Winter Mode...ENGAGE

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/25/2013 at 18:23 • Filed to: None

Well, mother nature decided I needed to get a truck today.

We got our first "real" snow of the season here in Madison today. I had to wait until about 10 am until my driveway got plowed, and then when I tried driving my 135is on its summer tires, I got about a mile before deciding I shouldn't chance the rest of my 10 mile commute. It was bad.

So, all those trucks I found out of town be damned, I was going to try to get something decent here in town, today.

So, I picked this here '99 Grand Cherokee Limited V8 with 140k miles on it for $4200. No rust, good tires and brakes, couple minor problems but based on driving it around some unplowed parking lots, it's a huge improvement over my summer-tired 135is. Which now gets to be a winter garage queen.

DISCUSSION (25)

Doug DeMuro > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:24

Nice. Four grand, that thing will run for quite a while. Still the last good-looking Grand Cherokee. (IN MY OPINION! DON'T CRUCIFY ME!)

ddavidn > Doug DeMuro
11/25/2013 at 18:26

I completely agree.

thebigbossyboss > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:27

Nice. Looks real clean.

Although where I live (central canada) we have pretty serious winters, and I just drive a low rider. I plow as I go. lol.

Textured Soy Protein > Doug DeMuro
11/25/2013 at 18:29

I think the current style looks pretty decent. The one between mine and the current style, with the rounded-top headlights, is pretty ugly to me.

I actually tried out a fully loaded '05 with the hemi which despite its ugly looks drove pretty nicely...for a truck. But the best price I could manage on it was $10,700 and that felt like more than I should be laying out for what is effectively a winter beater.

HammerheadFistpunch > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:29

Always loved this generation and according to a jeep engineer I talked to, the most popular and loved of the GC's. Safest winter car I ever drove.

Takuro Spirit > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:31

Nice!

Yeah we did get some snow (Milwaukee here) and it was a dicey ride in, since I forgot to put my snows on last week. They're definitely going on soon.

Textured Soy Protein > Takuro Spirit
11/25/2013 at 18:33

My summer tires didn't even like it when I tried going in a left turn lane that had seen less traffic than the main driving lanes. I was like please ABS save me!

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Doug DeMuro
11/25/2013 at 18:34

Fine, everyone put away the pitchforks.

spoil sport.

Takuro Spirit > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:35

I had to blow a red light, going downhill at 40MPH. Mostly bald all season tires were useless at stopping. Thankfully everyone saw me coming and I blew the shit out of my horn so no one moved.

Plus, couldn't GET going when stopped on an uphill intersection.

Spaceball-Two > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:35

Having owned two in the past I will say chose wisely. Great rigs.

Textured Soy Protein > Spaceball-Two
11/25/2013 at 18:38

Thanks! I sorta kinda wanted to try holding out for one with Quadra-Drive. This has Quadra-Trac II so same transfer case, but front & rear diffs are open instead of LSDs on the Quadra-Drive.

I decided, for putzing around town dealing with Wisconsin winters, Quadra-Trac II is probably fine.

THOMAS5 > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:40

I have a 99 grand cherokee v8 and I love it, but mine only has 37,000 on it so it's practically new

Chase > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:44

Ah, i see you've acquired the rarer version, known as the "Gand Cheokee"
:P

The man in the iron mask > Doug DeMuro
11/25/2013 at 18:46

Well the one that followed it was terrible i know. The current one looks nice, but now its something you cant take along with a Wrangler. That Cherokee on the picture could do all that a Wrangler could.

The man in the iron mask > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 18:49

Great choice.

Textured Soy Protein > Chase
11/25/2013 at 19:05

Haha yes when I was haggling over the price I was like "it needs new hood & tailgate support struts, and it's missing a couple R's."

Big Bubba Ray > Textured Soy Protein
11/25/2013 at 19:27

Great find! My first car was an 01 Grand Cherokee with the 4.0. I loved it and it did very well in the snow.

wbizarre - OEM fetishist > Doug DeMuro
11/25/2013 at 19:33

Not a fan of the current gen? Before the recent facelift I think it looked properly great, and fitting the GC lineage.

JEM > Textured Soy Protein
12/03/2013 at 16:09

Must have originally been from Boston.

schwartz > Textured Soy Protein
12/04/2013 at 15:33

Picked up a 05 Limited with the 4.7L for a friend a few months back. Got it for 7500 - their money not mine.

schwartz > Textured Soy Protein
12/04/2013 at 15:34

There is a recall for a new fuel tank in those...if they don't replace the fuel tank they will give you an updated or install a trailer hitch...so you don't have fiery death!

Textured Soy Protein > schwartz
12/04/2013 at 18:36

Thanks for the info! I'm actually going to the dealer tomorrow to have a new key fob programmed and I'll ask about this.

G. Homer > Doug DeMuro
12/05/2013 at 10:56

Doug, what do you think of the Chevy trailblazer of that same era? or possibly newer 2006-2008?

Mathias Rios > Textured Soy Protein
12/09/2013 at 00:30

Sorry for comment on old post, but I gotta say, I am a fan of the "single day" car purchase ideology. Really gets things done :P. Props to you for the initiative and buying an awesome car. Enjoy!

Textured Soy Protein > Mathias Rios
12/09/2013 at 00:34

I had actually been looking at a bunch of options in places where I'd have to make a road trip to buy them. I still might've done that but the weather kinda forced my hand.