Anyone here have an off-roader as a fun second car?

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Whoa, 19 mpg from a van???

Took it to Chicago and back, had my full set of tools (entire top half of my tool stack), 4 jack stands, a floor jack, 3 adults, including my fat ass, my 2 kids, clothes and what nots for each person, had to of added close to an extra 500lbs of shit into it, and every single time I filled up and checked miles to gallons used it got 19mpg every single time. Which was better then the rated V6 it had at 17mpgg highway, and this thing has silly power over the 4.3 6 that was taken out. An added bonus swapping motors out, and proves that these vans were underpowered with that 4.3 motor, tranny, and gear ratio for a brick with wheels.

Havent had a chance to re-check the mpg since back and unloaded but I be willing it gets a close 22 with just me and the fam in it only. Which is not bad at all considering what it is.

When this motor dies I plan on putting in a 6.6 400 from a TA in it next. Prolly wont hit 10mpg then

 

[mooseracing]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Whoa, 19 mpg from a van???

My dads tired old 302 gets 17-18 on the highway, and its 17yrs old now. People just drive eaiser than others.

Originally posted by: funboy42



When this motor dies I plan on putting in a 6.6 400 from a TA in it next. Prolly wont hit 10mpg then

Hope its not stock.....as the last ones came smogged down with less than 200hp. I have a '68 RAII 400 that I run in my bird.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: theblackbox
for fun i have a 66 mustang.
for my wife i have a 71 bug with 45k miles (and it is flawless)
for the mountains and everywhere else, i have a 78 cj7 (78-79 are the two best years for the CJ. The word saginaw says it all)
for a house i have a 27' class C
for towing behind the house i have a wrangler sahara TJ. The tj is by far a superior jeep. The articulation of the suspension far surpasses the CJ and YJ, making a much more formidable off road demon.

The funny thing is that when we finish our RV travelling, i will buy a new house, and then pull the motor and trans from the motor home (460 w/ automatic overdrive) and put it in the mustang after rebuilding it for performance. The 289 from the jeep will land in the CJ (the ford mounts matches the AMC bellhousing bolt for bolt to replace the 304 it has in it.)

i love both the jeeps, and would recommend anyone wanting something for off road use, get a jeep. tj, cj, yj, it doesn't matter. if you plan on using it to drive more, please get a cherokee, cause i can't stand all the poor jeeps that only get highway and commuting duties, what a waste of a jeep.

I'd rather see a TJ go to waste than a Cherokee, just because TJs are a dime a dozen while Cherokees are disappearing slowly. Everyone already "knows" the Wrangler is an offroad vehicle, American icon, etc etc... hence the top 10 resale value, high school girls nutting over it, etc.
But most have no clue about the Cherokee.

The poor XJ's greatest enemy was and is underappreciation.

Which makes it cheaper for me to get one instead of a TJ. Anyways, I need my wife to be able to drive all the vehicles and she doesn't drive a manual transmission. I trust the Cherokee transmission more than the Wrangler one.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Which makes it cheaper for me to get one instead of a TJ. Anyways, I need my wife to be able to drive all the vehicles and she doesn't drive a manual transmission. I trust the Cherokee transmission more than the Wrangler one.

The 32RH in my TJ auto is more or less indestructible so I don't know what you're talking about. I've overheated it, blew ATF out of the dipstick, flooded it with water and mud (stupid bad location for the breather) all in the same day and I dropped the pan, cleaned the crap out, filled and it runs like new. Granted before that I only had two gears for a bit but after the flush it loves me again. I was calling for prices on rebuilds and did the flush as a stopgap to get me by for a few weeks, glad I didn't spend the money.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Which makes it cheaper for me to get one instead of a TJ. Anyways, I need my wife to be able to drive all the vehicles and she doesn't drive a manual transmission. I trust the Cherokee transmission more than the Wrangler one.

The 32RH in my TJ auto is more or less indestructible so I don't know what you're talking about. I've overheated it, blew ATF out of the dipstick, flooded it with water and mud (stupid bad location for the breather) all in the same day and I dropped the pan, cleaned the crap out, filled and it runs like new. Granted before that I only had two gears for a bit but after the flush it loves me again. I was calling for prices on rebuilds and did the flush as a stopgap to get me by for a few weeks, glad I didn't spend the money.

I still prefer the AW4. My next cherokee I plan to keep well past 200k barring an accident and that transmission just keeps going.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Which makes it cheaper for me to get one instead of a TJ. Anyways, I need my wife to be able to drive all the vehicles and she doesn't drive a manual transmission. I trust the Cherokee transmission more than the Wrangler one.

