Evolution.... where did you start? Or is the Gladiator your first Jeep?

[High Alextude]

I’ve had a fair share of Jeeps/Jeep branded vehicles. Favorite will always be the TJ.

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[CampThree]

Drove my first Jeep in 1983 when I was assigned to the Presidential Retreat at Camp David Md. We had CJ5's we drove as roving security vehicles. Bought my first Jeep in 2003 a 2000 TJ Sahara that I painted with CARC paint in a 3 color desert scheme, second Jeep in 2013 2 door JKR and now a 2022 Mojave.

 

[MattKay]

My Dad got new CJ7 for $10k back in 86 or 87, and sold it a couple years later when my oldest sister was born. Growing up I was always jealous of the few pictures he had of it. In 2019 a coworker was was going to trade in his 2009 Grand Cherokee, so I bought it from him for trade in value. I have 3 kids and needed something with a backseat, so it fit the bill. I am a GM guy that hates Ford and Chrysler(I worked for a tier 1 supplier to GM), so I complained about that hunk of crap(it was really a decent vehicle, especially with 220,000miles, just needed a wheel bearing and blend doors, so I pulled the dash apart for that). After I sold the GC I knew I would never buy another Chrysler product, nor would I ever buy a new vehicle off the lot until I was much, much older.

So 4 months later we drove a new 2023 Gladiator off the lot with 7 miles on the odometer. I love this truck! Haven't done any mods worth mentioning, but currently saving up for an xtrusion overland rack and softopper.

Where were you able to drive on the beach at?

 

[KTMZach]

Where were you able to drive on the beach at?

Assateague Island in Maryland, and the sand dunes is Silver Lake State Park, right on Lake Michigan, so you can be on the beach there too, just not super close to the water.

 

[rr11]

My first Jeep was a 74 CJ5 V8, 78 CJ7, 02 Liberty, 05 TJ, 05 TJ replacement for totaled jeep. 13 Wrangler, 20 Gladiator. Still have second TJ

 

[Gezer]

76 CJ-7 drove it till the frame finally rotted at the leaf spring mounts. First date with my future wife at the beach. Back in the day b4 4x4s were everywhere. Had miles of beach just a few other folks fishing. 258 3 speed manual. That engine was unbreakable. Wish I still had it. literally were the good days

 

[Dougstdig]

'89 XJ Sport, '99 TJ Sport and '21 JTRD

 

[Uparms]

1999 with a 1992 YJ, then a 2002 TJ then a 2005 TJ Unlimited, then a 72 CJ5 then a 2020 JT then a 2023JT. Trying to find the right FC150 now.

 

[Rob_R]

My Jeep adventure started in 1988 with an 88YJ. Prior to the YJ, I had an 84 Toyota 4x4 that I was commuting in for 100+ miles a day. The YJ didn't come with a radio but I did get the dealer to install A/C before purchase. 250,000 miles later, I still have the YJ. It is mostly stock except for: front factory snowplow springs, Mopar EFI kit, Tuffy center console with radio, YJ factory off-road mirrors, Western snow plow, and factory tow hooks. Engine was redone at 136,000 miles when the Mopar EFI was added.

I ordered a 2014 JK 2 door in sport trim and I went a bit wild with the mods.....almost full AEV treatment, winch, 35s, yada, yada. With the AEV 3.5" lift and Duratrac 35s, the Jeep rode and drove like a Cadillac (or like a Chrysler as they say at the Jeep dealer). I sold the JK this year with 60,000 miles in order to purchase the Gladiator.

I ordered a 23 JTR with a lot of bells and whistles. I have done only some minor, minor mods as I would like to use the JT for travel. I have a winch and lights to install and a Diamondback bed cover on order. I have already put 6,500 miles on it and I very pleased with the comfort after getting the tire air pressure right and messing with the seat.

 

[RunTheRace]

My first Jeep drive/experience was around 2005 or 2006. I was out in Phoenix for some copter training and the rental car I had reserved was given to another customer. Yep, it happens. So they offered me a 2-door premium-priced Jeep at the economy car price. I'd find out later that the pump price of the Jeep was NOT "economy". The Jeep looked nice, but it rode like a seesaw. Riding in military HMMWVs was the closest I'd previously ever gotten to riding in a Jeep, and everyone familiar with a "Humvee" knows that's a very poor comparison. The 2-door Jeep (I have no idea which model it was) left a bad taste in my mouth concerning these vehicles.

