagon, truck and CJ2A.
The '70 wag was just an upgrade for more comfort.
Oh well, so much for that theory :)

[scotty]

i did not really get it buy accident,but i definately did not get it because i wanted a FSJ,either.

we got it for parts. i wanted the axles to swap into my amc eagle,and a friend needed the t case for his 85 xj.

i was sitting in it one day and just decided it was neat,so i got it running and stole the transfer case from the eagle so i could wheel it instead :D

i got my first set of 38s at a local redneck used tire place for $60 and fit them with a sawzall.
and the rest,as they say,is history :drivin:

[mudslider]

well i seen it was the ugliest thing in the lot. and i see noone has mentioned how much money in gas they save so i will.

[Bama Burden]

My '86 was the first car I ever owned. Bought it from a guy in the neighborhood in 1997. I was 17 years old. My dad liked it because it seemed safe. I liked it because the exhaust smelled bad and nobody that I knew had one. Things kept breaking so I kept tinkering and that's when I got INTO it.

[710 Burner]

My wife wanted it. I'm the one who drives it most of the time. She said if I would fix the air conditioner, she would drive it more. She was ragging on me the other day to hurry up and fix the rear axle because after she made a run into town to buy groceries in Miss America, she had groceries in the front seat, back seat, and what little trunk space there is on a convertable.
Edit: I like it so much, I am now looking for a proper Cherokee to add to my line up.

[janie]

Because they're cool and I LOVE playing in tranny fluid.:dancingbanana: :lol:

[jeepstrapped]

I bought my first J-2000 when I was 16, for $500, it was orange and white with a homemade 50 gallon gas tank behind the drivers seat in the bed.
It was the coolest pickup I had ever seen at that point, everyone had chevy's ford's or a dodge and they all looked the same.
A jeep looks like a jeep and nothing else.
After tinkering with it for a couple of years, like changing the tranny in the middle of the blizzard in the front yard, and basically getting everything done except for the brakes.
Also had three brothers at driving age - who would borrow the pickup while I was at work or somewhere else and bring it home in various stages of broken.
Tranny shifter disconnected from driving over hay bales - the big round ones
power steering pump shoved through the radiator
really anything that they could do to it, they did
being the oldest of 5 kids, and having parents that were gone all of the time I didn't really mind the repairs, besides the stories were always funny, and the look on their faces when they limped it back in the yard was hilarious.

I ended up selling it to a friend of my uncles, I got interested in faster cars - 67 nova - 69 chevelle etc.
something I regret to this day.

At 24 my brother owed me a grand for fixing his car, we were in Chattanooga Tennesse and his tranny went out and he didn't have the money to fix it so I sprung for parts.
He gave me a 78 chero he had bought from someone in Rapid City in lieu of the money he owed me.
Got it fired up and running and after a week the tranny went out, so I had the tranny rebuilt, and at the same time had the engine a 360 rebuilt, bored .040 over, decked the block .010 and shved the heads, and put in a healthy 4x4 cam. Got everything put back in the jeep, and it sat for a couple of years, got sidetracked again.

Got married to a wonderful woman, had two kids and went back to school.
Finally finished getting the 78 running, and the gas tank is bad all kinds of rust the wiring in it is failing everywhere. Frustrated again and now I have two kids in daycare, I'm going to school full time and $$ is tight.
My wife found a 78 chero on e-bay, with a 4" lift kit, detroit lockers front and rear with 4:65 gears, and a good tranny with a three stage shift kit, but a bone-stock 360. She bought it for me as a graduation gift for getting my B.S. in Math. Made a 1000 mile round trip to Wisconsin to pick it up, brought it home and swapped engines, had the usual jeep issues, rear end went out after a couple of months - but I taught myself how to change the ring and pinion with the help of this site.

Halfway through my M.A. in Math I got a call from my uncle in Rapid City, he was moving into Lead and had a 78 chero and a 78 Wagon he wanted to get rid of for free, being cheap I drove out and picked the both up.
rebuilt the carb int he chero and it runs great, ghave the Wagon to my brother since the block in his s-10 grenaded.

Last summer my wife bought the green wagon from rustywagoneer, and loves it, she drives it to work most everyday.

Right now we are in the middle of moving 6 miles into the country, found a nice place - 7 acres - 2 single garages , and a horse barn converted to a 2 stall garage big enough to get the larger vehicles in, with a workroom on the back.
Yesterday get a knock on the door, and it is the kid from 3 blocks away, he owns the 73 Wagon that my wife adn I have been stalking - it sits in the same place every day and hasn't moved in months.
We talked about finding the owner and buying it. We - she - decided to wait until after we move and we don't really need any more cars.
At this point we have:
79 chero - 2 dr used for parts
78 chero - my work in progress - replacing brakelines and calipers and ignition
78 chero - 4 dr - used as a somewhat daily driver
84 Wag - my wifes daily driver
62 Bel-Air - the other daily driver
78 - F-150 - strong 400M and a 4" lift kit - needs windshield, replace front fenders and door skins which we have
03 Liberty - gas mileage for 120 mile trips to Sioux Falls with three kids, and the 120 mile trip to work.

7 vehicles - a lot of projects to do - were finally moving to place where I can have space and a garage to work on everything, and am planning on getting the 78 Wag form my brother back, his wife wants a pickup instead.

So anyways, the kid knocks on the door and asks my wife if we are the ones looking at his jeep, easy guess since at any given time there are 4 jeeps parked somehow around the house. and asks her if we want to buy it. She calls me outside, I'm listening to the kid tell me about it - he traded the 401 to a guy in town that is rebuilding a gladiator - I've been stalking that one also - , so now it has a stock 360 in it but he has a spare 4 barrel stock manifold and 4 barrel carb, 2 spare rear side windows and a spare rear window. The trucks idles bad, a vacuum leak somewhere he suspects, and the rear window doesn't roll up anymore he thinks the switch is bad, and it has some rust.
I'm telling myself no:
I have a lot of things to work on -
We she decided no more cars until we have a house -
coveting jeeps is OK because it is cheap -
I already talked her into a 53 jeep pickup I am going to buy from a guy at work for $500, just need to go look at it, but with everyhing else going on I haven't had the time -

My wife looks at the kid and says " Will you take $150 for it?"

Stunned and shocked, I don't know whats going on here.
The kid says sure - he just wants to get rid of it - he's moved away and doesn't have the time or $$ to work on it anymore.
We get the kids info, shoot the @#$ for a bit, and arrange a date to pick up the jeep - the first of next month.

Go back in the house and I look at my wife and say " No more cars until we get a house"
she replies " Happy Graduation"

I just finished my written comps for my Masters degree in Math, and am taking the Oral Comp next Monday, So after 6 years back in school I am finally graduating.


So, on the first I am getting another jeep a 73 Wagon 4 door

[derf]

I bought my first FSJ, an 85 Grand, because it was $500 and I wanted to put a lot of theory to practice and get it back running again. I got it running but it wasn't the off road vehicle I wanted.

I bought my second FSJ, a 1979 waggy, with a thought that I would build it up but I changed my mind and parted it out.

My current FSJ, my 1977 Cherokee Beavis, was purchased because it's a wide track and it has one thing that really makes it worthwhile:

http://www.grimmjeeper.com/beavis/401.jpg

:drivin: :drivin: :drivin: :drivin: :drivin:

[backpack09]

Back when I was searching for my first car at the local donation lot, I saw these ugly monstrosities sitting in the corner 2 early 80's wagoneers. I said "pllth why would any one want one of those ugly machines" I left there with an 87 buick century...

So in the back of my head has always been the wagoneer.

About a year ago, my wife and I bought a house. And with owning a house you really need a big vehicle. I had 3 small cars, but nothing i could fit a piece of lumber in. So my wife started looking at mid 90's blazers and the sort. Very cute, but I wanted something that could haul my car up to the track if I wanted, I could fit tons of chit in, and something with a little "character".

So we bought the waggy in november, I tried to get it inspected in april, but it failed. It is still sitting in the driveway illegal and uninspected to this day.

:-/ well atleast I can drive it at night, when the cops cant see the regection sticker.

[Ristow II]

Janie- you're too funny!:)


Jeepstrapped-very cool story!:cool:


I can thank my husband for my crazy jeep obsession. I've loved the look of the J10 ever since he brought his home.
It took me awhile to see the beauty in the wagoneers. :hide: I just couldn't get past the woodgrain look at first. Now Ristow has to pry my Power House from my hands if he wants to take it for a spin. I'm really lovin' the look of his chero. I can't believe I haven't had a chance to take it for a test drive yet!:eek: (I guess i've been busy with the house for sale, an active toddler, an infant and a handsome husband.:D )

Now I crave FSJ's. I'm always on the look out. When we move I'm sure we'll be adding to our collection. I still would like to find a white wag or chero. That's my favorite color.

[J4GRAND]

My sister had a 73 J4000 3/4 ton truck when she lived in WY and I drove it during the summers when I worked there during my college years. Used to beat the living snot out of that truck and it would always come back for more. A lot of guys I worked construction with had lifted chevys and ferds and we would go out and do a lot of late night off-roading. I can't tell you how many times I had to pull those guys out of the mud and muck and I didn't even have mud tires, they were Laredo all terrains. I always said that I would get a J4000 if I ever found one.

In Dec '94, I was reading the classifieds in my local paper when a short ad caught my eye. "73 Jeep Pickup, runs, won't move" then the number. I immediately called the guy and went to look at it. It was a rusted out farm truck with 47K original and started up on the first crank. I put it in gear and he was right, it didn't move. Going back in to park, I heard a grinding and figured it was the torque converter not being familiar with the QT set-up. I asked him what he wanted and he said $1300. I told him $500 since I would probably have to replace the tranny. He looked over at his wife and she glared at him. He explained that he had just put $700 into the brake system so I told him I'd give him $700. He (they) agreed and I pulled it to my friend's brake shop the next day and put it on the lift in prep for a tranny removal. I then noticed that the cable for the low range was broken right near the case. I grabbed the linkage on the side of the case and pushed it back into high range. It moved just fine after that!

About a half hour later, I drove by the guys house I bought it from as he was outside shoveling snow. I gave him a "meep-meep" from the horn and proceded to punch it and shoot rooster tails from the almost bald tires on it. His mouth was open in disbelief that the truck was back on the road so soon. Since then, it has been a labor of love that I hope will continue for many years to come.

[J10-401]

"I've seen so many SUV's get the tar beaten out of them, always needing front end or other suspension work, always getting stuck in the sand...but not my rig."


:)
That's for sure. If you want to get noticed, get a FSJ. If you want to go unoticed, get a Chevy or Toyota - etc.

Mine has never needed a front end alignment and the tierods are still the original (and tight). Those other rigs have that stuff messed up bumping the curb when parking - LOL. :p

The extra gas it uses has been compensated by all the front end work it's never needed.

[JeepBountyHunter]

In the late 90's I had three CJ's two CJ5's and a CJ7. The 78 CJ7 was my favorite, it had the TH400,Quadratrac with the 304. The motor went bad, so I gutted the thing down to the frame and did a frame up ....but only painted the body with rustoleum yellow rattle can paint, it looked pro, and even got the Jeep dealership to put in a remanufactured 304...after putting in a new soft top kit, and painless wiring something happened that changed my thinking on CJ's..I was driving home from Columbus Ohio where I worked at the time and noticed a few cars stopped in the road ahead..as I got closer I saw a CJ5 flipped upsidedown with a kid laying out from the passenger side, pinned underneath. Long story short...that's when I witnessed first hand that if you drew a line from the collapsed windshield to the top of the seat....and figured how tall the driver was sitting upright...YIKE's! So short of putting a full roll cage in mine...I soon found the solution. I was driving it by a used car lot that had two 88 Waggys in 2000. Guy offered me $3000.00 in trade for the CJ for the $4890.00 88 Waggy that was very well maintained and in great shape. I already had a haynes manual from several years earlier because I used to scavenge junk yards for parts off the FSJ's for the CJ's...and had often just sat in them in the yards wondering what they'd be like on the road.

Needless to say...it turned out the dealer at the dealership personally wanted the CJ for himself, and drove it for awhile...his first mistake was to go flying around with the new $500.00 softop not fastened to the windshield...tore it off...and had to just use the hardtop instead. Then one day I met him and he said he couldn't figure out the T-case...it had blown up...and he asked me why it wouldn't engage while driving...(duh)...

Since then....even after swearing I'd get out of Jeeps...I've had a total of seven FSJ's...

[crispyboy]

I'm into fsj's out of loyalty, tradition and I'm just not too smart. I grew up working on them.
It all started with my grandpa having a

cj-2a - 47'My father got hooked and through his life time has had the following Jeeps:

Willys station wagon - 56'
cj-6 - 68'
J200 - 64'
J10 - 74'
Cherokee (narrow track) - 78'
cj-5 - 74' (still owns this one)
J20 - 82' (still owns this with 70,000 miles)
Cherokee - 96' (still owns this one)
Grand Cherokee - 03' (still ownes this one)I have owned:

Wrangler - 87' (I really liked this vehicle except for the poor suspension and carter bbd carb)
Ford Ranger - 84' - good riddence!!
J20 - 86 (still have this one - currently resurrecting the AC system)
Grand Wagoneer - 90' - (still own this one - currently restoring to beyond Wagonmaster level to use a travel trailer puller)

[Lindel]

What no one has admitted to so far, is that we're all a little bit into self torture.