The 32RH in my TJ auto is more or less indestructible so I don't know what you're talking about. I've overheated it, blew ATF out of the dipstick, flooded it with water and mud (stupid bad location for the breather) all in the same day and I dropped the pan, cleaned the crap out, filled and it runs like new. Granted before that I only had two gears for a bit but after the flush it loves me again. I was calling for prices on rebuilds and did the flush as a stopgap to get me by for a few weeks, glad I didn't spend the money.

I still prefer the AW4. My next cherokee I plan to keep well past 200k barring an accident and that transmission just keeps going.

I'm at 110k right now and going strong...you can't really go wrong w either tranny...just a matter of preference.

 

[joutlaw]

Picked up a 04 regular cab short bed Chevy Silverado Z71 with the 5.3L V8 in late May for $7K. This thing is a beast and got 18MPG on my last trip with about 3 hours of off roading.

I drive a 2000 Mazda Millenia as my daily and also carpool. The Z71 has had the same tank of gas in it since June 19 and its currently right under a half tank.

I love the "new to me" truck. I put a magnaflow catback on it and it sounds great.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Which makes it cheaper for me to get one instead of a TJ. Anyways, I need my wife to be able to drive all the vehicles and she doesn't drive a manual transmission. I trust the Cherokee transmission more than the Wrangler one.

The 32RH in my TJ auto is more or less indestructible so I don't know what you're talking about. I've overheated it, blew ATF out of the dipstick, flooded it with water and mud (stupid bad location for the breather) all in the same day and I dropped the pan, cleaned the crap out, filled and it runs like new. Granted before that I only had two gears for a bit but after the flush it loves me again. I was calling for prices on rebuilds and did the flush as a stopgap to get me by for a few weeks, glad I didn't spend the money.

The worst thing that happened to mine was that the sheathing of the Throttle Valve Cable from the throttle to the transmission got so full of mud that the cable wouldn't move in it, so the transmission wouldn't shift. Took me a while to track it back to that. So far awhile I just stuck two return springs on the transmission end so the extra pull would force it to slide

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Which makes it cheaper for me to get one instead of a TJ. Anyways, I need my wife to be able to drive all the vehicles and she doesn't drive a manual transmission. I trust the Cherokee transmission more than the Wrangler one.

The 32RH in my TJ auto is more or less indestructible so I don't know what you're talking about. I've overheated it, blew ATF out of the dipstick, flooded it with water and mud (stupid bad location for the breather) all in the same day and I dropped the pan, cleaned the crap out, filled and it runs like new. Granted before that I only had two gears for a bit but after the flush it loves me again. I was calling for prices on rebuilds and did the flush as a stopgap to get me by for a few weeks, glad I didn't spend the money.

The worst thing that happened to mine was that the sheathing of the Throttle Valve Cable from the throttle to the transmission got so full of mud that the cable wouldn't move in it, so the transmission wouldn't shift. Took me a while to track it back to that. So far awhile I just stuck two return springs on the transmission end so the extra pull would force it to slide

I go in the Pine Barrens in NJ often and that wouldn't happen because it's mud, mud, huge friggin puddle, mud, mud, river crossing, mud, puddle the size of a small lake. Sometimes I come out cleaner than I went in except for the 20lbs of pine needles stuck in every crevice.

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: theblackbox
for fun i have a 66 mustang.
for my wife i have a 71 bug with 45k miles (and it is flawless)
for the mountains and everywhere else, i have a 78 cj7 (78-79 are the two best years for the CJ. The word saginaw says it all)
for a house i have a 27' class C
for towing behind the house i have a wrangler sahara TJ. The tj is by far a superior jeep. The articulation of the suspension far surpasses the CJ and YJ, making a much more formidable off road demon.

The funny thing is that when we finish our RV travelling, i will buy a new house, and then pull the motor and trans from the motor home (460 w/ automatic overdrive) and put it in the mustang after rebuilding it for performance. The 289 from the jeep will land in the CJ (the ford mounts matches the AMC bellhousing bolt for bolt to replace the 304 it has in it.)

i love both the jeeps, and would recommend anyone wanting something for off road use, get a jeep. tj, cj, yj, it doesn't matter. if you plan on using it to drive more, please get a cherokee, cause i can't stand all the poor jeeps that only get highway and commuting duties, what a waste of a jeep.

I'd rather see a TJ go to waste than a Cherokee, just because TJs are a dime a dozen while Cherokees are disappearing slowly. Everyone already "knows" the Wrangler is an offroad vehicle, American icon, etc etc... hence the top 10 resale value, high school girls nutting over it, etc.
But most have no clue about the Cherokee.

The poor XJ's greatest enemy was and is underappreciation.

Which makes it cheaper for me to get one instead of a TJ. Anyways, I need my wife to be able to drive all the vehicles and she doesn't drive a manual transmission. I trust the Cherokee transmission more than the Wrangler one.

Yeah I would have had to spend 2x-3x as much for an equivalent TJ, and IMO the XJ is a more capable vehicle anyway.