One of my dad's friends worked for AMC as a plant manager in the 70s and 80s. We bought our 79 Jeep Cherokee from him. We found out later that the reason it was so good was that he had it custom built at the factory and hand=-picked everything. It was a one-off, and a great family vehicle.
@@michaelb2226 Engine, carb, suspension, transmission, and I think there might have been a few other "but sir, that doesn't come with this model" bits.
One of the wrangler designers said the yj is why there is still a wrangler, the square headlights was to differentiate the yj from the cj to say see this is different this is safer
@@peterbiltxr379which is a damn shame. When I had my TJ, after a decade of wanting one, all I could think of is how shit it was compared to my old 90s Cherokee. Made me miss it, so I sold the TJ after 5 months or so. Did NOT live up to the hype at all.
The 4.0 is the best thing to ever happen to Jeeps though.... and although it kind of started in the Cherokee, it's original real home was the Wrangler YJ. It was much better than the 4.2 it replaced.
The 4.2 is a great motor to use to make a budget stroker motor though. Just plop the 4.0 heads and rocker arms, along with the fuel injection and you have a 4.5 liter stroker motor with gobs of torque.
I figured the rubber ducky thing was so when you hydrolocked your engine trying to cross a stream that you had no business trying to cross, you could tie a rescue note to the rubber ducky and float it downstream!
I'm with you, the square headlights and kinked grill are amazing. Personally I think the YJ has the best proportions of any Wrangler. I'd have one if I had a use for one, instead I have a similarly awesome MJ.
I remember when Nam vets were those older cousins to your buddy that you kinda kept your eye on, cause they did a lot of day drinking, even in their 30's.
As someone with HORRIBLE IBS (hell in the bathroom right now) the poop jokes actually makes me feel better about my issue and not as self-conscious. Thank you for that.
Only Mr. Regular can combine an informative, yet argumentative essay on a car, its history of the model and company behind it with the comedic timing of toilet humor, stereotypical humor about the model’s typical drivers and have such a soothing voice that keeps drawing the viewer in. Please, never change.
the other day i was talking to a family freind who told us shes planning on buying a jeep soon. she was obviously talking about getting a new one but my dad still interjected with "make sure you dont get one with square headlights" and i thought that was hilarious
The press at that time was doing hit pieces on everything. 60 Minutes had to doctor up a Suzuki Samurai with weights and mismatched tires so it would get tippy. They also rigged a Chevy pickup so the sidesaddle gas tanks would blow but got caught because the charges went off before the truck was actually hit. I have accidentally taken corners faster than I should have in my CJ-7 and I'm surprised how well it took them.
As a non Jeep guy, I like the look of the YJ! even the wipers, everything. Coming from a 1st gen CR-V, which is basically a bastard child of a YJ and a Defender if it Japanese.
In 2018 my 1st car was a red, 1995 YJ with a 4.0 . The thing sucked at literary everything. It was slow as hell, rickety, loud, got 13 mpg, and I have never felt more unsafe gping 65 mph. But the second that thing touched dirt, it became a completely different machine. It flew through farm roads, had more torque than I knew what to do with, handled wonderfully in the dirt, and never had a single mechanical issue. Its the only car I've driven that rode better off road than on road. My friend had a TJ, and while his was the better car, I still think my YJ was the better Jeep. Im totally biased, but nothing compares to the fun I had in my purpose built, leaf springed death box.
My first car was a red CJ-7 with the 2.5L. It was gearing limited to 55MPH but going over 40 was not recommended. It got 10MPG, 8 if the hubs were locked. Poor man's ABS: unassisted drum brakes barely powerful enough to stop. The top never sealed, which was fine as the A/C was taking the doors off. Roads that don't have bumps, have bumps. It was reliable when I only drove it twice a week. I'll never sell that car.