I got my first (87 GW) in 97, shortly after having bypass surgery. I needed something cheap (under $4000), with a/c. I always wanted a 4x4 too. I've bought 6 since then, and currently have 4, but two are parts queens and will be leaving the yard eventually.

[CustomWag]

1997 we moved about 250 miles, bought a place in the mountains about 25 miles from town where I was gonna work. Had been driving a Datsun 510 for 13 years that was pretty tired & had a old 66 ch*vy "junkhauler" that wasn't really fit for dd duty. I was tired of driving a little car & was really looking for a big stationwagon cause I grew up driving cadillacs (dad) & caprice/impalas (mom) & wanted more metal around me & some "room". Had always wanted a CJ since I was 16. Saw the GW sitting on a lot & went "hmmm". One owner, all records & it was CLEAN. Test drive made me smile & the wife thought the 4WD would come in handy in the mountains (she was SO right!).
It's been the best, most versatile rig I've ever owned. Somehow, some day I hope to find a heavy duty J truck to replace my old 2wd ch*vy so I can get up into the woods to cut firewood when it's muddy & snowy.

[BRUTUS]

Wow... lots of great stories. J4grand... that is my favorite one so far!

I am 28 and this is my first FSJ and I am definately hooked. My dad had trucks but was NEVER into offroading. He thought it was a waste of time and money.

I was looking for a truck out of college (older so I could work on it, don't care about door dings and cheap) and had looked at the usual suspects, cheby, Ferd, dodge. My production managers son told me that he had 4 vehicles and he needed to thin the herd. So I asked if he had any trucks and sure enough he had a J10 that he had just done a 4" lift and was in process of adding a tilt wheel and an automatic trans. He had bought 33x12.50 tires and had never put them on. He also hadn't put on the replacement kick panels, shocks or the drop-pitman arm yet. I went and looked at it (never realizing that Jeep made a full size truck) and was instantly hooked. It ran pretty bad when I bought it... had to disconnect the battery when you shut it down... spuddered... overheated at long lights... but I loved it. It has been a labor of love ever since.

The first time I drove it my friend told me it was the biggest smile he had ever seen on my face. :D My dad really likes my truck now. Not just out of the side of his mouth support, he just REALLY likes my truck. The sound, the capability... everything.

[BigRedChief]

I didn't even know what a full-size jeep was until a couple of years ago! I never really paid much attention to these things and I wouldn't even notice them going down the road. I remembered this HUGE red truck-like vehicle my uncle had in front of his house from when I was probably 12-13. I thought it was a really cool vehicle and looked like something really capable off-road, but I never knew what it was.

A couple of years ago my uncle was going to get rid of it (there's a lot of story behind why, but it's kinda family personal kind of stuff) and was looking for someone to take it. I remembered thinking it was pretty cool, so I asked how much. He said, "you want it? It's yours!" He kinda gave it to my wife and I as a wedding present.

When I got it, it was nothing like I remembered it, other than red and HUGE, but somehow I remembered it being taller. Now that it's up on a 4" lift and 33" tires it looks about right. :D

[Jeepless]

3 kids + camping = fsj :)

[Grimjaw]

Why did I buy a Full Size Jeep....

Because I am a Full Size Person.

[War Wagon]

Well my son was killing my XJ while he was at college so I found The War Wagon for $300.00 and told him to kill this. :D Well that was 5 years ago and now I have an 82 for me to drive. Oh by the way he did kill the transfer case at the ECI this year but still was able to drive it home.:drivin:

Dang it Zack. :banghead:


Jim

[2MANY4X'S2FIX]

I had a 74 J10, it seemed to like to make me bleed. Smacked me in the nuts a few times with it's driveshaft too. Sold it. A few months later I bought a 78 J20 with a 401, 4 speed 4x4 at auction for $10. So far it hasn't smacked me in the nuts so I'm happy with it.

[Gambler68]

I bought my 68 from a guy I knew simply because I needed a truck to haul crap around with. Little did I know it would lead to meeting some GREAT people (Flint and Krista, and the Ouray crowd) and a slew of online peers!

The 68, after the horrid cow slaying incident, is now basically my 'fire up once a week or so and go grab some rocks' truck, the 78 J10 is the current project :D

[Spectre]

Had an F-150, needed something of equivalent size but with four doors and covered cargo area, but not the size of a Suburban. I evaluated all the options and it came down to a Land Rover/Range Rover, Land Cruiser, or a Grand Wagoneer. I found the Grand Wagoneer first, for the least amount of money - so I bought it.

[dwrestle]

I had an XJ and loved it to death(blood red with big tires 22 MPG, and would go a lot more places than my FSJ). My buddy needed a car and I saw this Jeep Cherokee sitting for sale for $1450(I got ripped off). Well I sold him my XJ and I bought the cooler less reliable V8 Jeep. I love my FSJ dearly but I miss that XJ dearly. I am happy with my Jeep though although I wish it had the same transfer case my 87 XJ did.

[Little Red Wagon]

My 85' was the junker car in my neighbors driveway for about 10yrs, he had tried to be a mechanic... but learned he wasn't much of one. Then one day he put a for sale sign on it, I bought it for $300!, took her home, got her runnin the same day. about a month later I had her lifted, painted, and upgraded a ton of stuff.... My second jeep well she's an 84' parts vehicle to fix what damage the driveshaft did in Mexico. Not bad shape I picked it up for $600 from a couple in Prescott who had it since it was new. It's used but very well maintained, they kept all the service records!

[ohioj20]

I have my two FSJ's cause when I was growing up, my grandpa had a 60's Gladiator pick up with the rhino grille and some big fat tires on it. Thought it was THE BADDEST and UGLIEST truck out there. Only thing, my brother in law bought it off of him. So I had to buy my own. J20 and now a GW

[Danbert]

So I get this call from an old friend of mine. Hey man are ya still interested in the old Jeep. I told him that if it was cheep enough I would come take a look at it. He said well it may be worth 750 but I would like to see 500 out of it. I told him that I couldnt afford that and I wouldnt want to offend him by offering 250. He said that he would take the 250.(He really wanted me to have it.) So I drug my wife over to his house and we drove it.
I brought it back and said, I will take it. (My wife fell in love with it right away) He started to tell me that he and his wife were talking and she came up with a number for us to buy it. My response was like ok lay it on me.
$100
:eek:
:cool:
Um well, ok.

83 Wag with new rebuilt engine 23k ago, dana 60 front axle, interior in excellent shape not a rip in the seat or a crack in the dash.
I think I got a good starter vehicle.
My wife uses it any time she can. She is even encouraging me to "fix"it up.
:fsj:

[J10Mike]

For those old enough to remember this TV show, it was Daktari that started my fascination with Jeep vehicles and FSJs in particular.
At 17 (1979), I bought a 67 J2000 Gladiator Thriftside...real money pit. But, it was a lot of fun and a neat vehicle to learn mechanics on.
Then came the 79 Cherokee Golden Eagle back in 1989. Great rig with T18/D20 combo.
Then 3 years ago, I purchased my 82 J10. It's been draining me of money since.
And, I might buy another. There's an 88 Wag for sale real close to me for real cheap. We'll see.

[JeepinPete]

I was born is '72, and my pop bought a new-off-the-lot Red '74 Cherokee NT a couple years later. I was two or three when I was outside helping my pop "fix the jeep". I have so many great memories of that Jeep, from running in the woods back to a campsite, to hauling the boat down to the Delaware Bay.

When it was time for my first car, my pop picked up a '52 M38A1 at a local civil defense auction. While all my buddies were hanging out at the mall, I was spending hour upon hours keeping that thing running. Then I picked up a '60 CJ5 with a 289 Ford V8, then combined the two into one. Finally sold the M to a friend, and bought a '67 Jeepster. Drove that for a year or two, and then I got into cars.

Fast forward ten years later, I meet my future wife. I showed her the Jeepster that I had stashed away, and she told me that would be a cool project. Talk about love :D We worked on it for a couple years (it was worse than a basket case) before I gave it away to another Jeepster nut.

When we got married, she was driving a Ford Probe, and I had a BMW Z3. We bought a fixer upper house, and needless to say neither car was really suitable. So we started looking at various SUVs and pickups. When I showed her a picture of a Grand Waggy, her response was "That's cool!" So I went on a search and bought a '87 Waggy. What a mistake :banghead: :lol: I spent twice what I paid for it in parts, and it still wasn't right. I sold it just to get out from under it.

So now we were back to square one. I sold my Z (I feel sad every time I think about that car), and bought a Durango. The Durango was a well built truck, very comfy, with horrible brakes, and way too minivan-ish inside. I tried to haul a load of lumber home one day from Home Depot, and dropped it out the back. That was when I decided I really didn't like lift gates:rolleyes:

So I got rid of that, and made a list of attributes that I wanted in a SUV. Looks, V8, tailgate, etc. The truck that best fit the bill was a FSJ. That is when I searched for a rust free FSJ. Being in PA, I wasn't going to find one locally, so I hit ebay. The wife was not happy that I was getting another one, and after our experience with the Waggy, I couldn't blame her. But I found my '79 Cherokee, and it has been the complete opposite of the Waggy. Always gotten me home, always started. It ran rough when cold and got lousy mileage. But that is one of the reasons I decided to do the engine swap...

[OrlandoAlex]

These are some great stories - I'm glad to see such a good response to the topic. Thanks for so much detail on your personal tale, Jeepstrapped, that's a heck of a stable you've got there. I wonder who on the board has the most FSJs right now?

[DerekTJeep]

My Grandpa had them. Why not me??

I miss not driving my FSJs!!

[2MANY4X'S2FIX]

These are some great stories - I'm glad to see such a good response to the topic. Thanks for so much detail on your personal tale, Jeepstrapped, that's a heck of a stable you've got there. I wonder who on the board has the most FSJs right now?
If Willy's wagons count I have 4. If not I have one.

[talntar]

when my mother bought her's new in 88 i was pretty much hooked.
then the wife(girlfriend then)drove it and wanted one.
now i have 3 and have had 6

[J10_Jimbo]

I was working for a Jeep dealership in 1983 and had to test drive the new Grand Wagons when we recieved them from the factory. ended up trading a 1980 Serria Grande p/up for a '77 Cherokee we took in on trade. If I remember right they gave me the jeep and $2800.00 for my GMC. Best deal I ever made! After 10 years of building it ended up on 40" gumbos and 3/4 ton running gears. Too many mud holes, races, and kids I had to part it. Have always had one or two since then and working on getting another right now.

[rampagefsj]

My first J-10 (R.I.P. Reaper) was basically free and got me hooked. Right after I got the truck, I noticed the sweet J trucks in Twister and Tremors that made me realize just how mean these trucks can look. Now I'm building Rampage because it is different. I like to think about how many fords, chevys, and dodges that are built like my truck is being built and I haven't seen nearly as many FSJ's that are built as I have seen the other brands.

[AlaskaJ20]

Grandpa had a RED 1966 J4000. I loved that truck. We would 4X all over Alaska in that thing. My 1974 J20 is the coolest truck in Anchorage (grey emron metalic, 12x33 16.5. I love to pull up to a drive thru and have a 19 year old say "WOW - what is that".

[475thFG]

I rode in a brand-spanking new '81 Grand Wagoneer (all the extras, beautiful ride) on a ski trip to northern Wyoming as a teenager with a lunatic behind the wheel. We were driving at speeds in excess of 60 miles an hour on snowed/iced over roads, and using the burm created by the snowplow as a "bumper" to keep from tumbling over a mountainside 1000' to a firey death. I was so impressed that I survived the trip that I decided that I'd have one someday. Never rode with that guy again, though. Not wise to push your luck twice in one lifetime.

[baybilly]

the year was 1976. i was freash out of high school and my gril freind's uncle was taken us fishing on his boat. when he came to pick us up:eek: that 74 blue and white waggie got my heart pumping and then later that day we went wheeling and i fell in love:D well that was it. now 30 yrs later i owen four fsj.

ps- once the bug bits theirs no cure:dancingbanana: so i'm told!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chris Barry]

I got mine çause Jeeps are the fastest cars in the world...seriously, why else would the mailman drive one!!!:drivin: I've always loved the way they looked, and so does my wife:angel:(ain't she great). It was her Idea to get one for the move to Alaska...well, I helped by putting the idea in her head and pointing out every FSJ we saw on the road:D!!!

[JeepNOFEAR]

This was my favorite toy car growing up, mainly because I could make the tires flex unlike hotwheels cars. A member of fsjworld.com named hot wheels restored it for me. So now it's nice and pretty but no more shocks. Then when I was 13 I bought my first 76 cherokee, then the second when I was 14, then the 3rd when I was 16.

[shackwrrr]

My first is my current. I wanted something that was full size a solid axle manual transmission. I sold a 1990 s10 blazer to buy my j20 for 700 bucks and I love it. I used to like 73-87 chev trucks but they just look inferior next to my j20.

[Crossbones]

I think most everyone knows why I have a fsj. I was watching tremors and saw the coolest truck EVER!!! I searched the internet for it and my search led me here, where some very cool members helped me get my first fsj. I love it so.

