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Also, I spent part of last week helping my son move home from his first year of college in New Mexico. So I drove my '98 SE (4-banger) a total of some 1600 miles there and back, and all in all it did well. Headwinds through Amarillo are a factor for the 4, as are headwinds and steep hills in southern NM. It just doesn't want to crank along at 75 mph under those conditions. Felt like a tractor-trailer driver with all the required downshifting.....
We did manage to do a few days of backpacking in the Gila Wilderness near Silver City, NM. Eugene (my Jeep; I know - - how original) really prefered driving thru the mountains at much more reasonable speeds. Didn't do much off-road this trip, but we did scout out some awesome areas. For those not familiar, this is also a very impressive part of the USA! Plus we spent time with my wife's aunt and uncle living in Silver. They're both retirees with a newly-fanned burning desire to get their own Jeep. Of course, I did my part to fuel those flames!
If I can re-read old posts and master the picture deal, I'll post a couple. If not, I know my son can!
It won't be five years until December 8th. Still, going this long, almost 4.5 years, without getting trading fever is a testimony to my love for Thelma Jane. Many of the new folks around here probably don't know about my history of car trading.
I used to walk the floor, lose sleep, and worry myself to death wanting to trade for some particular vehicle. I would always figure out some way, it seemed, to get that vehicle. I would be so happy and so proud, once I had that vehicle. I would wash it and wax it, keep it spotless inside and out, and would not even drive it when the roads were wet, if there was any way to avoid it.
Well, that great love would last about six month to one year, and then I thought I would just die if I didn't get the next vehicle that caught my fancy. Once again, I would trade, even though I owed so much on the one I was trading in. The pattern would continue, and I would be tired of that vehicle and dying for something else within a year.
Car dealers LOVED me! They named children after me. Some of them were injured trying to be the first to greet me when I pulled onto the lot.
When I bought Thelma Jane, I was buying my THIRD brand new vehicle in 21 months! I traded in an 8 month old 2000 Grand Prix GT, which I had bought when I traded in a 13 month old 1999 Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4. I was $8,000 upside down on trade-in on the Grand Prix, despite getting $1000 more than average trade-in value for it!!!! I took out a home equity loan to retire $6000 of that debt, and I carried the other $2000 over into the Jeep loan.
Fortunately, it worked out well for me. I have finally found the vehicle I can grow old with. Thelma Jane was what I had been looking for and didn't know it.
I have absolutely no desire to trade her in for anything, not even for a brand new Jeep. I have added my mods to her, and I still have more to go. She already has her dings and scratches from the trails, so I don't have to go through seeing a new Jeep get beat up again.
Jeeps are THE COOLEST VEHICLES IN THE WORLD!
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehawwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Thelma Jane is almost 5? That's amazing Tomster. You'll have to buy her a new roll of paper towels come Christmas!
Steve, Host
We agree! My son and actually hiked the Middle Fork of the Gila as well, along with Little Bear Canyon. We had to share Jordan hot springs, but met some nice people as a consequence. We didn't camp right at the springs, but that would have been very enjoyable! Next time......
Gary
I've also got an SE ('98) and actually have been pleased with just adding larger tires. If you just want to give it a more aggressive stance, that might also work for you. The old standard tires and wheels that came on mine looked WW2-like; changing wheels and upgrading to 30 or 31" tires (which shouldn't cause you any problems; check into a plethora of old posts regarding this topic) will have a noticeble effect. My ride improved with the larger tires, and gas mileage was actually the same or perhaps slightly better. Have fun regardless of your decision!
Gary
Got a good buddy from the Chicago area coming down for a couple of those days. I took him out on the trails at Turkey Bay for his first time to go wheelin', and the boy was hooked on it BIG TIME. He had those stinkin' 3.07 gears and a Dana 35 rear axle when we hit the trails that day. He got back up there to the Windy City and took that Jeep somewhere for an axle upgrade, new gears, and lockers! He also has a Warn 9.5 Ti winch. (see what I did?)
