Thinking the unthinkable

[jeepingib]

A stripper in action... she has already shed her fenders. Sexy!

Normally it rolled around without fenders, bumper, spare, back seat, carpet, steps, doors, top, if I could delete it, it was. I only occasionally added custom seat covers

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[Kyanche]

Perhaps get a base 2-door with the 2.0T? I've heard those are a lot peppier, and they should be a little bit lighter than a 3.6. The 2 door doesn't have etorque on the 2.0T as an option though, so it might not be quite as peppy. That said, easy mod potential? lol IDK.

But yea, a base model 2-door should be a lot lighter. Get some good sport truck tires and try to keep it light and nimble? That's what I'd go for, I think.

 

[Retrograde]

...But I don’t know what else to get. ...I am pretty much done with Jeep dealers. ... Keep the Jeep and suck it up...?

You and I are in the same place... when someone asks how I like my Jeep, I tell them I fucking hate it. Don't buy one. It's unreliable, handles like shit, the lights suck, the electronics are crap, the engine control systems are full of bugs, the dealer network is crooked and/or incompetent, and the suspension is poorly designed... (seriously, Dana front axles have been around since what, the 1940s? And in all that time no one has bothered to fix the wobble or clean up the steering?)

"So why don't you get rid of it?" people ask. And it's a good question. The truth of the matter is, it's the best thing out there for what I want... but just barely. The Jeep Wrangler is like that pot smoking, class skipping loser in high school that managed to just graduate with a 'D' average. And I'm the struggling business owner who has to hire that loser because there is no one out there who's any better and doesn't cost me a million dollars.

So on a nice day when I want to get up to that alpine lake at the end of that rocky fire road, I suck it up, try not to think about it, load up the Jeep and head out. But I take the InReach Mini with me because I know that one day, this bloated electronic POS is going to screw me, and I'm going to have to call for help to get home.

In the meantime, I talk trash to anyone who will listen, and I hope that it costs FCA/Stellantis more in sales than they cost me, 'cause I'm old and cranky, and that's the kind of vindictive shit that us old & cranky bastards live for.

/rant

 

[dragoneggs]

Perhaps get a base 2-door with the 2.0T? I've heard those are a lot peppier, and they should be a little bit lighter than a 3.6. The 2 door doesn't have etorque on the 2.0T as an option though, so it might not be quite as peppy. That said, easy mod potential? lol IDK.

But yea, a base model 2-door should be a lot lighter. Get some good sport truck tires and try to keep it light and nimble? That's what I'd go for, I think.

I test drove a 2.0 and a 3.6 both 2dr before I decided. Peppy... yes both. The 2.0 yep a little more but I just didn't like it as much. Sound, and perceived long term cost/reliability I guess. Gas mileage... I took a little hit going with the 3.6. Simplicity and reliability I think is on my side.

I buy my vehicles always for the long term and I want to do as much maintenance/repair. I have the eTorque. So far so good. I disabled the auto start/stop but the torque off the line is fine for me. I'm not looking for 0-60 times.

 

[Dryver]

I checked into the TJ because that was my reference as I felt the JL was a bit longer turning radius than my old TJ and low and behold...my old TJ was 16.8...:D...now I know why I loved it so much.

And my old 2001 Kia Sportage 2-door 4x4 was 16.1. That was a fun vehicle.

 

[Red Willy]

Love my 2 dr Willys manual after coming from the 4 dr Rubi diesel especially after regearing to 4.10s. So much lighter and more maneuverable.

 

[drpericak]

We've had 7 Mini Coopers in our house. I bought the first one in 2009. We've had everything. CooperS, Paceman, Countryman, Clubman and convertible. They are great cars until you get over 100K, then they seem to fall apart. We have 2 right now, a 2011 convertible and a 19 Countryman. They are good on gas and handle well. Out of all of them, I liked my '09 the best. It was a Cooper S with a 6 speed. Loads of fun.

 

[yokramer]

ya what I've realized is we don't drive enough to need a car that's a little good at everything. Instead, I want special cars with character. Jeep fits that bill.

I would love an FC or FD rx-7, reliability be damned. But I'm not sure my marriage can support a 3rd 2-seater

A Rotary is a whole new commitment on top of your marriage as well lol.

I wanted one since I was in high school and they are what got me into cars. Took a long time but the 10th Anniversary FC fell in my lap and straight traded for the Miata I had at the time.

