Jeep Wrangler

krispykeith

That is true but that would only be for today, correct? My understanding is all rebates end today.

krispykeith

Has anyone seen or heard anything on how a Wrangler handles a rear-impact collision? Not expecting the safest vehicle on the road, but at the same time I dont want to throw my kids into harms way back there. Just curious, without a trunk to get mangled is it likely going to be the backseat that gets crunched since it is only a few inches from the rear of the vehicle and would the Unlimited be alot better from this standpoint? I really like the handling and looks of the SWB better but I dont want to ignore a potential safety issue if there is a reasonable alternative.

jefferson1964

When i purchased my 05 rubi unlimited i got the employee discount green slip, all current incentives and my military discount and i do not work for DCX i just shopped around........it can be done.........

99tj

Ummm, I change my mind about liking the mirror movers. With the doors off, they're fine. Once I put my full doors on, I realized that I can't see the passenger side mirror Back to the original location for me.

I'm just going to pick some quick connect mirrors that slide into the door hinge.

-Dan

letdolphin

Ok after Mac & Tom suggesting photobucket I had to give it a try
I went to Windrock and have 2 pictures
[IMG]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a315/letdolphin/Windrock006.jpg[/IMG]
a cool shot of one of the windmills

and one of the Jeep next to the big mud pit
[IMG]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a315/letdolphin/Windrock011.jpg[/IMG]

I hope this worked
Laura

letdolphin

ok we will try this again


The windmill (maybe)


The Jeep (maybe)

rp05

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/racpanek/51105download073.jpg

The Kids Jeep

mtngal

The second one worked just fine. Looks like a fun place to visit and your Jeep looks happy in the dirt.

I just bought a squirter bottle and microfiber cloths to keep in the Jeep with the window roll bag. I figured I could carry water in the bottle to clean the windows when I want to remove them - they seem to attract dust all the time. Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas about doing this so I don't scratch my windows? I'm really thinking about going window-less when I drive back to LA. The A/C is OK but it doesn't seem to make all that much difference when the temps are above 105. And I should have an idea of what type of gas mileage GiGi gets in town - I'm actually going to have a tank of almost all city driving. And that gas gauge is sure dropping quicker than I'm used to...

mac24

"The A/C is OK but it doesn't seem to make all that much difference when the temps are above 105."

At 105ºF ambient the temperature at the vents should be around 60ºF. However, when this is dispersed into the cabin it will obviously rise considerably. A general rule of thumb is that you can expect a reduction of about 20ºF in the passenger area, together with a reduction in humidity.

The lower the temperature of the air going into the HVAC unit, the lower the temperature of the air coming out, so for maximum effect use the 'Recirculate' setting.

rp05

Greetings,
It's been three weeks today since I picked her up and it's been a Great time. I love MY Jeep. The odometer just turned 2600 miles. I've been offroad 5 or 6 times and scuffed up the fender wells oh well. Been to the carwash 6 or 7 times at least, not including my mini home detail jobs. My wife has dis-owned her Grand Caravan, it sits lonely in the garage if the Jeep is available.
Some extras I've added.. Hard top hoist, BFG A/T, Satellite Radio. Had the top down and the doors off the last few days.. nothing better.

Here's a couple pics,

Ron

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/racpanek/Jeep002.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/racpanek/Jeep001.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/racpanek/Jeep003.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/racpanek/Jeep004.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/racpanek/Jeep005.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/racpanek/Jeep006.jpg

tsjay

Ron:

Sounds like your family is really enjoying that Jeep. That's great!

Now, when are you guys coming down here to go wheelin' with me at Turkey Bay?

Have you been to Rockport Off Road Park yet? Have you hooked up with a Jeep club yet?

Where have you done your off roading so far?

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

Laura:

Nice pics. I hope to get to Windrock this year too.

Hey, I saw where you joined the "other" Jeep site. Do you still go there? Did you notice that some of us are planning to go to Tellico in a couple weeks? You should try to join us.

Send me an email (it's in my profile), or send me a PM on the other site.

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

Jim:

I have been waiting for another of your super posts, telling us all about the enjoyment that your family is getting from that Unlimited.

Your last post was on June 16th. Is everything OK? Let us hear from you!

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

Would anyone else be interested in a new discussion being started for the purpose of all of us Wrangler owners introducing ourselves?

