Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

This ad makes the TJ look so fresh!

Neil Sears

TJ Enthusiast
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Oct 21, 2018
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Location
Big Bear, CA
This wheel ad popped up on my Facebook feed and I’m sure in this group there’s gonna be other people that feel the same way, because it looks so fresh almost like it’s a contemporary ad for Jeep.

If Jeep were to reissue the TJ as a limited special edition, I think it would be a hit.

OK, I know that’s fantasy land and will never happen so I’m not looking for a reality check. This post is definitely more of a what if?

 
In so many ways the TJ is impractical. It gets lousy mileage and it has no storage space if you have the back seat, which is also tiny. For them to re-release it they would have to update a number of safety & fuel economy things to even bring it to market. WE love them, and many other people like looking at them, but very few people actually want one as-is. So you'd have to update it.

And that is basically the story of how we got the 2-door JK & JL. They "fixed what was wrong" with the TJ and modernized it. Some would say they improved it, some would say they ruined it. But it's just the next evolution of the already perfect platform (I say that somewhat tongue-in-cheek).

They re-relased the Bronco but it had what, 30 years since it was in production? So you had all that nostalgia built up, but it's not the same Bronco. They basically "JK'd" the old one and ended up with a modernized thing that only bears some evidence of it's namesake's DNA. It would be like if the YJ and TJ never existed and then they re-released the CJ. It would be the JL and there would've been a pre-order waitlist for a thing that we all revile for the most part.
 
I wish they'ed reintroduce the CJ's. Unfortunately however they would be piles of electronic crap like everything made these days.

If I ever get “fuck you rich” I would for sure build a CJ5 with modern suspension and drivetrain but without all the electronic crap. Keep it as analog as possiable. I would have no problem building it as a $100k ground up project but I wouldn’t change much cosmetically!
 
I miss riding in a CJ and tipping over on every off-camber obstacle. Two nice ones locally. 🥳
CJ 1971 1.jpg

Trader Joe Jeep1.jpg
 
If I ever get “fuck you rich” I would for sure build a CJ5 with modern suspension and drivetrain but without all the electronic crap. Keep it as analog as possiable. I would have no problem building it as a $100k ground up project but I wouldn’t change much cosmetically!

I loved the tailgate and the steel dash! I don’t remember having much plastic anywhere.
A lot to not love too. That spare tire on the rear fender. The roll bar wasn’t tied to the windshield, and it rolled over too easy! Air conditioning was taking the top off!.
 
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In 1979 I was living in W. Seattle since the ship I was stationed on was in Todd Shipyards for an overhaul.
Seattle is usually damp, rainy and in the 40s during the winter, but the winter of 1979 the temperatures were dropping into the low 30s and high 20s which gave us snow.
Several of us decided to move out on town and rent a duplex on Alkai Beach.
One of the roommates decided to buy a beige 1979 CJ5 with 304 V8 for driving to and from the ship and out into the rural areas outside of Seattle.
During one heavy snow the roommate made good money offering to pull stuck vehicles up hills and out of snow banks.
This was my first experience with Jeeps and I have been enamored with them ever since.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts