Why did you choose an XJ/MJ?

What the heck, I'll play too:

Got my '92 back in december of 1997, brough it home on 12/23 of that year. I was driving an 84 Omni at the time, and the carbeurator went south one night coming home. Two nights later, I saw an ad for a 1992 Cherokee with 73,800 miles for sale at a nearby dealer at a decent price.

I went down that evening with my father, and when we got there, I told the salesman what I wanted to see. We spent the next 30 minutes wandering the lots looking for thing, and me getting worried that someone beat me to it. After checking every part of all the lots, and every bay of every building (3-brand complex), the salesman finally found it hidden in a back bay off of a main service bay, having the park-shift interlock recall done.

We looked it over, looked totally cherry - body straight, paint glossy, tires decent. Positively beautiful. Told the salesman we'd be back the next day to take a spin.

The test drive went well, except for lighting up the back wheels pulling out onto the road (at the time, I was not used to that much power or rear wheel drive), which intimidated me a little, but I was sold. Slept on it that night, and bought it the next day. Couple days later (after they detailed it for me), I brought it home.

That was 5.5 years and over 128,000 miles ago, and it's still as solid and strong as ever. I don't DD it any more, but I could if I had to.

Rob
 
my first means of motorized transportaion, while still in highschool was an 86 Jeep Cherokee............. drumroll please...... V6 2.8. I bought it after being convinced by everyone that the V6 isn't that much different for an I6 (yeah right people!). So so many thousands miles later when it threw a rod, I got a NEW engine (there was a stock of new motors that never got installed) and I had it installed by a shop that was recommended to me by the place that sold me the motor. Well, that was a nightmare in itself. I still have a judgement outstanding against that business, unfortunatelly the guy folded everything and ran (I wasn't the only one he owed money to).

Anyways, in 98... when I wasn't really looking hard I got an offer to buy any vehicle I want at a very good price. I said that I'm looking for a jeep, new and I was directed to a dealership which told me they would charge me their cost + $50 + cost of gas in the tank. Well, let's say that it got my curiousity going and I paid them a visit. When upon asking for a 4dr (didn't know that 2dr are better yet :( ) white with manual transmission, 4x4, power windows, power doors, working AC (my 86 had an AC out of hell) my jaw dropped when the guy told me they have one in the back (I looked in at the dealerships on couple occassions and every time I asked for that combo I got looked at like I'm crazy)... anyways, I didn't even test drive it. All I said is: wash it if it's dirty and give me the paperwork :D

Kejtar
 
I bought my 88XJ in September 1987.

I was asking everyone for car advice, as the company car plan was changing to POV's and I wanted a 4x4 to replace the truck I sold after college. I had a year advance notice of the change and started looking early.

One of my drag racing buddies had a Toyota pickup, but the company car rules demanded four seats and a 100 inch wheelbase. The four-runner was not offered in the Toy lineup, so no Toy fit the bill (and the four door Landcruiser was too pricy with the old-tech boat anchor six).

I had a friend with a CJ5 that was abused, but running, and a S15 Jimmy that was a piece of junk. The advice was no GM product.

If you were an enthusiast driving in the early 80's you learned that friends did not let friends drive Fords. The Bronco II was a waiting disaster, and the TTB IFS was part of the problem. No Ford.

I looked at the Cherokee. One guy at work asked his mother, who worked at JD Power & Assoc, and she mentioned the company report that the Jeep XJ Cherokee was the "best designed, but most poorly executed" 4x4 in the marketplace. A good design but poor assembly quality and poor component choice (with the early years). I passed on the XJ and started shopping the (then) new Nissan Pathfinder.

Knowing I was looking at a Pathfinder one of my friends talked to an old employer, Spencer Lowe, about how the IFS worked off-road. He mentioned the IFS worked well at high speed but not in the rocks, and that the 3L V6 was underpowered. Considering Spencer Lowe built 4x4 mini-truck conversions for years before the factory built models appeared, and managed the Nissan off-road race effort, I acknowledged his advice. Pass on the Pathfinder until it improves.

This kind of set me back to getting an ordinary car, or looking at the Cherokee again. Somewhere in this quest a friend mentioned to another friend that I was considering a Cherokee. This friend of a friend happened to be working for Walker Evans on a Comanche off-road racer. The result was advice to avoid the early 84-86 models, and take a second look at the 87's with the straight six, the 4.0L. The report was something like these new sixes kick and the front suspension works as good as IFS at speed (with a little tuning) and better than leaf springs in the rocks (disconnected). The concerns were the unit-body and the fuel-injection (both were taboo in the "real-wheeler" CJ/YJ world of 1987). I drove an 87 with the 4.0L and it ran quicker than the Grand Am company car it was replacing. It also fit the company car bill for wheelbase and seating.

I found my 88 on a lot with plastic on the windows, and the dealer looking to unload the two door model (a slow seller), after looking at row after row of 4-door models. The result was driving home the 88 for a lower price than the 87's. It was light, 4x4, and had basic utility covered (roll up windows, AC, and a radio). I was a little concerned when Chrysler bought out AMC a month later, warranty issues with a discontinued product. Chrysler literature said the Cherokee was to remain in the Jeep division product offerings for a few more years, and extended the bumper to bumper warranty to 36 months or 36K miles.

The 88 was fully depreciated in five years, and company car program funds helped install the first lift and acessories (big 31x10.5 AT's). The fuel injection concerns were found to be poor speculation, and the unit-body concerns almost as unwarranted. The warranty work consisted of a new exhaust header at 109,000 miles. A later employer allowed it to qualify for a company car, again, funding more improvements but with the demand as a reliable daily driver.