There is a "Jeep Owners Meet the Members" forum already, but that includes all Jeep models. Sorry, but I am not all that interested in searching through a gazillion posts from Liberty, Grand Cherokee, or whatever owners. Those are fine vehicles, and, yes, they are Jeeps, but we are Wrangler people.

I thought we could tell what model our Wrangler is, what year, what mods we have added, where we live (general area, anyway), how we use our Jeeps, etc. We could give whatever family info we are comfortable with.

Whatcha think, Jeep Buds?

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

P.S.

I would like to see it taken even a step further. If possible, I would like to see a template that would prompt people to give answers to specific questions, so that we would have a standard format for all of the posts in the new forum. People would have the option of leaving a question blank, of course, if they were not comfortable in giving that info. By having such a form to fill out, people would be less likely to forget to include something that would be good info.

myboyblue

Are you saying that DC are now matching GM's employee discount program?

They just extended it another month, at least they did in Indiana.

myboyblue

That sounds great Tom. We could then direct our questions to certain individuals regarding certain mods and how they rate them.

[Deleted User]

Hi Tom (and the rest of the forum gang)!

Sorry to have been so quiet...I've been out enjoying my Jeep so much, I've not been on the PC hardly at all (work also getting in the way...dang!). I try to check the forum hit and miss and lucked into seeing your post. In a nutshell...I hit my first real dirt about 3 weeks ago. Took my parents and kids into some woods near my parents' cottage near the tip of the Thumb of Michigan. There's a "hidden" lake my Dad has wanted to see back in those woods for the 65 years he's been in that area (he's in his 70's). I used 4-wheel drive mode to plow through some soft sand and mucky parts of a two-track...tree branches scraping along the sides...it was awesome!!! My parents and kids were humping and bumping around in the back as we easily rolled up and over sand and dirt banks...squished down into some mucky parts. I got a little nervous realizing I was doing it alone and you always said off-roading should be done in at least pairs in case you get stuck. Nothing like having my parents in their 70's which certainly would not have been able to walk out of that woods. My Jeep ate up the terrain like it was nothing and my Dad was so completely impressed with the experience. He was thrilled to see Rush Lake which he'd never seen and never thought he'd see. I'll try to get some photos and clips posted so you can see it up there.

Also, a few weeks back, I rented a Jeep at some sand dunes on the West side of Michigan called Silver Lake Dunes State Park. I was a little intimidated by never doing anything like off-roading on dunes so figured renting a Jeep for an hour with a guide Jeep leading the way might not be a bad idea to learn the basic ropes of Jeeping on dunes. Anyway, it was a blast and I can't wait to get over there with my own Jeep. My very nervous wife drove the last half of the rented hour and she ended up being a natural at it...she literally hugged our rented Jeep which I told her would make you proud. Again, I'll try to post some photos of that, too. In the meantime, here's the Jeep rental's website which gives you the general idea.

Rent a Jeep Wrangler on Michigan Sand Dunes

Now, if DC matches the employee pricing that GM and Ford are doing, my wife may be giving me a call today saying she's ready for her own Wrangler...That's how much we're enjoying our Jeep.

Take care buddy and I'll try to get photos posted and stay in touch here.

Jim

erickpl

I've seen that with other vehicle types as well, but not sure about the template idea and how well it would work, unless you make it Post #1...

-Paul

keats

Nice looking Unlimited.

mtngal

Great looking Jeep - I like the flares being the same color and I guess I could get used to the chrome grill - it looks good with the blue. What size BFG's did you put on? In your photos they look bigger than 30x9.5, or is that just my imagination? They look good, regardless.

mtngal

I look a look at the Jeep rental website - it sure makes me want to visit Michigan again. Maybe one of these days I'll manage to get east of the Rocky mountains - I keep hoping that I'll manage to get TO the Rockies, but it just isn't happening for the forseeable future (sigh). It's amazing how much work interferes with one's life, isn't it?

greenjeeps

Thanks...I ended up buying the 99 wrangler. It was a great deal since the guy was leaving the country. It only cost me 7,500. Im just starting to get the hang of the manual transmision. Do you really think manual is better than automatic? Im also wondering what kind of extras you would recomend. I like adding things to my cars and from what I see and hear the wrangler has the most extras to add. Im just not sure where to start. If anyone has some advice that would be great.

rp05

Mtngl

Thanks,

Your'e right, I traded the GSA's in for some BFG A/T 31x10.5 The spare barely squeezed under the rear break light. So far there great tires.

