[jawnee]

What got me into jeepin was my friend John who had an old cj with a 350 in it and 44 tires.

He had a kick A stero in it.A bunch of us went camping and 4 wheeling and I only had a 2wd truck at the time and couldnt 4 wheel so I went with him and bunch of friends near an old mining town in West Virginia.Man it was scenic.

He sold it years later,got married and had a family....

Riding in that thing as about a 22 year old young man really got me hooked.

I have had many jeeps over the years and recently got my first jk...

2007 in old jeep cheap as I could find style,put a couple of dollars in it and have a good reliable jeep soon.

That old cj would go anywhere.

Jeeps are cool because chicks dig em,they are 4wd,convertable and because they will go anywhere....

I have become quite the shade tree mechanic because of them!! LOL

jeep

just empty every pocket...

Whats your jeep story???

Did you ride into the sunset in a jeep with a pretty girl at your side,maybe with some friends and realize those were some of the best times of your life?

 

[10-96]

Always thought they looked like fun. Then, in about 1993 or so, I took my approx. 4 year old son to a traveling Jeep-sponsored event where you could drive a new wrangler through an 'obstacle course' set up at a local fairgounds. Great advertising tool, but I could never afford a Jeep Wrangler, but my 4 year old son was sold. About 15 years later, my son bought a new 2009 2 door JK and we took it to Colorado, Utah & Arizona. Great time/memories. Finally, last week, I ordered a 2016 2-door Sport S JK and can't wait for it to arrive. Sure, lots of time went by, but the wait is over.

 

[NotARubicon!]

I was doing a lot of adventuring at Salton Sea and my Toyota Highlander could not get me into some of the places I wanted to be so I got a '12 Wranger Sport.. I didn't plan on doing any mods or upgrades... That didn't last long...

 

[dawhitesJKU]

I purchased my jeep with no intentions of modding it. Second day, I joined WF. A few months later, I had my first jeep meet. A week after the meet, my new friends took us on a wheeling trip. After that wheeling trip, I was hooked emotionally and financially.

 

[NachoJeep]

I was doing a lot of adventuring at Salton Sea and my Toyota Highlander could not get me into some of the places I wanted to be so I got a '12 Wranger Sport.. I didn't plan on doing any mods or upgrades... That didn't last long...

I first realized I wanted a jeep when I was about 15 years old and riding to track practice in a friends CJ7. Ever since the first time I rode in his jeep I knew I wanted one. 21 years later I have owned 5 jeeps and plan on having one until the day I die . Then I am hoping there will be an offroad jeep section in heaven!

 

[dusty14u]

In the 80's I was doing a lot of surfing at Hatteras on the Outer Banks in NC. I bought a used 79 CJ7 with a 304ci engine. Soft top with fenderwell headers and a Holley carb. It was a blast and cruised the boardwalk at Virginia Beach when not surfing.
A few years later I bought a 78 Wagoneer and used it to haul band gear. It was a pretty capable off-road vehicle but I didn't wheel it a lot. Sold it in the late 90's to a guy who is it for hunting.

 

[RoadiJeff]

Ours is my wife's DD. When it was time to get rid of her 10 year old PT Cruiser she looked at several vehicles. She says she always liked how Jeeps looked and she wanted one. Thus, she bought her 2013 JK Sahara. It has around the same fuel economy as her PT Cruiser did.

 

[zhelmer]

I am a product of Jurassic park. I was seven when it came out and became obsessed with everything JP. It took me another 22 years to make it happen but I'm finally driving the Jeep I always longed for.

 

[Dr Obbins]

My Jeep is the latest chapter of my 4x4 story.

I grew up next to the Pine Barons forest in south NJ. First car was a 65 Ford Falcon staionwagon that was the family car and had "died" 7 years before I got my license. If I could fix it, it was mine. Don't know how many times I got that car air borne and buried in the mud.

Next was a 68 F150 two wheel drive. Still getting stuck, so I found a 67 F250 4X4 and put 38s on it. A bit too rough and too much like a tank, I downsized to a 78 F150 short bed 4X4 that I rebuilt from the ground up. 351 motor, 4 speed, 35" tires, 4:10 rears with lockers, custom flat bed, and new paint job.

Got married and the first kid came along (named Ford) and he kept kicking the stick-shift. So sold the truck and got a 77 Bronco with a back seat to rebuild. 302, auto and still 35s with lockers.

Then life happens. Lost the job with my 2nd kid just born and had to relocate. Couldn't afford the 4X4 hobby anymore and there was no place to wheel where I ended up.

