This thread is about what got you hooked on the XJ, or jeeps in general.

For me it started back in high school. I was looking for a second vehicle (I hated my first) one of my dads friends from way back had several cars and trucks he didn't need and didn't run. So he gave me my first Cherokee, it was an 88'. I had it towed to my school and did a tune-up and replaced the fuel pump, apparently the new gas ate up the old rubber and clogged it, after i replaced that i drove it to a tire shop because the tires had moss growing on them. $600 dollars total and I had my first running XJ.
However, that's not what got me hooked, what got me hooked was after I got my second Cherokee a 90' (mom purchased it because the 88's trans went out and decided the 88' would be a good parts car). Eventually the headlights started blinking and I could not figure out why so off to the Internet I went, that's when I found this site with the info i needed and found out all about the potential hiding within the XJ, that's how I got hooked.

Who's next?

 

My stepdad started a wrangler club wen I was like 10, and that started my jeep obsession, but my love for xj came when we bought an xj for my mom to dd, and we ended up lifting it 4.5 and some 33's, it was the first vehicle I actually wheeled in the driver seat. I fell in love wth it, in fact that day. I was going to buy it from my parents. And the day before I gave them the money, some douchebag lit it on fire, yes they burnt my xj to the ground. And only liability so no insurance money It was red/black, my parents bought a stock 92, we had it for a week then itbroke down, I then found a stock 95(current/first vehicle) and that is the beast I have created today

 

dinos performance site did it for me. i was driving my junk vw jetta around and hated it and started looking into good reliable small truck/suv my searches brought me to my 95 2wd with a 3'' lift..now im on my second xj that im building!!! i just love the XJ!!! the last REAL SUV

 

Driving and fixing them at work. We have a fleet of them and they have proven to be the most reliable vehicles in the fleet.

 

I do some mud and snow (tahoe) now and then and have made a few OHV/SRV park runs....but mostly I like being able to go through, over or around things a regular car cant. Like this abandoned Army base.

 

I got hooked the first time I got the jeep stuck as everyone in the vehicle including me was surprised that it even made it that far.

 

When i bought it i just needed a 4x4. i was fine until i joined CF. It was all down hill from there.

went from this... To this....lol

 

Have always wanted to go trail riding and do alittle rock crawling , not hard core ( yet anyway ) anyway thinking about getting out in the woods and checking it out seemed like a great stress reliever . I went to Barnwell mtn off road park with a few buds and took my then stock xj thru some crazy chit . Since then I have been hooked !

 

Family friend was constantly working on and restoring old CJs when I was a kid. His son was my best friend so we were always helping him. We also worked on a farm right up the road from them sometimes that had plenty of extra muddy land along the James river here so we were wheeling on it since I was about 10. Been hooked ever since.

 

Well my mom all about 4'6" of her has had 7 xjs. Now liked wheelin but never took any of hers out. they all had between 5.5-6.5"s of lift with 33s except one. It had 31s with 4.5" lift. I bought an 89 sport from a friends dad threw some 32s with no lift and wheeled and rubbed all over the places. Bought a 98 Wrangler and found all the trails WA in my area had to offer. Little naches, tahuya, Evans creek, beaver pond, etc.. after 4 months my my 89,000mile Wrangler broke its turdy5, sold it and few years later needed a family hauler as my daughter was on her way. I missed wheeling and remembered how capable my 89 was so I did some research found CF and found 99xj was one of the best years and the hunt was on. Now im on here daily trying to learn the most I can about cherokees and enjoing others experiences with theres. Great another car addiction as if my mopar addiction wasn't enough. Thanks CF.

 

When I bought my 87, I just needed something to get me around in rain and cold (only had my motorcycle at the time). I didnt care what I got as long as it had a manual transmission, 4 wheel drive, and no independent suspension. A buddy of mine just happened to mention he had this Cherokee just sitting around that he hadnt been able to sell, and only wanted $500 for it. So I bought it, drove it home, did a little maintenance, and started driving it. What really got me hooked is when I took it wheeling the first time (ditched the sway bars before I ever really wheeled it), and realized how capable these things really are, even in stock form.

 

That's terrible! ahaha

 

Mine went from this





To this




Still waiting on funds for a lift, but there's a lot I've done that I can't show in a single picture...or in any pictures really.

 

I've been interested in Jeeps in general for many years. At first, I was looking at Wronglers. However, all of the older models I looked at were gear pokers and lacked the leg room I needed to operate the clutch properly, not to mention having leaf springs on all 4 corners made for a rather rough ride.

I had a couple of chances at newer models (coil springs) but, there was always something holding me back.
I never was a big fan of the Grand Cherokee body style so those never really sparked my interest.

Then I happened upon the XJ I have now. It wasn't in great shape but, had a brand new set of GY Wrangler TracLock's on it, is 4x4 and the price was doable.........plus my car was on it's last leg and I needed something quick.
I went to the sellers house, test drove the thing and despite the fact that the springs were sagging and the steering was scary loose, I was hooked and ended up taking it home with me that day.
When I brought her home, she looked like this.


A couple of months later after new springs, a 2" BB, all new tie rod ends and a new steering damper, she looked like this.


Still a lot of work to go but, I'm getting there.

 

I know. my doctor says I'm improving....

you'll get there. it took me almost 2 years before i got my lift, rims and tires. Its good that u are fixxing other things too. thats what i did.