Ron

tsjay

Greenie:

Congratulations on the purchase of that Jeep! Welcome to the Jeep family!

There are all kinds of "mods" you can do to a Jeep, but it all depends on what you plan to do with the Jeep. Are you only interested in making the Jeep look better? Do you want to enhance off road capabilities? Be more specific in what you want, and I'm sure you will get all kinds of suggestions.

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

erickpl

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050706/ap_on_bi_ge/auto_incentives

Excerpt...
DETROIT - DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group began offering employee discounts to all consumers Wednesday, following the lead of General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. Chrysler is also offering cash incentives on top of the lower prices.

Under the program, which runs through Aug. 1, Chrysler is offering some Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles at the employee rate plus up to $3,500 cash back. Excluded from the program are the 2005 Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum, Dodge Sprinter, Dodge Viper, Jeep Liberty Diesel, all 2006 models and all SRT models.

End Excerpt

So it looks like our beloved Wrangler is eligible!

-Paul

mac24

Thank you Paul, that's good to know.

Despite posts to the contrary, I was pretty sure DC wasn't offering employee discounts to consumers before today.

So Tom, are you starting to get antsy thinking about a Rubicon? :shades:

tsjay

Naw, Mac. I am still in love with Thelma Jane.

If I could swing a new Rubi without trading in or selling Thelma Jane, I might consider it.

It's just a shame that when I was in that mode of trading cars as often as most people change underwear deals like those being offered now were not available.

See what happened when I got Thelma Jane and got cured from all the trading? The auto industry became desperate and had to come up with all of these discounts and incentives. You guys can thank me for all of these deals.

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

wheelsdown

Tom,

I don't think another forum would work. I have never understood why people don't put more information in the member profile. It has a template and a area for a bio or any additional information you want. Most people won't even say where they live. All you get is a screen name. I am afraid we would end up with two forums going. Notice there is not much personal info on the "Meet the Members Forum".

Terry

myboyblue

Despite posts to the contrary, I was pretty sure DC wasn't offering employee discounts to consumers before today.

I received the green slip from a dealer in Indianapolis about a month ago when I bought my sport, and now the rest of the indiana dealers have been offering it for the last two weeks.

I bought my wrangler with an msrp or 28,000 then w/skyjacker 4" lift, wheels, and tires it stickered for 32,000 (I Know, quite the mark-up.) My over all purchase price after greenslip and rebates was 22,500. Don't dismiss what you don't comprehend.

stever

We're willing to give it a try and see. With over 18,000 posts in here, some of the information may be getting a bit buried.

Steve, Host

buckminster3

Speaking of which, I really enjoy this board, but I do agree that the single topic probably wasn't meant to cover all that we talk about. Yet, some of the other Jeep boards seem to only cater to the Mountain-Dew-Xtreme-Lifted-If you aren't rockcrawling on 37's don't bother joining-crowd. Well, for now that isn't me. I love finding trails, but with a day job and family I just can't drive to Moab every other week. I really like the exploration and freedom part of this hobby. That, plus the general owner experience, is valuable stuff. Has anyone considered starting a message board exclusively for this type of jeeper?

mac24

"Don't dismiss what you don't comprehend."

I apologize for my ignorance, as I had always been under the impression that while individual dealers (or groups of dealers) were free to offer any incentives they felt fit, manufacturer incentives were available to all consumers that met the qualifying requirements.

DC has today announced that it will be offering employee discounts to all customers for the first time, so I assume you have information to the contrary. Certainly the dealers in my area weren't aware of it.

mac24

There are several forums out there ranging from this one, to the more extreme ones you describe in your post. Edmund's rules forbid posting links to other forums...........................but Google is very easy to use.

mlyon

Switching from two wheel offroad to 4 wheel I would like some feed back on a few things. The new incentives have incentivized me to consider a new Wrangler and I would like some feedback from those more experienced that I about buying a Rubi LWB vs. a Sport LWB (is the Rubi truly worth the extra $) and is an auto trans better, worse than or a toss up vs. a stick? ">

tsjay

Buck:

I also like the fact that this is a good place for folks who never get off road to come and socialize.

