My 4x4 rigs and my long awaited return to Wrangler

wnorton

Member
Good day all,

I'm excited that after decades I’m finally returning to the Jeep Wrangler family. My 4x4 adventures began with an old worn out CJ5. It was army surplus, primer gray in color and proud. I spent weeks in auto wrecking yards with a tape measure searching for a engine “pull-out” that would fit in the CJs engine bay. We eventually found a Buick v6 engine that would fit. Months later the home made fabrications were complete and the odd looking beast roared to life. Ugly as hell, but was it ever fun.

That old CJ carried me and friends into scenic canyons, remote deserts and across hostile climates in every corner of Utah.

That beginning led to a slew of various four-wheel-drive vehicles. As my need for a professional “career appropriate“ vehicle and my need for a ”family wagon“ beca import the vehicles were further and further away from the bold off road capabilities of the small and nimble Jeep CJ’s or Toyota FJ’s. Throughout the progression the real desire was a return to a Wrangler.

Included among my 4x4 vehicles were:

Jeep CJ5 1967
Jeep CJ5 1970
Toyota FJ40 1974
Toyota FJ40 1976
Ford F-250 1978
Jeep Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Ford Expedition 2005
Porsche Cayenne 2010
Ford F-150 2013
Toyota 4Runner 2012
Ford F-350 2017

A recent order placed for a 2022 Jeep Wrangler JLU rubicon is my return to my origin. Can’t wait to hit the trails in the very capable JL platform.

So I’m curious, what does your 4x4 list look like? I can’t be the only one that made this full circle to/from a Jeep.

Hope to see you on the trails.
 

WJCO

Meme King
That's quite a list. For me:

Subaru wagon (still counts as 4x4) 1987
Toyota Tacoma 1995
Ford F150 2004
Ford F350 1999
Subaru WRX (no offroad in that one) 2002
Jeep Grand Cherokee 1999
Jeep JKU 2011
Jeep JT 2020
Jeep JLU 2020
 

Spazbyt

Hooked
Jeep CJ-7 1986
Jeep ZJ 1997 (1st gen)
Jeep ZJ 2002 (2nd gen)
Jeep Patriot 2009
Jeep JK 2014

It's a short list but it's got moxy.
 

bhaner

Active Member
Welcome back!

My List:
1990 Jeep Cherokee
1990 GMC 2500
1979 Toyota truck with a 351W/C4
1985 Toyota truck
1997 Dodge 2500 Cummins
2003 Dodge 3500 Cummins
1994 Dodge 2500 Cummins
2007 Dodge 2500 Cummins
2005 Jeep Rubicon
2016 Ram 3500 Cummins
*2016 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited
*2019 Ram 3500 Cummins
*1948 Jeep CJ2A

*Current
 

KevinG

Caught the Bug
Welcome back to Jeep! (y)

Here's my list:
1978 CJ7
2002 TJ
2004 GMC 2500 Duramax
2006 LJ
and now a 2016 JKU
 
Congrats again!

My list is well... short but still good.

1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sport
2018 Jeep Wrangler JK Sport S 2-Door

Still have both too.
 

wnorton

Member
Welcome back!

My List:
1990 Jeep Cherokee
1990 GMC 2500
1979 Toyota truck with a 351W/C4
1985 Toyota truck
1997 Dodge 2500 Cummins
2003 Dodge 3500 Cummins
1994 Dodge 2500 Cummins
2007 Dodge 2500 Cummins
2005 Jeep Rubicon
2016 Ram 3500 Cummins
*2016 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited
*2019 Ram 3500 Cummins
*1948 Jeep CJ2A

*Current
Lots of Cummins in that list. We might have crossed paths somewhere along the way. I spent 15 years at Cummins. 4 yr at Cummins Northwest and 11 yr at Cummins Engine Co (aka: mother Cummins).
 

bhaner

Active Member
Lots of Cummins in that list. We might have crossed paths somewhere along the way. I spent 15 years at Cummins. 4 yr at Cummins Northwest and 11 yr at Cummins Engine Co (aka: mother Cummins).
True story!

Very cool!

I did the diesel performance hobby for about 12 years. Sled pulling, drag racing, dyno... Back before it was cool and all you needed was a credit card for 1000 hp. I built this from stock. Compound turbos, dual CP3's, $10k transmissions... blah blah blah. I got it to just over 800 hp 1500 ft/lbs tq back in 2008.

019.jpg
 

wnorton

Member
True story!

Very cool!

I did the diesel performance hobby for about 12 years. Sled pulling, drag racing, dyno... Back before it was cool and all you needed was a credit card for 1000 hp. I built this from stock. Compound turbos, dual CP3's, $10k transmissions... blah blah blah. I got it to just over 800 hp 1500 ft/lbs tq back in 2008.

View attachment 368096
Sweet! My wife has allergies and when behind a Cummins she complains of the exhaust smell. To which my replay is always, “smells like money …”. ☺️
 

wnorton

Member
What part of Oregon are you in?

retured 4-5 hrs ago and took off in an RV. We planned to do it 2 years and just never quit. Now going on 5 years full tome in RV. We actually rented out our two homes since we plan to continue the RV for a few more years.

thus we spend summers in Oregon (all over the place to visit family (especially grandkids).

we winter in the southwest.
 

wjtstudios

Hooked
Nice little history lesson!

1985 Jeep Scrambler Laredo (purchased in 1996)
2004 GMC Tahoe
2007 Hummer H3
2009 Hummer H3 Alpha
2015 JLUR AEV JK350
2018 Ram 3500 Cummins (ate an Impala and died)
2019 Ram 3500 Cummins Laramie
2022 Grand Cherokee L
 
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