Fast Forward to late 2019/early-2020 when the JT arrived on the scene. I was immediately intrigued. The first opportunity I had to speak with a JT driver - and see it up close - was around 2021. It was lifted, large tire/wheel package, and wrapped in Snazzberry paint. Gorgeous! The female driver said that her & her husband "loved it." But, I didn't actually begin searching for a JT until late summer 2023, and bought mine (fresh off a 2-year lease) in mid-October. I sold my F350 (slightly fewer MPGs at a higher diesel fuel price) in the summer of '22 and I needed another truck. The convertible JT is a great match for what I needed. Love my JT.

However, I feel like I've joined some kinda coed fraternity, which is actually a membership in the Jeep "lifestyle." Getting "ducked" was freaky the first time. As I'm standing at my driver's door staring down at this little ducky jammed into my door handle, my son drove up (we had just had lunch together) and exclaimed, "YOU'VE BEEN DUCKED!!!" I was like, "Whaaaatttt?". When he then explained the ducking deal, I was like, "OKaaaay." I always wondered why all these Jeeps were cruising around with a line of little duckies on the dash. Now I know why. I guess I now need to go on Amazon and buy a bag of ducks for ducking other Jeep owners?

 

[loganjeeps]

in 1997 I got an 89 2 door, 5speed, XJ as my first car. in 2006 I put a chevy 350 in it and man that thing was cool. around 2012 I hit a median on the internstate and killed it. since then a 2008 WK, 2011 WK2 and now the 2022 JTR. have an 88 XJ in the yard I can't seem to make time for.

I still miss that old 89 XJ

 

[MightyMike]

My first Jeep was a 1995 Wrangler Rio Grande Edition. It had a 4 banger, manual transmission, and no AC. Actually, no nothing. It was a great starter vehicle. A couple of years later I bought a new 1998 Grand Cherokee TSi with the 318. It as nice and I drove the hell out of it on the autobahn in Germany. After returning to the US, I bought a 2000 Wrangler. Nothing fancy. I held on to that one for a couple of years before trading it in for a 2003 Wrangler. Man, I fixed it up with a Kenne Bell supercharger and all the goodies. I sold it at a big loss a couple of years later. That was the last Jeep I owned until 2022 wherein I bought a 1967 Kaiser Jeep M715. This thing has no rust and had only 12652 miles when purchased. I'm going through it now replacing just about everything. New to the forum, I just purchased a 2023 JT Rubicon with the ecodiesel.

 

[Ferg]

My first was back in the mid-1980s (I had a CJ-5). Since then, I've owned a CJ-7, multiple Wranglers, and I'm on my second Gladiator. Just to clarify, I'm the old guy ... not the toddler!

 

[biplaneguy]

My first Jeep was a 1975 DJ-5D (postal Jeep, but left side driver like a normal car) of which sadly no pictures exist... painted olive drab by the PO, hand cranked boat winch on the front. Sliding doors, passenger seats salvaged from a Fiat Spider, 2WD but posi rear and 16" pizza cutter wheels. Fun on the trails but terrifying in the snow.

There was the time I got stuck in the woods by myself, I hooked up the winch, put it in drive, then got back out while the wheels were turning. Cranked the winch and then leaped out of the way once it started moving, ran back and hopped in before it ran over too much of the winch cable. Don't try this at home!

My second Jeep was a '79 CJ-5 with fiberglass tub, 3" lift and 33s. York onboard air, and a "poor man's locker" i.e. manual traction control (individual control of each wheel brake cylinder with four pushbuttons). This picture is right after I built a plywood hard top for it for winter (summer was just a bikini top rain or shine).

I had a lot of fun playing on the rocks with the CJ5, but it was also my daily driver. When we bought a cabin in another state the highway drive to get there got to be a real drag at its 55mph max comfortable speed, so I sold it and bought a Toyota pickup, which was followed by a Dodge Ram when I needed to tow a big trailer.

When I didn't need to tow the trailer any more I traded the Ram for a 1999 XJ Cherokee, which was followed by a 2005 Liberty (better than I expected), now I'm back to "real" Jeeps with my '23 Gladiator.

 

[JimT66]

I started out in a 76 cj5 then to a 1980 CJ7 both had V8s. Then an 84 CJ7. Took a break for a couple years then bought a 98 Tj , them to a 2010 JK 4 door and finally my 2022 JT Mohave. Still have the 98 Tj and the 2010.

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