Annual Demons

[007]

So here it is, late January and my annual demons are visiting again. It's cold, not terribly, but cold nonetheless. I stand in the doorway that leads from the laundry room to the garage and gaze out at my CJ. My mind spends a few precious seconds gazing at my CJ, then the appreciation fades and it begins to draw arrows to many areas of the Jeep with long lines that lead to what is needed in each location.

Fuel tank issues, parking brake issues, carb issues, dash issues, rust issues, body mount issue, rattle here, rattle there, etc. etc. My smile falls and the realization sets in that there is a l w a y s s o m e t h i n g to do.

I've been very fortunate with my Jeep. It hasn't had a lot of problems per se, and I've had good help working on it, but every year there are days where a JKU Rubicon just seems like the smart thing to do.

There are 5 of us in the house (4 girls) and we can't all go in the Jeep at the same time. We made it work in Colorado by putting the baby (now 1 1/2) in her seat wedged between the front seats, but that won't work going forward; so then it becomes an issue of who goes, when we go, how long we go, etc. Ugh.

I don't seem to have the time or space or money at the ALL same time to work out a Scrambler - and still have most of the same problems I have now with my 7.

I'm not jumping off the cliff yet, but does ANYONE else ever go though this? Like most of us, I beam with pride blowing down the road in my CJ, getting the nice comments, etc. but I'm so tired of the constant needs and aggravation. I also know that no vehicle is without problems, but we have to remember - these are ANTIQUES by anyone's definition and to run them off-road takes a lot of time and money...I know it's worth it, but it's really tough to not think that you'd be better off with something that has more engineering and features and less age.

Here's to hoping I'm not the only one with these thoughts that race through my head!!!

 

[Neuner]

Amen

I feel the same and teeter-totter back and forth every now and then. Mostly comes around during the winter time when it's usually parked and I have time to work on it. Exact same scenerio as yours including the work required and having a family of five.

It is only the sheer joy of daily driving that keeps me going. I don't really have any sensible place around me for offroad.

Probably like anyone, seems I've always had to have something to work on and improve. Before the Jeep it was our homes. Total renovation including a 7.1 1000W home theater with a 120 inch HD screen and theater chairs with automated lighting and controls. A custom wood wet bar, lounge area and full bath. Next an outdoor movie system that included invites to the whole neighborhood. Landscaped, re-roofed, built fences, installed patios, drainage systems, replaced doors, you name it. Unfortunately they were sold during the recession and all of that work, money and time away from my young family was washed away as we had to pay to sell, pick up and move. Never again. After struggling and working hard to get us back on our feet and 'putting a forced smile on my face every day when I came home', my wife rewarded my determination with my CJ.

After all that was wasted and given to someone else, I wanted something I could work on that went with me wherever I went and it fit. Thankfully we now have additional vehicles that I can take when the CJ needs to sit, waiting on a repair. I remember why my wife had given it to me and the way it keeps me calm during the road raged commutes and I smile and wash away the thoughts of selling it.

 

[007]

Amen

I feel the same and teeter-totter back and forth every now and then. Mostly comes around during the winter time when it's usually parked and I have time to work on it. Exact same scenerio as yours including the work required and having a family of five.

It is only the sheer joy of daily driving that keeps me going. I don't really have any sensible place around me for offroad.

Probably like anyone, seems I've always had to have something to work on and improve. Before the Jeep it was our homes. Total renovation including a 7.1 1000W home theater with a 120 inch HD screen and theater chairs with automated lighting and controls. A custom wood wet bar, lounge area and full bath. Next an outdoor movie system that included invites to the whole neighborhood. Landscaped, re-roofed, built fences, installed patios, drainage systems, replaced doors, you name it. Unfortunately they were sold during the recession and all of that work, money and time away from my young family was washed away as we had to pay to sell, pick up and move. Never again. After struggling and working hard to get us back on our feet and putting a forced smile on my face, my wife rewarded my determination with my CJ.

After all that was wasted and given to someone else, I wanted something I could work on that went with me wherever I went and it fit. Thankfully we now have additional vehicles that I can take when the CJ needs to sit, waiting on a repair. I remember why my wife had given it to me and the way it keeps me calm during the road raged commutes and I smile and wash away the thoughts of selling it.

That's an awesome story... I think if I had some other "connection" to my Jeep it might be different. It wasn't my dad's or anything, just lucked upon it. I guess if I did get a JKUR I could keep the CJ, but then what? Have the same struggles with it I have now or just not worry about them and drive it as it is. Not sure.

 

[jzak]

I think the perfect situation is to have a CJ which needs some work, but you can still drive it around most of the time. That's the whole point of owning a classic Jeep. What are you going to do with your weekends, if you have a Rubicon where everything is under warranty?

That said, it can be very frustrating when your CJ is on jackstands 90% of the time, and with four kids, it may not be the most practical option.

How about getting a Willys Wagon? Four doors, plenty of room, and it's still a classic jeep. Just a thought!

 

[007]

I think the perfect situation is to have a CJ which needs some work, but you can still drive it around most of the time. That's the whole point of owning a classic Jeep. What are you going to do with your weekends, if you have a Rubicon where everything is under warranty?