The off-road capability surprised many traditional wheelers. "How did you get that station wagon here?" It also surprised more than a few off-road pre-runners. "I'll offer you a drink from the cooler, but let me drive past this silt bed first, and do you mind drinking inside with the AC?" The daily driver duty ended at about 200,000 miles. 40,000+ miles later it is still being abused, as a spare road/trail vehicle.
 
I started off with a lifted '73 Commando, the one with the early Bronco style front end. Sort of the Grandpa of the XJ. No one knew what it was. Damn, I wish I still had it. Then a '79 Blazer, modded it up, but it was way to big and a gas hog! First looked at a new Cherokee in '86, but the dealer wouldn't deal. I ended up with a Bronco II. OK I guess, then kids came along and I went the mini-van route. Had a '65 CJ and a '74 Bronco, but both were mechanically unreliable. Saw this beautiful black two door '95 XJ at a local used car dealer and had to have it. After 2 years it still runs great, except for the crappy A/C, but I can live with that. The family car is now a '96 ZJ, so I can now play again with a real 4X4.
 
This is going to be good (I am riding high from an awsome weekend trip to Salt River in Arizona).
I needed a vehicle that would transport my son and all his paintball gear to the parks around So.Cal. It needed to get better milage than my F-250 (that didn't eliminate many choices) and hold a bunch of crud. My family had three XJs in it. Two brothers and a sister swore by them. I thaught it over for a while and decided what the heck I can give them a try too. We live in a remote town near the Tierra del Sol event site. So we traveled into the city and looked at a bunch of XJs before heading home empty handed. Too much two wheel drive models and fluff models for me. Wanted basic but cherry. Wouldn't you know the local used car guy just picked up exactly what I wanted. Drove it and bought it that quick. LO
 
Next Batter PLease!

I was looking for a jeep and a buddy gave me this 84 xj with the motor in the cargo area! So I was perusing my options, looking for an engine/trans combo checking out the web and came across this 92 XJ 2dr 5spd. I like them that way. Did some research at the dealer that I work for and found that if you want fuel injection and Chrysler electronics which is what I wanted plus the HO 4.0L engine then you want basic 91-95 XJ. So I haggled this guy from $3600 to $2800, (In cali everyone wants an XJ) and was the first to come up with the cash. He even told me that a guy showed up with $3400 the next day. It was a forestry vehicle and he was the second owner and had only 89,000 miles. He had just put a new clutch and brakes on it. It was bleeding oil all over so I resealed it. Went 4 wheeling, got hooked and now have 3 jeeps. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

P.s. this all started in February of this year! (5 months)
 
Yup, I vouce for Ryurabit there, it all started recently, he even still has his tiny 3.07's! (But still did John Bull!)
 
Had to replace the Yugo!

The other car was a Dodge colt, and it took both cars to haul three people and camping gear for a weeks vacation in the Mts.
It was 92, and XJ's still sold at over MSRP out here. We looked around, drove and sat in quite a few domestic and foreign. The 4-runner was too small and too expensive. The Exploder was too slow and too expensive, but the wife liked the size. Then we saw the 90 at a Honda dealer desperate to deal, Colorado Springs was still in recession then. It was a Laredo, had make up mirrors with lights on the visors that my wife liked, it had the remote clicker for the power doors that my 11 year old son liked, and when I drove off the lot, floored it and shifted into second and chirped the tires, I liked it.
Overall, it's been the best car that I've owned.
Fred
 
I kinda fell into the XJ thing.

picked up an 86 XJ (with all the bells and whistles of the time) and it was one headache after another, but for some reason I loved it. wrecked it (poorly tuned carb + 2.8L + stalling in hard left turns = disaster) and picked up an 85 XJ that had a good body, but no drivetrain. swapped everything over and drove that for a little bit until I found the 89 XJ, 260K miles, didn't run, but looked promising, and the price was right. been workin' on it and modding it ever since. put almost 60K miles on it since and it's been the most reliable vehicle I've ever had (most problems were a direct result of me beating the sh1t out of it) It only ever let me sit once (CPS died) and most recently, had to patch in a new ground for the throttle position sensor to eliminate the 3K RPM idle. those were the ONLY problems I've had with it since I put it back on the road.

I just recently grabbed an 87 MJ, which is in similar shape to what my 89 was when I got it. the 89 XJ has the 4.0, but the MJ has the 2.5L 4-banger. I may just swap it out for a 4.0L.

You can't beat the XJ/MJ for being all around good vehicles. solid axles front and rear in a lightweight package that is durable, reliable and easy/intuitive to work on.

maybe it's just because I've been wrenchin' on XJs for so long, but dammit, they just make sense. I really can't think of another vehicle that can do what my XJ does for me. I can almost say that it will literally go anywhere and do anything. not saying that it should have, but it did :D
 
I needed a vehicle that would carry a family of 4, double as a Xerox service vehicle, be comfortable to drive, get acceptable fuel economy, have decent power, be reasonably priced, be reliable, get me to remote hunting and fishing spots, have a solid front axle, be modifiable with aftermarket parts and be relatively easy and economical to work on. The XJ was the only vehicle that met all those requirements. It's been the best vehicle I've ever owned.

RR3
 
XJ's have always appealed to me as the best looking 4x4 on the road (or off).
It was pure physical magnetism for me.
I lusted after Cherokees..
I have pictures of them that I cut out of magazines on my walls...

I am in theropy now, things are getting better
 
I dunno man, with what you said up there..then your signitire being if it's rocking..I'm a little bit scared to find out just what you're doiig in there!
 
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