What's your Jeep story?

longarmwj

longarmwj

New member
Like the title says, why do you love jeeps so much, and more specifically do you have one jeep you own that stands out to you above the others? This is the story of why I love jeeps and why I love my WJ and will never ever ever part ways with it.

In 2002, we moved from one city to another city in Georgia. I was 7 at the time. My father LOVED cars, and he's where I got my passion for cars from. He loved Jeeps and exploring and off-roading even more though. He figured since we got a new house, why not get a new vehicle, but one that could take the whole family out exploring in the north Georgia mountains. One day about a year after we moved, me and him went out car shopping, and the first place we went was the local Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership (ironically where I now work) to look at Wranglers. He realized that the whole family comfortably could not fit in the Wrangler. There was a silver 2003 Grand Cherokee on the showroom floor. He was drooling over it, but it was out of our budget. He ended up purchasing a 2002 Jeep Liberty 2 wheel drive. On the way home he looked at me at a stop light and went "Ryan, I loved that silver Grand Cherokee, and I know you did also. I have a bonus coming in next week, and I promise you that I'm going to go trade in my car for that jeep. It will be our project together. We are going to lift it, and we are going to explore all over in it."

I remember his words word for word. Two days later, he was admitted into the hospital, and another two days after that on May 21st, 2003, he passed away after open heart surgery. He was only 39, and I was 8. We never got to get that Grand Cherokee. Fast forward 8 years to when I turned 16 and was looking for my first car. I knew I wanted a jeep. We went to that same dealership and they told us that they had a vehicle traded in they thought would be a perfect match. They pulled it up and I could hardly believe myself. It was a silver 4x4 Grand Cherokee. I could hardly believe myself when I saw it. I didn't even test drive it, I just bought it right there.

Ultimately my father's dream was fulfilled, except 8 years after the fact. I lifted it, totally built it, and did exactly what he wanted to do with me in it. The picture below is my father's grave, with HIS dream parked behind it, but built by me.
IMG_3523.JPG


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Well that brought a tear to my eye and a smile to my face. And I know your dad is smiling down on you. Thanks for helping me start the week on a positive note.


Howdy from Texas!
'76 CJ-5 V8 Renegade (grey Levi's), retired.
'14 JK Sport 2DR (Black), weekend fun.
 
Wow. That's a tough read. Sure glad you kept the Jeep though, man. Amazing story. Sorry for your loss, but that Jeep sure is special.

For us, my wife and I have always liked Jeeps. She had one when we met, but I was busier with building street cars, etc. Moving back to Colorado here in 2007, I fell in love with the mountains and started really getting into backpacking. When we got married, we made the financial decision to sell her Jeep and live a lot simpler. As I backpacked more and more, I realized how much fun it was getting away from people and just enjoying nature. I also realized there are several spots around here that would be easier to reach by Jeep but still have the isolated experience. After 2 kids we realized the WJ would give us the family comfort and capability, and still have a ton of cargo for gears and tools. So the build started. During the process, my wife has always wanted a Wrangler, so we got hers last year.
 
It was 1998 I was 8 years old my father after being a gmc/Chevy guy for most of his life picked up a brand new 5.9 grand Cherokee (fastest production SUV in the world at the time). It was a great jeep we had a ton of fun with it. It was the first car I was in that really put you back in the seat as well as could go anywhere we pointed it, so it seemed lol. Fast forward 8 year and I knew my first car was going to be a Jeep Grand Cherokee so I saved up and got a 99 GC 4.7L 98k miles on it which I drive for another 100k miles. Eventually I got a ride in my cousins 1997 2.5 wrangler. I was hooked and ended up buying that jeep from him a couple years later. Since then I have has 2 Cj5's 1tj 1 xj and the Wj. Now with a family of my own I finally have what I have always coveted my 2013 JKUR and could not be happier!!!

Building my sons Jeep Story:

Now with my JKUR and my 5 month old son we have started taking small off road trips and will build the jeep as he gets older and up our off road abilities! We recently went to the sand dunes of Cape cod. My plan is to take a nice picture with every excursion and have then blown up to a small poster size for his room. Once he is old enough I hope the jeep will be his and he will have a nice timeline of all the places we have been together with the jeep.


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That's awesome man. Glad you were able to fulfill that dream for you and your pops.

jeeps for me started when I was 13. My dad had an '83 scrambler that he did very minor mods to. It was the first car I learned how to drive, and drive manual, on. When I was 15 we had to sell it for financial reasons, which was a total bummer of course. Couple years later my dad got the bug again and we got a '93 forest green and tan top TJ. Drove that until after graduating college and moved to the west coast...leaving it at home. Now the JKU. Always surrounded by jeeps, it's contagious.


