How & why did you get into MJ's ?

[AMC-MJ]

I was just wondering how you got involved with your MJ's ?

 

Me i get in roped in purely on a fluke . . . After a long rough winter 08'-09' with my 95' K2500 Diesel i decided i need a back up plan for winter 09'-10' . . .

 

So i set out in search of a cheap heap in the $300-$500 range i wasn't looking for anything special just one of them heap you can buy today crush tomorrow deals.

 

Well i ran into the little Jeep pickup truck it was running driving truck with all new breaks i offered $300 for it the owner himed and hawed over it a while then took my offer . . .

 

9Mo later i'm glued to it and have started a revival & repower of it :thumbsup:

 

I'm going to restore the body, update the interior, upgrade the suspension and replace the drive train.

 

MJ short bed 2WD;

Current set up:

AMC-150 I4 / AX-4 / D35 with 3.73's / 235-75r15 tires, 14-16mpg :thumbsup:

 

New set up:

AMC-290 V8 / AX-15 / AMC-20 with 4.10's / 235-75R15 tires i'm told i should jump up to 15-17mpg :hmm:

 

 

anywho thats my MJ story whats yours ?

 

Mike

[jpdocdave]

i had been a dedicated xj and yj owner for years, and found myself wanting to haul things around, wishing i had a pick up truck. i really didn't care for ford or chevy trucks. one day putzing around online, on google images i ran across a picture of wade's truck on the first page. i said dang, thats it, i want one of those.

 

right away everyone wanted 3 grand, or nothing. but the ones that were cheap were no where near me to my knowledge. i posted a complaint about it on wrangler forum, and a guy from indiana said he's going to be selling one. my buddy and i drove 150 miles, picked her up, and i drove her home. it started snowing on the way home, worst blizzard i've ever driven in. first time i've seen white out conditions. we drove on the rumble strips because that was the only way to even know if you were still on the road, couldn't see 2 ft in front of you.

[ratrapp]

my grandmother bought it when it had 8k miles on it and less than ayear old.the original owner traded it in on a new mustang convertible at the local ford dealership.my grand mother drove it until my grandfather couldn't drive a stick shift anymore so then he drove it.then he had his licensce taken away so it got passed to me in early 2000 and i've been driving it ever since and will until either me or it's not able.it's only got 173k miles so i figure it's good for a few more.

[JACKED88]

How ....... Because I found one before I found a Chevy ZR-2.

 

Why ....... Because it was cheaper than a ZR-2.

 

Naaa, I've owned numerous XJ's and have always liked MJ's. However, to be honest I wasnt looking to buy an MJ until I ran across this one. Even knowing it needed some work It was to good a deal on a rust free near perfect interior truck to pass up.

 

 

 

For those who may not know what a ZR-2 is;

 

 

Look good lifted too;

 

[freakjeep93]

don't buy a s10 ever they eat wheel beaing ball joints and are a PITA to work on..

 

i got my first one when i was 13(17 now) its a 2wd 4cyl short box that i played around with untill i broke the frame. along the way we got my grampys old one (2wd 4.0 short box) for parts. then dad said the another one that he had lying around out back had a decent frame but was otherwise almost stripped so i got to rebuilding it a couple years ago. progress has been slow but i finished stripping it and now I'm slowly getting it back together.......

[Hick]

I got mine in a trade. I got tired of my 95 Neon so i put it up on CL for trade and this guy contacted me and said he had a Comanche to trade and i said I'm in. Next thing i know i had a Comanche!

[AMC-MJ]

:hmm: So some of you happened to fall into your MJ's like i did, Others Got there MJ's on purpose :thumbsup:

 

Very cool keep posting i am enjoying this, I find it enjoyable read as to how and or why you ended up with your MJ/MJ's :clapping: . . .

 

 

Mike

[ComancheKrazy]

My first vehicle was my Comanche. It didn't cost me a dime (to become the owner)...I don't know how much money I've dumped into it hahaha. JEEP...Just empty every pocket....it that aint the truth I don't know what is :brows: It was given to me by my adopted dad. I absolutely fell in love with it. I don't care what anyone sais. I'm told all the time I should scrap it/sell it/junk it ect. People just don't understand Jeep love. :drool: I'll eventually get this baby going good again.

[Comanche County]

How ....... Because I found one before I found a Chevy ZR-2.

 

Why ....... Because it was cheaper than a ZR-2.

 

Naaa, I've owned numerous XJ's and have always liked MJ's. However, to be honest I wasnt looking to buy an MJ until I ran across this one. Even knowing it needed some work It was to good a deal on a rust free near perfect interior truck to pass up.

 

 

 

For those who may not know what a ZR-2 is;

 

 

Look good lifted too;

 

 

Nice Truck ---- I'm referring to the MJ of course!

[Comanche County]

This is my first MJ experience: Back in Louisiana when I was a freshman in high school, my best friend 'Brian' and I talked our buddy (forgot his name, this was 89') into going deer hunting with us.

 

Brian had a brand new .243 rifle he needed to sight in. So we layed the rifle over the hood of our buddy's brand new MJ and took turns taking shots at stumps.

 

Brian got behind the rifle and shot,,,,but it sounded like someone hit a huge gong. We looked and saw that the shot, although was a couple of inches off the hood, still ripped a 12" long hole in the hood of the MJ. It peeled up the metal like flower petals.

 

Our friend immediately started freakin out that his dad was going to kill him so we cooked up a story that we were out in the woods and heard a bunch of shots and when we came back to the truck we found the hood like that....

 

It didn't work, our friend's dad didn't kill him but he ended up paying for the repairs.

 

The funny thing is that at the time I though the truck was an ugly piece of junk,,,,now I think MJs are the coolest thing on 4 wheels.

[deziped]

At one time I had owned an XJ with LS in front and rear & select trac, it was a go anywhere rig. Sold it somewhere along the way. Years later had a 97 Tahoe with new engine in it that I sold to my son real cheap (he robbed me) so I was looking for a small truck to use around home to haul trash etc.. I just happened to see an 88 2.5 SB on craigslist of make offer. Knowing that there were alot of cheap XJ JY parts available I figured this might be a good deal. Called the guy & picked it up for $300. Ran good & 4X4 and all worked good & rust free, but it was gutless. Gave it to my daughter. Started looking for a 4.0 MJ SB and located a similiar deal as the first one. Got it cheap cause the guy thought it was shot as oil was running straight through it (RMS) and the AW4 only worked in R and D (3rd). Replaced the RMS & 2 solenoids in the AW4 and it drove and still does like a champ. Rust free & 150k on it now.

 

 

2.5 in rear

[beepbeepmyredjeep]

My dad gave me my MJ. He bought it brand new in 1987, when I was just a little kid. I have loved that truck growing up, and I was delighted when he gave it to me once I was old enough to drive (and had learned how to drive a stick shift).

 

I'd never give it up for the world. If it ever dies, I'll rebuild it. Dies again, I'll rebuild it again.

 

This truck will stay with me until the day I die.

[JACKED88]

Nice Truck ---- I'm referring to the MJ of course!

 

THANKS!!! Now that I've done some of the repairs it desperately needed, I love it and wouldnt trade it for nothin. (including a ZR-2) As before, I've owned several XJ's and always liked MJ's but never saw myself owning one. Now that I do I like it better than any other mid sized truck out there. I think part of that is the looks I get from other 4x4 enthusiast. Some of um act like they've never seen an MJ before. :???: Ya gotta love it. :thumbsup:

 

[streetjeep2.5]

Back about 2002 needed a pickup. Owned a 94 XJ. While looking for the PU spotted an MJ in the back of a lot and remembered, "they did make a pu! I forgot!" Had 240,000 on it already, but mechanically seemed good, except for a lot of wander in the manual steering and it was covered with "green stuff" from not being truly washed for a long time, but underneath was a straight body with good paint and no rust. Have added another 100,000 miles to it. Manual steering gear replaced, and 2.5 overhauled, and she keeps on ticking!

[AMC-MJ]

All of the MJs I have seen got bookoo Miles on them all seem to have 250-350K miles on them.

So they sure can last that is for sure and being an American pickup truck I am sure they got loaded well beyond there ratings for most of there loaded miles.

 

 

Mike

[87Warrior]

Growing up my father worked for the local bank that had an 86 v6 4x4 MJ they used for repo's. That little truck even pulled a full sized blazer sitting on a car trailer from central TX to central KS. I always thought that white Jeep truck with orange graphics was the coolest thing.

