Who got you into Jeeps and why did it stick??

[ExoShield]

Everyone started somewhere in this community. How did you get into Jeeps, when did you become involved and why do you stay involved? Ready for some great responses.


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[JAVIERGONZO]

Got one of these in 1999. Stuck cause my step-dad took me to a spring break in Daytona one time in 2002? And the amount of lady parts I saw in jeeps all over the beach from pretty women. Hmm. It all made sense to my 9 year old brain.

 

[XraytecH]

My 25 year old VW decided to give up the ghost and I needed a new car.

Walked up and down our local Auto Row and the Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealership caught my eye.

Yeah... not as romantic as "My dad and my dad's dad and my dad's dad's dad had a Jeep".

Is it going to stick? TBD...

 

[azmojave]

I bought a brand new Samurai in 1993 and it’s still my favorite vehicle if all time. 18 years later it was beat to hell and I retired it. Since I couldn’t buy another new one, I bought a new JK and loved it. When the JT came out I had to have one. I wanted a truck so it’s the perfect combo for me.

 

[GOCAMPN]

My wife liked Jeeps before we met, I think her dad had one when she was little but I've never really asked about it. One day she asked to see a 2008 JKU at a local dealer so I took her up, I was a little skeptical but as soon as I sat in the driver seat I was hooked. We've now had two 2008 JKUs, a 1996 XJ, a 2018 JLU, and my 2020 JL. We plan to keep it Jeep for a long time!

 

[IAGLADI8R]

My first Jeep was a 94' red soft top Wrangler, before I bought it, I had went for a ride with a friend with no doors and top and I was hooked

 

[Snake Eyes]

Me. 1997 Dark blue Wrangler TJ Sport soft top in Denver CO. Blizzards made easy. Then a big span of time where I had a toyota, miata, Landrover, FJ Cruiser and returned home to the Jeep. We looked at getting a JL but I always wanted a pickup so the gladiator fed both my desires!

 

[Digger70]

I learned how to drive on my dad's Jeepster Commando then he traded it in for a used '85 Cherokee with 47k miles, and that was my first vehicle. I drove it until it caught on fire while I was driving it in 2000.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

Just out of high school my friend bought an obs F250 and was always shitting all over Jeeps, despite flexing the truck out on a rock and bending the frame so bad the door wouldn't open. Permanently.

Then my car at the time developed a rod knock so I traded in on a 2.4 Jeep TJ with a 6 speed, partly as an experiment, and partly for the great resale value.

A lot of other cars have come and gone, but I've always had at least one Jeep in my garage since.

edit: I dug up a picture from my second day of ownership:

 

[Ja87sm]

I always thought it would be great to have one as an extra car. I met my now wife in 2013. She was/is a Jeep girl despite never having her own Jeep. Last year we leased a JLU, a house & 2 kids later. We ended up trading it off for a profit (we bought below msrp) for a better family vehicle. I originally wanted a gladiator at the time but opted to get into the JLU. 6 months after trading off that leased JLU, we bought a gladiator and here we are. I’m certain at this point one of our vehicles will be a wrangler/gladiator. I’ve wanted a truck for the house which originally was the reasoning for a gladiator in the first place, obviously the JLU couldn’t satisfy that but it was fun. (It was a pretty basic sport S with the islander package).

 

[wjcook68]

The wife comes from a family of Jeep lovers. So when we were able to afford it we got her the JLUR she has today. I liked it so much I had to have my own but I also needed a truck so I got my Gladiator that the wife named Fugly!

I like the name as it kind of just screams. "Stay out of my way, I don't give a F*** if I am muddy!" Lol

 

[BUZZHEAD]

Watching rat patrol ,1979 joined the U.S.ARMY MP always had the best jeep on base.
Bought a new jeep commanche in 1989 ,have had four or five wranglers in between purchasing 2020 gladiator.

 

[dos0711]

Granddaddy when he put in the driver's seat of a 68 CJ5. Loved them ever since.

 

[rr11]

I had a uncle who had a flat fender when I was in Jr high, buddy in HS who had a CJ5. Bought a 74 CJ5 when I got off active duty never looked back. 74, 78, 01, 05(X2) 13, and my 20JT

 

[Rahkmalla]

Ford got me into Jeeps.

My only experience with Jeeps had been 2dr JKs or older. And while I thought they were cool, I just couldn't see myself spending the kind of money it cost to buy one when I could have just as little practicality in a sports car for a lot less cash.

Then the used car market went haywire and it made sense to get out of my K900. First wanted a MachE but couldn't realistically make EV work for my house (no driveway), so wife said "reserve a bronco". So I did. But while I was waiting and waiting and waiting for the Bronco, I was driving what was originally supposed to be our 3rd car, a civic coupe with 170k miles on it. It would have been fine for a year, but news from Ford kept getting worse and worse.

My Ford dealer also owns a CDJR dealer, and put together a lease package for either a JLU4xe Sahara or a JT Willys Hardtop Auto for people waiting on Broncos and Mavericks. Good lease price and guaranteed buyout walk away 100% clean whenever the Bronco/Maverick showed up.

Well, couldn't do a 4xe for the same reason I couldn't get the MachE. So I sold my civic and leased the JT Willys. I'll be honest, I thought they were hideous originally. Then it started growing on me. Then I started thinking "fuck a bronco, I'll just buy one of these to keep." The final straw was when they announced the Gobi ordering books were open in March. Ordered my manual Mojave then. Late may, my gobi arrives and I walk away clean from my Willys and step into my Mojave and couldn't be any happier.

Maybe it's just cognitive dissonance, but Broncos don't look as cool to me on the road when I see them anymore... though in fairness I'm seeing a lot of 4door softtop big bends, and what I reserved was a base 2dr manual sasquatch which is a much cooler build.

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