It will be really fun to see David again and his family, and it will be cool to see the vast improvement in the capabilities of that Jeep.
I need to get him to post in here again. He was posting as dchristo. I think he has abandoned us here, but he posts in another Jeep site that I go to. Can't let him get away with dropping out of Edmunds!
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I went into the dealer today and got pricing for a 2005 khaki Unlimited, Standard E package, soft top, 6 -speed with only option of 7 speakers. The gave me a price of 23400 and told me that their invoice was 23200. After some research online It appears to me that the unlimited with the above options has an invoice of around 22700 incl/destination charge. Am I wrong, Anyone know the invoice of for sure?
Thanks for the help, I hope to join the family soon if I can determine if this price is fair.
Thanks for any advise.......
There are two line items on the true invoice for ad fees. One is a national ad fee and the other is a regional ad fee. With advertising costing so much more in large market areas, the regional ad fee will be higher there. The total of $500 that we are looking for sounds a little higher than I had to pay, but I am not in a large market area.
If you can buy at $200 over the true factory invoice price, then you are not getting a bad deal at all. That's the deal I got on my Thelma Jane almost five years ago. At that time, $200 over invoice was not being beaten very often at all, and then not by much.
Good luck.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Your number appears to be correct, but remember that there's a $2,000 incentive out there now ($1,000 of which you get only if you finance through Chrysler).
To give you an idea, I just bought an '05 Unlimited, E Package, 7 Speakers, Side Steps, Leather wrapped steering wheel, floor mats and dual tops, and was out the door (including taxes and tags of roughly $1,500) for $24,200. This is with a "friends and family" type discount (which is 1% below invoice). I think I may have even paid a few hundred too much.
If you use the "TMV" calculator on Edmunds.com, you can get the invoice for the E package and each option. I'd go into the dealer armed with that next time.
Also they would not take any new orders for 2005, only 2006 model year. They did not know anything about changes for 2006 like new colors etc....
I am considering purchasing the Bestop Sunrider, noticed you had a few things to say about it. Do you have any regrets or any advise. I am purching a top this coming week and like to do my homework first.
Thanks,
Michael
I've ordered an 05 Unlimited which is due in sometime this weekend. I'm planning to take the $1000 financing incentive from Chrysler and then pay off the note. This incentive expires in a couple of days (May 31) and I'm thinking it will increase after that to get the 05's off the lot. Has anyone watched how DC has historically handled the incentives to know if this might be true... or should I just take the current rebate and be happy with it.
thanks
As soon as I say this, they will make a liar out of me, I guess, but DC has NOT historically done much of anything to move left over Wranglers from previous model years, even when the current model year Wranglers have been on the lots for a long time.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
P.S.
Welcome! Congrats on the Unlimited!
Yup, she really saved big time by skipping those oil changes!
ANYHOW, I'm having an oil pressure problem which is probably going to lead me to pulling the oil pan and checking/replacing the pump....
You might want to check the actual pressure with a mechanical gauge as you may have a sender problem (if you're lucky). However, you'll often find with a badly sludged engine that you're forever chasing oil related problems. Considering the mileage, and the low purchase price, I think you could fully justify fitting a remanufactured 'long block'.
Right off the bat, my daughter and I are geeking off the other Jeepers waving to us when the top is down. The day I drove it off the lot I read the "Rules of the Jeep Wave" from some website and had kiddingly warned my daughter that since we were driving a cherry jeep that we'd have to show all the other jeepers respect first. Next thing we know, we're getting waves left and right and we're giggling like kindergartners. Jeepers are dorks.
I was kinda worried about the "rough" ride, but I can assure anyone that the ride is smoother than even in my '95 S-10. I love the power of the I-6 and am digging that when the a/c is on the jeep doesn't notice even while on the long grade near my home.
I like how customizable this vehicle is. I haven't really started yet but I sold my stock tires for $500 and bought some rubicon 31's for $500 so my net price was $26 for installation. The 31's look MUCH bigger but there is no rub. I do plan a budget 2.5" lift to increase the wow factor.
