Pictures from the day I became a Jeeper. Post Yours.

[Whaler27]

I started out wheeling in my factory ordered 1977 Ford F150 4X4. I traded that truck in on a 1979 Jeep CJ-7 Renegade. I loved it, I took it through creek beds and power line trails in the mountains. It was a beast in the snow. I don't know exactly when I started Jeeping, I think it was spring of 1979.

I factory ordered this vehicle. The local Plymouth/Jeep dealer did not have any Jeeps on his lot, just a lot of Plymouths. I bought a factory ordered Duster 340 from this same dealer in 1972. That car is still on the road as a car show automobile. Anyway, I think the only options on the jeep were floor mats, and raised white letter tires. It was a four speed manual transmission. You had to get out to manually lock the front hubs. Crank windows for A/C. I think I stuffed a cassette player in it for tunes. Such a fun vehicle, I wonder why I ever got rid of it. I know, I wanted something bigger and got one of those OJ Simpson style Broncos of the late 80's. Blasphemy, I know. Regretted that move soon after the new wore off the Bronco. At least it was still a 4X4, but I couldn't take it places I took the CJ-7. Live and learn.

Anyway, here are some pics of one of the most fun vehicles I ever owned. Please forgive the picture quality, taking pictures of 40 plus year old pictures doesn't give the best results.

That's a towel hanging off the front bumper. Figured I'd show a B&W photo of it since this is a retro thread.

Side view above.
You can see leaf springs on the front axle below.

i wish I could wind the clock back and buy some CJ5s and 7s. Such a joy.

The only options my first CJ7 had were the rear seat and hard top.

I sure miss that Jeep — and all these old jeeps

Sponsored

 

[Bryce]

June 2, 2019.
Previoulsly a Bronco owner... still am.

 

[zrickety]

My first was a 92 YJ, I loved that thing!

The three generations of Jeepeto

My old man’s YJ

Jeepeto III and the old man’s YJ

I still love driving that YJ, she’s really a wonderful ride with the top off.

This is a great comparison of the 2.
I looked at buying a military YJ in the 90's...hard to find evidence they even exist. I bought an S-10 Blazer that fit the bill. In 2017, I bought an 88 Laredo on Facebook. Loved it. Would still have it but the wife said I couldn't have 2 Jeeps. Here it is at Windrock before I sold it.

 

[Chief_Dan]

What an awesome thread. I have got to find a pic, I'm looking...
But, I do have a story. Summer of 1977, my dad & I head out to the old hunting cabin that he & a group of fellow Firefighters owned off in the middle of nowhere in the Holly Springs National Forest. Pulling the 1949 Willys that he bought when I was a baby. So, I figured we were doing some cleaning & going to use the Jeep to pull down some small trees & clear out brush, as his F150 was just a 2WD.

Well, we get there & about 6 other guys & their sons are there. We spent the entire 4-days off (Firefighter schedule, based on 24 hour shifts) driving all around the forest looking for places to put up deer stands. Blazing new trails & bouncing along logging roads. Then, out in the woods, my dad said, it's time you learned to drive. So, I learned to drive on that 49 Willys with the metal top off, doors off & windshield down. I always loved that Jeep, but after learning to drive in that Jeep, I was HOOKED. Been hooked ever since. But, only got my first Jeep as my 2020 JLUR.

What a summer though. I was 9yo, learned to drive & Star Wars came out at the theater. AWESOME!

Now, I got to find a pic of that dark green 49 Willys, especially with the top & doors on & then it all off... I miss that Jeep, should have never sold her. Miss my dad too...

 

[keeperman13]

Oahu with a rental jk. Sleeping on a ridge on the north shore. The drive up had me head over heels in love with the Jeep. 

 

[Whaler27]

I found a couple more old pix. Redneck photo ops — back when you could throw a worm in the river and plink with the .22 while waiting for the fish to bite — and when bricks of .22 ammo could be bought in almost any hardware or farm store.

 

[NULL POINTER]

i wish I could wind the clock back and buy some CJ5s and 7s. Such a joy.

The only options my first CJ7 had were the rear seat and hard top.

I sure miss that Jeep — and all these old jeeps

Things I miss are all the fire lines, creeks, trails, and wheeling places that I used to go to are long since closed off to the public, rerouted, or paved over. Those out west need to be thankful they still have terrific places to wheel. I also miss lifting the doors up a couple inches and off they came. No unscrewing, disconnecting, blah blah blah. I guess that's the price we pay for automatic windows and door locks and speakers in the doors.

 

[Whaler27]

Things I miss are all the fire lines, creeks, trails, and wheeling places that I used to go to are long since closed off to the public, rerouted, or paved over. Those out west need to be thankful they still have terrific places to wheel. I also miss lifting the doors up a couple inches and off they came. No unscrewing, disconnecting, blah blah blah. I guess that's the price we pay for automatic windows and door locks and speakers in the doors.

We have the space out here, but when all the city folks moved here we experienced exactly what you describe. The open farmland where we used to get pumpkins is now a sea of McMansions, yuppies, and Audi dealerships. Also, as it turns out, the urbanites who move to Oregon don’t appreciate motorized wilderness access, hunting, or fishing, so all of those activities are regulated to death now.

