Well I tend to go 4 wheeling quite a bit.
And Its My Daily Driver. AS Of the last 2 years and I bought it in less than great condition Sor far I have...
Replaced the engine,
Replaced 3 Alternators
New Floorboards
New seats due to wear
Replaced wiring harness
New Starter
Replaced the rear axle shafts and up graded to new one piece Axle shafts
cracked head, at 140,000 miles
New clutch with engine replacement,
Blown 2 Borg Warner T-5 transmission's
tons of you joints
Brakes all the way around,
Windshield frame due to rust
heater core.
Its needs lots of T, L,C
I love it great in all weather.
Horrible on gas, but if you own one of these jeeps then that's not a concern to you.
Drive with caution on pavement at highway speeds, and GO SLOW AROUND CORNERS.
The best vehicle for off-roading period
I'm NEVER GETTING RID OF IT
Soo much fun to drive rugged as a mack truck just expect that parts will break evry now and then.
It is your review that is a joke.
The Wrangler YJ was every bit as good as the CJ's, and if you could look past their rectangular headlights you would see that.
There's always some Nimrod out there who thinks their model is the only true Jeep!
The CJ7 is a beautiful vehicle. Its rounded fenders, headlights, grille and hood set it apart from any of the newer jeeps. That and the V8 power, the gas guzzling addrenaline rush pours forth from your right foot. Black smoke; unburnt fuel exits the tank to the atmosphere through the motor in mere seconds. The ear splitting harmonious sound of an odd fire ignition rumbles back to idle. The low gearing, the heavy steel drive train was all built to last. However, it wasn't built for confort, economy, speed, or a daily driver. The yj is essentially a cj without the heavy parts and slightly less elegant styling. The tj is a 4x4 car with good clearance.
I just purchased a 1981 CJ 7 and love it! Sure it rides rough and sucks a lot of gas, but that's a JEEP. With the top off all summer it is great. Lots of people envy JEEP!
I just bought a 1981 CJ7 in Tucson AZ for $3,000. it has 136,000 miles on it, but is in remarkable shape for its age. Runs like a top, but it needs a lift & tires and wheels. Going into the San Francisco river wilderness in September for a 6 day trip. We will cross the river numerous times to get to our camping spot beneith some beautiful cottonwood trees. I'll have this bad boy ready for anything come September! I'll post pictures from our trip at that time. Keep on Jeepin!
As a fellow Nimrod and owner of a 78 CJ7, 82 CJ8, and a 92 Wrangler, I can honestly say that the AMC era beats the Chrysler era. A CJ is robust, easy to work on, and has a great track record for more than 60 years. Show me a Wrangler that hasn't become crushed into a belt buckle in 60 years and I'll consider changing my mind. The only improvement with the Wrangler is the 4.0L engine, but that was also designed by the AMC engineers.
All I know is my 05 Wrangler Rubicon will do quite nicely against most CJ's. I'm not knocking CJ's and have tons of respect for them. They to me are the quintessential jeep and I would love to own one. To say that other jeep aren't real jeeps shows unbelievable bias. If it has a solid front axle, I have more respect for it.
The YJ was an AMC design and is every bit as good a Jeep as the CJ - PERIOD.
The Wrangler YJ was developed and brought to the market in 1986 as a 1987 model by AMC - before AMC was bought-out by Chrysler. The YJ is an AMC design through & through and is an evolution of the tried & true CJ design. For example the track was widened for more stability. The instrumentation and controls were an improvement over the CJ's. The interiors were still rugged but a bit more civilized, and improvements were also made to the full (locking) doors and hardtop.
I won't take anything away from the CJ's, because they are fantastic Jeeps, but the YJ was and is every bit as good, and in fact the 4.0 liter fuel injected in-line six was arguably the best engine ever offered in a Jeep (or any other vehicle for that matter), and the improvements made to the YJ made it a slightly more civilized vehicle for on-road use, while it remained a great off-road vehicle.
Those who discount the YJ because of its rectangular headlights, and say that it is not a true Jeep, are not only wrong, but they don't know what they are missing by not owning & driving one.
The CJ's can't be crushed into belt buckles... too much rust...
The YJ is more road friendly. But not more capable offroad. From the suspension to the dimensions. Except the fuel-injection.
I have owned a CJ and a YJ. And the CJ was more capable off road, more reliable, and better looking, just had to do regular tune-up r&r stuff. 258 straight six, dana 300, dana 30 front, AMC 20 rear with trak-loc differential.
The YJ 4.0 chucked a rod, trans stuck in gear, and the vacuum dog engaged front axle was a pain, as I'd rather get out and lock the hubs manually anyway. Could not keep up off-road. Even with longer shackles and BFG 31-10.50 tires.
In my opinion the YJ (an AMC design) is every bit as good a Jeep as the CJ - Yes, in stock form it may have given up a bit on the trail, but it is easily modified and is one of the best off-road vehicles ever produced. On road, it was more manageable than the CJ, but it would never be confused with a road car.
As for reliability: I've owned 2 YJ's (still own 1) and with the 4.0 liter six, if you treat them right 200K is no problem at all, in fact 300K is not out of the question.
The only reason the CJ was ever discontinued was because stupid 60 minutes put a bad reputation on them and showing it to the public. They would take them out on road courses and commit acts of God to roll them purposly. It took 89 tries to roll a stock CJ5 on flat pavement, 79 tries off road. They were doing things that any one Jeeper would never try or anyone with any common sense. So thanks to 60 minutes we no longer have the Civilian Jeep. If we still did with today's technology they would be safer with air bags and better seatbelts. Anyone that has one should never sell it, they are climbing in value. Don't be afraid to teach those funny Wranglers what off roading is all about!
The YJ Wranglers are every bit a tried & true Jeep as the CJ.
There's nothing funny about that!
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