I bought one new (August 1, 1996) and still have it. Build date April 1996. When I saw this review back in the day, it was part of what made me want one. I was driving a 1979 J-10 truck at the time.
Graduated in 1997. I wanted one of these ever since. I just got my first jeep - (a 2002 TJ) a few weeks ago from a buddy (he sold it for $1000 bucks) I feel like a little kid. I dream of restoring it and maybe converting the 2.5 4cyl to electric plug in.
I own this Jeep,, ,Bought it for 5000 in 2018 with 120,000 miles on it. I have now put 5000 miles on it myself, and the only thing I can say is, "I frickin" LOVE IT!!! PURE AWESOMENESS!
Bought an '03 a month ago. It topped 100k miles. Paid a bit too much at 7100 USD, put another 4500 USD into bouncy and steery stuff, couldn't be happier. Gonna do a thousand in paint and stuff then 750 in new tires. All in all, I'll prolly have close to 14k in it. Is is worth it? You be the judge. At 40k for a brand new one, I'm still 26k ahead.
@@markiskool I just bought a 2017 unlimited sport with 50k and hard top perfect condition for 25k. its better than paying 50k plus for a brand new one. I love it too!
Got a 98 Wrangler exactly like the red one in this review. 212,000 miles and running strong. Nothing on the market today is even close to this reliability.
@@theknubbles5075 Yeah, that's probably a big factor, that and the Inline 6 nature of its engine probably puts down a boat load of torque in low RPM and runs out of breath at higher speeds, hence the impressive 0-60 but lukewarm 1/4 mile time/speed.
I absolutely love my '02 Wrangler Islander. 109K miles on the original 4.0L and 32RH, did an extensive body and frame restoration 10 months ago to original factory specs. Incredibly reliable and an all-around great vehicle. I plan on keeping her for the rest of my life!
Yup - I was very impressed with that as well. An I6 Wrangler is actually faster than a V6 Mustang of the same year! (although it does make sense - both weigh about 3200 lbs, but the Wrangler has more torque)
@@michaelramsey82 Also the optional lower gears helped. My 01 had the 3:73 gears I believe it was. My boss was playing around showing off and tried to race me in his V8 full size truck with automatic. The Jeep with the 5 speed and low gears smoked him lol.
I bought my 97 Sahara in 98 with 8k miles on it. It now has 220,000 miles on it with the original starter, alternator and never been inside the engine. I have replaced the radiator. Other than having the transmission issue years ago, the only other problem I recall having was some plastic piece inside the distributor broke causing it to skip. I've own several vehicles in my 60 plus years and this one has been the most reliable. If my daughter doesn't want it... they'll probably bury me in it. Lol....
My 98 is all original except for the radiator (developed a leak), the wheels (not the ones that came on it from the factory, but they were an option that year. They were on it when I bought it), the radio (also replaced before my ownership) and the alternator. Has 188,000 miles on it.
Man I miss my TJ! It is still on the road, the gent that bought it from me 7 years ago lives a few blocks over and it has 210,000 miles on it last I spoke to him- lol And it still looks good 👍🏼
@@finecorinthianvideos I’m a big AMC fan. I’ve owned a 73 AMX for over 20 years. I picked the TJ because it was the last wrangler built using AMC parts.
I’d get a brand new TJ tomorrow if these were still made exactly like this. Bought a 2000 new, and when that rusted out, I got an 08 JK new.....hated it....sold if for a 2006 TJ. Will never sell it.
still have my 99 tj with dana 44 axles and 40 inch tires 4:88 gears 6 inch lift 5 speed had it for 16 years has 365,000 and going wouldn't trade it for nothing
@@mezzano8954 if it gets too many miles you can buy a brand new engine off line rite? A brand new 4.0 in line 6, I've seen them there only a few thousand but I dont know how much it costs for labor. Why do people get engine rebuilds instead of new engines????? I get the money issue but why else?????
My dad just bought a 99' SE with a 5 speed manual. It's a 4 cylinder sadly but still a lot of fun!!! Now I want one myself! A 2002 or older Sahara with a 5 speed manual, cruise control and air conditioning in dark green. Wish me luck!!!
As an (original) owner of a 2.5L, I can tell you that the 4.0 has better fuel economy because the AMC 2.5L struggles to accommodate the increased weight of the TJ (particularly with a hard top and gear). Otherwise the 2.5L has been an amazing Jeep for me all these years. TJs were last of it’s breed and I can probably get close to the base 1999 MSRP today if I wanted it.
