when i get time i will post a photo which earned its name Nugget,
the wife prefers MHB “Money Hungry Bitch”
the wife prefers MHB “Money Hungry Bitch”
Who's owned their TJ the longest? Bought mine in September 2002
- Thread starter Wildman
- Start date
Stock, 1999 model year, bought in August of ‘98
2” budget boost and 31’s
4” lift and 33’s and 9” rear end
Some flare trimming and clapped out 36’s:
Teraflex’s first long arm kit (horrible) and 37’s:
Full width hp44 and 9”, 100” wheelbase on flipped XJ leafs in the rear, which besides the horrendous axle wrap, actually worked ok crawling:
Flopped it in July of 2007, ripped the traction bar right off the 9” and tore the axle tube. After this it sat for 11 years.
Start of the resurrection in 2018:
First rendition getting it running again:
4 link rear and back to stock wheelbase so I can have a backseat again:
And now it’s current configuration, keeping for my son to have as his first vehicle, here he is, 12, already knows how to drive stick:
It mostly sits until he gets older, it only has 80,000 miles, but they’ve been tough!
I bought myself a LJ and LS swapped it:
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Wildman
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When I was stationed @ Ft Ord in the early 90's I bought some of the raffle tickets for the Jeep they had at that time.... This is a VERY COOL story and I agree I'd hang onto that Jeep forever.
Love the little diesel swap... Some day I'd like to see one.
Thanks for sharing more about it. Lucky kid too.... And great dad.... Well until you mentioned the LS swap...
I definitely want to run some of those trails in your neck of the woods. We love the Eastern side of WA too. One day i’ll get out there with you
Wildman
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You'll get a chance to ask all the questions you want in July.... I tend to talk too much at times.... Plus I LOVE talking about my money pit.
TJRick
TJ Enthusiast
I purchased my 1998 model in March of 1999.
I still remember the day I found it. I was 24 years old and I was driving a 1996 Ford F150, which I hated as a daily driver. I tired to find a nice used CJ7 to have fun with on the beach, but all the ones I could find were beat to death and the owners were asking way too much. So I decided to sell my truck and just buy a newer Wrangler and buy an older pickup truck later on instead.
After all, with the round headlamps, the new Wrangler looked almost like a CJ, right?
My first vehicle was a 1988 Ford Bronco II (remember those?), and I loved it, so the Wrangler seemed to be the obvious choice. Except I had to have one in black (like my truck) with a hard top, and it had to have the 4.0 engine with an automatic transmission (I had to keep one hand free for the babes). But I hated the brown interiors then and I still hate them now. That narrowed my choice down to a Sport model. A few months later, I found a Wrangler for sale in the local Carolina trader magazine with everything I wanted on it about an hour away that was described as having "all the toys." It had every option available, except for the Dana 44 and the 3.73 axle ratio, which later became my only regret. I didn't know anything about axles and gear ratios at the time, but it did have the larger factory 30" tires with Gambler wheels. It had very cool silver stripes running down the side that I thought was unique and badass - it reminded me of something a CJ7 would have on it. To this day, I still think MY Jeep is still the best looking TJ I have ever seen!
I went to college and dated my girlfriend in this Jeep. Later, I drove us home from our wedding and went on our honeymoon in this Jeep. Later still, I drove my now 15 year-old son to preschool and then school in this Jeep. Everyone knows me by this Jeep, since I have had had it for so long. I think a lot of people also like the fact that I have managed to keep it for all of these years, when they have since went through many vehicles in the same time I have owned it.
Over the years, I have only done rather minor modifications. First, I added a 2" suspension lift to make it look good. Then I swapped my axle ratio from a 3.07 to a 4.10, and I plan to perhaps upgrade the rear axle to a Super 35 one day. I swapped to TJ Moab wheels along with Rubicon fender flares a few years ago.
And that is what keeps my Jeep exciting to me. I wouldn't trade my 1998 model for a newer model - not even a Rubicon!
I still remember the day I found it. I was 24 years old and I was driving a 1996 Ford F150, which I hated as a daily driver. I tired to find a nice used CJ7 to have fun with on the beach, but all the ones I could find were beat to death and the owners were asking way too much. So I decided to sell my truck and just buy a newer Wrangler and buy an older pickup truck later on instead.
After all, with the round headlamps, the new Wrangler looked almost like a CJ, right?
My first vehicle was a 1988 Ford Bronco II (remember those?), and I loved it, so the Wrangler seemed to be the obvious choice. Except I had to have one in black (like my truck) with a hard top, and it had to have the 4.0 engine with an automatic transmission (I had to keep one hand free for the babes). But I hated the brown interiors then and I still hate them now. That narrowed my choice down to a Sport model. A few months later, I found a Wrangler for sale in the local Carolina trader magazine with everything I wanted on it about an hour away that was described as having "all the toys." It had every option available, except for the Dana 44 and the 3.73 axle ratio, which later became my only regret. I didn't know anything about axles and gear ratios at the time, but it did have the larger factory 30" tires with Gambler wheels. It had very cool silver stripes running down the side that I thought was unique and badass - it reminded me of something a CJ7 would have on it. To this day, I still think MY Jeep is still the best looking TJ I have ever seen!
