The draw to the MJ

[Limeyjeeper]

I have just always like the look. Great design. Totally proportional. Rides really well and is the perfect size for zipping around. I got my first in 2006 in Illinois. Had the bug ever since. Wherever I go people always want to know more about it. It has a rarity that peaks peoples interest. Yes it is noisy and somewhat unreliable but it is simple and cheap to fix except for the wiring harness. Whoever designed that should have put the bong down first lol!!

[gogmorgo]

18 minutes ago, Limeyjeeper said:

 except for the wiring harness.

What’s wrong with the wiring harness, beyond it being 30 years old?

[Limeyjeeper]

I have completely pulled a wiring harness apart for my LS build including the cab. The grounding and what circuits they strung together is bizarre. Look at the interior light circuits for example they made it so unnecessarily complicated. Too few grounds and way too many splices. They couldn't even keep the wire colors consistent half the time. If you look at a GM LS harness it is much better. I might still build a new dash harness. IMHO I bet I could use about 30% less wires and splices. Just tracing circuits is incredibly complicated for what is a pretty simple truck.

[OldSch88L]

When I was growing up in a rural town, my uncle and cousins lived across the street from us, and one day came home with a midnight blue '86 XJ with gold "Cherokee" stickers on the lower doors, white steel wheels and butterscotch interior, that he bought from another uncle that bought it brand new like a year before. Me and my cousin (which is a year oklder than me) both fell in love with that Jeep; it was the perfect vehicle to our eyes. So imagine my amazement when the Comanche came out and saw my first one on the road! I couldn't beleive they made a pick-up out of my uncle's truck! Anyways, I had great memories of his XJ, going fishing with my cousins and such. So when I started searching for a compact (I'm 6'1" and hate big vehicles, always had compact and sub-compact cars), 4x4, manual truck that would have offroad potential, solid axles and simple, easy-to-fix tech and drivetrain, the MJ came to mind. Ticked all the boxes, and that front end and grill brung back so many memories that I started saving and looking. They say "never meet your heroes", but I'm glad I did in that case. It's better than I thought it would be, more comfortable and roomier than my '98 Ranger, and easier to get in and out of, and there's just something about all the little details that always makes me look forward to driving it! It's like that truck was made for me, and I'd buy them all if I could! Not to hoard them but to save and restore them all so that more people get a chance to know how great these little trucks were, and see how downhill trucks went, offering you more, but actually giving you less, if you know what I mean!!!

[jeff351]

My draw was having a small truck that fits in my garage and one that I can do 99% of the work myself.  Comanche fits the bill nicely. I don't like how new trucks keep getting bigger and bigger. I did some research before buying mine, this website and the info it provides is a big reason why I decided to buy my MJ. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pete M]

first one:  needed a truck. wanted a Jeep.  turns out I didn't need to flip a coin   

 

second one: bought for the 4x4 drivetrain but never ended up using it to convert #1 and just kept it

 

third one: bought for the engine, then gave the body away

 

4th one:  given to me (who can turn down a free rust free MJ? even if there's no drivetrain or interior you don't say no)

 

5th one:  bought to make an AWD winter beater out of it

 

6th one:  who can say no to a 1 owner low mileage MJ?

 

 

 

1, 4 and 6 are still in my possession