I’m so happy with my trusty TJ. I’m here just checking out side decals for the sport so I can get them updated/refreshed and this is a nice video to watch.
Awesome Jeep. The new jeeps are refined but if u mess up the interior especially with all the tech. Good luck 5 year warranty is not enough. Plus the price is sooo high.
that TJ Unlimited was definitely one of a kind. the longer wheel base also made it more pleasant to drive, especially on the roads here in PA. they go for an insane amount of money on craigslist. i can't justify buying one since i already have a TJ and a 2016 JKU, and a Honda Civic. i've run out of driveway space lol
I had this exact model TJ, a 1997. 5-speed, 4.0 L and 3.73 gears. This thing was very fast for what it was. If it weren't for the excessive mechanical issues and total rusting of the body panels I would still have it. I do regret selling it...sometimes.
$13,000 in 1997 → $20,338.87 in 2018 for base model Base price for new 2019 model is $28,045 Wow, that's an $8k difference! I'm sure almost half of that is justified, but really surprising
I just purchased one 1999 w/ 4.0 manual sport at the auction for $1100 with 162,000 miles. Generally looks good exterior interior only one problem - the frame. I’ll fix the frame and enjoy it.
$14-21k price would be nice today. Honestly one of these with a hitch would be a fun "work truck" for an in-town mowing route. Lil Wrangler would be nice for plowing snow in-town also.
Their towing capacity is pretty low and using it to plow is also not a great idea. They don’t weigh much (disadvantage when plowing) and that will rot it out faster then almost anything else. There is no such thing as a rust free plow vehicle.
Ive got a 97 TJ Sahara inline 6, 4.0 litre , 5 spd ..runs strong at 369 ,000 kms ..this thing is a tank , daily to work in winter an drive here an there in summer as i have other toys , its fully loaded , 3 inch lift with 15inch 33 M/T on it all around ....great lil tank ...but with the 33s ..it tops on hwy at 108 kms lol ...but 4x4. its a HUMMER/ FORD /CHEV/ DODGE RECOVERY VEHICLE IN THE BUSH LOL
This generation of Wrangler has become very sought-after here in Colorado, clean ones in good shape go for lots of money and it's tough to find one that isn't lifted on big tires. I'm happy with my '93 XJ Cherokee though much more practical and almost as capable offroad.
I had 2 Cherokees (89 and 96). I have a 98 wrangler now and they aren’t cheap here either. I got a steal for mine when I paid just $5k for mine with 150,000 miles on it 5 years ago. The only thing it needed was a new soft top. My back actually asked me if I wanted to borrow more money because they assessed it alot higher then 5k.
@@CamaroAmx Sadly within the last 2 years I got rear-ended in my Cherokee and it got totaled. I pulled the drivetrain and all the parts to convert another XJ or possibly even a YJ Wrangler to stick-shift since ones with manuals are much harder to find and worth a lot more. A TJ would be cool but I honestly prefer leaf springs, and a better deal haha
@@mopartron3030 I know how that feels. I hit a deer with my 89 Cherokee and totaled it. My rust bucket 96 was rear ended and it crumbled. My wrangler was also rear ended but I was lucky and it didn’t really do much damage and was easily fixed (the Colorado wasn’t so lucky). My favorite is the CJ7 (my father had one when I was growing up) but those aren’t remotely cheap around here.
Every time I see one of these on the road, I think of this story, when I was in high school, a girl I was friends with had one of these with the 5-speed manual transmission. She forgot to set the parking brake and left it in first gear. As a result of that, the transmission slipped out of first and riled down a hill and crashed into a nearby garage as a result of her not setting the parking brake. I wasn’t there when it happened but I could only imagine how her and her friends must have reacted
Typical Auto Guy I had the same thing happen in one of my old YJs - I think my mechanically cursed '89. Forgot to set the brake in a flat parking lot at Napa (oddly enough). When I came out, it had somehow weaved through 2 rows of parked vehicles in the lot, and was in the street, completely untouched!! I have no idea how it didn't hit anything, as the road where it ended up was not a straight shot from where I'd parked it!
@@ohyeah5014 Yes, yes! You can always justify one more....and then another...and then... enjoy them - they are fantastic. It’s hard to pick a favorite...probably the cj5 -v6 models for me.
Chrysler was on such a roll in the 90s--the Viper, the second gen Ram and Dakota, the Durango, the Grand Cherokee, this Wrangler....then those Euro clowns got involved and ruined everything.
