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Jeep Wrangler

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    keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    John, that's funny. No, the ex wasn't a Jeeper. I was into Mustangs back then. How was the fishing today?
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    sapphirestormsapphirestorm Member Posts: 2
    Hi there,
    New to the forum, just bought my 97 TJ a couple weeks ago but sadly it only came with a hard top! Soooooo I'm desperately wanting to take advantage of the summer weather, but it's kinda hard with a hard top, and there's one more slight problem.....I don't exactly have money growing out of my ears, and I haven't been able to find a soft top for less than $700 (Canadian).....so....I've just started considering the bikini/windjammer/duster combination as it would save me a good $300. However! I'd like to know a bit more on how weatherproof they are (ie. sitting/driving through a rainstorm) and roughly how long it'd take to put them on & take them off according to the weather......so any help would be GREATLY appreciated as I've been trying to find it on the manufacturer's websites but "protects the Jeep from the elements" doesn't paint the clearest picture. lol.

    Jenn :)
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    jeff62301jeff62301 Member Posts: 310
    I'm a big fan of EBAY,, i think its plenty safe if you buy from someone that has good feedback scores,, you should be able to find one there much less than $700.

    another place is ( I won't name sites, forum rules) other jeep forums that have for sale sections. I don't know that I'd necessarily trust these as much as EBAY, there aren't any safeguards in place.

    jeff

    or if you dedide to go with a bikini,, i guess you will be prepared for a little rain. ( were you talking about a bikini for you or one for the jeep?) ;)
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    koolbreeze2koolbreeze2 Member Posts: 252
    Excellent fishing-thanks. One 22" Northern Pike and 7 Striped Bass. Took the Jeep with my new bike rack . I have a Trek Hybred bike and can park the Jeep, take off on the bike and get into hard to access places. Nice rack. Fits on the spare and can handle 3 bikes. Also looks very good on the Jeep. John
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    99tj99tj Member Posts: 187
    Jenn,

    I bought a used soft top on EBAY from a semi-local seller. I was willing to drive a few hours and pick it up, to save on shipping. The way gas prices are now, that's a pretty fine line. Anyway, I paid around $400 for the top and all the hardware. I think I got a pretty good deal. The top was in real good condition. The rear window was a little scratched, but that was to be expected.

    I can't comment on the other tops (bikini/windjammer/duster) I don't own any of those. Seems to me though, that most people have those as accessories rather than their main top in the warm months. I like being able to close up the top completely and REALLY keep the elements out.

    -Dan
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    chong1chong1 Member Posts: 2
    well for those that replied, thanks a lot! i think i'm just going to get a used Wrangler Sport, but definitely w/ manual transmission.

    and about the ipod thing. i dont' like making playlists and i know that they don't let you scroll through your ipod, but only playlists. i like the whole "shuffle songs" idea.

    another question though. let's say i'm headed to vegas, and on the road, there is a big accident. am i allowed to go offroad onto the side, and drive all the way passed the accident?
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    drperez007drperez007 Member Posts: 30
    Hey, Dave, thanks! I'll check out both Edgewater and Defense Highway. My Jeep has a grand total of 78 miles on it, so it hasn't quite gotten to the "off road" part yet. I'm hoping to put a few more miles on it in the next couple of weeks, but will have to do so between business travel.

    By the way, I went by Adams Jeep today and noticed new Jeeps in Solar Yellow. A salesman advised me that Chrysler brought back the Solar Yellow (and may have dumped that Burnt Orange) for the remainder of the 2005 production run. Interesting, maybe they do listen to their customers!

    Have a great day!

    Steve
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    chris_doingchris_doing Member Posts: 9
    Well after a quick trip to the local dealer I got the factory build specs and do indeed have the AAS package with Canyon wheels (being an '01), gas shocks, 30" tires, and the Dana 44 with 3.73 gears. I won't say what I paid for this beauty but it was well under half of what the '05 Rubi that I really wanted would have run, making it accessible RIGHT NOW! Haha,

    image

    Sorry, I'm such the proud papa.

    I do have one issue that I could use help with though, the fog lights are factory but there is not a switch to illuminate them in the place where my dad's '00 has a switch. They don't come on with either of the headlight settings...I'm no electrical genius and will take it in to a mech friend to have them wired into the headlight high beam I am thinking, just wondering if anyone has thoughts on how these things are supposed to turn on?

    Chris
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    dave__dave__ Member Posts: 80
    That's a great looking Jeep! And it sounds like you got a great deal which is just icing on the cake!

    I have an '04 X with factory fog lights and they turn on by turning the tip of the little bar that I twist to turn on the headlights (how's that for a technical description ;) ) Don't know if the '01 works the same way but I will admit it took me a little while to figure it out.

    Yours in Jeep Coolness,

    Dave
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    myboybluemyboyblue Member Posts: 56
    just wondering if anyone has thoughts on how these things are supposed to turn on?

    On my 05, the head lamps have the switch on the left on the steering wheel. Now you can turn on your parking lights or head lamp, then you should be able to pull out (towards the door) and your fog lights should come on.

    congrats on the jeep, love the color. I have the patriot blue.
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    myboybluemyboyblue Member Posts: 56
    let's say i'm headed to vegas, and on the road, there is a big accident. am i allowed to go offroad onto the side, and drive all the way passed the accident?

    sure, just dont get stop by the popo
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    chris_doingchris_doing Member Posts: 9
    Sweet, Thanks guys. I'm not sure I would have ever figured that out. It didn't come with a manual unfortunately.
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    erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Windjammer, bikini, duster - The bikini (and safari) top will let water in around the door surrounds in the area where it curves downward. If you do not have door surrounds, you have to wrap the bikini top around the sport bar, and even more water will get in.

    I have a safari/duster combo (no windjammer - I hate that closed in feeling) and even when raining, it keeps me fairly dry when I'm moving. Some misty water will get in, but nothing major. When I stop, well, I get wetter. :) Water can pool on the duster a bit but I try to lift it up a bit from my seat and have it run out the back or sides.

    I recently got an additional soft top with mounting hardware, door surrounds, and a window bag for $250.00. :) Somebody sold their Jeep and sold this separately. So now I have spares. :)

    Second the notion of eBay for finding soft tops. You can find bikini/jammer/duster combos too. Bestop has what they call the Halftop with is a version of those and it seems to be a bit better sealed.

    Fog lamps - 2 locations to check. Tip of your turn signal stalk. If you rotate the end to turn on parking and head lamps, try pulling it out to do your fogs. If your headlamps work with a knob on the dash, check your center console area, under the climate controls.

    If neither of those places have a switch, you may want to trace back the wiring from the fog lamps. It is possible that the switch was removed or broken and you may need to install a new one. Switches can be had from the dealer for around 30.00 (with the light indicator and all). Even if they were factory fogs though, they may have been installed aftermarket. So just look around the dash (or under) for any switches that check em out.

    Driving off road along I-15. I personally wouldn't recommend it, but I-15 traffic to/from Vegas can really stink. Some sections have outer roads that you could probably cut over to, but getting back on would be questionable if you were wanting to use an on-ramp. Better idea... leave for Vegas earlier and come back a bit earlier.

    I'd leave from Edwards AFB around lunch time and get out ahead of the LA traffic going to Vegas. I'd leave for home around that same time. If you leave after about 2 or 3:00, you WILL be stuck in traffic. If you go through the 4 corners junction on 58, it can REALLY back up. 4 hours to go 7 miles on President's Day weekend a few years ago.

    -Paul
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    mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    About that Vegas trip (having been in that situation several times) - if you can't get off on an exit and take a legal road then the answer is no, you can't drive alongside the freeway in the dirt. I wouldn't want to anyway - too much trash and so on, things that could possibly puncture tires etc. are along there.