I went to college and dated my girlfriend in this Jeep. Later, I drove us home from our wedding and went on our honeymoon in this Jeep. Later still, I drove my now 15 year-old son to preschool and then school in this Jeep. Everyone knows me by this Jeep, since I have had had it for so long. I think a lot of people also like the fact that I have managed to keep it for all of these years, when they have since went through many vehicles in the same time I have owned it.
Over the years, I have only done rather minor modifications. First, I added a 2" suspension lift to make it look good. Then I swapped my axle ratio from a 3.07 to a 4.10, and I plan to perhaps upgrade the rear axle to a Super 35 one day. I swapped to TJ Moab wheels along with Rubicon fender flares a few years ago.
And that is what keeps my Jeep exciting to me. I wouldn't trade my 1998 model for a newer model - not even a Rubicon!
Wildman
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Yes .... For sure... Welcome anytime. If mine ever gets out of the garage I'll be glad to show you around.
There has to be one or two Ford guys rolling over in their grave with you planning on swapping a Hemi into that truck.
Thanks for sharing more about it. Lucky kid too.... And great dad.... Well until you mentioned the LS swap...
That mod of the 100’s I’ve done, brings the biggest smile to my face. 110% recommend!
Wildman
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It's a fun disagreement between a few of us on here.... Nothing wrong with it & yes ANY V-8 swap is worth the miles worth of smiles.
Wildman
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My dad was the original owner of my '02 TJ. He build it with lockers F&R, 33s, 2.5" SL, 1.25" BL, armor, winch and wheeled it a lot in Washington, Oregon and took it to Moab once. In 2014, I bought it off of him and have been building it and wheeling it since. So 12 years dad, 11 years me.
Wildman
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For sure haven’t owned mine the longest but bought my ‘01 TJ in Jan 2015 for 9k with 117k
I’ve always liked off roading but never knew I needed a Jeep until I did.
The day I brought her home
ditched the canyon wheels for black Steelies and decided I need tube fenders.
Next stop was metal cloak fenders, I know I know. The wife always jokes, you just had to have those fenders. I think it wore the tube fenders for a couple of years before I went with MC’s in 2017 after a deployment. Before another deployment I decided to preemptively spend that money by adding F/R ARB’s and everything for the axles needed to run 35’s
2022, ditched the steelies for icon rebound pro’s and in 2024 added GR hilines. And this is how it currently sits waiting for my return from my last deployment.
I’ve always liked off roading but never knew I needed a Jeep until I did.
The day I brought her home
Next stop was metal cloak fenders, I know I know. The wife always jokes, you just had to have those fenders. I think it wore the tube fenders for a couple of years before I went with MC’s in 2017 after a deployment. Before another deployment I decided to preemptively spend that money by adding F/R ARB’s and everything for the axles needed to run 35’s
2022, ditched the steelies for icon rebound pro’s and in 2024 added GR hilines. And this is how it currently sits waiting for my return from my last deployment.
Bought my 06 in early 07.
No sexy story to be told. Living in FL it gets driven down some fire trails in WMA's. Not much true offroading to be had here.
83k on the clock.
Edit to add...this is the 2nd longest onwership of all of my vehicles. My 1998 911 is the oldest ant it has a tad over 8k miles.
No sexy story to be told. Living in FL it gets driven down some fire trails in WMA's. Not much true offroading to be had here.
83k on the clock.
Edit to add...this is the 2nd longest onwership of all of my vehicles. My 1998 911 is the oldest ant it has a tad over 8k miles.
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CJ with a TJ
TJ Enthusiast
Bought mine brand new in July 2002, I'm the only one she's known. 
Wildman
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Bought mine brand new in July 2002, I'm the only one she's known.
Cool
I've owned my TJ about twice as long as any relationship I've been in... Doesn't say much for my relationship skills...
I'm the only one she's known.
Who knows what goes on in the parking lot when you are at work !!
CJ with a TJ
TJ Enthusiast
But wait, I think you're wrong.
Hear me out. You find a fine nice lady and have a five year fling. After the romance is over you trade her in for a newer model. Sound about right? So now let's examine your relationship with your jeep. You love the way she runs and drives but after three short years you dislike her and the lust is gone. Then you climb on the interwebs and find some appliances to bolt on and make that fat lady sexy again. Whether it is a new set of balloons to grab or pumping some iron into it to keep the junk in the trunk, you find something to make it special again.
With as many times as you remodeled your jeep over the years the relationships have lasted longer than the romance. I hope at least when you traded your girls you at least got some bumpers or ujoints for her.
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