Is there an episode for any of the 1991-1995 Jeep YJ's with the 4.0L? I watched the one with the 1987 4.2L YJ that was extremely slow with a 13.9 second 0-60
$19,774 in 1997 is the equivalent of $37,000 in today's dollars. So today's Sport Wrangler JL for $31,000 is actually a steal considering what you get for that compared to back with the TJ
I have a tj and it's the 2.5 and the only downside to every Jeep out there is the PO 171 engine running lean or rich code which gives me 140 kilometers to a full tank. Not one mechanic out of many can even find the solution to this and only the 1997 TJ has this problem.
Chrysler didn't do any better across two versions of the Neon, trust me. The first Neon was, well cute (according to my wife), it was very roomy and had good performance. Unfortunately it was also poorly made. The second generation Neon was much the same except less cute. After the Neon, we went to the insipid Dodge Caliber, the car which basically killed domestic Chrysler products in the small car market altogether... now all we get are warmed over Fiats with silly names (500, 500L, 500X).
looks are deceiving. that is in 1997 dollars. the equivalent of $19,744 in 1997 would be $38,000 today. you can actually get a Jeep 2 Door JL sport base model for $33,000 today. so Wranglers have become cheaper
im honestly a huge fan of the rectangle head lights if i were to get a Tj i would really look into a custom grill/headlight swap. its weird that its not more common
So many people complained to Chrysler about the headlights and grill so to meet the demands they changed them back. I personally like the square headlights but there is something about it the round lights that tugs at my heartstrings and because of that I'm glad they changed them back. I'm sure you can find an after market set that you can install if you really wanted to.
BigXSmoke1 Wait, you'll cry about a 4 door, but get all wet over those hideous square headlights that shit on Jeep heritage???? Man, you're fucked up, lol
+Jonathan Bridges I'm really enjoying crawling around on forest roads and desert trails. I haven't done any upgrades, besides hunting down rattles. It is hard to get her over 65mph, even slower with a head wind. The first upgrade I have been thinking about is some type of diff lockers, because everytime I have gotten stuck at least one tire had good footing while the other spun
Yeah that was my issue before I upgraded. By upgraded I mean go from 2004 Wrangler X to a 2005 Rubicon mainly because I wanted a 6-speeed. It was about the same price difference to by the Rubicon and sell the X as it would have been to do a tranny swap in the Wrangler X, plus I got the Rubicon goodies to start with. For your case, assuming you don't want a transmission swap, I would re-gear on top of getting the lockers you want. That way you would be able to put down the power more efficiently. I noticed a big difference driving in the wind when I went from 3.73 gears in the X to 4.10 gears in the Rubicon.
I bought it planning on a engine and transmission swap in about 6 years, and new axles asap. I don't want to go crazy. just about 250-300lb/ft torque, 1" lift, fenders to fit, and I haven't even settled on the axle/tires. Its got 100k on the clock, bone stock, new dealer replacement top, looks brand new...I don't know who owned it prior but except for a tap in the engine at idle, its cherry
Nice. Sounds like you make out good. I'm wanting to get a new soft top, 2.5" lift, 32" tires, and a winch. Like you nothing too crazy but just enhance the capabilities it already has. What engine are you thinking about putting into it?
SteelCity1981 side marker lights have been DOT mandated since '67 or '68. Gotta put them somewhere...my '66 cj5 doesn't have them, but later ones and everything since all do.
Considering the Wrangler it replaced did 0-60in 12.5 seconds or so, that is a heck of an improvement! Did the 5-speed and lighter vehicle make that much of a difference?
Check Quadratec. They are one of the better Jeep aftermarket companies. Mine came stock with the Add-A-Trunk. Mine is also a 1 of 2500 (1 of 500 that year) Chili Pepper Red edition.
+derzx 479 yeah above 75 it struggles. in fact when my TJ was stock i cruised on the highway at 75 pretty good without issue but even above 65 it really starts to require much more effort. Lack of aerodynamics really effects it at those speeds. You really dont want to drive a Tj over 80 it doesnt feel safe lol.