I’m a YJ owner. It’s definitely the black sheep of Jeeps. Many of us YJ owners don’t do the duck thing but we do the wave. It’s a fun little vehicle and it’s easy to work on. When I was looking for a Jeep I wanted the 4.0 and AX-15 which narrowed it down to the YJ and TJ. The YJ can be a better bargain if you don’t care about the round headlights and the spartan interior. I was able to pickup a very modified YJ for the same price as most stockish TJs with 50k more miles. The TJ is the pinnacle of Jeep evolution, the coil overs make for a much better ride and the TJ did away with the stupid central axle disconnect. The TJ has a larger aftermarket for modifications but the YJ still has a surprising amount of mods for its age. The Achilles heel to both generations the weak stock axles but you can get the Rubicon TJ with the superior D44. Both generations also need the Slip Yoke Eliminator to prevent your driveshaft falling off during severe articulation. Lucky a previous owner already installed a SYE in mine. I originally bought it as a hunting rig I can flat tow behind my truck. I never got the whole Jeep thing before I bought it. I just figured it cost less than a new side by side and it is road legal. After owning it I definitely see its charm. It’s just dumb fun. Now on to the negatives. The ride is terrible. I would not want to daily drive it. I upgraded to grease-able boomerang shackles and it helped immensely but coil overs are superior to leaf springs. It’s very slow. With stock gears and 33” tires it can barely hold 70mph on flat land. Hit any slope and you are downshifting. The only mod my Jeep lacks are upgraded axles. After I replace and re-gear the axles it should be closer to stock acceleration (I recently picked up an Explorer 8.8 from a junkyard). The final minor gripe is that there isn’t much interior room. After recovery gear, tools and a cooler there isn’t much left over for my girlfriend, dog and I. Before I bought my new truck I overlanded a bunch in a full sized SUV. I am a little spoiled for space but the Jeeps size is also its advantage. Modern trucks keep getting larger. My crew cab is just too big for where I want to go. In the Jeep I can get through tight switchbacks and I have got to places I couldn’t get to before. I tow it to my camp with my truck loaded with everything I need as a support vehicle set up camp and use the Jeep as a scout. It excels in this role. It gives me a bit more peace of mind having two vehicles in the deep woods where I hunt in the fall and scout in the spring and summer. Amazon has square headlights that have a round DRL ring and integrated blinker. I think it helps modernize the look of the YJ and installed them in mine but many in the YJ community dislike them because they look like the new Bronco headlights.
My 95 may have been terrible but it was also terrific and I miss it constantly. The 4L is from heaven and 4x4 always actuated for me. Square gang 4 life
My father used to have an '88 wrangler with the carbureted 4.2 liter inline-6 with a whopping 130hp with a single barrel carburetor. It was his first Jeep after he traded it for his old bronco. It would get about 12 mpg, which was fantastic compared to the whopping 5 mpg the bronco got, especially when gas was over $5/gallon after hurricane Katrina.
Ok. I thought I was Mandela'd into an alternate reality or some shit. I was absolutely sure I'd heard and seen the ducks before COVID. Maybe it was a different pandemic in Canada and he misspoke??
A guy in my town has a MINT YJ that he shoe-horned a supercharged 3.6 PENTASTAR into. Since the 3.6 has large external dimensions, I asked him "why not just get a Hemi or some other small block V8?" He stated he wanted a challenge and wanted to be different. The dude is an excellent fabricator and needed those skills to put the 3.6 in and keep all of the 4x4 system functioning. It's a sweet build. He's never dyno'd it but he thinks it has probably at LEAST 400HP and boy it feels like it. Fuckin thing RIPS. Great vid as always, Mr. REG & Romie. ❤❤
I remember seeing lots of jeeps with TONS of ducks on the beach as a kid DECADES before covid... I feel like its been a thing for a while now, don't know WHY,, but I don't think it "started" recently?
i had a 4 cylinder YJ with too much lift, tires that has zero reason to be on it and a 5 speed, meaning with the big mudders it was really a 3 speed with 2 extra gears you couldnt use. the entire thing had been bed linered inside and out, the seats were vinyl, it was the WORST thing ive ever owned, and i miss it to this day
You think the old jeep guys didn’t like the YJ back in the day? You should have seen them when the Renegade trim came out with all its boxy flares. They were so mad, yet my teenage brain at the time thought it looked awesome with 33’s.
I always liked the square headlights and turn signals. They were brought in to give it an 80s update. After all, we were moving away from round headlights everywhere back then. It was when they brought back the round headlights that I thought it was weird, but it's understandable since we've started the whole "retro" look for everything in a car.
My dad had an 86 Jeep CJ7, black with blue stripes with Renegade written on it. As a kid we used to take the top and doors off and go for tours all the time. But as a truck driver he would drive it In the winter and it would sit parked 2 to 3 weeks covered in salt and grime and over time it rotted into dust... some kid bought it as a parts vehicle just a couple years ago. I would have loved to have owned a Jeep but I could never afford one.
I have a CJ-7 that my grandfather bought for $800 in 2005. It had some rust, minor by CJ standards. I was careful not to drive it much in the winter and always clean it afterwards back when it was my only car. In the summer, it's a blast to take the doors and windows off. I'll never sell it.
I recall that the automotive journalists of the time said that the YJ's suspension was much improved over the CJ, mostly due to the expertise of Renault. Context is everything, I guess.
People can call it ugly all they want. This is my favorite iteration of the wrangler. I love the square headlights. All it needs is a coil suspension swap and to me it’s the perfect jeep. 4.0 in line 6 cylinder reliability and a unique front grille. I love the YJ to death.
I own a Jeep YJ listen. I'm an adult. Don't give me a rubber duck you like my Jeep. Put a beer. Just chuck a beer into my Jeep. What he's not telling you is that the ducks are actually for the Jeep swingers and the different colors and different style of ducks actually show what you're willing to do.
