89 MJ

A little bit of everything. Personally, I'm looking for mild stuff. The Rubicon is about as crazy as I'd want to do, and I wouldn't do it in my MJ. I don't care to play in the mud or damage body panels. But this thread is for everyone to build a list from, as they so choose.

@TheJeepNut, how is #24 coming along?

I bet that was fun. Mud can be a good time, but I hate cleaning it up

Good to know! I should’ve had Moab on there

Does anyone else have a bucket list of trails they’d like to hit someday? Here’s my list, but I’m looking for more to add in the southwest. Rubicon Apache Trail Arizona Peace Trail Alpine Loop (Ouray and Silverton area in general) Silverbell-Sasco Loop Moab Mojave Road Rimrocker Trail Sand Hollow Johnson Valley The Rubicon is the most wild, but the others are all I’d like to do in the Eagle or MJ (most likely MJ). I built the MJ for adventures years ago and I’m finally getting a job with the pay and PTO to be able to do stuff like this. Now I just need some more inspiration. And yes, I already watch @Htchevyii’s videos.

This should be a super nice space when its all done

Looks like a very good job.

It's been a while since I've had my marker lights removed, but I believe that they screw into the header panel and not the bezel, the bezel just has holes for the screw to pass through. I would suspect that at some point, someone installed the side marker lights, tightened the screws too much and pulled the threads out of the header panel. I think Gojira has a good idea with fixing the holes.

Bump, just over two weeks away!

Agreed, but that’s not what most people are using their shortbed half ton truck for.

Yet they keep buying new anyways. I think you’re right with it being a status thing. There is definitely great value in sticking with a vehicle that works for you. I have some that work for me, and I’ve driven plenty of stuff that doesn’t.

I think the belts should do alright. My Bolens runs either a 36” snowblower or a 32” tiller in heavy clay off of a belt driven PTO. I don’t know how many rpms it’s turning, but as far as I know, the belts are original and I’ve never had one slip.

I generally agree. 90s have all the amenities you want, without the screens and complications. Easy enough to work on and still good economy. @Pete M would for sure agree on the minivan thing. They can do everything most people use trucks for. Tires always make a world of difference.

Oh yeah, I don’t care for those 3.6s either. Never driven a 3.8. Exactly! Trucks are for towing and hauling level things. Wagons and vans are for the majority of the work.

Yes! I'd love to see small 4 cyl diesels in most vehicles.

Add on top of the fact that they're basically disposable because of the price of a battery when they go bad and the battery recycling process isn't good either, I'll stick with my old stuff

I'm not talking about opinions that most of us have, I want to hear some controversial automotive opinions that even those here might not agree with. Back this opinion up with reasoning too. That said, keep it civil, feel free to debate, but avoid arguing. Per the usual, keep politics and religion out of it too. I'll start with an opinion that I have that is a pretty wild one: The AMC and Jeep 4.0 is a boat anchor. The fuel economy is ok at best, it is not powerful and does not make as much low end torque as people say that it does (off idle, it is nowhere near that of the 258 AMC), its not terribly easy to work on, they leak, they aren't as tough as everyone thinks they are, and they aren't smooth (compared to its carbureted predecessor, the 258). The next time either my MJ or Eagle needs an engine, they aren't getting AMC 6 cyls. Now for some less crazy ones: Modern cars are so safe that they're dangerous. Lane keep assist, automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, etc. just enable the driver to be distracted while driving. 99% of people do not need a 4x4 or a pickup. 99% of my winter driving experience has been split between my Eagle on worn out all terrains and my dad's plow trucks on all terrains. Aside from plowing snow, I don't think I've used 4wd more than 5 times. The Eagle and one of the plow trucks didn't even have ABS and I have never been stuck (I got close when plowing snow once, but that was me getting greedy, no fault to any of the vehicles there). Same story with trucks. How often do you really see a pickup with stuff in the bed? A truck with a bed less than 6' in length is a car. Darn near anything you can fit in that bed would fit in the trunk of a car or back of an SUV. There's no point for that. AC, power steering, power brakes, power locks, and power windows should go back to being options. Vehicles without those were perfectly drivable 50 years ago, they would be just as drivable today and would let people buy cheaper cars.

The 23 gallon tank will run into the rear axle on a SWB truck. If you tried to move it forward, I would suspect it would run into some of the cab support stuff. If you want more fuel capacity, I would look at something that could occupy the space where the spare tire went originally.

Any updates on this truck, Pete?

There’s always an exception to the rule I suppose!

I think I do remember it. Honestly, most AMXs are more or less the same to me though

I’m surprised it beat an AMX! Even most AMC folks seem to prefer AMXs.

But we do have a section for that stuff

Exactly why you’re is one of my favorites. You’re still around and there’s a lot of conversation from a lot of others.

It looks a little like an I6 from that camera angle, but it’s an AMC V8.