I use this idea for my hardtop Rachet strap hoist
Anyway this forum rocks, it's great to see so many fans of the jeep here
We have a dealer-installed lift and tire upgrade package and the factory tow hooks. Do I need anything else to get started?
Thanks!
a.
Anyhow, I just wanted to introduce myself, and say that I am extremely grateful for some of the tips/hints I have already found on this forum (getting those doors off for the first time on a used jeep was quite the adventure!), and with any luck, I will be able to provide my own to fellow jeepers for many years to come! Happy Jeepin', to everyone, and I'm thrilled to finally become part of this awesome community!
PS: tsjay, i've read many of your tips and posts, and it seems you know you're jeep stuff...looking forward to 'absorbing' some of your knowledge!
1997 TJ 4cyl
5 speed
black
NAKED
You don't need much else to get started, but I'd take a strap to fit those tow hooks (one with loops), a first aid kit, a gallon of drinking water (I doubt you'd starve to death, but it's not that hard to get dehydrated), and a cell phone.
Other than that, don't do as I do, do as I say, and go with a buddy!
So the first question (of many I am sure) the only real glitch on this baby is the paint on the windshield frame is getting bubbly, I assume the window was replaced at one time and probably not sealed properly which has cause moisture under the paint and thus some rust. my question then is I have heard horror storys about dropping the windshield, do You recomend I pull the frame completely to sand prime and paint or try it on the truck?
Thanks and P.S. my wife probably curses you guys right about now
thanks for the info. Last month DC increased the incentive from $750 to $1000 so it looked like they were trying to clear the lots of 05's. The sales manager today said that he doubted there would be any increase, more likely stay the same or a decrease next month. But what does he know
And by the way, I wish I could have hugged my Jeep today but it still
isn't here yet. Maybe tomorrow????
However, the frame is hollow, and if it's rusting through from the inside out then replacement is the only realistic solution unless the damage is very localized.
-Mike
Is this a break-in thing that I shouldn't worry about, or should I really worry?
The vehicle is going to the dealer this week to get the locking center console installed, so perhaps I'll ask then. I just don't want to 'borrow any trouble' so to speak.
Thanks
Welcome to this forum, and CONGRATS on that Unlimited! It sure seems like most folks who have just bought Jeeps and come to this board have bought the Unlimited rather than the short wheel base Wranglers. Must be that extra cargo room is all that was needed for some folks to pull the trigger. I would definitely have to consider the Unlimited, if I were in the market right now.
Stick around and keep us posted on how you and that new Jeep are getting along.
Once again, congratulations.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Congratulations on your new Jeep! Welcome to this forum.
I'm glad to hear that you are interested in off roading that Jeep, and if you happen to live close enough to come to Turkey Bay with me, I would be happy to take you out on the trails and help you get started in the wonderful sport of off roading. Turkey Bay is in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky.
Check out my website for some advice on how to get started with your off roading. Feel free to contact me with any questions, or just post 'em here. My email is public in my profile, if you need to communicate with me off the board.
Here's a link to my website. This link takes you to the section of the website that pertains to newbies getting started in their off roading, but please check out the whole thing.
http://home.earthlink.net/~tsjay50/id6.html
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Be sure and post about your first impressions.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
This is Mac24's area, not mine, but one thought is that maybe you have the wrong type of oil filter on that Jeep??? Probably not the case, but it is something easy to check out. The wrong filter or an improperly functioning filter could cause pressure fluctuations.
I guess someting in the oil pan that intermittently blocks the oil inlet screen for the suction side of the oil pump might be the culprit. Maybe some of that sludge broke loose and a chunk of it blocks the oil flow until the Jeep is parked headed uphill?
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Welcome to Edmunds Jeep Wrangler! Congrats on your first Jeep!!!
Thanks for the kind words, and you are very welcome for any help I might have been. I'll accept your thanks on behalf of Mac24 and others here who post good, reliable information also. We are all proud that this place is a source of ACCURATE info, unlike so many places you might find on the Net.
