How did you end up with your first fsj?

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Goony
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How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by Goony »

Hello all!

I have a simple question for everyone. How did you end up with a full size jeep? I am curious to hear everyone's story. It all started for me back in high school when I got pulled over in my dads ford explorer for "hot rodding." My parents took the explorer away from me and made me pay for the 1983 wagoner they got me the next week. ($500) They chose the wagoner for me because it was virtually impossible to hot rod it. I was shocked at first when I saw the wagon. It was the most horrible looking thing I had ever seen. Then in time I began to fall in love with it. It backfired going down hills, the windows would fall down into the doors when I would hit bumps on the gravel roads, and rain would magically go through my windshield onto my dash when I was driving. Through all of this it was my favorite vehicle. Eventually the day came when the transmission went out of it and I sold it. I missed it until about 2 years ago when I replaced it with my 1991 that I still drive today. The first time I ever took my wife (girlfriend at the time) for a drive was in this wagoner. She loves it just as much as I do. I know FSJs are going to be a lifetime thing for me and I am glad I was introduced to them at such a young age
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jaber
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by jaber »

Hey Goony, welcome to the network... Image

My dad bought a CJ5 new when I was 2. It was our Sunday get away. Dad would pick a dirt road, and we'd follow it until we couldnt. Dads a butcher, so he knew all the ranchers and had permission to cross any gate we found. He would set me on his lap and turn me loose in the dessert while he sat back and drank beer.
When it was my turn, I had a boss that had a 79 Cherokee. I bought it on payments for $650 needing the tranny rebuilt. Still have it. Its about to get a SOA 14B/ 44HD put under it. :-bd

A few years after I left home, dad had let his girlfriend at the time take the Jeep out, and she rolled it. I have it in the back yard, gathering parts to resurrect it. I think the grill is the last piece of tin I need...
Jeff

'46 cj3a
'51 Willys p/u
'51 Willys Parkway Conversion
'74 CJ5
'75 J-20 Wrecker
'75 J-20 Cummins service truck
'77 J-10 p/u
'79 Cherokee
'88 Grand Wagoneer
http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh14/jeffaber/
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ProTouring442
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by ProTouring442 »

I bought it?

Seriously... I decided I wanted one. looked until I found the one I wanted to buy, bought it, now I'm building it.
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Tad
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by Tad »

My father had a Willys wagon that he built our family cabin with in 1958.
I bought my Willys truck in 1978 when I turned 20.
In 2000 I sold the Willys truck because I was teaching and needed lockable storage and in 2001 bought the '70 Wagoneer figuring it was an upgrade (it wasn't at that point).

Image

Image

Image

It's been all downhill since then.
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nc wagoneer
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by nc wagoneer »

My great-uncle had a 79 wagoneer from the time I was born, I was brought home in that jeep, and it was th first vehicle I drove and the first I went offroading in. A few years ago my great-uncle bought a new truck, the waggy sat and sat, I asked him about it and he said I could have it and do whatever I wanted with it. Soon after, I noticed what I really wanted was a j truck, but I knew that I wouldn't be allowed to keep 2 jeeps on the farm and that once I found a j truck the waggy would have to go. I finally found my j20 and $800 later it was mine and siting in the driveway. I noticed that it wasn't as great as I'd hoped, but I've seen rustier around here go for twice what I payed. After talking it over with Jake and Jackie and setting up a campout with a couple other members, the waggy was on her way to her new home at Jake's. Gonna be making my second trip to Jake's pretty soon to get the parts I couldn't haul back on the first run so I can get the j20 project going. :-bd
77 J20 flatbed FOR SALE
"old blue" 79 waggy-sitting in Jake's full size jeep junkyard, traded for j20 parts
Also:
1986 Isuzu Trooper Factory Diesel/5 Speed
1999 Arctic Cat 400 4x4 (weekend toy)
1984 GMC Suburban K10 6.2 Diesel/700r4/np208
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"Truth is FSJs are crack on wheels. One taste and you are addicted. Then you just want more. Anyone who does not see this is in denial"
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j20owner
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by j20owner »