[jlchilcot]

My Grandfather had a 71 J2000 Thriftside when I was a kid. He called it "Bouncey Betsy". I just loved riding in that truck. Oh what I would do to have that truck today...:drivin:

So then when I was about 19 I bought a "buy one get one free" $600 deal from a local car dealer. A 76 Cherokee and a 78 Wag. Both ran great but were very rusty. I tinkered with them for awhile then sold them for parts.

Then about two years ago, I bought a 75 J-20 over the net from a guy in Wyoming. (You see, here in Pa most FSJ's from this era are completely shot from rust).

Now im working on the truck and hopefully will be painted in the next couple months. Then I can start putting it back together. My Grandfather keeps asking "when am I going to get a ride in that Jeep"?:)

[Casey]

Because I'm...A CHEAP SOB! :D :D :D

[J10Mike]

Because I'm...A CHEAP SOB! :D :D :D
I can vouch for that. :D

[srobertsfsj]

Several reasons:


Low purchase price (even running)
Alot of them out there
Looks cool
EZ to work on
V8 powered
Easy to lift (unless its a '74)

[18cherokee]

ive always been a fan of jeeps & sj's are pretty rare here compared to your standards.

i can vaguely recall pulling up behind this rig, when i was a kid, it had "4 wheel drive" (rather than "4x4") spelled out across the tailgate & i thought "thats kinda weird, what truck is that?".

it wasnt until a few years back i was looking for a second daily driver that i thought, "hang on, what about on old sj....."

so i started looking & found a beautiful 4 door 82 cherokee, hence the username. but the rig that was always "the business" was the grand - & seeing that only 20 or so ever came to australia, i settled on the chero, the next best thing, as no wags were up for sale at that time.

then the 89 GW literally fell into my lap - 2 years after buying the chero - through jeep contacts i had made & as i was never able to shake off the appeal of fake wood, i snapped her up & recently sold the chero - to a guy that has bought, owned & wrecked / parted about 25 of the sj's in his time(rest assured, he's not wrecking it either, "a keeper" he says).

i'm stoked that i own a grand.

[AlsChopShop]

it all started when i saw the 'trucks!' program with the cherokee. i like the old school look and that toughness you just don't see on todays disposable cars. i've always thought it would be cool to own an old 2 door suv like a scout or blazer and these cheros fit the bill perfectly. i looked for a long time before i finally got the chero i wanted. although i have a love/hate relationship with it i'm very happy with the jeep. i wouldn't mind a grand wagoneer as a daily driver, that woodgrain is starting to grow on me! :)

Al

[fulsizjeep]

Al - Even tho the Trucks episode gave me heartburn and I was under the spell of nuking Rhino grills I am glad it brought you around to the FSJ side. :)

[chr1s]

it all started when i saw the 'trucks!' program ...
poser :p

i wouldn't mind a grand wagoneer as a daily driver, that woodgrain is starting to grow on me!
POSER :eek:

[jusgivmesom]

:D It was gave to me RUNNING!!!:drivin:

[El Jefe]

my dad had a 71 waggoneer when i was little, and we went everywhere in that thing. i think he had that thing from my birth till i was nine, it was the first vehicle i drove. then there was a FSJ drought in my family till 1996 when my dads chevy got stolen and he bought a 79 j20 to replace it, i loved driving it and wanted me a waggoneer, the i found my cherokee for 400 bucks in oct 96, and been hooked since. i even got rid of a 63 impala, 63 impala SS and 65 bonneville for my cherokee.

[DanHS]

I don't remember how I first saw one, I think I just saw them here and there in 4x4 mags, they didn't attract much attention from me, I wanted a old Dodge. One day we were watching the history of the Jeep program on the History channel, and they showed that mint '64 Waggy. My dad said if he had a 4x4, he wouldn't mind it being that one. Not too long after, I saw an all white Waggy in a parking lot, didn't look it over, but it was a pretty impressive vehicle.

I soon began looking them up and quickly found this site. Didn't take long for me to know a bunch about them, and I had decided I wanted a later model Waggy, I figured a Grand Wagoneer in my price range would look less beat up than an older FSJ, and be in better shape and have more parts available. The more practical FSJ. I had to start out with something cheap and running, it was to be my first car. I looked at a couple Wags, but they were beyond my budget, even though one would have been pretty nice with a bunch of work.

After like 3 or 4 months of no FSJs, one of my dad's coworkers offered us their '89 5.0 Mustang for $300. It was in pretty good shape, well maintained, just had suffered some body damage. I bought it after test driving it with no mufflers, quite a bit of fun. I still kept and eye out for an FSJ, but still couldn't find one that was good and affordable. My dad wasn't so thrilled about the idea of it now.

Finally, after searching for almost a year, I found one by chance in October '04, only a few minutes from home. I looked it over, and aside from some rust on the quarter panels, a little bit on the rear frame crossmember, and some spots on the body that hadn't rusted through (and the rusted skidplate and floorboards too, lol) it was pretty solid. It wouldn't start, though after cleaning the heavily corroded battery terminals and putting in a good battery (the old one was looking like it was gonna explode) it cranked easily but didn't fire up. I talked my dad into coming to look at it. We found the contacts on the coil where corroded. Cleaned them up and put the wires back on, held one plug against the block to check for spark, and tried to start it. The thing fired up instantly and gave my dad a shock. I was jumping with joy as he was trying to yell over the engine to shut it off. After putting the plug back in I took it for a quick drive, I marveled at how well it drove and how good the brakes were. Now normally my dad wouldn't have put any effort or much effort into getting it on the road, but it just so happened my mom's car died and we needed another car. I think he liked the old V8, and it was an older car with some more character and feeling, so he bit. The for sale sign said $800, he offered $350 and they took it. After a $407 stay at the mechanics, it was ready. I've been tinkering on it and learning a lot since then. He's come to like the Jeep quite a bit, tho he doesn't work on it much. It's still quite a ways away from being nearly 'finished', but it isn't the junkyard bound clunker it had been a little over a year ago.

[david13]

because im the only one in town that has one

[JPSwapMohn]

When I was a kid in NC, my dad and I took a trip to WVa with some friends in a GW. I always liked older vehicles, even though back in the early 90's, the one we were in was new..
Always liked them, never saw too many of them around...until I got one. Now I spot them everywhere.
On my way back from overseas was planning to get a 350z when I got home (already have a YJ and had at '58 chevy project truck in the garage). ALong the way decided I liked not having a car payment and started searching for a GW with a good solid body. In Boise (the high desert), that was not terribly difficult. Sold the truck, bought the GW, and the rest is recent history..

[AlsChopShop]

poser :p


POSER :eek:




poser--what??? c'mon man, least flint appriciates me! :eek: :p ;) :fsj:

Al

[Greenfire]

Grew up with my parents having a 78 wagoneer. I thought it was the coolest thing on the road. Went on many camping trips with it. It was simply called "The Jeep". I decided 2 years ago that I wanted a Jeep. Started thinking about a wrangler, but to me a Jeep was always a wagoneer. So I got a little carried away, became addicted and have what you see in my sig.:)

[Serious Johnson]

I was living in my old Airstream in the Appalachain sticks near Pumpkintown, SC, and had just bought 9 old gold mines way up above timberline in Colorado (see avatar) where I'd hid-out in the early Seventies while dodging the draft. I needed a rig that could haul my house, two big dawgs, a wolf, my sorry butt, and maybe even My Dear Wife up there, and thankfully didn't have much to spend.

I bought my '83 Wag from the original owners, a nice lesbian couple who predictably called it "Woody". On experiencing its excrutiating dumbness and pechant for high maintenance, I re-christened it "The Southern Belle". Then I stripped 'er like a racecar, built it back up in a way more suited to the task, and again re-named him "Serious Johnson" which is I suppose, after all the gender swapping, a synonym for "Woody". A climbing partner, noting how it hauled all our stuff up the mountain without complaint as if we were British imperial excursionists (we'd been smoking a bit), suggested calling it "Porter Wagoneer" which, I admit, ain't bad.

S.J.

[tyrodtom]

I was getting a AMC Hornet ready for a circle track racing, and needed a tow truck, thought it would be good to keep everythink AMC, found my 82 J10 in Tenn. Engine threw a rod driving it home. Put a torque cam in what was going to be my race engine and put it in the truck. Never have finished the Hornet, using the J10 to tow a Nissan and sometimes Chevy's to various tracks, in Va, Tenn., and Ky.

[COYOTE]

Got mine because of the "cheap truck challenge" in 4 Wheel Drive and Offroad magazine....$450 bucks for a running 77 Waggy with 67,000 miles. Now it is my daily driver!!!! And now my cheap truck challenge truck is a 92 Cherokee I picked up for $150 bucks!!! I just have to get it going!!!:drivin:

[tommygfunk]

:fsj: stupidity pure and simple:fsj:

[KaiserMan]

My father had a 65 Wagoneer Custom when I was young. Some of my earliest vehicle related memories are of sitting in it while my father used it to plow our driveway.

Living where I do I have need of both 4wd and a pick up, so a FSJ truck was the natural choice, what with them being (IMO) the best looking vehicles ever built and all.

I always had FSJ's in the back of my mind, and when I was 13 I bought my first one. 83 J10 Custom SWB. I learned alot about working on vehicles and Jeeps in general when I owned that truck. I sold it for what I had into it. It was in much better shape when it left my yard then it was in when it arrived.

I've owned 4 more since I sold the J10.

[quikclimber]

it was free(at first), and i love to wheel

[GOATBASS]

Well I was lucky enough to spend summers at camp in TN back in the late 70's and early 80's. I had a counselor who had a father who liked cars. Lots of cars. In between the riviera and the vette (both with the same color scheme, black grey and red stripes, go figure that one out) came a blue Cj of some sort. It did a fair job of tearing up that tiny part of the Cumberland plateau, and to a youngster it was impressive. Then, there was an urgent call from the father about a vehicle swap that needed to happen post haste. The next thing I see is a awe inspiring RED Cherokee Chief written in a big black stripe with a Indians/Braves/Redskins/Red Man profile on the side of the truck as it powers on to a ball field one morning. The words " Now this is a REAL JEEP" still echo in my head as I watched it go up a hill cut with a dry creek bed that was perilous to walk down.
A few years later, same camp, A fellow counselor has a Green J-10. No I mean uugh green. We used it around the camp for everything, my favorite, pulling down large trees. It would not go over 65 mph, but it would tow a house @ 65 mph.
So two months ago on craigs list I see an ad for a 1974 Cherokee Chief and an 81 CC parts truck. I am broke and going back to school and up to this point my vice has been 70's Honda motorcycles. I write the guy with a trade offer. He is cool to the discussion. I end up selling my 75 CB750SS and getting the family a camping vehicle. I am always broke around my wifes' birthday, so Happy Birthday Baby! She is excited, I am happy, and I will send you pics when I put the small x-mas tree and lights on it for the holidays as I promised her.
Oh, and this site is great, like you did'nt already know that.

[2nd Day]

Wanted 4wd with room for the family. Then I got the rash.:thumbsup:

[scantar]

Mostly because I'm a pathetic moron. :D


But other than that, in the 70's I used to work in a rustproofing shop (back when that was a big up-sell at the dealers) and one of our contracts was with an AMC dealer. I loved when we'd get a J truck or Chief WT in.

Many moons later, when I was researching 4wd's I found that even with all their quirks, a FSJ is a flat out bargain. You get V8 power, room for 6 plus gear, solid 4wd (with tons of history) and the funky-cool factor @ under $3K for a nice one. You couldn't touch anything comparable for anywhere near that. Plus, they're pretty easy to work on yourself when you compare it to other vehicles and they take simple mods very well.


...but mostly because I'm a pathetic moron. :)

Steve

[turtlejoe]

I grew up in Toledo and my dad worked at Jeep for 44+ years retiring as an engineer, so naturally the family was a little "biased" towards all things Jeep. In the late 60's, dad became eligible to lease vehicles a year at a time from the company, so from then on we always had brand new FSJ's. I learned to drive in a '77 Wagoneer, and dad had the use of a company vehicle for 2 weeks every month. Learned to drive a stick in a '78 Cherokee NT, and also spent a lot of time in an orange '78 Chief with 4 speed and 401. My dad and I spent a week volunteering for the Red Cross during the Blizzard of '78, he in the Cherokee and me in the Wagoneer, running medications to snowbound patients, transferring blood between hospitals, and I even got to take nurses to and from the local hospitals (a teenage boys dream job!).

When I flew to Tulsa in 1999 to pick up my Cherokee, getting in it was like seeing an old friend again. The family in total has 2 FSJ's, a CJ, a TJ Rubicon, 3 Grand Cherokees, a Commando, a Commander, and an XJ - all spread out from Toledo to Cincinnatti, Texas to California.:fsj: :thumbsup:

[NastyNate]

I bought my J20 because I needed a 3/4 ton 4x4, and it was in my price range. This is my 6th jeep, but my first fsj.

[91G-Dub]

I've driven Jeeps since I got my driver's license way too many years ago. Learned to drive my father's CJ, had Jeeps through high school and college then fell off the wagon and got into British sports cars for a while. After that life/family/stuff and eventually got back into Jeeps in the late 80's. Every time I saw a Grand Wagoneer I wanted one. I love the classic look and style. A series of circumstances allowed me to work out a respectable budget for buying one. Focused on 1991 because of the limited production. Kind of figured if I was going to belong to an exclusive group such as FSJers why not be in a very limited segment of that group. I searched for almost 5 years and literally looked at over 100 1991 Grand Wagoneers all over the country (working for an airline I flew for free). I found mine and the owner was $1000 over my number for purchase price and wouldn't budge. His father had bought it brand new and after he passed the son got it. I gave the guy my name and number and told him that if he could work with my number give me a call. Touched base with him a few weeks later to see if he would budge and he had a buyer, someone had sent him $500 deposit and was picking the FSJ up that weekend. Figured it was a done deal and wished him well. The following week he called me. Buyers never showed up, he still had the $500 and dropped another $500 to meet my number. I was on a plane the next day to Atlanta and picked it up. He gave me all of the documentation that was left from his fater (build sheet, original invoice etc.) and I drove it home. Had it for almost 2 years now and while it's not perfect and like most of ours and on-going project, I still get a kick out of driving it. :thumbsup:

[bull4377]

I was raised in them:-) My grandma had 8 Wagoneers in a row, bought a brand new one every couple three years. When she found out they were ending in 1991 she rushed out and traded her 1989 for a '91 which she kept until 1997 (really long for her) when she traded it for a new Grand Cherokee and *****ed about it daily! My Mom had a couple of Wags and a Cherokee in the late 70's and early 80's too! So of course when I got my license at 16 years old in 1993 I bought a 1985 Grand Wagoneer for my first car and have had several since! My favorite being a 1985 Grand Wagoneer Limosine that I sold on ebay a couple years ago:)

[Bosox Al]

Because i like being BROKE!!!!! yeah right,

[Sbonley]

Believe it or not for practical purposes. Back in the early 80's when I was still living in Illinois we had this stuff in the winter called snow. Well I wanted something with 4 wheel drive and a decent amount of cargo space. I didn't want something as big as the Suburban so I looked at the others on the market. Scout, Bronco, Ramcharger, Blazer, etc. At the time I liked the look of the Fullsize Bronco but it didn't have a big cargo area. I did some checking and found that among all of the comparable rigs the Cherokee had the biggest cargo area. So I went looking for one, bought one, and it was all down hill from there. I was hooked.

[Tahnka]

I had a 94 Ford Taurus, and my third child was on the way. So I look in the trader for something bigger that was NOT A MINIVAN, and I see this thing; a de-wooded 83 Wagoneer; in black and white.

Honey...What's a Wagoneer?!? I dunno...

Before then I had never heard of a full size jeep.

So we drive out to meet the seller at a gas station. We're waiting for the guy and when he pulls up the ENTIRE FAMILY (including two little girls, ages about 4 and 3) say at the same time..."OH COOL!". It had faded yellow paint, deep tinted windows, thick orange shag carpet and the sand interior. Man I was hooked...

I took it for about a 10 second test drive and paid for it.

Then on the way home the A/C exploded and skeered me to death. The steering was so loose I thought I was going to run off the road. And it had several other problems that made me worry. I drove it to the only FSJ mechanic that I could find (100 year old gear head) and asked him to fix...everything. I told him this needed to be a reliable family vehicle.

2 weeks later he calls me and says it's going to cost about $3,000 to fix EVERYTHING. But he then tried to argue that he could fix what really needed to be fixed and then fix the other stuff later. I said no...I don't want to worry about it break (AAAHAHAH, I was so naieve). I arranged for him to fix it and then sit on it until I could pay for it. It took me 2 years to pay it back.

So 2 years later I finally get my jeep back and it's a dream. Of course about 3 months in to it, other stuff broke, so I took it back.

1 year and 1500.00 later I got it back.

So 3 years later it is FINALLY fixed AND paid for, I'm driving it. I offered to pull a neighbor out of the mud with it and THAT...is when I caught the rash. The thing yanked that guy's huge conversion van out of Georgia Mud without even a grunt...in fact I almost flung him through my rear window. That instance of power caused a change in my genetic sequence; all is lost.

[Eugene 1]

Before everybody freaks on me im a mopar guy..and (Yes I know there is nothing mopar about the FSJs except trannies in some models) but i was going to get A RamCharger with a 400BB/727 i like the Idea of the power but i hated the ride it jjust felt unsure of itself.at highway speeds on or off road.So my dad got me a a big J10 pu with a 360-4 spd and i was clueless with it was just battered up but it got me where i needed to go...flash forward 6 years and i bought a 91 Laredo 4.0..in 1995, but again the ride sucked it just didn't feel right so i kept it while and got rid of it flash forward 2005 and i was looking for cheap transportation and i was watching TV on a saturday and it was trucks with Stacey David and well you guys know the rest....that next monday I started a search for a my own Bargain beater Cherokee and i found one for 2k in California so i caught a plane and drove it back :fsj:

[johnwaynejeep2]

I was out wheeling my 2wheel drive stock S-10 one day in the thick Arkansas Glue. I thought I could do this because I was driving a Chevy and at the time Chevy's were unstoppable in my mind. Of course I got it stuck up to the bottom of the body in a pretty nasty mud whole. I called 3 of my buddies to pull me out. One guy had a built up CJ and the other had a grand cherokee, they both hooked up to me and they just spun tires. My buddy hooked up to me in this old worn out POS Jeep SUV lookin thing and pulled me out without ever slipping a tire. I was so impressed that I sold the Chevy and bought the wagoneer a week later.
I was hooked immediatley after driving the wagoneer, I loved it.:drivin:

[thejum57]

My best buddy had a 77 J-10, it was only a few years old. He let me borrow it once to move and I was a lost cause. 20 + years later I found mine, and jumped on it. So far in 6 years, I've almost bought a new truck with what I've spent on this thing. Oh, and they have the coolest styled trucks to date !

[FSJeep13]

I bought it becuase my neighbor had a 87 Grand Wag that was lifted and had 33s on it. The thing was a beast. That was back when I had my 79 blazer that was of the same stature. Ever since I sold the blazer to buy my more reliable "baby Jeep" I've wanted a full size truck again. Then at work I picked up my 78 Wag for 100 bucks, it drove home, and it looks awesome. It was a steal.

[Hud]

In 1983, the little girl of my (then) dreams, Mom drove a Blue woody. I always had a crush on them both. STOP IT! I mean Angie and the jeep, not her and her Mom! Perverts! Anyway, I asked her to the prom, her parents had to leave town, and we had the keys to the wagoneer!!!! Hell yes I was in for the ride of my life. STOP IT! I mean gettin laid, not driving the Jeep! perverts! Anyhow, we got home, things were really going great (now you can be perverted), she wanted me to go inside with her tooooooooo..... and I'll be a son of a bit(h if her dam english bulldog wasn't floating four paws up in the dam swimming pool. What is it about brits and tea parties? To make a longer storie short, at least I got to drive the Jeep.:rolleyes:

[HOOT]

...Long time ago back in 1976 I was 12 years old , waiting for Dad to come home with His new work truck. My eyes about bugged out of my head:eek: . He pulled up in a 1976 Honcho 360 2V Quad, White with Levi's interior. I was hooked from that moment on. That same Summer our neighbors car pool buddy showed up in 68 (IIRC) Gladiator, Rust colored primer 8 ft. bed and wicked as Heck.The neighbor owned a cherry Scout II mildly moded. I guess I was lucky having 2 J trucks everday parked at the house.Yeah life was good and the Jeeps made the F@%D Guys look bad. Learned how to drive with it as well. That truck has never left my Dad or Me until last fall when it finally met its demise and I scraped out what was left of it.It had been sitting totalled since 1992.:banghead: . Some of it It's doner parts are already in my other Jeeps and some are awaiting to be.

When I finally found this site back in 2003 it unleashed a pent up insatiable desire for Jeeps. Oddly enough FSJ's are rare in these parts but they do have one heck of a fan club. I can't go any where wihout making new friends that tell me stories of when they owned one, or their Dad or Buddy had a FSJ.
The only Local Jeeper(Sweet 83 Chero) stopped me today at the post office. He was driving his F150 :omfg: and I was in my TBird:hide: . What is this world coming too.. :dancingbanana:

The link in my sig line will show you my current Jeeps as well as parting shots of Dad's 76 Honcho.

[SnakeHunter]

I started with a facination for scouts and K5 blazers. Then one day my fiance pointed at a nice Wagoneer and said, "what about that one?" I wasn't really into it but from that point on I looked at every one I saw. 6 months later I bought one from a friend for 1200 bucks and never looked back. It was a 77 with the 401. We took it on our honeymoon 3000 miles. I have since sold that one and bought another and cannot get over how freaking cool they look to me. (sorry scouts and blazers! :p )

[Alaskaman]

It was 1974, I was in the Air Force and got orders for Alaska. I was looking for a rig that was up to the drive from Omaha to Anchorage, and would take the crappy Alaska roads in stride, but it had to be something the wife would be happy with. I got lucky. Another GI inherited a well-equipped 67 Wagoneer with only about 20,000 miles, can't remember exactly. He didn't want it. I did, and I bought it from him for $1200. The wife loved it. We put another 100,000 miles and a bunch of windshields and tires on it. You can see from my sig it was the first of many FSJ's. It was also the best of the bunch, Kaiser used more steel in their waggies than AMC did, and that old 327 was a lot better engine in my opinion than the 360. Sure was a lot less thirsty for gas.

[EEKAJEEP!]

My current FSJ, my 1977 Cherokee Beavis, was purchased because it's a wide track and it has one thing that really makes it worthwhile:

http://www.grimmjeeper.com/beavis/401.jpg

ok, so what is the 401 significance?

:confused:

[SnakeHunter]

Big, strong motor. :thumbsup:

[Cranky_Joe]

My brothers got me into Jeeps. My younger brother was going through a divorce, so I asked him to build me a jeep. Sounds strange, but he had already built one for himself and had to sell it shortly after getting married. I thougt it would take his mind off of the divorce and get him doing something he used to like. So we found 48 CJ that needed an engine. We (he mostly)stripped it down to the frame, and we did a frame up rebuild. When we put the gas tank in and mocked up the seats, I didn't fit. With feet flat on the floor, my knees were jammed up under the steering wheel. I couldn't lift my leg for gas or clutch. So I started looking for something "Bigger". :cool: Actually I had been looking at Wagoneers and Cherokees for a long time on ebay, and the CJ thing gave me a good excuse :rolleyes: :thumbsup:

So now I spend my hard earned money on my Cherokee :banghead: and my brother will be driving the CJ (Finishing touches in the next few weeks). :fsj:

[londonhogfan]

sorry to bring back an old thread...

Mark me down for Twister too. I loved that truck.

My first car was an 86 Honda Prelude but when I saw that Jeep truck down the road at the carlot I had to have it. It cost me trade in plus $150.00. That was in 97. Totaled it in 99 (bought it back from the insurance company) Installed 4 inch lift larger tires and drove for a while and a 2nd car. My first date with my wife was in that Jeep... We hope to have it on the road in time for our next anniversary.

Mine is an 81 J10 ShortBed 6cyl.

[bull4377]

sorry to bring back an old thread...

Mark me down for Twister too. I loved that truck.

My first car was an 86 Honda Prelude but when I saw that Jeep truck down the road at the carlot I had to have it. It cost me trade in plus $150.00. That was in 97. Totaled it in 99 (bought it back from the insurance company) Installed 4 inch lift larger tires and drove for a while and a 2nd car. My first date with my wife was in that Jeep... We hope to have it on the road in time for our next anniversary.

Mine is an 81 J10 ShortBed 6cyl.
This was a good thread man:thumbsup:

[j20brett]

Didnt exactly buy it...passed down from grandparents. Fell in love with it when i was 14 or so and im the only one in my family who took any kind of care of it. And ive been dumping money into it ever since!:drivin:

[Shaggin' Wagon]

Classic Americana. Great look, ride, stanky exhast. You kinda feel like your pointing a gun looking over that hood ornament. Oh yeah, the wood man, the wood.

[Mack_T]

I always had a facination with full size Jeeps. It may have started years ago when reading Four Wheeler & seeing the "Kaiser" truck in the Top Truck Competition. It may have been earlier even yet.

I remember seeing them in the Jeep brochure back when I was a youngster (and when they still sold the Grand Wagoneer's new!) and wondering why that was the only vehicle to have an "old school" engine, compared to everything else Jeep sold that had FI in it....

When I was really young, my Dad bought an old Land Cruiser... '75? '78? FJ 4-door. Funky orange & white. I loved being a kid in the back seat of that thing; the flat windows were cool. The power window in the tailgate was cool too. And camping. I didn't want one of those though, I wanted something a little bit nicer.

I remembered last year that I wanted a Wagoneer; and it was the right time too. I go mountain biking a lot, as well as camping. Love to go to the beach too. I was driving a 1998 BMW 740 iL (it's still for sale :( ) which was not suited to these tasks at all. I occasionally took out my '69 VW Bug biking & camping, but that was rattling the poor car apart (it's traditional California Look). I decided I wanted a "station wagon" to haul the bikes around, but didn't want a normal car. My wife reminded me of the X-Terra, which was cool, but everyone has one, and I didn't think they looked that cool.