Fast forward 25 years to Feb 2015. Kids grown up and graduated college. For 25 years I would see dirt trails and like an alcoholic craving drinks, wondered what adventure it lead to. My wife says "lets sell everything and move to the Caribbean". Sounds great. She moved with in a few weeks getting a job as a nurse in the ER. It took me 6 months to sell everything including the house and I moved also.

I was there about 1 week and purchased my first jeep - a 99 Wrangler. I was pretty much stock, but in good condition for an "island jeep". Definitely great to get to the remote beaches there and the "paved" streets were an adventure also. Found out the next day that her tropical paradise included more than just me in her life. Luckily my neighbor had wanted to buy the jeep, but I beat him to it. He bought it at the same price I paid and I moved to NC.

So with out the wife and kids, I am on a binge. Took money out of the IRA to buy a 13 Rubicon. Started out with little interior customizations. Last weekend new front bumper and winch. This weekend the back bumper. Got a job and my own apartment that currently has tools and Jeep parts on the living room floor. Trying to control myself, but it definitely needs 35s and the lift that goes with it.

But while the beach is fun here, it is not that challenging and only takes about 15 minutes to drive from end to end. At work there are 2 other jeeps that are seriously modified with 37" tires. I introduced myself to one of the owners this week, and we will probably head out wheeling soon. My fear is hanging out with them will push me over the deep end into extensive and expensive modifications. Definitely need the 35s or better.

So... After being clean for 25 years, I fell off the wagon. My name is Dave and I am a 4X4aholic....

 

[rfalker1]

i liked the idea of an offered vehicle and a four door for my daughter! Went for a test drive... came back with a jeep

 

[68RR]

I honestly dont remember what sparked my exact love for Wranglers. I graduated HS in 1996 and was working and attending a community college thing at the time. My car was a handed down 1988 Olds Delta 88 that was starting to have seen better days. That car had an electronic dash that had quit and was quoted at almost $800 to replace. That was a huge sum of money, especially back then for a used car. As I started to look around for a new car I remembered seeing something from my parents back bedroom window...When we first moved to a new location around that time frame the area behind our house was empty field. Our allotment was the first to be put in of what would be many neighborhoods. During the winter one morning we noticed a car stuck along the road behind the house with its flashers on. Shortly after, what looked like a Chevy Blazer came up from behind and ended up driving off the side of the road into the field, around the stuck car, and continued on its way. For some reason that had a pretty big impact on me as from that time on I knew I wanted a 4wd. Jeep Wranglers just simply appealed to me for reasons unkown. I just loved them from the first time I really looked at them. When I started to look for one I found a used one at a local used car lot. I dont remember what year it was, but it was a soft top that was a stick shift with a lift and bigger tires. IIRC it was right around the $12-14k mark. My parents ended up talking me out of it however. You see, they are the types to keep a car for 10-15 yrs from new. Smart on their part as over the years it has saved them money. They talked me into buying new, although they were not Jeep fans for a number of reasons. In October of 1997 I went to the now long gone local Jeep dealer and bought a brand new 1998 soft top, stick shift, no AC Wrangler Sport. It stickered at $19k I think. (I still have the window sticker and the paperwork somewhere.) I had never driven a manual transmission car before that Jeep so it was an interesting drive home. Where I worked at the time was surrounded by a couple of big hills with stop signs so I also had some fun early experiences there too. I kept that Jeep for 4 years, finally trading it in for several different reasons that I wont get into right now. When I think back to that time however, I am reminded of a simpler time in my life, before careers, mortgages, kids, etc.. Im also reminded of the truly fun times I had with friends and my then girlfriend who is unfortunately now tragically deceased. Looking back, I always go back to the thought that "she was the one", but I was just too young and dumb to see it. Pushing 40 yrs old now, I think my new JK is my mid-life crisis, taking me back to younger and simpler days gone by. Long live the Wrangler, as it means so many different things to so many different people!

 

[00silverTJ]

When I was 16 and driving whatever I could afford, my buddy said he's saving up for a jeep. Over the next year or so he bought it and went away to college with it. It was a fun rig. It took me 13 years bfore I gave into the bug and bought a new 2000 TJ.