Took about a year to get it running right, drove for a year and on a super cold December morning over boosted by 12psi and wiped an apex seal. Took too many years getting a new motor built and then had to buy the JLR for unrelated reasons so now she sits with a brand new motor in the engine bay waiting for me to have some spare money to finish putting her back together.

All that said I highly recommend one lol

 

[Red Willy]

Took too many years getting a new motor built and then had to buy the JLR for unrelated reasons so now she sits with a brand new motor in the engine bay waiting for me to have some spare money to finish putting her back together.

You have a Jeep and are waiting for some spare money for something else?

 

[yokramer]

You have a Jeep and are waiting for some spare money for something else?

lolol, luckily this thing is such a step up from the 02 Xterra I dont feel the need to dump crazy money into it. Diff, LCA and Shock skids and Im pretty much done spending money on the JLR till I can get the RX7 back driving.

 

[aldo98229]

You and I are in the same place... when someone asks how I like my Jeep, I tell them I fucking hate it. Don't buy one. It's unreliable, handles like shit, the lights suck, the electronics are crap, the engine control systems are full of bugs, the dealer network is crooked and/or incompetent, and the suspension is poorly designed... (seriously, Dana front axles have been around since what, the 1940s? And in all that time no one has bothered to fix the wobble or clean up the steering?)

"So why don't you get rid of it?" people ask. And it's a good question. The truth of the matter is, it's the best thing out there for what I want... but just barely. The Jeep Wrangler is like that pot smoking, class skipping loser in high school that managed to just graduate with a 'D' average. And I'm the struggling business owner who has to hire that loser because there is no one out there who's any better and doesn't cost me a million dollars.

So on a nice day when I want to get up to that alpine lake at the end of that rocky fire road, I suck it up, try not to think about it, load up the Jeep and head out. But I take the InReach Mini with me because I know that one day, this bloated electronic POS is going to screw me, and I'm going to have to call for help to get home.

In the meantime, I talk trash to anyone who will listen, and I hope that it costs FCA/Stellantis more in sales than they cost me, 'cause I'm old and cranky, and that's the kind of vindictive shit that us old & cranky bastards live for.

/rant

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[aldo98229]

Love my 2 dr Willys manual after coming from the 4 dr Rubi diesel especially after regearing to 4.10s. So much lighter and more maneuverable.

You are the first forum member I know who downsized from an overweight JLURD to a lithe and nimble JLW, and admits loving it.

That’s great to hear!

 

[aldo98229]

We've had 7 Mini Coopers in our house. I bought the first one in 2009. We've had everything. CooperS, Paceman, Countryman, Clubman and convertible. They are great cars until you get over 100K, then they seem to fall apart. We have 2 right now, a 2011 convertible and a 19 Countryman. They are good on gas and handle well. Out of all of them, I liked my '09 the best. It was a Cooper S with a 6 speed. Loads of fun.

As much as I LOVED the looks and driving a 2022 Mini Clubman JCW, I did notice the suspension creaks and noises, and the interior chirps and squeaks when I drove over bad roads. It just didn’t give me the impression that the interior would hold up squeak-free and rattle-free over time.

One thing I can say about my soon-to-be four-year-old, Mazda-built Fiat 124 Spider: the entire car, the interior, the exterior, the suspension, everything is holding up very well.

 

[Maverick909]

I mean if they where available in the USA the Jimmy would be damn perfect! or an older Samurai / Geo tracker in a two door. I had a buddy who had both. he rebuilt and sold the geo tracker and kept the Samurai. He's been slowly working on getting a diesel put into it with a nice lift and some 33's. Thing is going to be a hoot to drive once its done. If i couldnt get one of these than i would def try a 2 door sport willys

 

[aldo98229]

I appreciate everyone’s responses. I never thought this thread would get to be 120 posts and 8 pages long. Judging by many of the responses, I see I am NOT the only one on here who feels this way.

Y’all have given me excellent suggestions, and several funny ones.

Based on everything I have read on here so far, I think I’m going to give it a try to swapping my heavy 35x12.5 tires with a lighter, narrower set, to see if that brings back some of the factory driving characteristics.

As you have reminded me, there are many things I love about my Sahara. And two thousand dollars in new tires is a lot cheaper than buying a new vehicle.

I’ll go from there.

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