So lucky for me, a Grand Wagoneer turned up in my town of Santa Rosa, cheap. I looked at it, and it was in great shape, with low mileage (for a 20 year old vehicle!), so I snagged it for $1500. It's been the greatest vehicle I've owned; taking us to Tahoe in the snow, out to the beach, and hauling the bikes around no problem. Not to mention all the other things that get hauled inside of it; it's a great work truck too.

http://64.142.37.188/familypictures/albums/album09/DSC04612.sized.jpg

Clay

[79-88fsj]

For me it was the size. My first car was a 1986 cherokee it was fine for me untill I started growing even more. I was 6'-3" when I graduated from high school, and I grew another 3" my freshman year, so now being 6'-6" it was hard driving the cherokee. I saw an 86 wag for $700 and it wag a fishing rig, man said it run fine but would not come out of 4wd so I diconected the front driveshaft and when on my way. Two days later the t-case went out. Man gave me back $150 for a used t-case. One moth later the rearend went out, then I bought a parts jeep for $150 to fix mine. It looked to good to tear apart(bad fule pump and no back glass) so I fixed the fule pump on that and was given a wag for moving it so I used that ones back glass to fix the parts one I bought. So thats how I bought the 1 fsj and the rest is history. Now I own 4 fsj's the the first one cost the most $$$$ and was the biggest pos. the best one was the $150 parts truck man that thing had 250000 on it(speedometer quit workin and it said 300450 miles and i drove it for another 6 months till the timing chain broke)

[SeanKHotay]

Why? I:
- needed a reliable tow vehicle for my gaggle of SAAB and silly Porsche
- needed a "large enough" carting-around vehicle for friends and car parts, sometimes acting as a service vehicle for my rally thing. Decent offroad capability a huge plus.
- wanted something nothing too huge and with a low beltline (no lost Hondas from sightlines, reflected or direct)
- wanted something I could drive to work and customers w/o getting the "WT*?!" look.
- wanted something cool, unique, and with character. Instant repoire w/ fellow owners and the like-minded is a plus.

OG Broncos, Scouts, LandCruisers, and Range Rovers rejected for one or more reasons.

Started in 2000 w/ a long distance buy of a friend-now-acquaintence's '84 GW that, while it did most of the above and I really tried to make it work, was a bit less than advertised & less reliable than I expected from the get-go, too beat up and too hacked together by the previous owner, a supposed master mechanic. Let it go after 2 years. :cool:

Got bur...err, talked into 'buying new' (last time), settled on a Durango R/T (like a fly on...err, nevermind), something I thought was a modern day FSJ, quickly renamed Darnango :( after 11 service trips in 16 months for various reasons, rerenamed D*mnango :mad: and booted after 3yrs with only 42Kmi soon after the warranty ran out, too many $10Ks, too much BS, a broken front diff shaft, unjustified & unnerving rust, unending chase of vacuum leaks, rocking bucket seats, fuses that blew when towing on wet roads, blahblahblah, yadda3x :banghead: ....good riddance, lesson learned.

Now I'm back in the fold w/ a decent local '86 GW picked up for $1900 that I'm dumping at least 6x that back into, building it as I want it, the do-all SUV that I want to own and drive. :drivin: :fsj:

I'm much better now... ;)


Sean, the long-winded....

[John Huebner]

Honestly? I don't know. Maybe when I was shopping for my first Jeep in 1989, it was the "Top of the line" and I coulnd't afford it...ended up with a stripped 4 cyl YJ that I still have and wheel....added a Cherokee in 1994, FSJ not available new then....finally, decided I wanted a Tow Vehicle, and I could FINALLY get my 1989 FSJ I'd drooled over....the classic looks, Big Old Carborated V-8.....a vehicle that at 18 years old turns heads when I drive it.

Oh....and not everyone HAS one! (Buddy has me beat, though, he's got a friggin Delorean!)

[steven79]

Back surgury and price, i had a ford escort but could not get in it after a fuision in the lower back and traded a project car for it, just the right size to slide in on the seat, now there are two in the drive.

[BigTim]

My neighbor had a white with black trim Cherokee Chief WT back in the 70's when I was a kid, and I always thought it was cool. Then when I finally had some money of my own when I was working for a Jeep dealer back in '95, I bought a really nice '83 J10 Laredo with '93k miles on it. White with copper accent around the bottom. I still regret selling that truck. :( Oh yeah, and I like them because I am 6'8" and can fit inside.

[Jeep_Guy]

Because I've loved with jeeps for as long as I can remember and these things have serious style! Not long before I turned 21, I was starting to loose interest in my 89 ford ranger. I had already replaced the engine due to the previous owner, then the paint started peeling badly and the transmission was showing signs of going dead. I really enjoyed having a truck as my daily driver (although everyone was always wanting to borro it, which did get kinda annoying, heh) so I wanted to look for another pickup, with some possible choices being a commanche or j-truck. Then, I saw my 85 j10 listed on ebay and won it for $600. It was my birthday present to myself. Original plan was to replace the ranger before it died so I wouldn't be left without something to drive. I tried for a year to get that old thing running, can't even remember how many trips to the u-pull-its I made during that year, but it wasn't getting close enough to usable so I traded the ranger in towards a jeep wrangler. I'm actually surprised at how long I was able to keep that transmission running somewhat smoothly using various, off the shelf, fluid addatives. Eventually I found my 82 honcho while away on buisness. I ended up paying more than I wanted to for it, but once I saw it in person, there was no going back. I brought it home the next day. I still have that 85, I'll get back to work on it someday, still have plans of making it a usable vehicle, just dont always have the money or time to do it all as fast as I would like.

Thats my story.
-Brian.

[jkchubbes]

It started about a year ago. My mom was looking in the paper for a Jeep WRANGLER for me, she called the add below it which was a WAGONEER. She told them we would come down and check it out. I still remember coming around the corner and seeing it at the end of the street with the sun shining off of it. I loved them ever since and plan on keeping them around.

[shepherdskeep]

As a kid back in 1976 I had a toy 2dr Chero WT ambulance that I abosolutely loved. Not sure, but I believe it was a Tonka because I beat the crap out of it and it always looked good :D I've loved that body style ever since, go figure when I ran across the deal on my Chero I had to get it! :)

[Xenolithic]

Compared to some people here I'm a youngster at 20, I grew up with the first truck I laid eyes on being a 1984 Jeep Cherokee. Growing up with my dad owning Jeeps I couldn't see why anyone would want anything else. As I grew up we continued to own Cherokees until my dad decided he wanted creature comforts in 2001 and we bought a Grand Cherokee. That places my family with the Jeep brand.

As far as FSJs, my family has always dabbled in car restoration, and we wanted to get a Jeep. My dad had a fleet of CJ-2As before the divorce, and then we had to sell them off before anything was prepped for paint. Along with my Corvair Coupe Turbo project. Meh. We wanted to get into something again with the new house settled and plenty of wrenching room, so at about the same time, my dad and I snagged project cars. He has another 2 CJ-2As, and I bought an '88 Grand Wagoneer last summer that I adored.

I used to go to car shows in Pittsburgh PA with my Aunt's car club, and there was a guy there who did Willys waggons and pickups, and one time he towed in the cars with a Grand Wagoneer... It's a sight to be seen, a mint Wagoneer pulling a mint looking Willys Wagon on a nice trailer. Makes me all warm and fuzzy.

[scantar]

I don't know...but if anyone finds out, can they please remove that part of my brain so I'll stop buying more?

:rolleyes:

[SNOWLOVER]

My buddy up north has a couple of CJ's and another has some flatfenders and I wanted to join in with them but I wanted more room with the kids and wife so opted for a Wagoneer. A lady in town had a '73 with a winch and 4" lift already on it, it even had the rims and it even ran. We put tires(33 x 12.5 x 15) on her, new brakes, chopped it, new front clip, doors and motor. Now it just needs paint. It is not pretty but it is fun and road worthy. It does ride much better than the CJ's also and seems to go through just as much if not more than a CJ. Now I am addicted. I am still thinking of a CJ though for the crusing around.

[82Laredo]

I pay close attention to vehicles since I was 12. How they look, the way they perform and so on. What caught my attention to these rigs was when I was 15. A friend of mine's Dad had a green Cherokee wide track and it had a lift and 33's on it. It was the only one I've ever seen like that....ever. I told myself I was getting one someday.

15 years later I was on the look out for a 4wd, daily driver, tow rig, spacious for me and the kiddos and most importanly 2 DOOR and not your common blazer. To my surprise I found one with very minimal rust and complete matching interior.

Performs just the way I like it and the ride is better:thumbsup: than my 04 Trailblazer when I had it.

[Headhoncho]

My first exposure to the Jeep pickup was in high school '81. In shop class everyone had a copy of either Off-road, Fourwheeler, or 4WOR. Everyone also had ford or chevy pickup or a bronco/blazer. Flipping through the mags led me to the ultimate jeep, the Roger Mears Budweiser Honcho. Soon I began looking for jeep pickups everywhere I went and becomming obsessed with them. Everything from tv shows, model kits to old style glitter type iron-ons and patches. When I got my drivers license in '83 it had to be a jeep pickup. The one I got was a 70 gladiator j-2000 with the buick 350 and 3 speed. Everything I learned automotive was from working on that truck. I literally turned every nut and bolt on that truck. I bet the NJ DOT floorpans are still intact to this day. Soon I converted it to a 4 spd from a j-3000 I bought for parts and put 36's on it. After a few years we moved to Pa and I couldn't take it with me so I regrettably sold it. Soon after we were settled I began looking for another. I found it (my 1980 sportside) on the last page of the auto trader out by Kutztown. I more or less bought it over the phone. That was 1987 and my fellings for the jeep pickup haven't changed one bit. I did buy a brand new Comanche in '90 which was also an awesome truck.
It's nice to own something with a rich history and that no one else has or has even seen in years. Who wants to be like everyone else?


JR

[RAMBLINFSJ]

I'm loving this thread!

I got my first FSJ in 2000. At the time I had two vehicles, an 81 Chevy Short Bed and a 96 Kia Sephia. I mainly drove the Kia for the A/C. I let my brother drive it one day so he could run to town. A few hours later he comes back, pulls in the driveway with steam coming from under the hood. He overheated the thing, no telling how far he drove it like that, and it crack the head. My pickup was having charging problems so I was pretty much stuck. I figured out that I could fill the Kia with water in the morning, drive to work and before I left work to go home, it was fine. About a week later I spotted a beat up Wagoneer at a "Screw'em Quick" used car lot. I've always liked them. My mother always wanted one but never got the chance to buy one, which that maybe where I began noticing them. A day or two later I pulled into the used car lot in my Kia and inquired about the blue beast. Of course I asked him how it ran and he of course said great. He pulled a battery off another car and put it on the wagon and to my amazement it fired right off and idled perfectly. Then the salesman mentioned that the only thing wrong with it was the transmission or "something like that". It was the transfer case chain slipping. But I didn't care about that because it would fit my needs perfectly and I also have a friend how works at a wreaking yard so getting a t-case was no big deal. So then I asked he how much he wanted for it and he said $500 cash. I told him how about a trade, the Kia for the Jeep and I have the title in the glove box? He looked the Kia over and I knew he had dollars bills rolling through his mind about how much more he could sell it for over that POS Jeep and he agreed to the trade. I paid him $47 for the title transfer fee and taxes. I called my friend and told him to bring a trailer. The used car salesman got the worst of the two POS's (serves them right) because I'm still driving the Wagoneer with almost 300,000 miles on the clock and have loved every miles of it. The Kia is probably in the salvage in a thousand pieces. Since then I have had 4 more but I have sold 1 to my brother(his daily driver) and gave the nicest one to my mother who has always wanted one. Ironicly, I just insured my newest Wagoneer today. These Trucks Rock!!!!! Oh I forgot to mention, I had to sell my 81 Chevy SWB to pay for the new/used t-case. Since I bought that Wagon it has received a solid white paint job, 3'' lift, 4 barrel intake and carb, and a few other things. Best vehicles I've ever owned.

[75sewg]

i like the shape of the fsj, it looks like nothing on the road

[Ole Blue]

Always love FSJs here's my list in order:

66 wagoneer(RIP)
74 cherokee chief W/T (sold years ago)
66 Jeep J-2000 (sold years ago and still regret it)
65 wagoneer (wrecked and still regret it)
73 wagoneer(RIP)
81 wagoneer(RIP)
72 wagoneer(RIP)
75 J-20(still going strong! Ole Blue)
88 grand wagoneer(RIP)
86 grand wagoneer(dad's)
74 Cherokee chief W/T 401(in work)
77 cherokee chief W/T(have not had time to mess with it yet)
83 cherokee laredo W/T

I'll never give them up!

[aerocorey]

I bought a FSJ because I'm a Jeep addict. I had YJs, but they aren't big enough. I had XJs but they're too common for me, everyone's got one. Plus they have no leg room. I had an MJ in a pinch for awhile, but that had to go because it won't hold the family. After buying and selling Jeep after Jeep after Jeep I decided to go get myself a real Jeep that wouldn't ever need to be replaced due to shortcomings.