Was listening to a local call in swap shop on the radio one Saturday morning. A guy called in advertising a Jeep pickup for $800. I called him, went and looked at it, forked over the cash and have been miserable ever since. Now I'm robbing parts off the j20 for a wagoneer that will never get done.
Tatsadasayago wrote:And here i thought Capitalism was hitting the Shift Key...
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FSJunkie
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by FSJunkie »

I grew up in my parent's 1993 Grand Cherokee. I always liked to off-road, but they never did. I'd be surprised if that car was put in 4x4 twice a year, and low range was just a myth. When I was 14 and 15, I pushed harder and harder for more off-roading, with my parents driving of course. My obvious plan was to use it as my trail Jeep and daily driver once I was legal to drive around, but my parents believed my mild and moderate off-roading would tear up their daily driver.

I accepted that I needed my own Jeep and like every 15 year old Jeep kid, I wanted an early CJ 2 or 3, or even an MB or GPW. I soon realized how expensive those things were. A decent one would cost $4k or so, and most were completely rusted out beat to heck useless basket cases for $1k. Plus, their top speed was 50 MPH, there was no radio, no heater, no seat padding, etc.

Meanwhile my grandfather had an old Jeep, a 1972 Wagoneer, that had sat unused for a decade, and that I could have for free. I DID NOT want it. It didn't look capable to me and it didn't have the open body cool factor of a CJ. My mom bought a TSM off eBay and made me watch Youtube videos of them off-roading to convince me that it would go most anywhere a CJ would go and unlike a CJ, would go any speed I needed it to on the street and be far more comfortable.

I gave in. The TSM convinced me that it was an awesome car. It's just a CJ with a V8, automatic transmission, and more comfort.

I was told all it needed was a carburetor rebuild, new rear main seal, all hoses, all fluids, and all belts, and that was true. It started and drove around for a few months on just that much, but the engine went downhill fast. 120,000 miles without a real tune up results in burned valves and broken ring lands. Engine was rebuilt, exterior was polished and detailed, and some interior work got it driving like new and looking nearly new.

The end. Wagoneers are the perfect.
1972 Wagoneer: 360 2V, THM-400, D20, D30 closed knuckle, D44 Trac-lok 3.31.
1965 Rambler Ambassador: 327 4V, BW M-10 auto, AMC 20 3.15.
1973 AMC Ambassador: 360 4V, TC-727.
1966 AMC Marlin 327 4V, T-10 4 speed, AMC 20 Powr-lok 3.54.
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fulsizjeep
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by fulsizjeep »

The before:
http://jubileejeeps.org/history/willysyears

I was 5 when dad brought home a 51 Willys Overland wagon.
Image

The beginning. Great for long range beach travel, surf and shark fishing.
http://jubileejeeps.org/history/sharkyears

The first FSJ:
Image

To Infinity and beyond! :fsj:

Meeting Krista:
http://jubileejeeps.org/fsjrides/98skyline

First visit to Ouray:
http://jubileejeeps.org/ouray/00ouray

After 911:
http://jubileejeeps.org/ourfsjs/phoebe/freedom

Ouray Invasions:
http://jubileejeeps.org/ouray
Flint Boardman
88 GW, 401/727/208, 5" lift, D44s/4.10s/locked up, 35s
https://jubileejeeps.org/quadratrac

serehill
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by serehill »

My granddad had a 55 Willys Overland as his personal Vehicle & he had 2 panel deliveries in his business & 2 j200 trucks. My problem started before I was born. They were expensive. I bought my first one in 72. A brand new waggy. Traded it in on a 74 j 2000 the day I paid the waggy off. I had no idea how in the world I was going to pay a $102.00 a month. My house payment was $88.00 a month. Gas was about 30 cents a gallon the day I bought it. It was costing me 20 a week in gas.
1980 Honcho 258 4 speed mostly stock with 4 " lift.