Part of the problem is just numbers. We have thousands of Jeeps trying to drive where only a handful of us used to explore. Then there’s the advent of GPS and cell phones: I‘m grateful for the technology, but it’s also opened every remote area to hordes who can afford the gas but can’t read maps or function responsibly in the wilderness. Today’s explorers are different, perhaps because they don’t expect to be self-reliant.

There’s no getting around all the changes and restrictions that come from our exploding population.

In the early 70s, diving in Florida was basically unregulated. We could rent a boat near Key Largo and dive wherever we wanted. We could dive all weekend without seeing more than one or two other dive flags, if that. Even Cozumel Mexico, a scuba diving Mecca even then, was open, uncrowded, and comparatively unregulated in the early 70s, but the last time I was diving in Cozumel, about five years ago, it was incredibly crowded and the diving was fully structured. Large groups of divers were deployed from cattle boats in groups of ten or twelve, and all divers were required to remain in a big knot until they were collected at the other end of the drift. Many, if not most, of the divers were weak in the water and likely to require assistance, because fitness is no longer required for scuba certification. Once under water I was able to count more than thirty other divers within view. That will be my last trip to Cozumel.

I feel very fortunate to have been born when I was. Aside from the depression and WW2, I think my dad felt the same way. I think my kids probably feel the same way too, because they never knew the magic of Florida or Oregon in the 1960s. I guess that’s a blessing too.

 

[NewJLU2019]

Late to Jeep fever. Part one then part two.

 

[jackgraves7]

Then and now. 2001 Jeep TJ the day I got it. Loved it and miss it everyday.

Now, 2018 Sport S.

 

[Whaler27]

Then and now. 2001 Jeep TJ the day I got it. Loved it and miss it everyday.

Now, 2018 Sport S.

I sold my 2006 TJ for money to buy more parts for the JL.. One of the dumbest mistakes I’ve made. My wife is STILL grumpy about it.

 

[Jeepeto]

What an awesome thread. I have got to find a pic, I'm looking...
But, I do have a story. Summer of 1977, my dad & I head out to the old hunting cabin that he & a group of fellow Firefighters owned off in the middle of nowhere in the Holly Springs National Forest. Pulling the 1949 Willys that he bought when I was a baby. So, I figured we were doing some cleaning & going to use the Jeep to pull down some small trees & clear out brush, as his F150 was just a 2WD.

Well, we get there & about 6 other guys & their sons are there. We spent the entire 4-days off (Firefighter schedule, based on 24 hour shifts) driving all around the forest looking for places to put up deer stands. Blazing new trails & bouncing along logging roads. Then, out in the woods, my dad said, it's time you learned to drive. So, I learned to drive on that 49 Willys with the metal top off, doors off & windshield down. I always loved that Jeep, but after learning to drive in that Jeep, I was HOOKED. Been hooked ever since. But, only got my first Jeep as my 2020 JLUR.

What a summer though. I was 9yo, learned to drive & Star Wars came out at the theater. AWESOME!

Now, I got to find a pic of that dark green 49 Willys, especially with the top & doors on & then it all off... I miss that Jeep, should have never sold her. Miss my dad too...

I love this! My “learn to drive” story was in the old man’s VW Baja bug at 6 years old. Still a very mechanical no frills off roader, I still light up when I see Baja bugs to this day. It is for sure a core memory and one that influences what is fun to drive to this very day.

 

[Chief_Dan]

I love this! My “learn to drive” story was in the old man’s VW Baja bug at 6 years old. Still a very mechanical no frills off roader, I still light up when I see Baja bugs to this day. It is for sure a core memory and one that influences what is fun to drive to this very day.

Oh man, my best friend in HS had a white Baja Bug, with the skinny tires up front & 33x12.5 in the back, big stinger pipe with the "semi flapper" on the end of the stinger pipe, which was mounted to a 2200cc Porsche motor, also had a Miller Light tap pull as the gear shift knob. It was the coolest car at school. We had a blast in that thing.

 

[blnewt]

First got into Jeeps in the mid 70s, a buddy of mine had a Willys Jeepster like the one in this pic

We used to party like it was 1969 in that thing, lol. I then rode and four wheeled w/ friends in some CJ5s, Scouts, Bobtail Broncos, FJ40s, and Nissan Patrols. I knew at that time I was hooked!

In 1981 bought this CJ-7, it was fun but very underpowered, had the Pontiac Iron duke 4 banger.
Was pretty light though, and w/ these sand paddles it did a nice job floating over the sand and actually climbed pretty damn good w/ the sand tires.

In 1986 I bought a dead 74 CJ-5 from a buddy w/ the AMC 304V8, 3 speed (lol), w/ Dana 44 rear. Did a frame-off restoration w/ full AutoMeter gauges, racing buckets, full cage, dual headers w/ SS pipes.
Put a AMC 401 V8 (balanced, bored & printed), a Ford T19 compound low 4spd, front disc brake conversion, front shackle reversion (to get decent caster), and some 35x14.5x15 Denman Ground Hawgs (sure wish they still made wide 35s!). It was a blast and I wish I still had the keys to that one!

Went without any 4 wheel drives until 5 yrs ago (so about 30 yrs without a 4x4!!!), got a 03 4Runner,
And my current situation

 

[pablo_max3045]

Unfortunately, I do not have any photos earlier than about 2006, when several boxes were stolen in a move, along with all my hard drive backups.
First Jeep was a 78 CJ7, but the 2001 TJ at Anza Borrego is the earliest photo I've got.

Sponsored