[YellowJeep]

I bought an FSJ because I want to build something that is exactly what I want and is something that no one else has. I decided that making a car payment wasn't for me and I would be better off with something that I built myself and could be proud of instead of something new and boring. I've always thought FSJs were cool looking and rarely see them at all anymore...especially nice ones. I had come close to buying Wagoneers in the past, but the timing was never right, or the rig wasn't up to par. It didn't hurt that I've had my YJ since I was a senior in high school (94) and have loved driving it, wheeling it, and building it. I've owned 25 cars so car and the YJ is the one vehicle I'll never get rid of. The FSJ is looking to be the same situation. I just hope I don't get "the illness" and start buying a ton more of these things!

[jeepgeek]

I just don't think anything looks as cool as an old cherokee with a lift and big meats under it.

And WHO could pass up two FSJ's for $300? Honestly.

:)

[drlocke]

I worked on a horse farm back in the summer of '73, and the owner had a mid-to-late-'60s Wagoneer, and I'd always admired the lines, and vowed some day to own one just like it.

Such dreams fade away--especially when one considers the cost of such ride back in the day as compared to other cars, so I lost interest.

Then on a call to a piano customer I spotted his when he pulled it out of his barn. I made a path of drool all around it, and my "dream" was reawakened. We haggled on and off for 2 years, and I finally made him a cash offer that both he and I could live with.

The one I have is very similar--including the body color--to the one I coveted as a kid working on that farm mucking out the stables.

[TexTJ209]

I missed being broke. ;)

[hardheadted]

My son-in-law was going to trash it and I offered to buy it. Instead he said take it for free Dad and signed the title over. It was a mess so I started looking for info on them, found this sight and the rest is history. I caught the disease and I'm not looking for a cure. Love it.

[cfg7613]

Pure nostalgia...30 years ago I bought my first Wagoneer - a 1977 and it was nothing but problems from the word "GO". I was 18 years old and had a Golden Retriever named Toby who went everywhere with me. Finally got rid of the 77 after an auto accident and 5 years later bought a 1978 with very low miles. Both my dog and I felt "at home" again. After several years of the same problems - sold the 1978 and regretted it for over 20 some years.

Now I have a 16 year old son and another Golden Retriever named Abby - so I guess you could say I am reliving my teenage years again through them. My son is extremely proud of his Wagoneer ( although it has been nothing but problems since we got it!). Some things never change...

[VAGladiator]

Learned to drive on my Dad's '64 gladiator, 230, 3speed when I was 14, wrapped it around a pole when I was 16. I bought a '64 wagon for parts and we rebuilt the gladiator over the next few years, great learning experience. Purchased my '67 last year at 36 as a project, got more in it than it's worth but that's what owning a FSJ is all about. Dad's '64 is still on the road.

[2003 mcs]

This past month and half has been very expensive, I'm wondering why I got into this FSJ thing and wonder if it will be worth it (fun wise, certainly not money wise.) Sure lets get a truck together while gas is at an all time high. Oh well, I just ordered rock sliders from TripleR Fabworks. I can't wait to see my truck even partially finished (lift, rock sliders, wheels and tires). I guess I got into it because I like the look of these vehicles, they are not seen very often, and when they are very few if any are as rust free as mine (here in MI anyway). I felt I needed a truck (secondary vehicle), did not want a new truck (I simply could not drive a truck everyday). The GW fits the bill.

[dngrs1]

I was actually looking for a CJ when I ran across a guy that was building an airplane in his garage and needed to sell his J10 to have money to finish it. I thought it was a cool looking truck, it's a Jeep and so I bought it. I haven't regretted a moment of owning it. That was 12 years ago. I have since also found the CJ I was looking for. And now I have a truck that will pull the CJ out of the sand when it gets stuck!:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[amc79j10]

I loved the look of the jeep truck from the time I first saw it as a little kid of a bout 8 years of age. When I was looking for a second vehicle so I could make some major repairs on my old ford pickup. My dad called and said there was a jeep for sale by his work. Growing up in a cj-7 my first thought was a baby jeep. When I pulled up to the estate sale there She was. 6" lift little 31" mt tires. black plastic grill and rectangle head lights. Plus a cheap coat of white glossy paint. Quick inspection showed that she had hit something on the front driver but was repaired well enough not to notice at a glance. Floor board on the passenger sid was rusted thru. No radio, no antena, feadliner was cut out for a cb radio. (no longer installed) (1)39375 miles. ac did not work. Plus side was a 30 gal aux tank. She start right up, smoked tires down the road. And the bigest Plus was she was a j10 pickup. I had foung the truck of my dreams. (sometimes nightmares) The guy wanted 3500 and he got it. I have been a happy FSJer ever since. (with a few minor frustrations along the way.) I have done a lot of custom work to her and still have 6 project in the plans for her before I am done. My friends all joke about my jeep leaking 6 fluids. My response is that she is marking her territory. They joke that I carry enought spare parts to make another truck. They stop laughing when they break down and I have the tool they need, or a trail fix solution. and all of their jaws droped when i pulled a 20' dumpster (loaded with debri form the house that Flying Lady pulled down) 30 ' in soft dirt. When ever anyone asks how much Flying Lasy is worth, I proudly tell them $125,000 is the least I would let her go for.

Mike A. and Flying Lady

[JpX]

I saw a Jtruck following some CJ's down Amasa Back trail in MOAB while I was mountainbiking up. Wasn't heavily modded either. I wanted one and without ever thinking about that specific event I ended up buying a Jtruck and my buddy reminded me of it because he remembered how cool I thought it was. I started looking at FSJ's almost a full year after seeing the Jtruck in MOAB, watching the Trucks episode where Stacy David fix's up the BJ's truck reminded me I wanted the Jtruck.

[Gambler68]

first one? Cuz i needed a truck and my mechanic gave me a good deal: a running 68 Glad with a 327 for 500 bux. 500 bux later it was reliable. The rest? Becaiuse they were there, cheap/and/or free.

[fulsizjeep]

I had a 74 J10, it seemed to like to make me bleed. Smacked me in the nuts a few times with it's driveshaft too. Sold it. A few months later I bought a 78 J20 with a 401, 4 speed 4x4 at auction for $10. So far it hasn't smacked me in the nuts so I'm happy with it.

Good Ole Bob...
I sure miss that lying bag of pooh
http://jubileejeeps.org/smilies/action-smiley-082.gif

[drlocke]

......http://jubileejeeps.org/smilies/action-smiley-082.gif

Love that emoticon! :thumbsup:

I feel inspired. Bye for now!

[jaber]

Grandpa always had a Jeep of somekind, usually a CJ or a Jeepster. My dad got A '74 CJ5 new with the 304 and I still have it. My first was from a friend that I worked with. A '79 Chero that needed a tranny for 600$. Its in my blood. I point out Jeeps to my son and he can't figure out how I see them hiding like I do. "Look, theres one over in that yard, SEEEEE, you can see the taillight........."

Oh and the list in my sig is sitting in my yard, including my first one...

[Kaiser]

Didnt buy mine...I inherited it...though I paid blood, sweat, & tears rebuilding it!

[Poley]

It was cheap..

[janie]

I'm mentally impaired.

[etjeep]

Neighbor had a '78 Wide track Chero when I was in HS. Always admired those even stock.

I wanted an off-road vehicle that was big enough for me and my stuff. I did not want to rock-crawl my 92' 4x4 Burb and the little jeeps were either too small or frame-less. Then I found this site and realized how cool it really was to have a FSJ.:cool:

[chrisnsarah]

Way back in high school, It all boiled down to something that was 4WD, roomy, stylish, easy to work on, comfortable to drive, practical, and cheap to buy...

...and an FSJ fit the bill perfectly.

[trailscape]

I happen to pass by this some years ago and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I had no idea what it was, but took a photo. Early this year I decided I wanted a project and that a truck was the plan. I happened to find the photo again and learned some history and went shopping. Wound up with a J10. Unfortunately, I've since been broke and still not driving it.

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv65/trailscape/JeepM715.jpg

[Long&Low]

Well, I've been into little Jeeps, two YJ's a couple of CJ's. They were all set up for trail riding. Well, after years of upgrades, axles, upteen tranny swaps, t-cases, a doubler, an untold number of lift kits, even a stretch, I kinda of got tired of hard core trail riding. Combine that with a heart attack a couple of years ago, I decided it's time to chnge direction with the vehicular fascination. This was all after spending a few years running M151's in a Scout Plattoon with an Armored Cav unit.

I thought long and hard on what to look for. I wanted something that folks don't see on the road anymore, something unusual enough and well, to put it bluntly, I wanted something testosterone laden.

So, I jumped into the Jtruck end of things. I'm finishing up my first project, and my second Jtruck. My first one, I picked up from Kaiserman, and it's currently being parted out from JeepBountyHunter.

Other Jeeps I'd like to get my hands on would be an old 4-door Cherokee or Wagoneer, a FC150, an old Willy's P/U, and a flat fender.

[FSJ-Earl]

bad luck, dumb luck, and no luck..................

[araknid75]

I always wanted a Jeep since I was a kid. I remember seeing an FSJ (military green, I think..) in the movie "War Games" and thought it was the coolest thing ever. When I could afford it I bought a rusted out CJ (barely had the means), years later I could finally afford it I got a RUBI, in spite of that I still had a yearning for an FSJ. I thought of them as simple, solid and a fun rig that actually stands out in a class by itself, something (at least around here) you just don't see that often, it was something that wasn't like every other jacked up pick-up or SUV with dual exhaust. I actually talked to a guy the other day who came up to me, asked me about the Chief and said it was good to see trucks like that on the road. Reminded him of the way trucks 4x4's etc used to be....tough, lots of steel, smell of exhaust and fresh turned dirt.

[Logs0012]

I was being a stupid 15 year old boy and I was looking in a tri-state auto trader and "Jeep truck" I always loved the old CJ7s, my dad had one when I was little and I have always loved Jeeps since then. That and the rhino grille was grinning at me from the page. I'm now a stupid 16 year old and I have the bug and you all keep making it worse with all these build threads:D

[vintagetrks]

I've never been much of a fan of the J trucks but I gotta say The movie Twister got me thinking those jeep trucks are pretty cool. However I've always been a fan of the Wagoneers and Cherokees. Recently all my kids have grown up and moved out so I have some time to tinker and do things that I'm intrested in and I got to thinking I've always wanted to build a jeep so I got a 94 ZJ not really an FSJ but I was happy to have a jeep. But the more I tinkered on it the more my thoughts turned to the old tough looking wagoneers I always liked how ugly they were. They just looked like civilian tanks and not everyone had them. I Have'nt ever seen too many of them lifted or modified for hardcore off roading but they always looked like a rig that could take it. While working on my ZJ I joined an Arizona forum for jeeps and started seeing some FSJ's and got to talking to some FSJ folks and expressed my intrest in owning an FSJ well a nice fellow in Northern Az introduced me to a member hear Jaber who knew of a fellow with two FSJ's for sale and asked if I would be intrested in a running waggy for $500.00 I said Hell Yeah and it was love at first sight. She's no where near perfect and needs alot of work but she runs and drives so I'm enjoying the heck out of her while I fix her up. I have to say talking to all the folks here on the forum has been very helpful and I enjoy talking to others who are as crazy about their jeeps as I am about mine. You folks are the nicest most helpful folks that I have ever met.

[Casey]

Aside from my cheap streak. :rolleyes:

My grandfather drove one and pulled his camper/boats with it. He had a CJ2 a CJ3A and a CJ3B before stepping up to the roomy '66 CJ-5 (my first roll over was at age 5 in the CJ-5 on the dunes at the OBX).
They proved to be a tad bit small for camping and towing purposes (even with the Kelly steel roof).
When he retired he bought a brand new '75 Wagoneer. One fall afternoon while heading from Baltimore to West Virginia my old granddude slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a deer. Remember when..well some of you do...we used to sit in the back and hang over the middle of the front bench seat so we could see the road? I went over the seat and broke the windshield with my forehead. I think that could explain a lot!

They drove that Jeep for a few years and it became too small for hauling.
He stepped up to a much bigger boat/camper and a Suburban. I took my first driving test in the 'Burb in 1979. He had just sold the Wagoneer.

I started with CJs and folks kept giving me old wagoneers for parts. I have always loved them. The trucks are the coolest looking pick-ups EVER!
I've owned umpteen over the years for parts and whatnot.

Now I have two kids, two Cherokees and a J truck. I drive a Suburban as a DD.

I guess the apple doesn't fall too far after all.

BTW I watched Twister again last night! I hate that movie. :(

[jaber]

BTW I watched Twister again last night! I hate that movie. :(

LMAO, I did too. I kept yelling to my kids, "look, look, its my truck"....

[TheJeeper]

What got me into them was the price and cool factor. I had a Jeep book with pictures of old J-trucks and Waggys, and I had always liked them. At that time, my dad had a YJ for two years and I had gotten into finding out about YJ's and Jeeps in general.

