What's your first Jeep memories

[Redfour5]

Growing up in the late 60's early 70's camping at a lake owned by a farmer. Started working for him sometimes picking up trash at the campground part farming, baling hay, plowing discing on the two fields I could get to before I had a license. And he had an old original CJ farm jeep 15 20 years old. Loved that thing, totally beat up used for everything, indestructible fun... But essentially, they have no suspension for all intents and purposes, but would go straight up.

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[DanJT]

Awesome pics. I remember when the CJ-7 came out, those wide-open doorways just looked so....wrong...so un-Jeep. I was like, "So...no more catching your hip on the doorway while quickly jumping out ? That's what a Jeep IS....are they trying to look like an Toyo J40 ???"

True!, I'm not even hazard a guess how many time i have banged into the curve getting in or out of my CJ 5's.

 

[Mud Pie]

But I'll be honest, I always did like the Toyota J40's and secretly wanted one.

Ouch !! My tattoo just stung me a little.... lol

 

[Mud Pie]

In reference to sbro2021's pic of his Jeep with the front end up; When I was 17, I enlisted in the Marine Corps. . One year delayed enlistment. Flying out 2 days after high school graduation. Me and my best friend spent every free moment drinking beer. Drinking age then was 18.

We were on the beach on Long Island and we came up with a brilliant (and drunken) idea. "Let's jump off a dune like they do on Rat Patrol !!". That idiotic idea progressed to, "Let's jump from dune to dune !!". We found the "perfect dune" and lined up. Kept my M38A1 in 4 Hi so I could get the speed for the jump. We hit that dune....and it collapsed. Nose first into the other dune. My chest slammed against the steering wheel. My buddy, who was holding on to the chicken bar, flipped over onto the folded windshield, then off to the side. Cooler of beer exploded, tossing bottles everywhere, beer pouring from every which way. Knocked the wind out of both of us. We sat there gasping for breath, staring at each other. When I could breathe again, I put it in 4 Lo and backed up over the dune. I dreaded looking at the front end, I thought I crushed it. We both got out and looked. No damage at all !! Well, we had beer damage, and the lid of the cooler was bent up (metal coolers back then) and would never seal correctly again.

I looked at the windshield fearing the worst. My best friend was a big boy, and I'm not meaning in height. It was intact. "How did your fat ass NOT bust my windshield ?" "I think I bounced off the gun rack. And screw your Jeep, you didn't ask about ME !!". It had a military M1 Garand gun rack on the windshield, our "beer holder" when the windshield was up. I said to my buddy, "Screw you, you'll eventually heal. Bust up my Jeep, I gotta pay to fix it !!".

Couple days later I had a nice semi-circle bruise on my chest, my buddies side and lower back had a helluva bruise from the gun rack. "Tramp Stamp" didn't exist back then, but if it did, I'd be teasing him with it.

First, and last, time the front end of ANY of my Jeeps left the ground.

 

[SKT]

Let’s see more throwback Jeep pics:

 

[SKT]

Let’s see more throwback Jeep pics:

 

[SKT]

Let’s see more throwback Jeep pics:

 

[DanJT]

I totally forgot about the Jeep mud bogs!

 

[yoda13]

I believe mine was sitting in a Scrambler at a car show, or riding in the back of my brother’s CJ-7 Laredo. I m not sure which one came first.

 

[TurtleMonkey]

Hello, I am new to the forum and Jeep world. I travel the country for work and after they made the Dodge Challenger with the Hemi unavailable, I had to choose a new favorite choice and there she was, the Jeep Rubicon. Since then I have enjoyed renting Jeep Rubicon and Gladiator Rubicon, but the first time was in June 2025. I went out into the Arizona Superstitious mountains alone with no experience... I survived. I didn't do anything really extreme compared to what we see on the internet, just dipped my toe in, but It was extreme for me as a beginner. Now I am hooked. A couple friends of mine are planning to do MOAB in October... I Would like to make it a group thing if anyone is interested.

 

[biplaneguy]

Just found these pix in a box while looking for something else... my first "real" Jeep after the postal Jeep I had earlier. This stream crossing was a ford on what still showed on the topo map as a road but was pretty rough. Today it's paved and lined with McMansions where 30 years ago I used to hunt deer.

These pix must've been just after I bought it because it came without a spare tire mount and the temporary tag is still on it. The original paper tag shredded in the rain and I hand lettered a new one on a piece of cardboard. Got pulled over several times, not because of the homemade tag but because the number matched to a stolen car (not my Jeep).

 

[Swegian]

Bought a used 76 (lots of miles on it) CJ5 from a friend with the 6cyl, edlebrock manifold, Hooker headers, 2brl carb @15mpg on a good day. Lots of miles on her. It replaced the dirt bikes as the kids arrived so the whole family could enjoy the woods and fun. Snaps on the top kinda snapped down, some rust here and there with the Diamond Plate aluminum skin wrap, back of the front fender. Spent way to much money on it before selling. Had the plastic race bucket seats (loved them) and a good ol' bolt in full Roll bar. Crappy aftermarket back seat for the kids. WE all loved that thing. Top gave out about year 2 and just got a bikini top. Used that and the soft top doors in the winter pulling a tarp up over the top when parked. Nothing but the bikini top in the spring/summer. During my year (broke$)in Army Flight school, I just push started it. Couldn't afford to throw the next starter in it. A little push always got the job done. Always messing with the engine to keep her running. Glad my dad and brother taught me to be a decent, figured it out and fix it fellow. We loved the back logging roads. More than once did the whirly twirl in the middle of an intersection when the tires got too bald in the winter and stomped on the brakes......WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

[DanJT]

loved my 79 CJ-5. had the 304 rebuilt and bored .60 over.. man that thing would smoke em..
Not to mention kick butt on Black Bear pass!

 

[Blade1668]

My first Jeep experiences were with one of my cousin's friends having a SJ they towed horse trailer with. Then first experience riding in a Jeep was a older friend who had a J10 Honcho one of first pickups I rode in that had AC rode as nice as a Cadillac or luxury car. RIP to Joe, in part led to my Comanche then many Jeeps later then my Gladiator. A few in the area I grew up had CJ's but most had pickups and cars.

 

[Mud Pie]

Just found these pix in a box while looking for something else... my first "real" Jeep after the postal Jeep I had earlier. This stream crossing was a ford on what still showed on the topo map as a road but was pretty rough. Today it's paved and lined with McMansions where 30 years ago I used to hunt deer.

Yeah, that's always depressing. My wife is originally from Buffalo NY, I'm from Long Island, met in Texas. We spoke often about our childhoods. On our 10th anniversary, we decided to go visit each of our hometowns. When we got to the woods were me and my friends played Army, then as teens hid, made campfires and drank beer...was all gone and houses everywhere. The sections of open beach where I taught all my friends to drive my Willys were now all beach homes. I know, progress and all that, but it still stings a tad.

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