1st Time Jeeper Opinions

[tjmons]

During the past 35 years of selling cars , I have seen so many people who are just wasting thier time and mine.
A. They cannot afford what they are test driving.
B. They have no idea how to drive what they are test driving.
c. Your car comes back from a test drive broke , wrecked , or damaged in some way.
D.They say its not what they wanted.
E. They make a appointment to see/drive and never show up
F. You hear tires squealing a block away.
G. They never return with your car.
H. They got a speeding ticket with it.

And of course everyone says you can trust me and I would treat it as it was mine.

 

[SlowPocono]

Because I dont

Well then, what do you do?

Surely there must be some meaning to your cryptic posts and if that's true I'd really like to know what your message is.

Can you convey that in words?

I'm here, asking for help. If you don't want to help me, that's fine.
If there's something wrong with the questions I'm asking then let me know what that is.

If your purpose is simply to stifle constructive discussion about Jeeps then maybe you shouldn't be participating in this thread.

I'm planning on making a purchase that will be very important to me.
There's been a LOT of help from other members of this forum and the information that they have pointed me to. I appreciate that very much and I hope to contribute to this forum by sharing my experience from this learning stage through acquisition, repair, maintenance and operation.

Perhaps I misunderstood the purpose of this forum.
Maybe I have misinterpreted the welcoming and helpful remarks from everyone else.

I certainly don't understand how your remarks are constructive.

Kindly enlighten me, if you please.

 

[tjmons]

Please let me know what your ideas and recommendations are. If you have an opinion that there's something wrong or stupid about my approach, I want to hear that too.

Thanks.

If you dont want it , dont ask for it

 

[SlowPocono]

If you dont want it , dont ask for it

Okay.


Please let me know what your ideas and recommendations are. If you have an opinion that there's something wrong or stupid about my approach, I want to hear that too.

Thanks.

If you have noting constructive to offer, then go somewhere else and play with the other children

 

[tjmons]

In my opinion a fellow like you needs a Samari. The samari looks like a jeep, gets great mileage and is fairly smooth on the road.

 

[mstar]

OK fellows lets play nice. Recently a friend that had bought a new 1966 CJ5 w/v6 back in the day called about finding a early CJ5 .It seems his grown daughter wanted to turn back the clock a bit. We had several conversations and looked at some jeeps on C/L.He made two trips driving several hundred miles just to find the vehicles weren't as advertised.
We need to remember that these old jeeps are classic autos and are collectable regardless of condition.If someone wishes to restore a 50 year old jeep more power to them.Not everyone has the same interest in jeep ownership.I own three jeeps and use them as I please.If someone doesn't like that I don't take my vintage restored jeep out and beat the out of it to bad. Lets try to help this gentleman find a jeep.He may be looking a long time before the right one comes along. end of rant. Mike s.

 

[Hedgehog]

I don't necessarily think a test drive is important, I think he can find out enough by just sitting in a jeep of the age he's interested in. He could even stop at a jeep show or stop someone on the street. I bet if he makes the approach right, explain why he's interested, "Sir I am seriously interested in getting a jeep like yours, but I don't know a thing about them. Would you mind allowing me to just sit in your jeep?" Someone who has an older Jeep would understand the need for a test fit.

 

[WSS]

I would imagine you will find places to take it off road once you are sitting in the seat. Sometimes, just looking for a place to wheel is half the fun..

CJs are a lot of fun. Driving them is a privilege. It is like a combination of driving a school bus (w/ long stick shift) and your favorite Tonka as a kid. They can be squirrly at speed, but were not here for the thrill of speed right? They can go lots of places, you will see things you would not see even in a 4wd SUV.

Kiss any savings you have good bye, heck, close the account, it may be a while before you need it again LOL

 

[WSS]

I don't necessarily think a test drive is important, I think he can find out enough by just sitting in a jeep of the age he's interested in. He could even stop at a jeep show or stop someone on the street. I bet if he makes the approach right, explain why he's interested, "Sir I am seriously interested in getting a jeep like yours, but I don't know a thing about them. Would you mind allowing me to just sit in your jeep?" Someone who has an older Jeep would understand the need for a test fit.

Ya, I bought mine "sight unseen", first time I saw it was when the carrier pulled up to drop it off, and ya a test "fit" would have been nice LOL

Not only my first CJ, but my first Jeep too. Crazy! I really like my Jeep now. I have had it a year and it now "fits" my family to a tee.

 

[jdarg]

OP, why don't you go on jeepforum.com, which, let's face it, is a little bigger and busier than jeep-cj.com and has pretty active regional sections, and see if there's someone in your area who'd be willing to let you come check out their CJ?

 

[Hedgehog]

WSS - did you notch it or did you just get used to the seating position, which can be half the battle right there. I hope the OP doesn't take a test sit and walk away from the idea because of it. The position can be just different, not unliveable, but different.

 

[SlowPocono]

OP, why don't you go on jeepforum.com, which, let's face it, is a little bigger and busier than jeep-cj.com and has pretty active regional sections, and see if there's someone in your area who'd be willing to let you come check out their CJ?