Feb. '08 I was in the market for a Flattie, early '5, etc, and was on ebay one evening, where during a "Jeep" search I found a '65 J-200 for $475 current bid, I looked it over, it had 89K on it and the speedo was broken, so I knew it probably had A LOT of miles, It had the 230 OHC which I thought was really cool and different. I figured up the cost of going to get it with my Dad's pickup and a rented Uhaul trailer, and it was just within my budget, so I bid. It ended up going for $590 the next morning when the auction ended. So a week later we drove 250 miles to Jasper, IN (yes, the town where Jasper rebuilt engines are from) and picked it up. Cyl #5 wasn't firing, the engine lay sideways as a result of a broked motor mount, the tires were bald, it wouldn't shift out of 4-low, and they had been driving it like that for as long as they had owned it. I quote from the auction, " It's real low geared, it'll only do about 45mph". Yeah, 4700 rpm.

So all in all I got a fair deal, even though the guy failed to mention all of the aforementioned facts.

As of curent, I've a hankering for a Cherokee or Waggy. What can I say, it's an FSJ thing. :thumbsup:

[Toyotech]

It seemed like a good idea at the time:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[suzq044]

I've always wanted a FSJ; moreso after my bf gave me a ride in his super-beat-up GW.. through mud. Now I haz my own Cherokee, that needs a carb and steering components. :D

[Lost Arrow]

i didn't know j trucks existed until i found one and bought it.

i've never been a fan of the cherokees or wagoneers (sorry yall, they've grown on me since joining this forum, but i always think 'i'd cut that and make it a pickup'.), but j trucks are freakin smoothies.

i had $1000 dollars left in my savings acount, i'd lost my job. so i decided to buy a pickup and try to earn some money doing home repairs and dump runs (all that stuff).

every morning, while i drank my coffee, i would pick through the craigslist adds with a budget of $750. i looked at a couple toyotas, a bunch of old fords, and then I SAW IT.

'what the he77 is that?'

add just said: "83 jeep truck. tired of it sitting in front of my house. $700."

it had three pictures. i had to have it.

i tried calling the guy; no answer. i tried e-mail; no reply. impossible to get a hold of.

so i did what any normal red blooded american male would do in my situation: i went out looking for it.

i grabbed a good buddy of mine and we took off armed with the pictures and the e-mail address to find that dang truck.

'looks like a north/south facing street'

'pavement is light colored and full of potholes'

'looking for a tall cedar tree'

'if you see a cinder block wall 6' high check it out'

we drove up and down streets for about 7 hours. even checked every house in the phonebook that shared the guy's last name.

no dice. no truck.

i figured i'd have to look for something else, and wen't back to my rutine of combing craigslist adds every morning.

four days later the guy called- he lived only about 8 blocks from me.:banghead:

i drove over real quick, threw the cash at him (after checking for rust and making sure no blue smoke on startup and running the tranny through it's gears to make sure they were all there) and drove it home:drivin:

or at least i tried.

it died about 8 times in 8 blocks.

then i found this forum and used it to troubleshoot my problems.

fixed it. love it. i'm hooked.

now i drive it 400 miles a week. runs like a new truck.

thanks yall:thumbsup:

[Carleysjeep]

it died about 8 times in 8 blocks.

LMAO! good stuff.

When I was a kid my dad's buddy had a M-715 (at the time all I knew was "that old army truck") that he used when he had to drive down powerline right of ways (he was a contracter to local power co.) I thought it was the coolest truck ever! :D :D :D :D :D :D
I have owned several jeeps (although never a FSJ) over the years and even when I was jeepless always wanted another Jeep.
About three years ago I was fling back and forth to Mississippi for work. One week I bought a jp mag with a wagoneer on the cover. I said to myself That thing is cool, I am going to get one like that.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss317/Carleysjeep/J-10/S7300884.jpg
I started looking around and two years later found one I wanted. About two weeks after I got it home, I realized they were almost the same color!

BTW, Morris died two years ago. His M-715 is still in town, I will try to get out & take some pics of it.

[86cj7]

i placed a ad "looking for a running 401" on my local 4x4 site. i really wanted to upgrade the 258 in my cj7 with a 401. this guy in Connecticut responded that he had a 74 waggie that had 84,000 miles on it. i asked how long it would take from the time on me hearing it running to when he would be able to pull the engine and i offered to help. he said that i had to take the whole thing. i really didn't want need another jeep but i figured that i could sell the dana44's the turbo 400 make some of my money back then scrap the rest. i honestly thought that the only thing those full size jeeps were good for taking them apart for there running gear (sorry). when i went to see it it has never been modified and is all original and although there was some rust behind the rear quarters the floors are rust free. so i registered it and have been driving it ever since. i bought it for $750

[stonehengeheels]

My brother has had one for a while and I was jealous! I told my wife we were buying it for my 16 year old son to drive to HS because it was slow and safe. She believes me, so far.

[Ostego]

I wanted a 4x4 that was also a pickup AND was also a Jeep...and as I already owned a Jeep MJ (Comanche) the only logical option was to go for a FSJ.

My old man constantly told me stories about the things he did in his '76 J20 that no other truck he had owned would or could do until I was finally convinced I wanted a FSJ as well but couldent find one anywhere forsale, then one snowy morning a few days before my 22nd birthday I went outside to find a red and white '74 J20 with the words "Happy B-day" written on the windshield in snow.:D

Now I need to find a Gladiator like the one in the photo albums that my old man owned before his J20.:p

[purduesd]

Well it all started out with my wife and I hauling the dogs around town...

We were quickly getting sick of cleaning dog hair out of carpet, so we were talking one day about how it would be nice to have a go to hell car to haul the dogs around in and not worry about.

I knew whatever we got had to have some style and first had my heart set on an early bronco. But I quickly decided that i didn't want it to turn into another big project. The wife joked one day about a griswold mobile and that got me thinking of Grand wagoneers. I showed her a pic of one and the search was on.

Needless to say, we ended up bringing one home. We drove it for a year or so before i decided to start fixing it up a bit. I was getting kind of sick of the interior being damp. So, I tore the carpet out and that was the moment i knew i was screwed. A bunch of welding, grinding, coating later i got the wild hair, and started thinking how great it would be to freshen up the drivetrain a bit. Jeeps are seriously a mental disease.

Fast forward a couple months and now the jeep's 1300 miles away from home getting later model drivetrain transplant.

All for a bunch of dogs... hah

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l23/PurdueSD/1024.jpg

[scotty1998]

Dating myself here but in the mid 80's when I was in high school, I remember my friends and I laughing at the GW terribly ugly and dated look and how we couldn't believe anyone would pay mid $20K for something like that.

FFWD 25 years and I have an '87 sitting in my drive. There's just something about them. They're ugly ducklings but very cool if you stop and take a second look. My dad owned many AMC's so I wan't opposed to the spartan, klunky look and I had a '79 Jeep CJ7 and just loved it for it's simplicity. Plus I was always one of those guys that liked something different than owning the typical SUV or Van, or 1/2 ton... yawn. This thing just says, I'm ugly as hell and I don't care what you think but I've got way more character than anything else on the road so, unless you're gonna take a fricken picture, get the h**l outta my way ;) Yeah buddy.

Oh yeah, and it looks great at a camp site loaded with kids and baggage :thumbsup: But, perhaps the greatest thing about them is that my car payment is a mere 1/5th of my buddy's Grand Cherokee at $550/mo. Hmmm.

[MajBob]

Well I am a fan of individuality....I modify almost everything I own and try to find vehicles that I think are kool and different. I've always liked FSJs but only recently bit the bullet and bought my '88 GW. I love her and have given her some attitude with a 4" lift and 33s....and I get comments on her all the time.

Now I find myself lusting after 2 door cherokees and J20s....I think I'm about ready to find a bad J20 to build from the frame up....:banghead: I'm definately into self flagilation!!!

:drivin:
Bob

[jackz4000]

Back in 1983 I moved to Vermont and lived in a mountainous area and had a 20 mile drive to work each way. My car just could not cut it especially in the winter. One night it flipped over and I was upside down in a creek. Next week I found a '75 Wagoneer with a 258 and 3 speed on the floor and locking hubs. That Wagoneer could go through the worst the winter could dish out. Rust was a major problem and I had a clip put on from down south. No rust problems. I had that one for about 11 years.

Since then I've had a couple GW's and I just like them and know what they are capable of. As far as cars go today it is a fairly uncomplicated machine with a luxury ride. 15 years ago there were quite a few of them up here, now I doubt if there are 20 in the state that are driveable. Most all rusted out before they died.

Its is a classic vehicle. No matter where I go there are always people who want to talk to me about it. "haven't seen one o' those in years". When I tell 'em its almost 20 years old I get all kinds of reactions.

[RubiconMike]

Lots of great stories on this thread!

Here's mine.
1977: I'm in the market for a new Jeep, went to the dealer and found two I liked, a Sunshine Yellow CJ5 Renegade and a White Cherokee Chief. Both had 6cyl and manual transmissions - tough choice, right?

Since I was in my early 20's and the Cherokee had the same body style as that old-man Wagoneer model, I went with the CJ5 and had a hell of a good time beating the crap out of it for years.

Fast Fwd to 2002 - Jeep announces the Rubicon model and on a whim the wife and I stopped at a dealer to look at one. (I'd been out of 4wheeling since before I got married and my wife had no idea what I was doing). The dealer said they weren't available yet but he had four on order and two were sold already. Taking me completely by surprise, my wife whips out the checkbook and says "Will $1,000 hold one for us?". I bought it, built it up for rock crawling and drove that one for a few years, then sold it and bought a Rubicon Unlimited when they came out so we would have more room for out two 90lb German Shepard Dogs. Built that one up for rock crawling too.(Hence the name "RubiconMike").

I had joined the local Jeep club and one day while my wife was on the other side of the country visiting her mother, I saw a member post a message that his neighbor had an '82 Cherokee Laredo for sale for $300. He had posted pictures and it was straight, virtually rust free (are any of these things ever really "rust-free"?) so I replied immediately "I'll take it!" It had been sitting in the driveway for 10 years and didn't run but the owner's son said that he thought it just needed a fuel pump, and even included a new-in-the-box pump with the deal. I towed it home, installed the pump, and it started right up!

So the wife comes home from the airport, hits the garage door opener, and there sits the Jeep. Ha ha, she says she is never leaving me home alone again! After a complete repaint, new carpet, and fixing everything that didn't work, it's now my daily driver and looks and runs like a new car. The wife likes it so much she wants me to find a Wagoneer for her! I figure I have about $1,500 or so in it, and I couldn't find a more fun vehicle for the price.

[newtojeeps]

I went to look at a model train collection to buy. out in the drive way was a nice little 82 Cherokee. I asked about it and it was his father's who had passed away. The dad apparently left them quite a chunk of change.
They had bought a new Diesel pusher and Acura MDX. So I asked how much we set on a price and I asked the CEO (Wife) if it was OK. She said at that price buy it. I took it to smog and It needed a new BBD carb, The owner said get one and take it off the agreed price(Cool). So 2200.00 later it was mine.
One complete File box of receipts of everything that had ever been done to Him. Including the Original manuals Smog warranty, window sticker, even the wrench for the luggage rack. I now own 6:eek:

[BangBang]

My Boss made me ;)

[AnnieL]

Well it all started out with my wife and I hauling the dogs around town...

We were quickly getting sick of cleaning dog hair out of carpet, so we were talking one day about how it would be nice to have a go to hell car to haul the dogs around in and not worry about.

I knew whatever we got had to have some style and first had my heart set on an early bronco. But I quickly decided that i didn't want it to turn into another big project. The wife joked one day about a griswold mobile and that got me thinking of Grand wagoneers. I showed her a pic of one and the search was on.

Needless to say, we ended up bringing one home. We drove it for a year or so before i decided to start fixing it up a bit. I was getting kind of sick of the interior being damp. So, I tore the carpet out and that was the moment i knew i was screwed. A bunch of welding, grinding, coating later i got the wild hair, and started thinking how great it would be to freshen up the drivetrain a bit. Jeeps are seriously a mental disease.

Fast forward a couple months and now the jeep's 1300 miles away from home getting later model drivetrain transplant.

All for a bunch of dogs... hah

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l23/PurdueSD/1024.jpg

What a priceless photo this is, that is one happy dawwgie :thumbsup:

[yankeedog]

because it is the last, full frame ,leaf spring, solid axle, v8 engine,manual transmission,carbureted motor vehicle available with manual vents and wing windows.you can build one pretty much any way you want to.it has flat glass. so any shop can make you a window.it has lots of steel all around with almost no bogus exterior plastic except the funky wood grain.Its a dinosaur,just like me.

[Charlie_B]

I moved from GA to ID with a '91 240sx (rwd and about 2700 lbs). After the first 3" of snow we got, I found out real quick that I needed a 4wd. My buddy's girlfriend said she had a Jeep Eagle (???) that she was selling. Obviously she wasnt very knowledgable about what she had. And didnt treat it very well. Lots of time in the desert and close to no maintenance. I test drove it for a week and fell in love. Every since I saw it, I knew it had potential. Before making the purchase, I joined here and found a wealth of knowledge. Its been a fun ride ever since. I cant wait for the day she gets rolled out of the garage in her new diggs.

[Bill Moore]

this is easy, Jeeps are in my blood, father, and grandfather, FSJs as well, Willys wagons to J20s to M715s. the way undervalued FSJs helps as well, the days are returning to them being given away again!