 

[new to jeep]

I must have been eight years old on a camping trip when i first heard of jeeps. A buddy of my dad had brought probably a yj to the campsite, my dad was excited talking about willys, number of cylinders, etc. I had no idea what a cylinder was back then....dad never had one, could not afford it.
As I grew up, I was never really interested in buying one, they seemed like quirky vehicles. As I married and had children, I continued to think once in a while how impractical the 2 door seemed to be for a family, so never really gave it through.
When the four door came out, I thought, well that's a strange looking jeep.
It wasn't until 2012 that I picked up a brochure that had the new interior and pentastar, it must have been the marketing photos, but the capability of being out in the woods became suddenly extremely appealing. Two years ago I had the itch for a new vehicle, I was looking at a base mustang, almost purchased it but we could not agree on pricing, so glad I did not.
Then the willys edition came out and immediately I remembered my dad talking about the willys decades ago, because of that, I strongly gravitated towards the willys, ended up ordering one in hydro blue, jeep showed up at the dealership, but the financials did not make sense at that time so had to walk away from it before taking delivery. Dealership sold it two days after. Since that day, for over a full year I thought daily about getting a jeep. Finally pulled the trigger last April, best vehicle I have ever owned. my only regret is not getting one sooner and enjoying it with my dad, he passed away four years ago...

 

[Papa.Smooth]

In 1987 I got a 79 Cj 5. 3 speed 32" tires lift kit light rack torn roof and seats and I was in love with it. It saw a lot of mud was rolled over and sunk in a pond. After college I bought my first new vehicle a 95 wrangler real life got in the way and I sold it in 2002 and have been out of the Jeep world until Sept when I picked up my 16 Sahara and I'm so glad I'm back.

 

[Jeepster1228]

When I was around 18 I saw a yellow jeep at a car lot in the Rio Grande Valley and got a sticker shock when I saw the price ( was broke kid at the time) but said someday I would own one.

Spent 3 tours in Afghanistan 1000 days or so running around first in Toyota tacomas, then Hummers, and at last the Army's MATV's (huge vehicles) and spent a lot of time going over rough terrain during our missions over there.

when I got back on my last tour and started seeing some videos on WW2 and seeing the heritage of the JEEP I said It's time. So I went to the dealership and ordered one now I have a 2014 JKU and loving everything about it.

The way it rides, the sounds it makes, the humming of the OP MT's everything about it just reminds me of off roading in Afghanistan.
I wish I could of afforded one when I was younger but I guess it's never too late.

My jeep has a 3" lift and finally fullly decked out for some off roading and so far it has been great the jeep life.

 

[ROCbass]

Like someone else mentioned above, I was a Jurassic Park kid who fell in love with the Jeep from the movie. When I was in high school in the mid 2000's I tried to convince my parents that I needed a Jeep as my first vehicle, but my parents talked me out of it. By talked me out of it, I mean my dad said something to the effect of 'no way in hell are you getting a high center of gravity, short wheelbase convertible as an immature 17 year old, even if you pay for it with your own money,' and that was the end of the discussion. I must say, I could see his point. Now, 10 years after that conversation, I have a 2015 JKU, purchased new in August, and dad still isn't thrilled with my decision lol.

 

[Jeef Spicoli]

Lake Effect Snow

Pot Holes

Open Air Availability

Sand Dunes

Muddy Trails

Sunshine

Storms

Simplicity

High Ground Clearance, etc, on and on, you get the picture...


Just to name a few in no particular order of enjoyment, utility, looks, or practicality


As they say on some others forums.. " Cool Story Bro ! "

 

[aldo90731]

I recall riding in the back of a 1960s Jeep Wagoneer along the beach surf on the Pacific coast of South America when I was 4-5 years old.

This was 40+ years ago, but somehow it stuck to my head as one of the coolest things.

My first Jeep was a 1995 Grand Cherokee Laredo with the 4.0 and SelecTrac: I fell in love with the feeling of confidence from the 4WD capability and the articulation and compliance of the Quadracoil suspension, and the torque and sound of the 4.0L straight six. I then bought a 2001 Grand Cherokee Laredo in same configuration.

JKs are the only Jeeps left that offer the Quadracoil suspension and solid axles. My first Wrangler was a 2008 Sahara 2-door softop with manual transmission. That's when I discovered lockers, lifts, etc.

I am now in my 5th & 6th Wranglers, and my 7th and 8th Jeeps.

 

[ocd_dave]

Got sick of watching my vehicles get bashed and destroyed by driving on the roads (aka surface of the moon) here in the NE, enough is enough. I went out and found a vehicle that could handle the potholes, massive snow dumps, avoid door/bumper dings, etc. I actually love my Jeep, and its color/setup/looks fit me to a tee, its like it was made for me. If I could ask for anything else, it would be a fulltime 4x4 option in the transfer case.

 

[Chitownpete]

I always hated Jeeps in every way until a friend convinced me to go for a ride in his 2011 JK after telling me how much they improved. I was shocked at how much better it was than all the previous generations and a few years later I gave up on Sporty cars and bought my JKW for my daily driver. I love driving it and it's the ultimate Chicago City car. No more worries about potholes, train tracks, curbs, snow, finding a parking spot or door dings. I still have my 350z for my days off for my sportscar/stick shift craving.