What has happend to Jeeps and Jeep owners today ?

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Renodemona
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Location: Sparks, NV

Re: What has happend to Jeeps and Jeep owners today ?

Post by Renodemona »

Other than the FSJ facebook group for local peeps I go on some events with an overlander community group thing, lots of nice folks, lots of kids (which my kids like) on the events, and we do trail cleanups which our area definitely needs. Almost every other rig is less than 4 years old, either 4Runners, Tacomas, or JK/JL. There's some other 1 offs like Xterras or FJ Cruisers, but for the most park JKUs and Tacos. Everyone is super respectful as there is a wide range of skill levels and experience. I think that matters more than vehicle-specific groups. Some people are learning, some people are teaching, everyone is enjoying. My rig gets a lot of attention but most people have seen it enough that its not "wow, that old piece of junk didn't explode" more like "wow, you poor soul you have no A/C or sat nav or radio or power outlet how do you manage." lol People also ask if my Cherokee is comfortable. I usually point out that once they disconnect their sway bars, turn off traction control, disable stability control, and turn their ac off they can see for themselves. ;) But I've also been told "awesome Bronco" "sweet Scout" "great blazer" and "I didn't know ramchargers were orange" so...idk. I also don't have a $400 car payment for my rig. Which is nice. I wouldn't let a group of d-bags influence how you like your jeep.
"Wait, what's on fire!?" KJ7TCT
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1976 Cherokee w/t 'Susan' 401/TH400/QT(PT)
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2018 Cherokee Trailhawk V6 'Sedna'

2many
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Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2019 3:42 pm

Re: What has happend to Jeeps and Jeep owners today ?

Post by 2many »

Stuka wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 12:40 pm I think it depends a lot on where you live. In the area I live in there are tons of of Wranglers (I own one too), but VERY few that I would consider ricy. Most all are either stock, or tastefully modified for trails in this area. And most of the guys I know (myself included) hate the angry eye grills. But, I live in a mountainous area with trails all over the place. Even the Rubicon is 2 hours from my house.

And of course clubs these days will have way more TJ/JK/JL's than older Jeeps. Jeep sold 240K Wranglers last year. They have sold more Wranglers over the last two years than every year of every FSJ combined. Plus, our rigs are slowly dropping off the edge of the world unfortunately. While I think its awesome to see old iron on the trail, I am almost to the point to where I prefer to see them pampered so that they last for the next generation of collectors.

So its no surprise that most clubs have more recent Jeeps. And yeah, in urban areas, I would not be surprised to see a bunch of bro-truck style Wranglers. But that by no means all Wrangler owners are this way. I take mine out whenever I can, and had a blast this past Friday on a local trail that has some epic views. And while I would consider it as 'easy' for my JKU, very few new vehicles would make it. And the fact that in todays age of fuel economy and crash standards, Jeep can still make a vehicle like the Wrangler.
When a friend of mine is finished with working on the cosmetics of my '68 stake bed, it will reside in my garage except for local drives in nice weather. The only "work" it will do is carting yard waste to the town recycling location. It will never be on the road in the winter. Salt ya know. My friend is doing a lot of work for free because he wanted something to do. He doesn't know it but I will be giving him a wad of cash upon completion. He is 16 years younger than me and recently pointed out that he was born in 1968. I don't know if he will keep it, but my plan is to leave the truck to him in my will. Anyway, this vehicle will be "pampered".
'67 Gladiator.327.T18.D20 with a Ford bed
'68 Gladiator.232.T18.D20 stake bed
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miamitj
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Re: What has happend to Jeeps and Jeep owners today ?

Post by miamitj »

I drive both!

I have a lifted JK on 35s and a 76' Cherokee getting a prissy restoration that will get lifted as well. I wheel my JK like I did my TJ, XJ, YJ, ZJ, and even KJ before. I've done trails up and down the east coast including some stuff that should have killed me. My SJ is actually my 10th Jeep and the one I've been after for about a decade. Next on my list is a prissy XJ as it's one of my favorite Jeeps.

Anyway, the point of that is that until about 3 years ago, I was VERY active in the Jeep community and simply stopped because of the influx of young idiots in everything from XJs, TJs to JKs. At least where I'm from (Miami, FL), the feeling of being part of the Jeep community has been lost. It's sad.
Omi - Miami, Fl

1976 Cherokee S AMC 360
2015 JKU

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fulsizjeep
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Re: What has happend to Jeeps and Jeep owners today ?

Post by fulsizjeep »

Just shuddup and drive. ;)

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230ohc
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Location: Northern California

Re: What has happend to Jeeps and Jeep owners today ?

Post by 230ohc »

candymancan wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:03 am Either im too old school and pig headed and old minded being only 33.. Or people today have gone nuts.

Im in a group in northern VA its actually the biggest group in Nova for Jeep owners. Our caravan on the 4th of July was nearly 2 miles long.

I was the ONLY SJ there.. there was an older CJ5 in the group and a couple late 90s wranglers buf 95% of the 200 people were need for speed ricer Wranglers.

Yea i said it.. Jeeps today aka wranglers todsy are nothing but lifted ricers.. plastic mods ALL over... csrbon fiber hoods eith 4 or more vents for that monstrous v6 pentastar engine. Some of these hoods have a bump in the middle that makes it look like you have a supercharger in there. The neon colored halo LED lights. No one has normal colored headlights. Now they are all green or red headlights. The mean looking mustash on the grill to give it a grin.

The stickers all over the Jeep and badges saying my Jeep is badass because its trail rated. One guy jad like 8 badges for each trail he went on. Almost everyone has some stupid comment written on their windsheild now.

I dunno.. They look cool but they also look like complete crap. And when i go to these meetings with my wagoneer i feel like the kid sitting in the corner of the room facing the wall.. lol no one cares about a peice of history i own. No one wants to check it out.. Not that i care lol. But its something ive noticed. Had a ricer wrsngler owner tell me my FSJ isnt a real Jeep.. i looked at his lifted FIAT and im like ok buddy.

I dunno i decided to leave that group.. I dont care how large it is.. Its most 20-30 something millenials ( yes ima millenial) who only care about showing off their ricer mods.

I dunno. I wish Northern VA had s group for older Jeeps.. CJs. SJs even older wranglers. Zjs and XJs.

Bleh

Am i the only one who has noticed this trend

I dunno, I suspect it has a lot to do with the age of inviduals in the region you,r group is in. There's a lot of new jeeps out here in northern California, most of em here are commuter rigs mostly stock but there are some moded ones but they clearly wheel them. But I can't go anywhere in my wagoneer without someone giving a thumbs up or talking with me when I park. Not everyone mind you but there is interest and some sense of heritage that comes with it. But on facebook the neighborhood community group, people who don't know me or my jeep personally refer to it as the off white jeep. So they've seen it and know it's a jeep but don't know what it is.

Most of those wrangler folks are young, they know they have a jeep but probably don't know the history of jeep. Some even have willys stickers on there fiats. But a jeep is a jeep by any maker. But the history of who made what when is not as important as what history you make with your jeep now.

Get out there. Make history to be remembered, even if it's just you.
1964 willys wagoneer
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