 

Fast forward several years, I was in my final year of grad school and knew I would need a vehicle better on gas than my TJ. Wound up with a Miata for a few months until I realized that was a mistake. That was in the fall. I then remembered that cool Jeep truck the bank used to own (it is currently owned by a bank employee) and started my research. Sure enough the MJ shared much of its heart with the XJ, which I was real familiar with. I searched all winter for a truck but only found rusted out piles. (in hindsight, those would have worked great for me).

Then in my search I found a 'rust free' 92 with 185k on the factory drive train. Great! Drove the 5 hours to check it out. Couldn't drive it home as the owner did not have it registered or have a title in hand (carfax said the state of Mo received a title transfer 3 days prior). Plus it was shooting power steering fluid everywhere. Exchanged cash (way to much), a few signed documents, and got a uhaul to pull it home. Received the title, did some work to it, drove it to a successful interview, and now it is torn down to the shell (see my build). To top it off, for graduation my folks decided to cover the cost of rust repair and paint... I am now on the verge of taking advantage of that very generous gift.

 

I love my truck. :yes:

[AMC-MJ]

Mileage ? Hmm the MJ burns less fuel then a TJ ?

 

My MJ gets 14CTY-16HWY for MPGs, I currently have the 4banger soon to be an 8 banger . . .

 

 

Mike

[kastein]

My MJ gets 16mpg combined with me driving it like I stole it, 18 combined if I drive it sanely, and 23.something driving from rausch creek to massachusetts doing 55-65 the whole way... with 3/4 of a ton of stuff in it!

 

I got into my MJ because one of my friends on NAXJA posted a link to a rusty 600 dollar MJ on CL and said "someone buy this so I don't", didn't have the cash so I convinced a friend of mine he wanted it, he drove it for a few months and put a few hundred bucks in parts into it (which I helped install, so I know it was done right), then got another car and sold it to me for 800. Been daily driving it ever since.

[87Warrior]

Mileage ? Hmm the MJ burns less fuel then a TJ ?

 

My MJ gets 14CTY-16HWY for MPGs, I currently have the 4banger soon to be an 8 banger . . .

 

 

Mike

35s and 5.13s on my TJ yeilds 12mpg hwy and 15mpg city. MJ was a steady 19 combined.

[AMC-MJ]

Ah that explains the TJ.

 

Now how ya averaging 19 from the MJ ?

 

Mine floats between 14.8 - 15.2 during the winter and 15.5 - 15.7 during the summer.

 

I have the short bed 2WD ! 2.5 / AX4 /3.73s with 235/75R15 tires.

 

 

Mike

[streetjeep2.5]

:hijack:

[AMC-MJ]

WTH just passed an MJ just like mine only rust free with steal wheels asking. $2200OBO ! I should of stopped and got the run down for you guys but I was working n couldn't . . .

 

I actually thought about getting it myself but 1 tiny Compact truck is enough I don't need 2 knee bruisers . . .

 

 

Mike

[ComancheKrazy]

I think I've only personally seen 4 other comanche's outside of my own. It's always been when I'm driving. One I saw on my way to work was parked outside of a building that's being built, it was dark green, no rust, roll bar, with fog lights up top (of course I slowed WAY down to get a good look). :drool:

 

Another I was driving in mine on 291 and he crept up on me in the lane next to me, I looked over and he was looking at me with a smile (for once the comanche I was looking at was rustier than mine). :rotf:

 

Another I saw at the intersection of 291 and 78 highway (23rd street). I think it was like a bronze color..fairly decent shape. Nothing too special about it...outside of it being a comanche. :brows:

 

The last I saw was near my job. There's a housing section back behind where I work. All the time I see this guy in a white sporty looking MJ, just haulin' butt down the street. No rust, bright paint, nice decals, sounds great. Lets just say I've left work and hunted those housing editions looking for his truck with no luck. :wall:

 

This is why I love having an MJ, they are rare and don't really look like anything else. Very unique, and that's why I love driving them. Of course mine doesn't turn heads for the right reasons...but it turns heads none the less. :rotf: One day it will look great though...one day.

[wyk]

Bud owed me $700, so he gave me the MJ.

 

[AMC-MJ]

:???: Battle ship Grey ? . . . did it come with that grill ? it looks different then my MJ ? . . .

 

Mike