[Bill Moore]

Always love FSJs here's my list in order:

66 wagoneer(RIP)
74 cherokee chief W/T (sold years ago)
66 Jeep J-2000 (sold years ago and still regret it)
65 wagoneer (wrecked and still regret it)
73 wagoneer(RIP)
81 wagoneer(RIP)
72 wagoneer(RIP)
75 J-20(still going strong! Ole Blue)
88 grand wagoneer(RIP)
86 grand wagoneer(dad's)
74 Cherokee chief W/T 401(in work)
77 cherokee chief W/T(have not had time to mess with it yet)
83 cherokee laredo W/T

I'll never give them up!wow, youve been bitten baddddddddd....

[bill4570]

In 1993 got hooked on wheeling by a friend that had a K5 Blazer on 35's and wanted a 4x4. Being a Jeep fan I couldn't afford what people were asking for CJ's and Wranglers at the time.

I found a ad for a 77 Jeep Cherokee for $700 w/360,t400,QT and D44's and talked my brother into going and looking at it with me. The last time it had been registered for the road was 1984. PO said it ran rough and couldn't operate a manual fuel pump but he had wired up and electric pump so it would run and it wouldn't shift out of first gear.

I went home that night and did some research and called him back offering $350. He accepted and my brother and I went to pick it up in his 78 Dodge ramcharger on 35" TSL's (that was a fun trip back:rolleyes:).

Got it home, changed all the fluids and took the QT out of E drive (lol, that's why it wouldn't shift) and replaced the 360 fuel pump with the proper 401 fuel pump and had it licensed and legal two days later.

Sometimes you just have to love people who don't know what they have.

I still have the Jeep and once I finish school, it will be brought up and rebuilt.

No working heater, windshield wipers worked only half way and driver seat back busted but I still believe it is one of the best trucks I have ever owned.

[lost1]

I got hooked on Jeeps as a kid, riding around with one of my dad's friends down in the Ozarks of Arkansas...forgot the bug for years until I came across a (sorry to say) '00 xj for a steal, back in '04 and for several years it treated me well. Snowbirds took that jeep away from me and it wasn't until this last fall that I found a jeep I could afford... a very neglected 83 waggy with the 360. She's a year older than I am, acts entirely too grumpy for her age, and generally just acts like an ill-tempered girlfriend. But you can't beat her looks or capability, and when she feels like strutting her stuff it sure paints a grin on your face.

[elij10travis]

where im form ther isnt many around nd still on the road till this day maybe a few here and there but not that many i wnated a head trner somone to saay Great Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley Moogley is that ive never seen anything like thsi before and ive done it quite a few times and everyone always like chevys are fun good off roading vehicles doge for blah blah blah blah sounded like charlie brown mom in my head wawawa wa wa. my dad had one a few years back but it was toatly unsalvageabe not return from that thing so that was taken out of the pictur i kept motor and tranny drive shaft axles wernt that big of deal till i went to another town and bought mine for 300 buck and ran drove like no tomorrow and that when i realzed that my favorite vehicle is an fsj its a sick disease in my vains pretty bad when u go to sleep and ur wife wakke u up casue u were talkign about it in your sleep going over your plans for restoration amc 24/7 endless possibilities

[jeepskater433]

my dad had showed me a wagoneer for sale a few years ago, then i started looking into one, and my mom told me about how my uncle had one that he loved, then shortly after, my uncle passed away in feb, and in aug i bought my first grand wagoneer in memorance of my uncle, i then bought 2 others and parted the first one out because of all the rust, sold the third one, still have the second(87), bought a 4th one(88) after i had bought a j10 and 2 wt cherokees and sold them

[danthegeek]

I had a 97 TJ with a 4 banger a few years ago that was just a blast to take off road. Me and a few buddies would take our jeeps out on the weekends and see if we could get stuck :D. But on the road, that thing was a dog with no power at all. No ac, no cruise control, 5 speed, and I was just tired of not having comforts. So I sold it and bought a truck....

Fast forward to a few months ago....

I have been looking for a new toy I can just take out a drive and beat on a little bit. I saw a Wagoneer at a gas station one day and I was hooked. Its everything I want as far as off road fun and comfort. I can blast the A/C on the trails, actually listen to the radio while cruisen, and take the family along with me. But the best part so far, its just fun to drive.

[Rice63ifs]

Prior to watching Staci David swap the broken '79 grill to a Rhino set-up, I'd never owned a Jeep of any kind. But when the Rhino went in, it was too much and for some reason I had to have one. But instead of a late model rig, and making the Rhino swap, I started researching and found that only the '63 and '64's (Wagoneer's) had that grill from the get-go.

So my mission was to locate an early one (no Rhino swap needed:) Long story short, I found a two-owner, '63 about 10 miles from my house on
E-bay. I was able to look at it and drive it prior to bidding. I went home, bid on it and got it for $910.00 and drove it home. It's an IFS rig, super original, really rust-free, "custom" 4-door, (1414C......)

In the back it had tons of NOS parts, the original invoice, sales literature, owner's and shop manuals, receipts, blah blah blah.....

It's getting torn down for a rotisserie resto, starting sometime next week. No kidding! I'm excited about it. Should be fun.

Keep the posts coming. You all have good stories.

[Jeep John]

It was cheap!:thumbsup:

[fullsizejohn]

My cousin bought mine new in 1980(a 79 leftover) for life on the farm. I always thought it was a neat rig and the qtrac was awesome in the snow and mud of farm work. Years past by and the old girl was retired to the field. Rusted and rotting i said "hey, sell me the jeep." He said "just come and get it." Cant beat free.:D

[fubar]

well my uncle got me hooked. he let me wheel his 71superwagoneer with buick 350/th400/20:D .

i got my 67waggy for 500 with a heavy built 360/th400/qt still have yet to get it road worthy.

the cherokee i drive now i traded a 90's 4runner:rolleyes: its got a heavy built 360/th400/d20 an edelbrock every thing fullwith 3/4 axles 40's :eek: near same mpg as the 4runner but alot more fun

[snccoulter]

Because I needed a jeep that can hold 5 and all the family gear the TJ just did not work for the family

[Tejasol]

I had owned a CJ5 in college and had a blast playing around in it. Traded it for a truck when my wife got pregnant. We later bought a 94 XJ and loved it. It was big enough for a family of three and it was dependable and comfortable on long drives. I was looking for a third vehicle to have as a project/weekend cruiser/camping rig. I have always liked the old K5 Blazers. I missed the convertable driving of my CJ and liked the cargo space inside. All of the decent ones I found were way too expensive (5-10K). Then I saw a Wagoneer in an Auto Trader. I remembered the first vehicle I almost bought as a kid was a yellow Cherokee wide trac. The guy wanted a small fortune and I was a poor kid going off to college and basic training. I found my rig in my town and it came with an envelope of receipts dating to the original purchase in 1990. The first inch or so were all dealer warranty repairs. The wife and kids love it and it has been a good reliable rig. Some folks scoff when they hear I paid $2,500 for it, but it served as my daily driver for two years and still is my ride of choice.
:fsj:

[jakecj7]

I always wanted some king of 4wd. Worked all summer for a moving company when I was 16. Took all the money I made and bought what I could afford, 83 ford escort wagon. That was a long way from what I wanted. Next spring I was driving around and spotted this big 4wd SUV. Looked it over and loved it. I took my dad down with me to test drive it. I gave him the keys and told him he had to drive because I had never driven a stick. He said if I want it, I need to learn to drive stick and there's no point in waiting. Well I jumped in, stalled it a bunch of times and fell in love with it.

It was a 79 WT cheokee 3" lift and bald 35's. That was one bad ride for a 17 year kid in HS. Somewhere I have pics of when I made it into a tank for the senior parade. Sure it had it's problems, but it was one of the reasons I met my wife :) . Since then I've owned a bunch of jeeps but only one other FSJ.

[FSJ_Iron]

I remember my dad having a two door cherokee in the 80's when I was a kid. We went camping and drove all over northern AZ with it. I remember being able to walk between the front seats to the back thinking that was cool.

I bought my first FSJ in 2006, it is an 84 grand waggy. When I needed a new 4x4 for camping and such as an adult, I looked at some wagons and cherokees. I like FSJ's because they look tough and you don't see many around. You can also get parts for them cheap and they are easy to work on. I have had two wagoneers, a J10 and a cherokee. I currently have my first wagoneer and the 77 J10 that I would like to rebuild into a daily driver someday. I see no end in sight.... :thumbsup:

[COLOFIREMAN]

Don't know why I never saw this thread before......:confused:


Anyway I think my love affair with Jeeps started back when I was 8-9 years old. My Grandfather gave my father his CJ2A which was in bad need of a restoration. 3-years later and alot of blood, sweat, and tears, we had a very nice driver. After coming home from the Army I bought my first Jeep, the 1984 CJ that I still own. After a little time went by I needed a towing rig and wanted a J-Truck, hence the 1974 J-10 with a big block Buick that I bought and still own. After that it was all down hill.....I bought and sold a 1972 and a 1979 Waggy then the 1988 GW that I still own. Then the 1973 J4800, then a 1981 short bed J-10 that I gave to my nephew. Then I found a 1978 N/T in a field that did not have a title and was going more of a pain to get it so I parted and scrapped it. Then I bought two 1979 W/T Cherokee's, one I parted and one I'm building.

As far as from here I can say I'm done buying FSJ's to build.......or so I told my wife......;) :D

[lycanthrope]

one of my favorite threads. glad it's brought more responses. always liked
camping, got into backpacking to get away from people*. getting too old to
be interested in lugging so much gear or doing without some comforts. still
want to get out.
about four years ago, went looking for some rural land (to get away from
people*). got stopped by a mud pit on a dirt road--didn't want to get the
tommybus stuck. (i got the leftover astrovan , the wife took the bmw).
decided i wanted something that would be more capable on/off road,
started researching 4wd. thats when i found this place (ifsja). i expect that
the community here has had as much influence on my choice as anything
else. i'm a sucker for the misunderstood, castoff, old, unpopular... enter by
the narrow gate, the road less traveled by, etc. my first fsj is a '81 j10
longbed. will eventually have a shortbed and a cherokee.

*somehow people get the idea my name is richard--they keep referring to
me by another name.
tommy

[GunGuy]

I bought a 76 Cherk in 96 for 950 bucks. The only thing it needed in the first four years was a starter solenoid and a battery. When I moved to San Antonio, I tried to convince my wife to sell it in WY before we left. My mother-in-law moved in a block away and instantly started complaining about that piece of junk just sitting in the driveway. Periodically I would start it and make sure I drove past their house. When I was leaving SA, I had to choose to move the stuff that the military wasn't going to pay for or the Jeep. Stuff won out, and I sold it to a guy who was going to take it to his ranch in Mexico.

My daughter was bitten by the bug while the first one was hanging out in the driveway. As a brand new driver (soon), she didn't want a pretty vehicle that she would cry over every scratch. It doesn't have the hardware of the 76, but when my wife's 03 Cheby :rolleyes: had to be taken down for a week I drove it to work. This Grand has had 13 owners in its 23 years, none of whom were very nice to it. With 193XXX on the clock the thing still gets where I need it to.

[mathman]

Dad had a '49 Willys pickup before my time - sold it after breaking a front axle shaft. In fixing it he found it had been broken and welded before - so he did the same. His brother knew dad was looking for another one and came across a guy in town that was driving one. Followed the guy all over until he finally came to a stop and asked if he was willing to sell it. He was. Called my dad and he bought it for $300 in 1957 (still before my time). That truck has always been around and I've always wanted it and he gave it to me when I turned 16. First vehicle I ever drove and still have it. He had bought a 1966 J-truck at one point and it was impossible to get it stuck. Finally sold it several years later. Older brother was looking for a truck and wanted a J-truck. Found a '78 J-10 and drove the snot out of it until it started quitting on him - finally leaving it sit in his woods. I bought it off of him and got it running (bad distributor - which I had told him about before and he wouldn't listen). Still have that one and still have no real problems with it. Bought the J-20 for the 8' bed and heavier hauling capacity and for towing. It's still in the "to get to" pile. Nothing else has ever seemed to run and pull quite like the Jeeps.

[HD_JEEP]

I worked for a guy who cleared land of trees and brush. He had a jeep we used. The Jeep was a CJ5 rusted out no brakes and was used to haul wood and brush off property we cleaned. I was about 15 or 16 and was hooked.

I have had lots of cars and trucks (we owned a used auto lot) and have seen lots of cars and trucks. Jeep always were my fav.

I had a 97 Wrangler for years. Jacked it up moded it. Great Jeep that would do anything I asked of it. I gave it to my daughter for her 16th B-day. She decided it scared her. I sold it and got the GW because I have 2 younger boys and now the whole Family can enjoy the Wagon on camping trips or simple fishing at the local lake. I love working on it as much as driving it.

[TooRisky]

Two very simple reasons....I am a big guy and needed a vehicle that fits me and gets my fat "la""la""la" up the mountain in comfort, stlye and power...

Second I wanted the biggest baddest vehicle on the mountain which would get me anywhere at anytime I wanted to go...."Big Red" does just this...and does both with ease....

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/TooRisky/100_0529.jpg