Happy Jeepversary to me!

"Just Jeepin'" (macintux) 07/08/2019 at 17:50 • Filed to: jeep

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Five years ago today my life changed dramatically. I was a small car guy who, although I had driven and loved a del Sol for fourteen years, didn’t really identify myself as a car guy at all.

Five years and one day ago I had been searching for a local, manual Jeep TJ Unlimited (aka “LJ”) for a couple of months .

I wanted Solar Yellow, but by that point I was desperate enough to consider anything. I had found a silver LJ to test drive, but it was pretty sketchy, and I didn’t like the feel of the shifter. I even test-drove an automatic, but I decided I wasn’t quite that desperate.

Five years and one day ago, late Sunday evening, I tried again on Autotrader .

Still nothing.

Then I noticed there was a separate checkbox for “Unlimited Rubicon” vs “Unlimited”. Somehow I had not noticed that previously, or had not regularly   checked both, I’m not sure. Whatever the situation, I tried again.

And there it was. My 2005 Solar Yellow, manual, TJ Unlimited (aka “LJ”) , as a Rubicon, and only 20 minutes away. 85k miles, give or take.

And it was Sunday evening, so I couldn’t do a damned thing .

I don’t know how much sleep I got that night, but it wasn’t much. ( I should have taken that time to do a better job of cleaning my then-c urrent car, a Honda Civic Si, because thanks to my dog Charlie the interior was covered in white hair.)

The next morning I raced across town to the dealership. The sales guy said someone had traded in two Solar Yellow LJs the week before, one of which was an automatic, and one of them had already sold. He didn’t know which, but he thought it was the manual that had already left the building.

Those were a tense few minutes while I waited, but the good news (obviously) made its way back to us, so I was out for a test drive. Took me all of 2 minutes to know for certain I wanted it.

It’s been crazy expensive to keep on the road (cost me $10k in 2017 to fix various ailments) but it has been, mostly, worthwhile.

Here’s to another 5 years. And hopefully many more beyond that.

At the dealership in 2014.

The sun always shines on a yellow Jeep.

That CJ-2A should be familiar to regular FP readers. David Tracy’s very own.

JeepJeremy > Just Jeepin' 07/08/2019 at 17:56

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Keep on Jeepin’, bro! 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Just Jeepin' 07/08/2019 at 18:18

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*opens 60 auto trader tabs for jeeps*

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Just Jeepin' 07/08/2019 at 18:20

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If I were getting a jeep I think it would have to be a TJ unlimited. Soft top of course (plus the hard top looks especially awkward)

Just Jeepin' > JeepJeremy 07/08/2019 at 19:18

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You betcha. And guess what popped up nearby? Still not convinced I wouldn’t rather have a Cherokee, but there’s something to be said for more modern, less thrashed.

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/indianapolis-4wd-jeep-liberty-sport/6929518054.html

factoryhack > Just Jeepin' 07/08/2019 at 19:19

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Congrats on your 5 year anniversary. I always loved the long TJ, especially with the 4.0 and handshaker. TJ Unlimiteds seem to be almost non-existent around here so it's nice to see one getting used properly.

ihm96 > Just Jeepin' 07/08/2019 at 19:30

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Good pictures. I love Jeeps, I just have much more of a passion for old sports cars and not enough wallet to satisfy both. My girlfriend really wants a wrangler and in manual now too that I’ve shown her the light so hopefully she gets one eventually lol.

I really want a Comanche or one of those 90s Cherokees. My dad had one when I was very young and I have fond memories of that car. One of the few cloth interiors I ever enjoyed

Just Jeepin' > ihm96 07/08/2019 at 19:34

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I’m not all that interested in non-convertible pickup trucks, but every now and then a Comanche pops up on Craigslist and I drool a bit. Usually they’re more affordable than I’d expect.

Cherokees are also cheap, but finding a manual Cherokee has been a chore. There’s one an hour away, but it’s a 2wd with the 4 cylinder engine. I can’t quite find all three desirable attributes.

nermal > Just Jeepin' 07/08/2019 at 20:34

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I had a Liberty before, the 3.7l engine in them is rubbish. Everything else actually wasn’t bad though.

They’d be a good project if you could find a rust-free one with a blown engine, and swap in a Cummins 2.8l crate engine. You’d have to do it as something you intend to keep long term due to never being able to recoup costs. That said, for the ~$20k it would take to do right & refresh or upgrade parts, you couldn’t buy something comparable new. 

Just Jeepin' > nermal 07/08/2019 at 20:40

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If I’m spending 20k, it’s on my LJ...which I’ve easily done mostly in just repairs.

Define “rubbish” for me?

arl > Just Jeepin' 07/08/2019 at 20:46

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Nice Jeep - congrats on the fun times. Great pics by the way.

Just Jeepin' > arl 07/08/2019 at 20:49

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Thanks!