Thanks for that suggestion. I didn't know that forum existed.
It's another example of the kind of help that's... well, helpful.
I can think about, and analyze stuff well enough, but it's impossible to consider things that are outside of my awareness.
I'm not going to ask for help choosing a color because I know what color is and that it's a matter of taste. On the other hand there may be some particularly obscure mechanical or operational issue that's unique to the models I'm considering and since I have the time to learn about these things, I'm glad to have them pointed out.

The seat position / ergonomics issues are a good example of a not so obvious thing that I might have failed to consider. In my case, the ergonomics and comfort are entirely irrelevant to me. I know I'll be happiest with a big skinny steering wheel on the end of a pipe sticking out of the floor. It'll be nice if the thing stops and steers but I'd rather do without any power assist.

I'll check out that other forum, but it's hard to imagine that they can be any more helpful and welcoming than this group.

I've mentioned before my uncertainty about fiberglass.
I'd rather have a steel body, but I'm not sure why.
If I find a "restored" Jeep with fiberglass I will consider it if it's got the other stuff I want. What's the disadvantage to fiberglass? What would you choose?

 

[Hedgehog]

I like steel. You've mentioned tht you'd like an unmolested Jeep, but one thing that is guarenteed, a fiberglass bodied Jeep will be EXTENSIVELY molested in that at the very least everything had to come off the original body and transfered over to the new fiberglass body. Also Fiberglass bodies aren't perfect. Either the body or the parts had to be modified to allow things to fit properly and that alone leaves a bit of a question mark. Besides, Jeeps are supposed to be steel. Now if you live in deep snow country with all the fun road salt can create a fiberglass body can make more sense or even be preferable. Living as I do down here in the desert southwest rust isn't a problem.

 

[mstar]

If I find a "restored" Jeep with fiberglass

Oxymoron ----- restored jeep and fiberglass don't go together. No such thing. CHEERS

Just trying to say that as a collector vehicle a original metal body would be a must . Mike S.

 

[cj7inthetwigs]

Not knocking fiberglass or since we are on bodies and restored and now collectors. Nothing but a steel body IMHO. The whole reason in buying one for me is the history,original counts alot. If I wanted fiberglass I would buy a kit car. You build them yourself and can spend as much as you like. If I wanted a wrangler body,etc. I would buy a wrangler. Now, if I really wanted a cj or any other vintage steel,well,I would buy just that. Oh, if I wanted my hood to tilt forward, I'd buy a 18 wheeler. Lastly, folks knock 87' and up because the tailgate "swings" ,but the fiberglass bodies I have seen doesn't have a gate PERIOD. Steel is the real deal and thats a fact Jack.

Cheers
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hedgehog]

It is silly but I love my tailgate. It's a nice place to sit and eat lunch, It's a nice place for a dog box, it's a nice place for a camp stove, it's a nice place for extra stuff...... it's a nice place.

A restored Jeep is one returned to very close to the way it was when the vehicle left the factory. A rebuilt or refurbished Jeep is one that is made whole with little regard for how the Jeep came off the assembly line. Anything and everything could be different, the brakes, the seats, the wheels, the paint, the Transmission and you could have a darned good hybrid vehicle, better than the factory could build. Varying from the factory specifications, the builder has the opportunity to cherry pick the very best of everything. But, the further you get from factory specs. the further you get from having a real Jeep.

 

[WSS]

WSS - did you notch it or did you just get used to the seating position, which can be half the battle right there. I hope the OP doesn't take a test sit and walk away from the idea because of it. The position can be just different, not unliveable, but different.

Yes, I gained 2.75" from the notch, plus I was able to remove a spacer behind the steering wheel (.75") and I lowered all three pedals 2.5". Much better now. Oh, also lowered the seats 1.5"









seats are about 1.5" above tub floor now, see mounts front of seat framing:

 

[Hedgehog]

I remember your CJ6 now. I always wondered, is the plate going across the top of the fuel tank (or would be if it had a fuel tank under the drivers seat) all the way to the tool box a stock arrangement? Also, what is the pop riveted strap on the passanger side floor for? I think I already asked, but what bed liner did you use?

 

[SlowPocono]

Yes, I gained 2.75" from the notch, plus I was able to remove a spacer behind the steering wheel (.75") and I lowered all three pedals 2.5". Much better now. Oh, also lowered the seats 1.5"


seats are about 1.5" above tub floor now, see mounts front of seat framing:

That's some nice sheet metal work there.

 

[WSS]

I remember your CJ6 now. I always wondered, is the plate going across the top of the fuel tank (or would be if it had a fuel tank under the drivers seat) all the way to the tool box a stock arrangement? Also, what is the pop riveted strap on the passanger side floor for? I think I already asked, but what bed liner did you use?

It's an early intermediate 5, tank is under the tub in rear, so the space under Driver side is used for winch gear now and the pop rivets are to hold a lid frame which holds way too many tools LOL. At least it is low center of gravity. I used liner exxtreme liner and got it off ebay (w/spray gun). Easy stuff to spray, I have done a few beds and other stuff with it, I used the "heavy crumb" that may be a little too coarse, very grippy but a tad hard to clean

WSS