Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator

Things Chrysler did a great job on with the TJ

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Did a 60 mile round trip on the freeway for a doctor visit. Half doors and only a bikini top.

I need a hair tie.
Congratulations.

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not sure if the tj hardtop was prone to leaks when new but, my 06 leaks more with hardtop and doors on than with top and doors off and a trail cover on.

have replaced door seals twice, first were crown and were no good. second time i went with mopar and these were not easy to find.

also replaced windshield/cowl seal and windshield header seal with mopar.

water only gets in while sitting still, never while moving. i have about decided that jeeps are supposed to leak. smdh!

in the end it’s still the most fun vehicle i’ve owned other than my motorcycle.
 
Started driving a WWII vintage Jeep in the Navy. Hurricane 4 sounded like it was going to explode all the time. Bought a new CJ-7 in '78 and drove it everywhere, even from NY to KC one winter. Leaf springs - clunk-clunk over every highway expansion joint for 1200 miles. Steel doors on inside were so cold your hand or arm would stick to them. Defroster was useless - drove like Elwood Blues looking through a little patch of clear. Followed a Jeno's Pizza truck last 300 miles through the snow. Dashboard was a slab of steel with some gauges. Fuel gauge stopped working after 3 weeks. Engine had more vacuum lines than you could count.
Bought my 2006 LJR after the last kinder moved out. Seems to me that Jeep fixed almost everything wrong with the CJ. I don't like the plastic, particularly, but it doesn't get so cold as the steel. Also, has AC (in a Jeep?). Basically, the same engine with a better transmission and a lot fewer vacuum hoses. Everything is better.
I remember the reports on TV about the CJs rolling over. Well, doh, I think you can make a lot of vehicles roll over if you drive like an idiot. The next Jeep was going to be wider and lower and have a V-8. Thankfully, it didn't happen that way and there was enough noise to keep Jeep/Chrysler on track. Of course, they sold out to the marketing and legal departments for the next version after the TJ.
 
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This pretty much sums it up for me.
For me, the best thing about the TJ is that is still a rough and tumble Jeep, but the suspension and minivan interior bring it, kicking and screaming, into the 20th century. I can't do a YJ. I'm growing to apprciate them, but they drive like absolute garbage (at least the ones I've driven do). A JK just doesn't have the soul of a TJ. They are too "nice" and watered down. I've thought about this a lot, as I contemplate tearing my whole Jeep down, yet again, to replace something else rusty (frame). Should I just sell it and get a JK? My dad has a JK and its really nice. But...it doesn't feel like a Jeep to me.

So, what did they get right? They got the soul right. They nailed the styling. The rest of it was pretty run of the mill stuff. The suspension was almost entirely cribbed from a ZJ of the era, so nothing groundbreaking there. The 4.0 has been around as long as dirt in some form or another.

I do think the later models, esp the Rubicon, REALLY got to the roots of what a Jeep should be. The skid plates, tow hooks, factory lockers, etc. the Rubicon basically invented the Factory trail ready rig...and that can't be understated. Every one of the Big automakers now offer something that purpots to be like it (raptor, TRD, ZR2, TRX, etc). They started a whole movement...and THAT is really cool.

Killer. Got the soul right.

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Something about that rear seat position is unique and awesome. When I put the kids back there they are high up and have a great view, and are resting their arms on the wheel wells! It’s just cool for cruising around town or local class six roads and trails. There’s no other vehicle like that.

Top off, doors off, it’s the best. Jeep got that right.
 
Started driving a WWII vintage Jeep in the Navy. Hurricane 4 sounded like it was going to explode all the time. Bought a new CJ-7 in '78 and drove it everywhere, even from NY to KC one winter. Leaf springs - clunk-clunk over every highway expansion joint for 1200 miles. Steel doors on inside were so cold your hand or arm would stick to them. Defroster was useless - drove like Elwood Blues looking through a little patch of clear. Followed a Jeno's Pizza truck last 300 miles through the snow. Dashboard was a slab of steel with some gauges. Fuel gauge stopped working after 3 weeks. Engine had more vacuum lines than you could count.
Bought my 2006 LJR after the last kinder moved out. Seems to me that Jeep fixed almost everything wrong with the CJ. I don't like the plastic, particularly, but it doesn't get so cold as the steel. Also, has AC (in a Jeep?). Basically, the same engine with a better transmission and a lot fewer vacuum hoses. Everything is better.
I remember the reports on TV about the CJs rolling over. Well, doh, I think you can make a lot of vehicles roll over if you drive like an idiot. The next Jeep was going to be wider and lower and have a V-8. Thankfully, it didn't happen that way and there was enough noise to keep Jeep/Chrysler on track. Of course, they sold out to the marketing and legal departments for the next version after the TJ.

Convertibles should live out of the elements. Jeeps may be tough(and one of the most awesome convertibles),but hard or soft top they are Convertibles.

Speaking of vacuum lines out of control. I recently put a chevy style hei and non computer controlled bbd carb on a friends 89 yj. Man that thing had so many vacuum switches,thermoswitches an crap running everywhere it was rediculous!
 
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For me, the TJ was a pretty obvious "best" as someone that likes late 90s early 00s vehicles.

When I was looking for a car to get into offroading, knowing next to nothing, the choices were:

Early gen Xterras: Unibody, IFS, whatever that 3.5 they had before the vq35 (poopoo motor, similar HP to the 4.0, less torque, less reliability), VQ33 supercharged (basically same performance as the previous motor but way more complicated)

4runners/tacomas: IFS, unibody, 22re (not more reliable than the 4.0 to justify sub-100 HP/torque) HUGE con IMO, wayyyyyy overpriced

YJs: Too primitive, leafs vs. 4 coil springs told me to not consider YJ over a TJ

XJs: Unibody, seems to have issues with cooling that the TJ doesn't. Oh also more lame leafs

Fullsize vehicles: too expensive, too big, not fun to drive in the same way, IFS by this era



To me, the objective comparison was pretty obvious, nothing in the era really could compete with the TJ for what I was looking for. Because then with the Tj you get:
  • 4 coil springs
  • climate control
  • radio, modern dash
  • full frame
  • solid axles
  • reliable and decently powerful motor
  • soft top / hard top / no top
  • fits on all CO trails
 
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For me, the TJ was a pretty obvious "best" as someone that likes late 90s early 00s vehicles.

When I was looking for a car to get into offroading, knowing next to nothing, the choices were:

Early gen Xterras: Unibody, IFS, whatever that 3.5 they had before the vq35 (poopoo motor, similar HP to the 4.0, less torque, less reliability), VQ33 supercharged (basically same performance as the previous motor but way more complicated)

4runners/tacomas: IFS, unibody, 22re (not more reliable than the 4.0 to justify sub-100 HP/torque) HUGE con IMO, wayyyyyy overpriced

YJs: Too primitive, leafs vs. 4 coil springs told me to not consider YJ over a TJ

XJs: Unibody, seems to have issues with cooling that the TJ doesn't. Oh also more lame leafs

Fullsize vehicles: too expensive, too big, not fun to drive in the same way, IFS by this era



To me, the objective comparison was pretty obvious, nothing in the era really could compete with the TJ for what I was looking for. Because then with the Tj you get:
  • 4 coil springs
  • climate control
  • radio, modern dash
  • full frame
  • solid axles
  • reliable and decently powerful motor
  • soft top / hard top / no top
  • fits on all CO trails

Check out Fullsizeinvasion on the you tubes.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator