I'm tired...

[swampedge]

I drive one almost everyday. They are very difficult and expensive to maintain. My current 68 Wagoneer sat in a shelter with no engine for years in Reno Nevada before I bought it 6 months or so ago. I've put a B350 back in along with axle bearings and an XJ gas tank all the brakes etc. No help all by myself. It does get tiring but stay focused and remember that it's a project. It's your drug of choice. Mine never leaves me stranded and am now installing my a/c so it's comfy. It's the nostalgia I think for me of a much younger time. Secretly I wish my childhood friends whom have passed and those still living would show up to help as they would on my old GTX and Coronet R/T. Bygone days of when life was indeed better. Building a memory while living in memories at the moment is one way of making it fun again. Works for me. All my old friends will be there again tonight helping me in historic based memory but I live in a warehouse and my Jeeps are parked in my living room so everyone has a comfy seat. Amen


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[Dr. Marneaus]

I dont rely on mine for anything other than frustration and a never ending drain on my bank account.

We have 5 running driving vehicles at the house, so, its not anything close to necessary for me to drive it.

[swampedge]

Yeah. It can sure get into the money. I drive mine to the beach after work and to the grocery store. Not often do I take it on trips. I kinda made it sound like I never had problems with them but everyone of them I've had did have some sort of leave you on the side of the road issue when I bought them. I have often thought of putting a good body on top of al new late model stuff like cu4wheeln did with that yellow Cherokee. That would be an upgrade for sure with good trip reliability filled with low if any strife once completed.


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[deckroid]

I bought my first older FSJ (1984 GW) this past October. Since then I have replaced (and some of this I knew going in that it had to be done):

Battery
Battery cables
Plastic strips to make the two rear windows go up and down
Window wipes on rear doors (why not, I was there anyway)
4 Shocks
Serehill's head light wiring installed
Removed the old plastic grille and put on a Gladiator Grille
Pie Pans
CJ7 head lights instead of square lights
Seat covers (cheapies from O'Riellys)
and the single most expensive thing.... I had a custom Jeep shop rebuild my carb only because it broke down RIGHT outside the shop. Expensive but dang nice guys who did replaced some vacuum hoses gratis after the carb job.

I still have a few other minor things but all in all it's in pretty decent shape. I use it for my daily driver, but I am doing like 15 miles a day tops. It's insured for 15k (agent told me if I paint it, it'd be for 28k) for $350 a year - full coverage. Yeah, 10 - 12 mpg is not great and with my sending unit out, I need to keep tabs of mileage... but I still love it. After 7 years of tweaking, Dr Marneaus, I would think that you either enjoy it or are looking for a new definition for the word Insanity.

It's mine. It's cheap on insurance. There aren't more than 20 in the neighboring counties.

[deckroid]

... sorry kids interrupted last night...

So, I get it. After 7 yrs of fixing, upgrading, downgrading, chasing gremlins and demons you have had it. I still say Don't Sell It. Put it away, go play with something else for a while. Buy a lil sports car and drive Route 66 for kicks. Spend a year in deep contemplation finding your place in the known universe. Join a barbershop quartet. Hang glide off the hills of Big Sur. Then when you need something to do one cold November night, go back and read your story. The one I am currently enjoying (I am up to 2016 now) and think back on all the times you had in that beat up, gas guzzling, good for nuttin Jeep and see if you aren't hit by the need to get back in it and drive.

[Dr. Marneaus]

We'll see.

I drove it this weekend and was kinda like ".....meh...."

I feel like I don't "get" anything out of driving it anymore. I feel like it looks like crap runs like crap rides like crap and sounds like crap.

It was funny, the first time I drove my little pickemuptruck on a dirt road to go shooting shortly after I acquired it, I was like "holy crap this is amazing!" because I could actually go more than 4mph and remain in my seat and not hear 75 things about to fall off, not to mention simply flipping a switch and having 4x4, as well as being able to go up a slightly compound incline without it trying to stall.

and thats all in a truck that was a stock 4x4, and kinda sucks off road.

I feel like it takes a lot of money, or a lot of skill, to keep these things going. And if you're short on money, but have the skill, its a lot of time and effort. I feel like i am lacking all 3 of those at this juncture.

P.S. I do have another thing that generally requires very little maintenance and cost, but it only gets about 250 miles a year. While I now consider it mine (all the maintenance repairs upgrades work etc are mine) its not actually "mine" so I dont do to much with it other than keep it running by taking it to town every so often, and suggest the occasional trip.

and on that note, it is in desperate need of a paint job and some very minor body work. oh joy, add it to the list.

[mgbreis]

I'm brand new to jeeps but have been into old cars a long time (my first car project was a '72 Nova Rally Sport around 1990), and I recognize the burnout that I see in your posts. All I can offer is that I realized a long time ago that I "enjoy" working on my stuff a lot more than I enjoy driving them. In point of fact, I would argue to that NO vehicle ever lives up to the "idea" of what owning that vehicle really is. Pretty much any vehicle I've had, old or new, becomes a pain in the ass not long after purchase. That's sad. But like I said, I'm comfortable with the fact that I enjoy my evenings in the garage working on my Jeep/Hillman/MG, forget driving them.

My only other comment is that your Wagoneer has to be worth more than the $6,000 you mentioned, doesn't it? It looks like a really good candidate for a Bring A Trailer auction. Do every thing you can to clean and detail it and I bet it would do better than that. If I had your truck I'd really have trouble selling it because clean pre-Grand Wagoneer trucks are impossible to find around here. It's seems like out west you could probably get another one in the future if you change your mind. Being new around here, I sure have enjoyed your posts and pics.

[REDONE]

I would argue to that NO vehicle ever lives up to the "idea" of what owning that vehicle really is.

That'd be a hard argument to argue against, if you were to argue it.

There have been two times that a car exceeded my expectations, and both were new(ish, as in current models). First was a 2002 Saturn SC-2. I bought it as a reliable commuter car, and fell in love with it when I found out it really was a sports car in econo-box clothes.

The second is our Cherokee Trailhawk. At every turn it surprises me with what it will do and how comfortably it does it. The only criticism I have is that the rear carpet doesn't let go of dog hair as well as older car carpet.

I know new cars aren't what you're talking about so it's not much of a counterpoint.

[Dr. Marneaus]

*insert my daily grumble grumble because I dont really have the energy to complain about my jeep today*

[swampedge]

LOL


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[letank]

and on that note, it is in desperate need of a paint job and some very minor body work. oh joy, add it to the list.

Paint looks fantastic, I'll trade you a running jeep for it.... just kidding.

[Dr. Marneaus]

[quote="Dr. Marneaus"
and on that note, it is in desperate need of a paint job and some very minor body work. oh joy, add it to the list.

Paint looks fantastic, I'll trade you a running jeep for it.... just kidding.[/quote]


Trust me it's bad. And has rust on the a pillars and under the drip rail on the drivers rear behind the rear side window. Not good.

[Kaiserman]

I guess I'm lucky.

I've put 26K miles on my 71 and have only broken down twice. Once when I first bought it the fuel filter plugged up (tank was rusty) and then when the clutch linkage popped apart. I've been up to Maine with it, to the east coast of MA and all over Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire.

Only real problem I've ever had with my 63 is a fuel pump die. It was a one year old Autozone pump. Did have to urn around and leave it at work once when the head gasket let go. PO put a civi head gasket into a military 230. Not the trucks fault.

I've done A LOT of upgrades, maintenance and rebuilding. But they have been VERY reliable for me.

Not much that can't be fixed on the side of the road with one of these, and it's much cheaper to repair than anything modern. I'll keep driving my FSJ's as long as I can.

[Stuka]

It was funny, the first time I drove my little pickemuptruck on a dirt road to go shooting shortly after I acquired it, I was like "holy crap this is amazing!" because I could actually go more than 4mph and remain in my seat and not hear 75 things about to fall off, not to mention simply flipping a switch and having 4x4, as well as being able to go up a slightly compound incline without it trying to stall.

This is the reason I have not had my J10 offroad in years. My JK rides amazingly smooth over some pretty rough terrain. And I feel I am not tired after wards. But it sure does not get the attention the truck does. Every time I drive I have somebody comment on it. About to take the J10 to lowes, so will see if this holds true again

[Dr. Marneaus]

I guess I'm lucky.

I've put 26K miles on my 71 and have only broken down twice. Once when I first bought it the fuel filter plugged up (tank was rusty) and then when the clutch linkage popped apart. I've been up to Maine with it, to the east coast of MA and all over Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire.
.

i've put about as many miles on mine as well and it has always gotten me to/from where i have asked it to. Sometimes it has needed some extra coercion but its never left me anywhere and never had to be towed or anything like that.


Still doesnt change that its a junky old thing.

[Kaiserman]

Still doesnt change that its a junky old thing.

But it's a junky old thing made up of quality components that where made in the USA. You can't buy a new SUV and tell me it will last as long as your Wagoneer has. Even with plenty of TLC.

[tedlovesjeeps71]

Dr M... this last week I have felt your pain!


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[REDONE]

Any evolutions to your existential conundrum?

[letank]

In the end, it is about the challenges that we accept, time, money, reliability and parts availability which will be the end point regardless of the brand of vehicle, even a 90ish vehicle in the garage can be a yard ornament when a part is unobtainum such has the door handle inside mechanism, OEM defect, all the JY cars have the same breakage, a little parts fabrication and all is back to normal...

[Dr. Marneaus]

Any evolutions to your existential conundrum?

Me? No.

I spent the weekend in San Francisco, then had to drive back over the passes in a goddang blizzard so it took about 4 extra hours. I'm still recovering from that and haven't even thought about the jeep.