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I've wanted a Jeep since I was a teenager but never could swing one. Between raising 3 daughters & doing the normal stuff kids need to do we just never had the extra income for a third vehicle. Also the YJs & TJs were just too damn small for a family of 5. Fast forward 25 years my dad bought a 2011 Grand Cherokee after my mom passed from cancer and he loved that Jeep. Then a few years after he bought it he came down with same thing right around Christmas. Before the cancer took its toll and he was still coherent he told me to take the Jeep & do what I wanted with it since It was plagued with tranny woes and the dealer basically wasn't interested in covering repairs any longer and the warranty was just about up. That's when the idea was hatched for Gruff. After a few weeks he lapsed into an incoherent state and for the next 4 months I'd go to the hospice after work and spend every evening with him until he passed. Those evenings I'd spend planning and re planning my build and I'd tell him what I found that day. I know he could hear even though he couldn't respond. A couple months later in June I traded his GC in on a base 14 Sport unlimited with two options. Hard top and tow package. The rest is history. I know he would have enjoyed the shit out of the Jeep. Miss him and my mom every damn day.


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I had a sheltered childhood, didn't know anything about vehicles. All the vehicles were taken to the dealership for repairs. After high school, I joined the Army. Quickly realized private pay does not afford dealership repair. I then started a crash course on auto repair. I liked jeeps, but just was not economical with a family and a handicapped son. In the middle 80's, had a soldier use his bonus and bought a used CJ7. That is when it started, I really liked it and one day I would have one. So time went by, my daughter grew up and married a soldier. About 6 years later her twin brother passed away. By 2009, we decided we want something, was it a motorcycle, a corvette, maybe a jeep. One day while walking on the first rails to trails trail, that ran behind a used car lot, there was a jeep YJ. That was it, we wanted a wrangler. Got on line, there was an 07 JKU Sahara at the local jeep dealer used lot. The Ford dealer had an 05. We talked and decided the 4 dr is what we wanted, by this time we had 2 grandsons. So October 09, I went and test drive the jeep, they told me to keep it over the weekend. We loved it, but I knew about the puppy dog sale. Monday, I gave it back and got my Nissan crew cab back. After a week of negotiations, I bought it. It is paid for, has 175,000 miles. This past January, I just purchased a 10 JKU Mountain. In 14, my son in law purchased a 12, then traded it I for a left over 15, both orange. Their oldest son just turned 16 and wants a jeep. Thinking really hard about giving him the 07 when he gets his license or maybe buy a CJ to build. Since I could not enjoy this with my son, it would be great to enjoy it with my grand son. Looking for my next one, thinking it will be a scrambler.


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I bet your Father is looking down on you with great pride.

I've had my eye on Jeeps since I was 16 (41 Now). A couple of my buddies had lifted jeeps in high school and it was a blast to go wheeling with them. But I always gravitated a little more to trucks so thats what I did.... lowered was my thing, then later on to lifted trucks and hittin the dirt/sand. I've always worked on my vehicles myself for the pure satisfaction it gives me, and I love wrenching, grinding, welding etc.... I'm by no means a pro but always willing to learn. The last 10 years or so I've had the Jeep bug pretty bad. Then in 2015 I discovered Wayalife and it pushed me over the edge. I was ready. However in 2016 tragedy struck and I lost one of my best friends in a motorcycle accident. He was an amazing soul, a husband & the father to 4 great kids. I couldn't focus after that. Really messed up my head. I quickly realized that life is so F'n short. And I didn't want to look back and say, "I wish I would have..." So this year I bought my first Jeep, a 17 JKUR. I did it for me, my friend, but most important for my wife and 2 boys... I am really looking forward to my family growing into the Jeep life and creating new stories together. And I'm truly thankful to Wayalife for all the great info.
 
I have loved Jeeps since I was a kid. When I was sixteen (1985), I wanted a Jeep, but my dad was worried I would roll it so it was a hard no. Oddly, he was ok with me getting a camaro which was very fast and in hindsight much more dangerous than a Jeep. When I was in college I still had the bug to get a Jeep. There was a local dealership that had a 1978 CJ5 with a V8, but it badly needed a new paint job, new seats and a new top. I would stop by the dealership every day and sit in it. I was broke and couldn't swing the price, but they finally gave in and sold it to me for their cost which was about $1500. I was up to the challenge of working on it myself. Here is the only known pic I have of that Jeep:

34fUz7x.jpg


I sold that Jeep to get something more practical and immediately regretted it. After college, I have had company cars for the last 25 years and haven't had the funds or the room for an extra vehicle. The passion has always been there. My wife finally got tired of me talking about Jeeps for all these years and convinced me to just go get one. So, hopefully, I will be picking up this black 2013 JK tomorrow and start a new chapter in my Jeep adventures. Living in Utah and not having one has always seemed like a crime to me.

8gxFhek.jpg


As you can see from the pic, my youngest is excited as well.
 
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