    If you look back a bit, I was stuck on the I-15 a couple of weeks ago and bemoaning the fact that I couldn't get to the next exit (Basin Road). If I had, I would have driven through Afton Canyon - a lovely slot canyon carved by the Mojave River. The river is underground now and you can drive through the riverbed (very sandy). If your back-up is on Hwy 58 between Barstow and Kramers Corners (hwy 395) there are a couple of dirt road options. And if you want to avoid the I-15 between Victorville and Barstow - there's an easy dirt road that goes between them through Stoddard Wells (I think that's what it's called - I'm at work and it's been a few years since I was in that area) OHV area. Not only could you avoid I-15, you could explore some real off-roading trails at the same time.
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    tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Chris:

    Nice Jeep!

    You may someday be very glad that you have that Dana 44 and 3.73 gearing.

    If you would like to get yourself an owners manual, go here...

    http://www.techauthority.com

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
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    sapphirestormsapphirestorm Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for all the input! :)

    Now there IS this one top on eBay right now that's sitting at about $100 Canadian, and only one person has bidded on it. And another top that I was watching right now is already past the $375 Canadian mark, with still 4 days left to go in the sale. I sent the seller of the $100 top a question asking if it was indeed the full top and he said yes it is, so I'm still baffled as to why it's only at $100.....do any of you guys wanna take a look?? :confuse:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7981592271&rd=1&sspagename=S- TRK%3AMEWA%3AIT
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Seems like a reasonable deal, though I'd check on how much over the $100 he wants for shipping to Canada.

    Don't rely on getting it for the current price though. The current bidder may have a higher price that he's willing to pay, and there may other bidders out there waiting until the last minute to put in a bid.

    Finally, two negative feedbacks in a total twenty six doesn't exactly give one a warm and fuzzy feeling.
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    jeff62301jeff62301 Member Posts: 310
    I'm at the office, even though its the lunch hour big brother still frowns on us ever visiting EBAY. reading Mac's comment on 2 bad comments out of 26,, I'd avoid that seller. ( my one negative comment came when I sold my niece's beanie babies, one had a tag that was bent , I'm sorry, I just dont' see the purpose of collecting beanies)

    EBAY tip,,

    you can sort based on distance to the seller, you can save some money if its something you can pick up yourself rather than having shipped, it will also be a chance to visit a fellow jeeper,, you may even get an offer of help to put the top on.
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    embeedueceembeeduece Member Posts: 260
    You can always go into the feedback and read the actual complaints. Sometimes there are rebuttals, etc.

    I'm always partial to the sellers with relatively few feedback entries. Indicates they're just somebody with some stuff to sell. As opposed to someone with 10,000 entries who is likely a store or "pro" looking to sell anything and everything to make a profit. (i.e. a person with a couple extra tickets to a game, as opposed to a scalper). Not an exact science; just my preference.

    -Mike
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    99tj99tj Member Posts: 187
    Maybe I overlooked it, but it appears this top does not come with any of the windows. Ask the seller, to be sure. If it doesn't, you'll need 2 rear side windows and the rear window. Used versions of these might be a little tougher to hunt down separately.

    -Dan
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    erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Does anybody know where I can find decent prices on the military M416 trailers? I've found one for 1000.00, but that is more than the wife would let me spend for a trailer.

    The trailer I'm looking for looks like this:

    image

    That is, I think, a restored version. :)

    Here is that same trailer on a Wranger...

    image

    -Paul
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think those trailers come from the same place that advertises the Army Surplus Jeep in a Crate for $50 in the back of all the comic books. Like this.

    Try a wanted ad in a craigslist.org near your town. Or eBay I suppose. And there's a surplusjeep.com site on the net and likely several others that I didn't find with a quick search.

    Steve, Host
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    erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    hehehe that Jeep in a crate looks like fun. :)

    I've found a few resources on the net for them, but most want over 1,000.00.

    I'm trying to find one to satisfy me w/o totally alienating the wife. I don't want to have to sleep in the trailer. :)

    -Paul
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    utahjeeputahjeep Member Posts: 24
    That looks great. I'd love to get one of those.

    How much weight will a Wrangler (97-04) tow reliably? What length of trailer?
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I've always wondered what the advantage was to those pintle hooks on Army trailers; I'm guessing it's for steep departure/approach angles?

    hmmm, guess they are really mean for heavy loads (link).