That said, it can be very frustrating when your CJ is on jackstands 90% of the time, and with four kids, it may not be the most practical option.

How about getting a Willys Wagon? Four doors, plenty of room, and it's still a classic jeep. Just a thought!

Well, to be clear / fair - I can hop in mine just about anytime and do what I want, but it seems there's always something on the list... I don't mind working on it, but it seems like never get where I want to be with it.

 

[jzak]

It's an expensive option, but i've owned two CJ5's in my time. One with a 2BBL rebuilt Rochester Carb, and the other with a Howell TBI Kit. Having the TBI unit resolved probably half of the typical problems (Demons) I always ran into with the carbureted CJ.

 

[007]

Agreed. I'm about to do a Holley Sniper EFI this spring.


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[Petescj]

Bringing this up while the Laredo is in the garage waiting for a engine and after I sold my 2nd Scrambler could just push me over the edge.




Nah just kidding. One day I'll get motivated enough to get the swap done and have it up and running for camping season. I'll fix most of the sores and have a 1/2 new 1/2 old wish list ready for next Winter. I probably could've gotten the Laredo 3/4 of the way "DONE" but decided to get the smaller '82 for a daily driver or at least take some pressure off the Laredo. The two Cj deal has yet to work for me , but we'll keep trying. My kids are old enough where it's soon going to be quieter around here. I hope that frees up just a little more play money.

 

[Dolamite]

It is really funny that you brought this up! I think about this from time to time as well. My CJ is currently up on jacks for an axle swap. Seats are out and holes are being patched. It will need painting. With everything out, I just see more stuff that needs fixing.

Hard to fit the wife and my 3 boys all in a CJ5, but I never considered getting rid of it or replacing it.

What I HAVE considered is selling my wife's van and getting her a JK. That way I can still wheel the CJ hard and she could follow and pull me out of a mudhole if it were necessary.

 

[CJim7]

I think a lot of us are in the same boat (load of demons).
Last fall I made a checklist of everything I needed to do to the Jeep and after I was done I sat staring at it. Not in a good way

The last time I drove it was last spring, and that was basically to park it in the garage. A badly leaking steering box and a shot steering pump forced my hand. It was a great opportunity to catch up on some small projects....so I thought.

So now my CJ sits semi-disassembled with new parts and old parts lying around and not a lot of time to get to it. I think a mouse took up residency in one of my fenders which is tucked up under the chassis and the kids have lost faith in Dad's motivation. The 4 year old asked me if I "needed him to fix daddy's jeep for him".

Money is always an issue, as well as time. Maybe I'm just growing out of the Jeep thing (god I hope not) and losing interest. Maybe it's just overwhelming.
Whatever the case, it pisses me off when I see a shiny stock TJ with a cab full of people enjoying themselves out on the road. Then I go home and stare at the project parked in my garage for a few more minutes.....turn the light off and head back into the house to explain to the wife for the 73rd time why she cant park in the garage.

Thank you AMC for making my life truly colorful

 

[007]

I think a lot of us are in the same boat (load of demons).
Last fall I made a checklist of everything I needed to do to the Jeep and after I was done I sat staring at it. Not in a good way

The last time I drove it was last spring, and that was basically to park it in the garage. A badly leaking steering box and a shot steering pump forced my hand. It was a great opportunity to catch up on some small projects....so I thought.

So now my CJ sits semi-disassembled with new parts and old parts lying around and not a lot of time to get to it. I think a mouse took up residency in one of my fenders which is tucked up under the chassis and the kids have lost faith in Dad's motivation. The 4 year old asked me if I "needed him to fix daddy's jeep for him".

Money is always an issue, as well as time. Maybe I'm just growing out of the Jeep thing (god I hope not) and losing interest. Maybe it's just overwhelming.
Whatever the case, it pisses me off when I see a shiny stock TJ with a cab full of people enjoying themselves out on the road. Then I go home and stare at the project parked in my garage for a few more minutes.....turn the light off and head back into the house to explain to the wife for the 73rd time why she cant park in the garage.

Thank you AMC for making my life truly colorful

My God - that's my life to a T... It's weird, in my daily life I want to go unnoticed virtually ALL of the time, but when I'm in my CJ I want it to be noticed. I've had so, so many compliments etc. on my Jeep and that makes one feel good and appreciate what the have. But then it's back to the house, wiper motor, rust, heater, AC, brakes, blah blah blah.

I'm not losing interest in Jeeping, but not sure that having a CJ at this point in my life is the "right" answer for me.

