Hey all. Just found the forum & want to thank you all for the great tech advise. My '97 ZJ Laredo 4WD I6 now has 160+K on it, and it's beginning to get to 'that stage'. I bought it w/40K nearly ten years ago, and it has been by far the finest vehicle that I have ever owned.. even stock it has done things for me that I never thought possible (such as towing a 2000lb trailer over mountain passes in NorCal in white-out conditions & barely making it through before they closed the pass!). With the exception of the continual electrical gremlins, it just won't quit.

After the past few years worth of repairs, I'm forced to ask myself the question.. keep it or pass it on? It's been an average of $2K of repairs a year for the past three or four years, and my last trip to the shop revealed that it will be needing a tranny soon ($2500 estimated), rear main seal (Should I replace other bit while he's in there? Oil pump? I just found out about the 2-piece internal seal thing.. WTF?) ($400 estimated) and I know it's going to need exhaust soon, as well as shocks. But the body is in great shape for its age, interior is good, and when I get my oil changed every 3K, the mechanic can't believe the engine is the age it is since the oil is still so clean looking.

I've already recently done the radiator, waterpump, ECM, coil, crank sensor, oxy sensors, alternator, and a few dozen misc. little bits.

So the soul searching quest has brought me here. If I'm going to keep going, I'd like to begin the process of building a more beastly rig, a bit at a time, as things wear out & die. I'd like to be able to feel a little more confident on the trails that are available outside of Sin City.

Part of me says that I can keep it going forever.. that this rig can't be killed, only wounded. Part of me says screw it & buy one that's already been built, which would cost less, but then there's the unknown history factor, whereas I KNOW how mine has been treated for the last 3/4 of its life; and that is pretty well. I rarely ever rev it over 3K, am a 'grandma' driver offroad, etc...

Then there's the emotional attachemnt.. why the @#$ does this happen with Jeeps?

I'll save the tech questions about the build (If I decide to go there) for the GC tech forum. But the upshot is; what do you think, long time Jeepers? Keep it or start fresh?

Thanks in advance, crew! Hope to see some of you on the trail.

 

 

Welcome, from Wisconsin. I say keep it, You all ready know it's history. And your right, Then there's the emotional attachment.. I inherited mine, from my mother in 2008. She had it about 12 yrs. before me. So I'm quit familiar with it, and it's history. I don't ever plan on letting it go. Besides I just hit, 67k on it. It's become the family utility vehicle, So to speak, In-climate weather, dog hauler, etc. JMO!

 

Welcomedrom alabama. I would keep it. You can't sell the jeep. Lol. Like others will say, you know its history and everything so just hold on to it.