    Steve, Host
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    erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Those kinds of connections give you more articulation in that joint between trailer and Jeep for when offroading. The ball hitch is limited by the 'cup' that goes over the ball.

    The pintle goes into a hook, kinda like a spring d-shackle on serious steriods. With the pintle, you could literally have the trailer 90 degrees above or below you or to the side and still have it attached and in control.

    -Paul
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    How about an M100?

    image
    eBay link

    or a Bantam BT3-C? (currently selling @ $500)

    image
    eBay link

    Just keep an eye on eBay, there's bunch of assorted military trailers up at the moment.
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    jeepster8jeepster8 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks to the Hosts for directing me here. I'm new to this board. It was recommended to me. I'm having a problem w/my Wrangler and thought I'd try to find out if anyone has experienced the same thing.

    Here's the issue. My 2002 Wrangler engine light is on. My mechanic determined the EVAP codes and suggested taking it to a dealer for service. The service called today and told me I had a leak in the seal around the top of the gas tank, it would have to be dropped and resealed, and the retention pump was leaking - that had to be replaced and carbon had built up so I'd have to have fuel injection cleaned, etc. All of which is not under warranty, all of which is due to normal "wear and tear" and "maintenance" - upwards of $1000 in repairs.

    I was pretty annoyed - the car is three years old. My '90 Jeep - now 15 years old, has never had a problem of this nature. I called Chrysler, they said, after an hour conversation - there was nothing they could do. It's maintenance.

    I plan to write to Chrysler and anyone else I can think of. Anyone else experience this? Advice welcome.

    Jeepster8
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    tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Jeepster:

    Welcome. Sorry you came here under the circumstances that brought you, but you are welcome none the less.

    We're gonna need good old Mac here, but I'll toss out my two cents worth. If Mac contradicts anything I say, go with what he says. He is our technical guru.

    I'm not sure how the dealer determined exactly where you leak is, but it sounds to me like they just picked the most expensive repairs they could think of.

    This could be as simple as a crack in a vacuum hose, or a vacuum hose that has partially slipped off the nipple on one of the rollover valves on top of the tank. How they can tie this problem in with fuel injectors needing cleaning is a mystery to me, but maybe Mac will make the connection for us.

    Since this is not warranty work anyway, I would let that local mechanic drop your tank and see if he can find the leak. No way should he charge you anything close to $1000 like the dealer wants.

    Let's see what Mac has to say.

    Keep us posted, and good luck.

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
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    mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    There are fires burning all around Vegas and the smoke is all blowing into the valley. Brings back memories of the brush fires that happen most years in SoCal - not Vegas! I'm here with my Noble Black Steed - a '98 Sport and am not thinking too kindly about him at the moment - the air conditioning isn't working again! Last summer we replaced the air compressor and it seemed to work in the fall, but it sure isn't working now. I'm regretting my act of kindness (letting my husband use the Unlimited this weekend) because the Sport is a hard top and I don't even have the option of putting the top down or even taking out the windows. And to add insult to injury - my window roll bag arrived Thursday and I can't even try it out this weekend! 103 degrees and no good way to cool off - URRR!
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    moharamohara Member Posts: 16
    I've had the top off for several days in a row now (rare in NY) and thought i was being smart enough to not leave anything of value in the jeep as it sat open. but i got in yesterday afternoon to find my inspection sticker gone! i dont think it came off while driving as it was on there tight, not even a loose corner or anything, and now it is gone completely with no trace. i can only guess that someone who needed to get their vehicle inspected thought it would be easier to take my sticker?? i have to admit, i never considered that i should remove all my stickers when i park. what was i thinking?
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    mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    An interesting situation - guess it pays to live in a state without inspections. Probably the person had a car that they knew wouldn't pass the New York inspection, and your topless Wrangler was just sitting there, so handy! Isn't there some way to report the theft and get another one?

    Texas had inspection stickers on the windshield - I remember having to replace my windshield a couple of days before we were moving out of state. I kept the receipt for it in my glovebox, and hoped it would cover me if I got stopped. I really didn't want to have to get the car re-inspected when I was leaving so soon!
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Do remember that the primary function of a dealership is to make money. If you always keep that in mind when you interact with them in any way, you'll find it less upsetting and take it less personally when they try to make some from you.