We have a 1997 wrangler Shara 4.0 I6 made during the 96 “change over” year, got its door sticker in 11-96..!! Anyone know what That would have cost in 97?? 🤷🏻♂️🤔
@@jgg204 the TJ wasn’t designed by AMC. The last wrangler designed by AMC was the YJ. The last Jeep AMC designed was the first Gen Grand Cherokee (it was basically finished by the time Chrysler bought AMC. Chrysler just got it production ready). The TJ however was the last Wrangler to use AMC parts. Also a large portion of the former AMC design staff moved to Chrysler and many worked in the Dodge Truck/Jeep development division. In fact former AMC employees helped design the Viper, Neon, 90s dodge trucks and several of the cloud cars. In fact on a side note, Chrysler used the AMC designed Eagle Premier platform as a basis for the LH platform. (the cloud cars of the 90s). The LH platform was then modified to RWD and became the LX and LC platforms (the current Charger and challenger).
All of the Big 3 and even some imports used 3 speed autos as the entry level shifts-by-itself tranny for many yrs. Those in trucks and some SUVs were used because they were proven and often times more robust for HD and off road use. The 1 used in the featured Jeep is based off the old Chrysler A904, which became the A999 and eventually the 32RE with electronically engaged lock up converter. It was a very good transmission with better seals, bands, better clutch materials, increased fluid flow, deeper pan for more capacity, and had an aux. cooler. 4 speed aod transmissions were used in the Cherokee behind the 4.0 but were built by Mitsubishi and no where near as robust early on for serious off road use. That would change in time after several upgrades. 1 would have to move up to a full sized truck/SUV to find a stronger aod of the time, as they were much larger units and won't fit in the tiny Wrangler TJ w/o massive chassis and floor changes.
They changed a lot of the flooring, chassis and drive shafts to make that system work, as the A500 OD which that transmission is based on is really a large, long unit. Early examples had much more drivetrain vibration at speed than the 3 speeds did, until they figured out the geometry. You'll notice that the rear drive shaft is nearly a stub shaft on that short chassis.
The TJs were the last DIY'ers before the new JKs got the Chrysler Pentastar v6. The latter is a good motor, but try peeking at the engine bay, and all you see is wires. The TJs are still mechanically simple, which means any mechanic can workmon them. The 4.0 inline 6 cyl is the preferred engine. All Jeeps leak oil, it's almost a requirement! Becaue of their simplicity, TJs are relatively easy to maintain, run, and fix, if necessary, but you still get coil springs (leaf sprung Jeeps ride harsher), and 2 air bags, so it is not a death-trap. They corner well too, somlong as you don't drive like a douche. Bone-stock they can accomodate narrow 31" tires. Ansoultely a joy.
if your mechanic can't work on a JK, get a new mechanic. Wranglers are the easiest vehicle to work on, period. i have a beater TJ and a JK. they are equally easy to work on, in fact i prefer the JK to be flat out honest. more room in the engine bay to work.
I own an 05 TJ. The TJ was the last jeep that many would consider an actual jeep. JK and JKUs are still technically jeeps, but they've been neutered in a way. They've been put through so many focus groups and lawyers that they seem like an everyday car now and not so much a jeep. If you want a jeep simply for daily driving on paved roads, then a JK is perfectly fine. But if you want a jeep that is capable of daily driving AND off-roading, a TJ is the best. You could even go as far as getting a CJ if you just want a weekend off roader.
Chrysler was the most profitable automaker in world in the 90s. Then the merger of equals came along (more like hostile takeover) with Mercedes. After Daimler bled Chrysler dry and restricted new car development, they sold them off to an investment firm who didn’t have a clue or the money to run a car company and they went bankrupt. Which lead to Fiat buying them.
@@jgg204 might want to double check the classifieds again. A really nice stock TJ is 10-15k all day. I bought my 98 Wrangler 4 years ago for $5k and the back asked me if I wanted a larger loan because their assessment of its worth on the low end was $8k.
The newer ones fell way to big and bulky and they ride way to smooth to feel like they could off-road. They feel like if I hit a hard bump, something would break. And the JKs eat front calibers (I’ve replaced a lot over the years) and they always get evap leaks.
Why in the hell do these manufactures keep producing these plastic pieces that fade/discolor so badly? At my shop, I paint all these faded pieces so they don't fade and deteriorate.
Joel Alexander and why are the door/windshield/tailgate hinges STIll not stainless?? Just paint them with the body at the factory, or leave them as is!
Not really...we got by just fine with a 2 door Wrangler when I was a kid. People had more kids back in the 1960s than they do now, and yet most vehicles were two doors. Now, a couple of squares have their child, they feel they need the biggest SUV equipped with every electronic/luxury/gadget known to man, and of course 4 doors.