 

[mriplaybass]

Yes, the financial demands of owning a classic CJ is something that will haunt all of us who can't afford to just take it to a mechanic and just say "fix it", then hand them a blank check....................................OK, so that defines practically all of us! I guess I have a slightly different perspective of things though. As I have stated several times in other posts, I still consider myself a relatively new Jeeper. My wife, Oldjeeplady, is the one who got me into CJs about 2 years ago. This is where I got a crash course on something called a "PO" . I can't believe how much these elusive creatures can insert gremlins into every nook and cranny of our beloved CJs. Many the time where I just felt like giving up, cutting my losses, and saving up for a "Mall Crawler", another term that still provokes a smile when I think of it. In the past 2 years, I have probably spent 15 hours crawling under, over, and inside our CJ for every 1 hour of driving it. That can't possibly be worth it! I have better things to do with my time! Anything has to be better than this. After all, there is grass to watch growing, or paint to watch drying. I have even thought about the all important staring at my finger nails to make sure they don't grow beyond an acceptable length before cutting them to avoid dirt from collecting under them.................Then I remember, I enjoy the dirt. The "POs" gremlins? They will not defeat me!!:shooter: I love trying to solve what they did to cause me such anguish, then, when I solve the problem, (usually with help from someone on the forum) I project, by mental telepathy, the flying middle finger, to let them know, they did not beat me!!
I now realize, although I love driving our Jeep, the majority of the fun for me is making a vehicle that I have come to love, run. And yes, I love the looks and the compliments we get at stop lights, parking lots, or even just the thumbs up as someone passes us out on the road.

 

[007]

I see what your saying... But I don't have the shop you have or the equipment you have or a wife out wrenching with me. Likewise you don't have 3 girls age 1.5 - 10 needing time as well, and those same kids won't all fit in a 7 on the trail anymore.

To be fair, mall crawlers are built Jeeps that never hit the trail so I can't possibly have that, but a slightly lifted Rubicon with some 33 MTs on steel wheels sounds fair enough to me.

No decision yet. Oddly enough the kids have cold feet about it. We shall see.


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[Hedgehog]

Maybe I'm a darned fool, I don't know. But my CJ was in very rough shape when I purchased it. It was obvious that it needed work. But, before this CJ my life saw a few family jeeps and I had one of my own. Those vehicles ran well and consistently. If not beaten they worked day in and day out. It is my belief that once my CJ is in decent shape it will run for years without major repairs, just routine maintenance, the same as any vehicle. This is one reason why I don't believe in pushing everything to the very edge. Bigger than stock tires, but kept reasonable sizes in mind. Yes the 360 is pushing power up a notch, but I (try) don't not to abuse it. My suspension is reasonably stock. Unfortunately I'm unreasonably fat ... oh well can't be perfect. Essentially a reasonably treated CJ should be reasonably reliable. Push it hard and like any high performance vehicle it will need additional and expensive repairs. But it is very possible that I'm not only fat, but nuts as well. ...... an additional thought, I am lucky in that we don't have to fight rust like many people do.

 

[Hedgehog]

Sounds to me like you really do want to sell and move on. If so, nature hates a void, someone else will get a nice CJ to call their own.

 

[007]

Sounds to me like you really do want to sell and move on. If so, nature hates a void, someone else will get a nice CJ to call their own.

No I'm actually more in the fence than my last post would indicate. My Jeep is as stock as I've seen. Just hard to involve the family with the size.


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[mtnwhlr]

I know how hard it is for younger folks with kids to justify spending the money and time on a toy. When I was young with kids it was a 68 Dodge Charger that I spent any free time and money I could find on it. But it was a car that I could haul everybody around in and the wife loved to blow the doors off anyone that challanged her in it.Aww the good old days. I didn't get into old Jeeps until I got older and didn't have a family to think about all the time. But if you are a gearhead like me you need something to work on just to get you away from everyday life it's what keeps me sain although some people will say it's not working. That and it makes me proud when I can say I built that.

 

[gr8dain]

I have a Scrambler that is currently undergoing a frame swap. In fact a bunch of Jeep friends and I got the motor and trans moved over today as well as breaking free the remaining body and roll bar bolts. This CJ has been my DD since I picked it up in 09. Sold a YJ when I found this. That being said, it has left me stranded on the side of the road to do repairs more times than I like. I even had it towed home a few times. Figured it all out though and kept driving it. Why? It pits a huge grin on my face when I would otherwise be complaining about traffic.

This past summer we picked up a JKU. So now while I am unable to drive the CJ, I still have transportation. While I like driving a reliable vehicle, I CAN'T WAIT to get the CJ back on the road. And I am close. So maybe I am fortunate to be able to have the extra vehicle. But, I don't ever want to get rid of this Scrambler. If I ever do, it will be to get another one. But really, I will make this a trail rig if I do get another one.

Good luck on your decision. Just think hard before you sell it. You may not get enough for it to make it worth while. So maybe you will have you CJ as the spare/toy.

 

[mtnwhlr]

Just a side note, I sold my Charger and many years later I think it was one of the dumbest things I ever did and wished I would have just stashed it away.

 

[jzak]

Guys! This is all just Winter CJ Seasonal Depression. All CJ owners go through this in January when there's 3 feet of snow outside, and you start to think why do I own a unreliable vehicle, with no heater, and a laundry list of broken down parts.

I promise you! The second April comes around, you'll wonder how you could ever have thought of selling such a glorious piece of American History! All the mechanical problems will fade away, and it will just be you with the Top down, foot on the nerf bar, wind in your hair, listening to Hotel California!
:grinjeep: