Jeep'n Then and Now

[Hedgehog]

There is some humor involved in the Jeep vs. Wrangler discussion. In a way the Wrangler is a true Jeep. With that being said, I enjoy arguing that a Wrangler is NOT a Jeep, it's completely a Chrysler product. It is a Jeep in the same way the new Beetle is not the same as the original Beetle. It could be argued that the new Beetle is more closely related to the original because at least the same company is producing it. Unlike the mini Cooper, the new Mini is not a Mini.

But it can't be argued that the line from WWII to 1986 was not broken. I remember it well. "The after 1986 the CJ will no longer be made." "Come buy the last of a breed." "In 1987 the CJ Jeep will be gone." Then about 6 months later we were all saved by the introduction of a pair of pants, Ooops not by a soldier but by a cowboy, the completely new Wrangler hit the streets. Chrysler had no problem telling everybody that the Wrangler was far more closely related to the Jeep Pickup than it was to the Civilian Jeeps of the past. It was as if we should be ashamed of the previous Civilian Jeep. To me it was Chrysler that forced the thought that a Wrangler was NOT a Jeep.

I believe that the changes to the true Civilian Jeep that made it safer for the highway and grocery store run made it less capable in the dirt. Take the wonderful video that started this thread. People that worked with their hands, loading hay, work boots, getting dirt under their nails. You NEVER saw a Wrangler advertised to these people, you never see a bail of hay tossed into a pair of pants, or a Wrangler for that matter. The toughest part of the Wrangler is the true cowboy it was named after.

Edit: BajaEdition - Some great points about the changing idea of who a Jeeper was.

But in a earlier time I did not like the changes that made the CJ5 a CJ7. I did not like the addition of a dash or square doors. I saw it as the taming of a once wild and powerful stallion. A fire breathing bull that has been turned into an Ox willing to pull a velvet plow. At the time it seemed like they were making the doors longer so it was easier to get in without soiling our proverbial or literal skirts.


and that's my rant for the day......

 

[PaRenegade]

I think the issue is with the name. Jeeps were Jeeps before there was a Jeep. You didn't call it a CJ.... it was a jeep. For a while they called it The "universal" Jeep, but a Jeep it was. It had no other name. When they stopped making them they acknowledged an end to an era that started with the military version. They even put a factory dash plaque on the last ones. That part is fact and verifiable history. they can ignore it but they can't change it.
The following year (actually within the same calender year) they presented a NEW vehicle and claimed it as so. But because of the 7 slot grille and it's basic shape some people (most not even born then) think it was a continuation of the Jeep/CJ even though it wasn't and history shows it wasn't. In fact, even JP magazine quietly admitted this a few years back.

"American Motors will end production early next year of the venerable Jeep CJ-direct descendent of the workhorse of World War II" is how the announcement went. More than 1.5 million CJ models had been sold since it all started back in 1945. "Completion of the CJ production will signal an end of a very important era in Jeep history," the news release continued. The CJ7 was built alongside the CJ5. January 1986 brought the finale of the CJ7 and the birth of the Wrangler that spring, which sort of resembled the CJ7, but its true inspiration was the Cherokee (because passenger cars-particularly their handling and ride quality-were all the rage)." - FOURWHEELER Network, Jp magazine 2007

Why do the wrangler people need to ride the coattails of the Jeep vehicle when it's a totally different vehicle. Why do wrangler owners or even some cherokee owners get their panties in a twist when you say it's not a REAL jeep? It's not. A REAL Jeep means a jeep that started the whole iconic notoriety, the MA, which morphed directly into two versions, military and civilian. MB and CJ. So why are their feeling hurt when they're not included... to something they aren't part of?

 

[Old Dog]

IMHO and I'm old enough to remember, the true jeep died when AMC bought it. That was the beginning of the end of jeep.
And by the way the TJ or even for that matter the JK will out wheel a cj in stock form in most cases.
That being said I still love my cj.

 

[Hedgehog]

But the lineage was still there.... I stubornly refuse to acknowledge the Wranglers and newer Jeans so they simply can't out wheel my CJ...

 

[Torxhead]

I think a JK is a fine vehicle, but it is a bit wide,long, and tall. So it might be in a different class than a CJ. Here my fellow club member is just about out of room, as I previously drove thru this slot with ease. Its length can help on a steep and slippery hill.

 

[Old Dog]

I think a JK is a fine vehicle, but it is a bit wide,long, and tall. So it might be in a different class than a CJ. Here my fellow club member is just about out of room, as I previously drove thru this slot with ease. Its length can help on a steep and slippery hill.

Your right, the club I'm in is starting to get a few Jk's and they can have a hard time following in the narrow trails. But they can make some of the steep rock ledge climbs look easy that my cj has a tough time with. Break over angle can get them sometimes tough.

 

[PaRenegade]

The question that no one is asking, and I'm really wondering, is why they feel the need to hang onto this myth of "continuation"? Not even magazine quotes or news releases or historical recounts or ads will convince these guys. Why won't they let a wrangler stand on it's own? I mean, I agree with olddog about comparing the 3 in stock form; so do they feel otherwise?

 

[C dubya]

My first Jeep was a wrangler, and I liked it quite a bit. I like the new Jeeps, I think they are the right Jeep for their era. My facination with Cj's most of the time is their simplicity. I like the capability and the workability of them. I don't really feel angst towards newer jeeps. If anything it's their price tags that cause me heartburn.