Jeep YJ foolishness

I've said no to it in the past, but I find myself strangely considering a a friends 1990 Jeep YJ Wrangler. 6 cylinder, manual transmission. It's actually kinda fun to drive.

I've no need for the vehicle, at all. But, it's become oddly attractive to me recently. I suspect taking a ride with the windshield flipped down and the top folded back would all but cement my interest.

whats not to like with a good ol' fashion wrangler? especially with the straight 6 and manual its hard to beat.

Do it, Wranglers are a hoot. One of my best friends in college had a YJ for a while and I'm struggling to recall a vehicle that I had more fun in than that one.

I know a guy who shoved a turbo Saab motor in one of those. 5 speed + 20 psi with no doors = lots of fun and lots of strange looks from other people.

A wrangler (or Cj) is one of the most useless vehicles in the world unless you specifically want to go on short trips over very rough terrain. Having said that, I really really want one.

I've been kinda tempted to snag one after driving my cousin's. If he's wanting to sell and you want it, grab it. You can pretty easily sell it if you get tired of it.

ultraclyde wrote: A wrangler (or Cj) is one of the most useless vehicles in the world unless you specifically want to go on short trips over very rough terrain. Having said that, I really really want one.

It's a terrible vehicle unless you want to do what it was designed to do, in which case it's excellent.

Never really had much of an interest in them (I thought they were cool vehicles but I wasn't going to go out of my way to own one) until I drove one recently: an '06 65th Anniversary with the 4.0L and a 5-speed. Nice rig. The one I really want is a CJ6. Which coincidentally is one of the rarest versions. Go figure. But I'm kinda partial to the new 4-door Wranglers as well.

I'd want an LJ Rubicon. Basically a two-door Unlimited LWB with a removable hardtop. It's got some actual room inside. My brother in law has one and it looks like a pretty useful device. Put a cab on it and it ends up being a little pickup - kinda like a Defender.

Rare and expensive, too - you know how that works. It's desirable, so the product planners at Jeep stopped production...

CJ's are good for pulling trees, towing the roller. Building an airstrip; Great for plowing snow and making a little cash. No other vehicle could travel our camp road in the winter like it could. GOOD

Travelling from Toledo to near Albany with a new CJ5. NOT SO GOOD

Am I weird for thinking the best Jeep was the CJ-8? Short hardtop and whatever suspension can make the thing ride not-abysmal on the street, nothing special and no huge tires.

One of my best friends from college had a YJ forever, we met through mutual acquaintances because we both had Jeeps. I learned a lot from/with him working on our Jeeps and wheeling. I used to always tease him that "real Jeeps have round headlights," but in all seriousness it was a heck of a machine when he got done with it.

Once he'd polished the turd of a TBI 2.5l to well beyond the point of diminishing returns, things got serious.

It had a ~4" Black Diamond (before Warn bought them) spring under lift, Vortec 4.3l V6, 700R4, Atlas II 4.3:1, Currie 9" rear, HP D30 front, and was shod with various flavors of 33x12.50 Super Swampers or BFGs. Custom bumpers, Warn winch, swing out tire carrier, etc. etc.

I really thought he'd be buried in that Jeep when he died. Then he met a girl, got married, became a dad, and alas, sold the Jeep.

In his defense he's had a decade long project of a beast of a stretched YJ-ish monster rock crawler in the works, that he might wheel by the time he retires. I have no room to talk though, tons of ideas, little time, motivation, or disposable Jeep funds.

Word of warning, Jeeps are a drug, addictive, and bank account draining.

I had a 2000 TJ with a lift, 33" tires, winch, 6 cyl/5-speed, and all that. It was a hoot to offroad and really really bad at anything resembling being reasonable transportation. So loud at 55 you could just barely make out the music from the stereo, never mind a phone call or conversation. Terrible mileage, no power in 5th gear, uncomfortable and bouncy.