WIP

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1980 Cherokee wrangled & mangled
MSD complete system
Eddy intake
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will e
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by will e »

I believe my in-laws hatched a plan to kill me off. Of course, they had to make it look like an accident. Under the guise of a 'gift' I was given the 1981 wagoneer. I noticed driving home that it backfired if I let off the gas a freeway speeds (actually that was kind of fun). It wasn't without its problems. The gas tank leaked and the brakes were bad. See their plan now??? Needless to say it didn't work.

SO actually I ended up with a pretty nice truck. Sure, it had a couple of small issues and the Father In Law, who used to be an awesome mechanic, started having issues and you could see some of his more creative repairs as he had aged.

I didn't wheel it for a couple of years. I hooked up with some local guys on a different jeep board. First trip was out to Box Canyon. No lift, street tires. No body damage, a little muffler damage. I was hooked.

Learning to wheel in the waggy took its toll on it and I finally traded it and some cash for a cherokee.

First trip to box canyon:
Image

First trip to Ouray:

Image


Image


A wheel'n in the desert pick. A few of the local gujys on the board will tell you I wheel' that truck good. I never beat on it but I didn take a few places it probably didn't belong...
Image
81 Waggy 'WILL E' Retired
82 Cherokee WT - SOA/SF/high steer/Alcan springs/agr box/Borgeson steering shaft/AMC 401/performer/holley TA/HEI/BeCool/727/ALTAS (2.0/2.72/5.44)/D60 Snofighter(Yukon Zip,hubs,stubs,4.56)/14 Bolt (FF,BF shave, Discs, ARB,Artec Truss)/MTR 37X12.5/Corbeau XRS Baja & 5 point retractable harness/Hella Aux lights/tuffy console/killer32 sliders/Evil Twin bumpers, rack and roll cage/WARN 8000/TT Fabworks steering brace/dual batts/custom TC skid plate/ARB fridge

GentleRF
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by GentleRF »

I got my first and only FSJ, an '84 Grand Wagoneer, as a debt settlement on a computer. I've been fixing it as I am able financially and physically. My wife and both love it. Our daily driver, my DD actually, is a VW Vanagon. The GW has been our favorite camping vehicle until one Christmas time, the water pump went out.
Rick in East Bremerton

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rocklaurence
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by rocklaurence »

I purchased my cousin's '67 Gladiator from his parents after he was killed in an accident in 1980 (drunk driver hit him on a rainy night when delivering pizzas). It was the fastest vehicle in town in the 1/16 mile drag :) with Buick 350-T90 and 4.27 gears ;) I paid $600 for it and sold it for $750 before going in to the Air Force in '83. Thirty years later I bought my son an '87 J10 and just recently went into business selling FSJ and other Vintage parts

jamesdart
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by jamesdart »

my dad always liked the GW. I thought they were stupid with wood tape on the sides. an oldtimer I became good friends with through work, had a 78 wagoner as a daily driver. to me it was much cooler with just some stainless mouldings. it really grew on me. nj weather took its tole on it, I offered to do some rust repair on it. he bought a bunch of parts and blew up the 360. I tried to get it from him but he liked it so much he wasn't parting with it. he had a jasper 360 installed. years later I am wheeling a liberty and decided I wanted something to wheel other than my dd. I called him up to see if he still was driving it during retirement, he told me come and get it he was junking it by the end of the week. of coarse it was way worse than I remembered. more dents, and a lot more rot. he actually wanted me to have it, knowing id do something with it. ive had it about 2 years and its been a lot of fun.
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carnuck
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by carnuck »