It's good to have you with us, Ryan, and I am very happy that you got your "dream vehicle." Wish I had realized the extreme coolness of Jeeps at your age.
Stick with us and be an active member. Let us hear about your good times with that Jeep.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Welcome!
Hey, I didn't get Wrangler Fever until age 51, so you are actually ahead of me there.
I am certainly not the one to answer your question on body work or painting. I have no experience in that area. Bet you'll get a good answer from someone here, though.
Congratulations on finally "seeing the light." Keep us posted on how things are going. It's good to have you with us, Joe.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
P.S.
I see that Good Ole Mac came through for ya with a good answer to your question. I had somehow missed his post when I wrote the above.
Hopefully, someone will have an answer for ya.
I have no experience with the new 6 speed manual tranny, but the old NV3550 five speed had a quirky noise when the engine was at idle and the tranny was in neutral with the clutch out. It sounded like marbles rolling around in a tin can. You could push the clutch in, and the noise would go away instantly. This noise was just a quirk of the NV3550, and it did not indicate a problem.
Maybe there is some particular noise associated with the new six speed tranny?
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Without hot tanking and pressure cleaning the oil galleries, you'll always have intermittent pressure problems as the sludge moves around. It's likely that the knocking you have is either a main or rod end bearing. If you strip the engine to try to clean it you'll probably find that at 124K the crank needs regrinding, the bores need honing (at least), the camshaft and followers need replacing, and on, and on, and on.
Which is why I recommended yesterday that you just install a 'long block' and save yourself a lot of grief. Having paid $500 for the Jeep you can easily justify the cost of fixing the engine properly. So, the answer is still the same today as it was then (unless you have skills and tools to strip, clean, machine, and rebuild the existing engine with the appropriate new parts).
Edit: A 'long block' is a completely assembled block and head without any ancilliary items like starter or alternator. A 'short block' is an assembled block only. Finally a 'crate motor' is a new fully assembled complete engine ready to drop right in.
ANYHOW- i'm new to this forum and didn't pull up the first response until I finally found the second. I believe i am getting it, but for those who read this- I am new - new and any help is appreciated. !!!!
THANK YOU (MAC24)....... Is there anyway we can email each other- directly??????
********* guess what, ran her for 20 miles today, no problem........ But what the hell, i'm already in the mood with pulling lifters, changing valve stem seals of which i never did either one before.... I guess being an A&P MECHANIC for united airlines kind of helped except I quit after 17 years... TAKE CARE GUYS, (DEN MASTER)
And deprive everyone else of valuable knowledge?
tidester, host
However, in your case it's I'm guessing that it's most likely to have been a rod bearing as the soft metal bearings usually fail first when deprived of oil, especially the ones under a reciprocating load.
You can email me directly if it's absolutely necessary, but the whole idea of the forum is to share the questions and answers among the participants (and the lurkers!).
If you had a well maintained engine with 124K that had suffered a single component failure I'd say go ahead and fix the problem. However, you have a poorly maintained 124K engine that could expire at any moment. If it was mine I'd fit a long block, be back on the road in a day, and be happy that I'd got a warranty as well.
I realize the core price might be different and fan shroud probably a change, along with many other minor details???? I since you have impressed me with your knowledge right from the git-go, who has the absolute best LONG BLOCK or even a couple other recommendations.
******* THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP AS WITHOUT A DOUBT, YOU HAVE THAT MECHANICAL TOUCH, ( the midas touch) +++++ DENMASTER :P
For the best engine supplier you need to check around locally. It's no good getting a great deal thousands of miles away, then paying freight, then paying it again if you're unlucky enough to have to use the warranty. Ask the guys at some local shops who they'd use for an engine for their own vehicle.
Not sure how expensive the transmission would be.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Terry
Mmmmm..........mystery sixteen year old engine (maybe rebuilt, maybe just a coat of paint), just to save $500 against a basically new engine with a warranty? :confuse:
Can you guess which I'd choose?
Be careful, Den. And, in my opinion, paying $500 for a used 2.5L is NOT a great deal.
Mac???
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?