The main problems with these were the frames that rusted out easily and the weld-nuts on the insides of the body panels sometimes break off when you try to unbolt them, and almost all of the body panel bolts are 30 year old torx, which will strip out and ruin your bits no matter how careful you are.
Mu cousins YJ and my parents wagoneer is what sparked my love of jeeps.. and now 3 TJ's one ZJ and a 4 door JK later my son wants one for his first car..
I had one. 1990 5sp 4.0 black soft and hd top. Never removed the hard top. Fun on smooth roads. Loud on highest and a kidney buster with the leaf springs.
Have seen one of these so rusted that when u touch the frame shards fall off, the gas tank is held on by chains. Still running on the beach no problem.
I had a 4banger and I loved her so much even though 60 was hauling ass. i broke 3 leafs and could never keep enough oil in it. but i loved her so much.
I remember when they came out. The Foxbody was always ugly. It had drag racing prowess, not good looks, especially the later ones. Regarding Jeeps, the slant they added to the grill on the Jk has always bothered me leagues more than the rectangular headlights of they YJ. Honestly, after driving around in my buddies’ XJ for a few years, I legitimately like the YJ lights.
I kinda like the YJ for being the middle child. The TJ still feels like a modern car in most ways. I think the yj is neat where it stands, still antique in the modern age, they kept it simple. The Tj's coil suspension's performance is great, but getting bucked from your seat on leaf springs is an old jeep thing we miss out on today.
Hey man, remember to stop and breathe the air and smell the flowers. Life brings a lot of different emotions and humans are a difficult bunch (putting it mildly). Just wanting to spread some love your way.
Had a 93 same color but with the gray interior. Came with the turquoise splash stickers on the side. The first warm day I peeled them off, lol. Had the same CB installed as well. The YJ was the best jeep. Only knock was 5th gear was about useless unless you were going down hill. My mom had bought a 99 TJ (same color as the video) which we still have. It's been a good jeep but I would take the YJ any day.
Ever heard the sound of the electric power steering in JLs? I always thought it had something to do with those ducks. Keep that in mind next time your near a JL in a parking lot, you'll get it.
Growing up surrounded by Jeep culture, I never knew the square headlights were weird. Most everyone in our Jeep club and all of my family that had Jeeps had Cherokees or YJs since they were dailies in addition to trail rigs
Man, I've been watching your videos for about 6 years, now. I love how they have evolved over time finding a perfect blend between real life, comedy, real review, and real opinion. This video is a climax of sort for me. It's absolutely my favorite one so far. I just wish there was a lesbian Subaru joke in there somewhere. I'm not a Jeep guy, but I kinda want to be one, now.
I had a '94 for a while, well, I guess I still have it, but it hasn't ran in 10 years and I haven't been able to afford to fix what all needs done in that time. I miss that thing. One day she'll ride again.
Maybe I was an on the spectrum child, but I was always fixated on the "Jeep's with the square headlights", I always thought they were the coolest as a kid. This only increased when I played Silent Hill 1 for PS1 where the protagonist Harry Mason drove a Red YJ Wrangler with some white on the sides. To this day the YJ Wrangler is my favorite style of Jeep
4 liter straight six. My mom had a jeep grand Cherokee with one of those that lasted 17 years and like 200 something thousand miles not a single problem.
17:27 side note, if you are OK with a two door Sport with a soft top, the 2024 model MSRP is $31995, so it's more expensive but not overtly so, and the next trim up is the Sport S for $3600 more in two door form. All it adds is electronic junk (forward collision warning, adaptive cruise,) power windows and locks, aluminum wheels (same size tho), and the more expensive to replace Gorilla Glass branded windshield. But a V8 is available, if you have $92K to spend on a freaking Wrangler with a 392 Hemi.
That fuel injection didn't in the 4.0 come until 1991 in the renegade trim. Neither did that ax-5 or 15. Oh boy! That 4.2 with the electronically controlled carb. Oof! Oh and that PEUGEOT BA 10/5 trans. Basically made of glass.
Jeep enthusiasts liked it just fine. I know because I was one. I've owned a YJ, TJ, JK and I still havena JKU. The square lights got shit, but thevrest of it was loved. And there are probably more YJs on the road now than TJs because the TJs all rotted out so badly. The TJ is by far the favorite and I still miss it terribly. By far the biggest safety improvement that saved more lives than airbags was the considerably wider track.
another reason the 90's ROCKED (every pun intended) my YJ was terrific! with all the nonsense these days, it's still a great vehicle that you can make "yours." you can even give it round headlights
There’s something special about the clunky yet charming nature of YJ that I find so appealing. Will it be comfortable? Nope! But will it get you there? Absolutely.