You all know how much I love to go " wheelin' ," but I also know that a Jeep is a joy to drive, even on the street. Before I ever even went off road for the first time, I was saying that Thelma Jane was the most fun vehicle that I had ever owned.

I know what you mean about those Jeep sites where you have to be lifted to the sky and run 44" tires and all to feel like you fit in. Those places are not for me.

I take great pride in the fact that Thelma Jane is very much a near stock, street worthy vehicle but still goes through those crazy places that she does off road.

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

Steve:

Thanks.

Terry may be right about people being overly careful about the info they share, but I guess we could give it a try.

People certainly have a right to their privacy, but I can't see why it would hurt anything to at least state what part of the country you live in, your first name, the details on your Jeep, your marital status and how many kids you have, and how your Jeep will be used.

So, what happens next?

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

M:

A Rubicon is WELL worth the extra money, but only if you will make use of the features. If you are not going to go off road, or if you are going to do only light to moderate off roading, then you probably don't need the extra goodies that you get with the Rubicon model. The features that differentiate a Rubicon from a Sport are all related to off road capability.

As far as auto vs manual, that's just personal preference.

Good luck, and ask any more questions that come to mind. You might do well to read a good number of the old posts in here. I know you can't read them all, but by reading a lot of them, you should gain some knowledge. Also, use the search feature. It works pretty well. We don't mind answering questions here, even if they have been asked a hundred times, so feel free to ask.

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

stever

Some people do like collecting information they find on the net.... stay tuned, the request is in channels (translation - it's on the todo list :shades: ).

Steve, Host

tidester

People certainly have a right to their privacy...

You can't be too careful these days! We should be alert to newbies providing personally identifiable information and advising them to correct it.

tidester, host

keats

Hey, Tom,

My wifey and I are interested in doing the Hot Springs Jeep Jamboree in October, are you going? I'm planning on ordering a Cobra 75 whatever/w firestick and tera connector this weekend so I'll have the CB thing covered. Of course, we're also tossing around the drive up to Turkey Bay in the fall for the stated "free meal" for the guide...I'm ready to get this 13 month-old Rubi out on the trail!

tsjay

Mark:

Man, it would be SUPER if you came on over here and wheeled with me at Turkey Bay! BRING IT ON!

I have no plans to go to the Hot Springs Jambo, but I think a Jambo would be a ton of fun. I have never done one, but I am toying with the idea of going to the one in Williamsburg, KY, the "Gateway to the Cumberlands Jambo." One of my regular wheelin' buds is a trail guide for that Jambo, and he said I should go. He said I would love the trails there.

So, when can ya make it to TB? I plan to go to Tellico for some wheelin' from July 17th thru July 20th, but other than that, I should be available about any weekend.

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mtngal

Just my opinion - the Rubi is definitely worth the money if you are planning on adding air lockers, skid plates and larger tires, because you would spend more money doing those things on your own. On the other hand, if you are not planning on adding or using them, then send your money and get the Sport - it is quite trail capable stock. I own a stock '98 Sport and a stock '04 Unlimited and have been very happy with them. I admit to thinking I might like lockers to go places I don't now, but only occasionally. And I sure wouldn't mind having an on-board air compressor for airing up my tires, but I do OK without airing down for the most part.

Both the auto and manual have advantages, depending on what you are doing. You are less likely to spin your tires with the auto so it is better for soft stuff. The gears with the manual are different, so the manual has more engine braking power going down steep hills (I'll use 4-low with the auto Unlimited where I probably would have been in 4-high 1st gear in the manual Sport).

If the Wrangler is going to be your daily driver, think about th type of traffic you drive in. If there are lots of stop signs or lights, I recommend an auto. If it is a constant slow speed the manual is nice - put it in 2nd gear and crawl along at a constant 10-15 mph, saving your brakes (we didn't change the brakes and rotors until the Sport was over 100,000 miles). My back thanks me for getting the auto and don't think I'll get another manual now. While the manual is lots of fun, the advantages aren't enough to compensate for my physical limitations now.

Bottom line - get which one you prefer.

redrocker15

Some of the really new people may not understand the significance of Tom's position here! This speaks volumes about the truest of true loves! Here's D-C practically paying people to take a vehicle, and old Tomster opts to remain true to Thelma Jane. I think there could be a movie in the making here...... kind of weird to have a Wrangler in a "chick flick" though.......
(no offense intended mtngal, Laura and the others )

I was about to warn Tom not to succumb to the temptation for a new Rubi anyway. I'm sure he would (at least temporarily) regress back to his paper towel and Windex-totin' days!

(It does seem awfully tempting though........)

mlyon

Thanks for all of your info. I'm actually looking forward to doing a considerable amount of offroading in the future and do not want to be limited because I tried to save a few bucks. This vehicle will not be my daily driver but will be our RV tow vehicle.

Does any know if the EP pricing is the bottom line or is there further room for negotiation?

jeff62301

I love seeing pictures of "who" I'm talking to,,,,, I don't know if i'm in any of the pictures, I've posted, I know Tom ( and Ross Allen ) is in several of his pics

I think a members website is a great idea.

jts

I know we have a new wrangler owner on here from near Peoria IL,,,,, there is a TRJC.com trail ride this weekend near pittsfield IL ,,, come join us.

see details at www.trjc.com or email me for info,, my address is in my profile.

jeff62301

given the choice in 2004 I would have gone with a Rubicon but there was no choice on 2004's. The lockers would have been a great add on too.

I've got a lift on mine, with 33'" tires,,, the 3.73 gears are OK,, but it jumps back / forth from overdrive. I believe the Rubi comes with 4.10' s which probably solves that problem on the hwy. ( correct me if I'm wrong about that )

jeff

mlyon

Your correct the Rubi comes with a 4.10.

mac24

Does any know if the EP pricing is the bottom line or is there further room for negotiation?

Employee discount pricing is effectively a manufacturers discount and doesn't come off the dealers bottom line, so negotiate the best deal you can. :shades:

tireguy

I know you've all moved on to other subjects in the most dynamic of forums, but I have to add my 2 cents: forget about the water pump, replace the fuel pump.
Mine went belly up in my 97 TJ while moving from SoCal to North Carolina, pulling a 5x8 cargo trailer full of everything I didn't trust the movers with. Of course it happened at 5pm on a Friday, and the only mechanic I could find who worked on Saturday was a 20 year old with three little barefoot brats running around his shed of a garage with a minivan propped up on a lawnmower. So my wife and I got to spend the night in Coal Hill, Arkansas, a place to which I will never return, sampling the local cuisine at a double-wide purveyor of fine catfish. I never saw so many overalls or mullets in my life. And I've been to the mullet-toss at the Florabama. He replaced it with a Napa pump for the TBI 4.0, not the proper Mopar high pressure pump fore the MPI engine. So it failed again on the last leg of the trip in Cary NC. Luckily after two hours it cooled enough to make it to the coast. After taking it to a reputable Jeep dealer, they wouldn't replace the pump without going about their systematic process of first giving it a tune up, though I told them I just gave it a tune up myself last year. Frustrated, I said just do it. They gave it the tune up and it ran fine, as it would for 100 miles, then the underpowered pump would overheat and quit. I don't know why I believed the ASE certified professional mechanics over my own hunch that it was a bad pump, I drove away, only to have the pump fail again several days later on I-95, in a rain storm. After calling the dealership and thoroughly cursing out the stupid service writer who, if he would have listened to me in the first place would have just replaced the pump and fixed the problem, I limped to a dealer in Fredericksburg, VA, who took the next step, dropped the tank and replaced the pump/filter/float assembly. It's been running fine ever since.
It would have cost me $300 to do it myself in the comfort of my own garage. Instead it cost me $1500 first for the wrong pump, second for the tune up it didn't need, and third for the correct pump, plus labor. I was so furious I was ready to just leave it on the side of the road. The fuel pump, like the exhaust manifold, is bound to fail at some point in these vehicles. Though the manifold won't leave you stranded--unless you let it get really bad and choke on carbon monoxide at a stoplight.
-Chris

tsjay

TG:

What a horror story! Wow! That was one expensive repair for a bad fuel pump, huh?

You knew better, but in your situation you just didn't have options. This just shows how much money can be spent to fix a problem when the mechanics don't have a clue as to what they are doing.

It should make us appreciate good, honest, qualified mechanics (technicians) and make us not feel too bad about paying a fair price for repairs that are done right the first time.

Thanks for sharing that experience.

Tomster

Have you hugged your Jeep today?