    So, while it could be the fuel pump to tank seal that the retaining ring clamps down, it could also be a cracked hose or something similar, even a loose gas cap.

    There's no relationship between the evap codes and the correct function of the injectors. You would have noticed definite reduction in engine performance and mpg if the injectors were performing so badly that they needed cleaning.

    The only exception to the above might be if you had an exceptionally high mileage on your Wrangler.
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    keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    Jeepster, did you try just disconnecting the battery for a few minutes to clear the code? Sometimes a loose gas cap causes the code, but then the code doesn't clear. This happened recently with out Grand Cherokee. Code stayed on for a week. Finally before taking it to the dealer, I disconnected the battery for about ten minutes, reconnected and the light didn't come back on. Worth a try...I can't imagine you'd be having those sorts of problems with a 3 or 4 year old Wrangler...
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    jeepinjustinjeepinjustin Member Posts: 1
    I have a 94 jeep wrangler sahara and i have made a few modifacations such as 2 in lift 31 tires a cold air intake and i want to put a exhaust on it to make it sound a little better and i was wondering if anyone could help me decide what kind of exhaust to go with
    thanks
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    buckminster3buckminster3 Member Posts: 16
    Well, it's time to get the hoist. Sometimes I want to take the top off by myself, and the hoist seems to be the way to go. I've seen the name IMC (sorry if that's wrong) mentioned. Quadratec seems to carry a version as well. Does anyone have a recommendation? It would have to handle the LJ size hard top...

    Thanks
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    embeedueceembeeduece Member Posts: 260
    I've had my California registration sticker taken off my licence plate (not on the jeep, btw). While I was parked, I got TWO tickets and no sympathy from the local constabulatory. Ridiculous.

    -Mike
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    jeepinfooljeepinfool Member Posts: 3
    Hi I currently have a '98 Grand Cherokee, but I am trying to get a Wrangler for my senior year of high school so I can have a reliable car to go to college with. My Grand Cherokee has been a GREAT vehicle don't get me wrong, but I have ALWAYS wanted the Wrangler and my Grand Cherokee has a lot of miles.

    I have been shoppin on and off-line for months trying to find a good deal on a used Wrangler. To make a long story short, I have found a '99 Wrangler Sport for $13,900 and a '03 Wrangler X for $18,900. The '99 has around 66,000 miles and the '03 has 17,348 miles. There of course is a good deal of money between them considerin the years difference in age. My only problem is I can't seem to find much difference in the Sport model and the X model so I can't tell which I should go for. If anybody could happen to give me some advice on this it would be greatly appreciated. I'm not lookin for a Wrangler to four wheel with by the way, just a primary car to last me throughout college. The '03 Wrangler X is a little out of mine and my mom's price range but if its a super good deal then that could be a possibilty.
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    tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Jeepinfool:

    Welcome to the board.

    It is extremely tough to appraise a used vehicle sight unseen and without even knowing what options it has. At face value, either of those vehicles you mentioned seems overpriced by a couple thousand bucks.

    Use the Edmunds used car appraiser, and put in the options that each vehicle has. See how those deals compare.

    Good luck.

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
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    tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Some people are probably going to fall out of their chairs when they read this. Is the Tomster actually trying to talk soemone OUT of buying a Wrangler???

    I just want to be sure you have considered some aspects of owning a Wrangler while attending college.

    Not sure if you are going to be living at home or going away to school, but with a Wrangler you are going to have precious little room to haul any belongings from home to school or vice versa.

    If you get a soft top, you will have no security for anything left in the Jeep. Don't know where you will be going to school, but I don't know of ANY school where this would not be a concern.

    If you get a hard top, but want to go topless, where can you store your hard top, and then, what about the security issue for possesions left in the Jeep as I mentioned about the soft top?

    Gas mileage. Most college students are on very limited budgets, and with gas the price that it is, can you afford a Wrangler for a daily driver? I know you have a Grand right now, so the mileage wouldn't be a whole lot worse, but, if you are going to trade vehicles, shouldn't you consider getting one with much better gas mileage?