I liked FSJs but could never afford one, but I did have several Eagles. Since I towed a trailer I wanted a 727 and low range tcase. I found "Elmo" in the weeds and dragged it home. I was disappointed tofind it had a 999 (I didn't know it was stronger than the Eagle's 998) About that time I found major rot in the frame of the Eagle so I pulled the 282 Mexican motor out of it and put it in Elmo as a back up vehicle (Elmer Gency, get it?) over the weekend so I could start my new job on monday.
Check my parts for sale near Seattle
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haminawag
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by haminawag »

My first FSJ was a '68 Wag I got from a friend of my dads for $500, that was in 1980. It was a good parts fetching truck but I was hard into other things like drag cars and girls so never fully appreciated it or had any money to put into it (except the gas tank). Then my drunken neighbor plowed his AMX into it one night, so long Wag, so long AMX, so long drunken neighbor. But I always remembered it and decided to get another one some day. So I bought my '79 Wag last September, it's a lot better built (tighter) than the '68 was, (rustier too) and I still don't have any money to put into it. HAH!
Let us not forget what our fathers taught us.

Ham-in-a-Wag
1967 Plymouth Fury
1979 Wagoneer
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KJ Ryu
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by KJ Ryu »

I learned to drive, off-road, in my parents' 77 Cherokee when I was 8. Like jamesdart, I got tired of beating up my Liberty. I put the word out to all my friends that I wanted a FSJ, and within a couple of weeks was on a 300 mile road trip to pick up a $700 J10. I don't like to think about how much I've spent on it since. And it's not even being restored!
Ron

2005 KJ, Hit-n-Run, 2am 6-17-2012, Totaled. :mad:
1977 SJ J10, 4v360, T18, D20, 37x14s, SOA & SF on tons, still ugly.
1978 SJ Wagoneer, 4v360, QT, 33x12.5s, lift by Sawzall :-bd NOT Running :(
1977 SJ J10, SniperEFI 401, QT, D44s, 31X10.5s :fsj:
2006 KJ
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by AwesomeJ10 »

I got this 56 willys wagon for free back in 2001. It was a pile of junk but did have a running super hurricane straight six and 3 speed tranny. the pto winch worked but the brakes were shot. only had it for a short while and sold it to some guy online back east.

Image

and then back in 2005 I got this '83 waggy with a shot 727 for $150. Rebuilt the tranny and did an SOA on it. The stock 360 locked up on a 'wheeling trip and I replaced that with a rebuilt 401 with TBI on it. That 401 did nothing but overheat. Sold it to a buddy who sold it again.

Then I got the '78 Honcho and this was very early in it's build. Was sitting on stock axles SOA and 39.5" TSL's

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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by AwesomeJ10 »

Then back in 2011 I got the '88 waggy. built it up a couple of times and sold it.

Image

Then I got this '74 J20 in 2012. swapped in a good running 4.3l v6 and a shot 700r4. np208 case stock axles.
Image
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theonetruegreg
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by theonetruegreg »

The old man bought me a 1980 WT Cherokee when I turned 15 1/2 (when I got my learner's permit) in '95. Mostly clean body, mechanicals and interior really solid. Had the 4 speed. Was a lot of fun, but sold it to buy a '73 Road Runner 440. Later regretted it, and hunted down my Grand Wagoneer to build

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Goony
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Re: How did you end up with your first fsj?

Post by Goony »

theonetruegreg wrote:The old man bought me a 1980 WT Cherokee when I turned 15 1/2 (when I got my learner's permit) in '95. Mostly clean body, mechanicals and interior really solid. Had the 4 speed. Was a lot of fun, but sold it to buy a '73 Road Runner 440. Later regretted it, and hunted down my Grand Wagoneer to build
You must have similar taste in vehicles as me. I have also owned a 1973 roadrunner. It didn't have the big 440 in my bird though. Just a cammed up 360 with headers. Opening those doors was like opening a fence gate it was so wide. And if I remember correctly I once stored 2 push mowers and a weed eater in the trunk.
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