I thought I'd miss it more (divorce) but honestly I don't. The Miata scratches the topless itch much more enjoyably.

Yeah do it. I had that exact setup, 90, 258, 5 speed. That year had the good trans. The bad thing is the feedback carb. I replaced mine with a motorcraft 2100 carb and ebay hei dizzy. I also removed the cat and put on a cheap turbo muffler. Those changes made it feel like it doubled the power. I'm sure it didn't but the change was substantial. Make some lift shackles to gain 1.5" clearance (they also smooth out the ride) and put some 31" mud terrains on it. Makes the stance just right and still drives decent. Its the kind of vehicle that makes you look for excuses to go for a ride. Especially when the weather is right to run around with the top and doors off, or when there is 6-12" of fresh snow on the road.

pres589 wrote: Am I weird for thinking the best Jeep was the CJ-8? Short hardtop and whatever suspension can make the thing ride not-abysmal on the street, nothing special and no huge tires.

I prefer the other long-wheelbase CJ, the CJ6. The 8 always looked gangly with the longer rear overhang.

We rented a JK in Hawaii. They're fun and all...But the tops are a PITA. That being said, I've also never quite been able to kick the urge to build a 'sacrilegious' high performance street/track beast out of one.

Driven5 wrote: We rented a JK in Hawaii. They're fun and all...But the tops are a PITA.

Yes and they are loud, the heaters lousy with a soft top and passable with a hard top... Their ride is horrible and reliability is m3h(later ones are better). The mileage is crap.

But.. I've owned three and will be back for another one day.

I've had Jeeps, lots of Jeeps. I think 14 or so. Most have been short wheel-base CJs and YJs. I will have another one day.
But don't drive it with the windshield folded down unless you're never going to go above 10 MPH AND you won't encounter any tree branches on the trail.

bigdaddylee82 wrote: Word of warning, Jeeps are a drug, addictive, and bank account draining.

Just Empty Every Pocket

Kenny_McCormic wrote:

bigdaddylee82 wrote: Word of warning, Jeeps are a drug, addictive, and bank account draining.

Just Empty Every Pocket

Jerks Engineered Every Part

Not trying to Hijack this thread but I have noticed that a very large percentage of motorhomes flat towing vehicles are Jeeps. Does anyone know why? I assume it may have something to do with damage being done to automatic transmissions being driven by the differential and not an engine of more conventional vehicles.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

Kenny_McCormic wrote:

bigdaddylee82 wrote: Word of warning, Jeeps are a drug, addictive, and bank account draining.

Just Empty Every Pocket

Jerks Engineered Every Part

Torx is a "four letter word" in my vocabulary thanks to whatever shiny happy person engineer decided to use them everywhere on TJs.

My typical solution.

In reply to foxtrapper:

A 6 cyl manual is not nearly as common as the 4 cyl manual - if the price is right for the condition and you want it, get it. I'm 40, and my dad has always had a CJ/YJ jeep during my life to plow snow, hunt, etc. None have been modded much for off road - just aftermarket wheels and tires. Always useful. Not much civilized, although once you get into the 2000s I think they do much better on road. His current jeep is an 89 I bought quickly off of Craigslist for $600 that needed a water pump, but it had a hard top and hard doors with roll up windows - much preferred for winter operations. The initial plan was to swap the top and doors with his then 95 wrangler, but the 89 was actually in better shape so he sold the 95. Probably the best buy I had on CL.

pirate wrote: Not trying to Hijack this thread but I have noticed that a very large percentage of motorhomes flat towing vehicles are Jeeps. Does anyone know why? I assume it may have something to do with damage being done to automatic transmissions being driven by the differential and not an engine of more conventional vehicles.

I think it is the simplicity of putting the t-case in neutral.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

Kenny_McCormic wrote:

bigdaddylee82 wrote: Word of warning, Jeeps are a drug, addictive, and bank account draining.

Just Empty Every Pocket

Jerks Engineered Every Part

Just Endless Electrical Problems