    If the above concerns are not a problem, then good luck in getting your Wrangler. Hope you get a good one at a great price! Good luck with whatever you end up with.

    Keep us posted.

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Think of the 'X' as a bare bones Sport. The biggest difference is that the Sport can be optioned with the heavier duty D44 rear axle, though most aren't.

    Go here Wrangler Comparisons and click on 'Compare Models' to see the differences between them all.

    As Tom said, do the research, both online and in your local area, as prices vary as you move around the country.
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    chris_doingchris_doing Member Posts: 9
    I don't know what market you're in but I just picked up an '01 sport with dual tops and 30 inch canyons, D44 and AC for less than $15K in Chicagoland. IMHO the important points are how does that particular vehicle look (inside and out, look over the undercarriage for leaks/seeps), and which options are important to you (hard/soft top, cd, ac, etc) and find the best deal that you can on the jeep that meets your needs. If, after heeding the Tomster's advice, you determine that a wrangler will indeed meet your need.

    They are fun little rigs whether you're offroading or not though, I used to have a YJ with the 2.5l and only the soft top. It was plenty peppy for running around town and much better on gas than my current 4.0, although security was useless if it didn't fit in the console it had to be carried in each night. You can find the 2.5s for much less on average as well. Something to think about.

    Chris
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    krispykeithkrispykeith Member Posts: 19
    It looks like I may finally be joining the Wrangler family after 16 years of wanting one. In the past I either couldnt afford one, the wife veto'd it, or we had child seats I didnt want to mess with. At long last I have the green light, the kids are out of child seats, and we have a minivan for primary transportation. Even though I am going to be murdered on an upside down trade, I am going for it.

    Anyway, I am trying to decide between a couple available options while the rebates are in effect. Here is the thing I am struggling with. The one I can more comfortably afford is in the "X" package. This would cause me to give up disc brakes, upgraded gas shocks, ravine wheels, the Dana44, the fog lights, the Trak Lok, and the compass/thermometer. The upside is it is 2000 cheaper, and it is in my preferred color of Solar Yellow (comes with the ecco wheels).

    The one that stretches my budget a little past the comfort zone is a Sport that gets me the above features, but is in my second choice color of black.

    I know that I could shop longer distances, but I have done that in the past and I really enjoy the comfort of dealing with a local dealer. It has proven to be a headache in the past when I purchased in other states and had problems.

    My question for the good folks of the board is how much value do I put on the extras listed above. I will not be offroading for fun, although there will be occassional drives on washed out forest service roads and some off the path jaunts. I guess this makes the Dana44 not so essential, although all I read is "get the dana 44 or regret it later". How much value is there in the rest of the package? Again, I am balancing it against 2000 dollars and the love of that solar yellow color. Both the sport and the x are 3.73 gearing.

    I plan to keep this jeep until it dies. The only upgrades I can foresee are 31" MTR tires. Not planning on a lift, at least until it is out of warranty and doubtful even then. My primary purpose of the Wrangler is an unexplained love of the vehicle, the desire to be as out in the open air elements all the time (i hate roofs!), the joy of the wrangler driving experience and the bare-bones simplicity that comes with older technology, the ability to be able to get to some off the path places when necessary, and did I mention I have just been obsessed with these vehicles for 16 years?

    Any thoughts are appreciated! Either way, I am crossing my fingers I can finally join the group after being close several times in the past but not being able to make it happen.

    Thanks,

    Keith
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    mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    There is no absolute right answer to your question - it all depends. Personally I won't do without the fog lights, but you can always add them to an X later on. So that wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. I like the mirror with temp and compass, and I miss it when I don't have it, but again, I wouldn't use that as a deal-breaker. And the Dana 44 is only really necessary for hard-core off-roading stuff - it isn't that important for forest service roads and easy/moderate off-roading. It's nice to have even for that type of thing but isn't as necessary. If you are going to be adding lockers at some time then it is highly recommended - lockers add quite a bit of force and you need the extra strength.

