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Need encouraging words .....

1K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  jeepers29 
#1 ·
I aquired my 99 sport last November from my friend who has no mechanical sense...his moto is " drive it til it dies" ........ So far, the clutch arm has broken, fuel pump died, oil pump went to heaven, clock spring bit the dust...normal maintenance stuff like plugs ( That hadn't been changed in over 100000 miles) plug wires have been replaced,ignition replaced...fan motor, diode behind ac heater controls shorted causing wiring damage. Along with control heat unit replaced.. Shocks replaced, tires and wheels replaced due to incorrect width causing jeep to wonder badly...battery dead and now, IAC valve malfunction ....
Help me to love this jeep cause right now, it is sucking the life out of me......is this worth continuing to drive ? What else can I look forward to grenadine on me?

I am so close to parking it and buying a Chevy again......
 
#3 ·
Did you obtain it for free? If so just fix her up. i know it can be a headache but nothing brings a smile to your face like a naked jeep on a nice day! Worse case is if you got it for free you can sell it for what you put into it to flip it.
 
#5 ·
The more you replace, the less to worry about. I know it can be a pain, but hang in there.
I'm on my second Wrangler (first a YJ, now a TJ). I drive nearly 3,000 miles a month with my job, and once the normal maintenance and previous owner neglect issues have been addressed, they have been 100% completely reliable and they ask very little from me in return. there's not much to them really.
And in the end they hold their value extremely well.

In between the two Wranglers, I had a Land Rover Discovery. It was 100% completely unreliable. It left me stranded weekly, and no trip to the garage cost less than $1,200.
It lost nearly all it's value, so when I sold it, I lost most of my investment.

Hopefully that will give some perspective. ;)
 
#6 ·
I'm waiting on a new engine to be dropped into mine, thousands of $$ due to the previous owners belief that oil changes are optional. Totally worth it for me.

I also have the "I will drive this thing till it dies" mentality, but that goes both ways. The jeep will run for hundreds of thousands of miles, but only If you take care of it and fix what breaks. You get out of it what you put into it. Anything that is important to you follows this rule. My jeep is my baby and my girlfriend. If you are looking at it as an investment, don't think of it as a monetary one. For me, its an investment into MYSELF. It gives me piece of mind, the ability to get away, a distraction from life's trials and tribulations, and self satisfaction. I can't tell you what your jeep is to you, but to me, my jeep is so much more than a mud hole to throw money in, more than a 4x4 vehicle that can go anywhere. It's my identity, my muse, my therapist, and honestly, my best friend. Only things that beat it is my family and my dog.
 
#7 ·
I pretty much got it for free, so, I guess everything I have done to it, makes me come out slightly ahead of what it's worth.....I can't sell it, it was my friends "auto baby" that he just neglected for years.....he would be crushed if I offed it.....so I guess, it there is not much left to go wrong, I'll keep my fingers crossed and drive it.....if the rod goes, I'm going to commit myself to somewhere with padded rooms......

Thanks for all the info.....still trying to fall in love with this thing...
 
#9 ·
Jeeps are easy to love. You've got your hands full with that one, but if you can hold out you won't regret it. Driving by other Wrangler owners who wave at you for no other reason than you're one of them is a treat. My brother still gets a kick out of that one. And they are head turners. People love a nice Jeep and aren't shy about telling you. And they are just flat out fun. Had mine for two months now and wish I had bought one years ago. You'll see.
 
#10 ·
Was introduced to the "jeep family" after day 2 of driving this thing when a fellow jeep owner followed me home to tell me he loved my jeep, I thought he was going to kill me and wear my skin.....I have come to love the jeep wave and find myself looking for others to wave at....
 
#12 ·
Ah the Jeep wave. I had forgotten that when I got my second jeep. From CJs to JKs, men and women, about 90% of them do it. Another one of the cool aspects.
I occasionally forget and wave when I'm in my regular car. They probably think I'm nuts. "who the hell was that?".
The other day, had a young guy in a YJ throw his fists up in the air and shout "Yeah!" when I drove by. Few other vehicles garner that kind of enthusiasm. :)
 
#13 ·
You are getting close, keep plugging away. I would add changing all the fluids to your list of chores to give yourself a baseline for maintenance. Once it is running, as others have said, it will be worth it. When I ride topless, it reminds me off that ad that says " Calgon, take me away."
 
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