    Just my opinion, but it doesn't sound like you really need to put the extra money into the Sport. And you really want the Solar Yellow. So get the X and have a great time with it.
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    tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Keith:

    Color would be VERY important to me. If your "dream Jeep" has been solar yellow ever since you first saw one in that color, then that's what you ought to get.

    The Dana 44 would be a super good option, and if you could get it as an option on the X, I would be telling you to by all means get it. It's just something that you MIGHT need sometime, and it would never be cheaper to get than to get it to start with.

    The majority of the Jeeps I wheel with every weekend run Dana 35's. As long as a person uses some common sense, that 35 will probably hold up to some fairly tough obstacles. You just don't want to go with huge tires and a full locker for sure. You don't want to get too crazy with the skinny pedal either. Spinning and grabbing is what very often snaps the axle shafts in the 35s.

    If you get into SERIOUS wheelin' down the road, well, then you can consider upgrading your axle. Of course it won't be as cheap as getting one to start with, but it CAN be done.

    That 3.73 gearing is GOOD. Glad to hear the Jeep has 3.73's.

    Get that yellow Jeep, Keith, and make your dream come true!

    Yeeeeeeeeeeehawwwwww!!!!!!!!!

    Keep us posted!

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    ".......I will not be offroading for fun, although there will be occassional drives on washed out forest service roads and some off the path jaunts. I guess this makes the Dana44 not so essential, although all I read is "get the dana 44 or regret it later"........................................................................I plan to keep this jeep until it dies. The only upgrades I can foresee are 31" MTR tires. Not planning on a lift, at least until it is out of warranty and doubtful even then................"

    If the above is correct then the standard D35 will be absolutely fine. :shades:
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    mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    "Does anybody know where I can find decent prices on the military M416 trailers? I've found one for 1000.00, but that is more than the wife would let me spend for a trailer."

    Here you go, a nice 1966 M416 still in camo:

    image

    eBay link

    Still two days to go and no bids.
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    krispykeithkrispykeith Member Posts: 19
    Thanks, appreciate the feedback. I frequent several jeep boards but always enjoy the edmunds one because it has always seemed a little more level-headed.

    The ravine wheels are nicer than the ecco, but not by a huge margin in my opinion. I do really like 4 disc brakes, but again...2 grand.

    One other question. The dealer was really trying to steer me away from the yellow. They claimed they could sell that on color alone so they didnt want to deal on it as much as they would a black X. The even went so far as to claim that yellow was discontinued for a while because Jeep is having trouble with the yellow paint and there have been continual issues with the yellow flaking. I have never heard this before regarding solar yellow and I used to spend alot of time on Xterra boards as well. Has anyone else heard any rumblings from anyone that Yellow was any more problematic than any other color?
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    tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    I have never heard anything about problems with the yellow paint quality.

    Try to make those people express their prices in relation to invoice! Of course, the mark-up is more on a Sport, so they would have more room to back off a little, but that's the beauty of having deals quoted in relation to invoice. They should be willing to offerr either vehicle for the same $$$ above (or below) invoice.

    You will have no trade-in, right? This REALLY makes the deal simple. Call around and ask the various dealers how close to invoice they will come on a new Wrangler. Make them show you the invoice before signing anything. Also, get the "out the door" price, after agreeing to an amount above or below invoice to be sure a particular dealer isn't throwing in some outrageous "document fee."

    Good Luck! Keep us posted.

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
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    mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    Jeep did discontinue the yellow for a while this year but brought it back when so many asked for it back. I've not heard anything about problems with the paint, though. They probably are trying to get you to buy the Sport - it is a more expensive vehicle. I'm not sure where you are, but here in L.A. black is the most popular color. Dealers would be more likely to try to get you to buy the yellow one. I talked to 2 dealers when I bought my electric lime green Unlimited and both tried to talk me out of it (both would have had to trade for it, there was only 1 configured how I wanted in SoCal). The one that I bought it from was about $1000 less - and that was for the exact same vehicle!

    Now if the dealer would offer the Sport for the same price as the X, then I'd go for that. Otherwise, get the X!
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