General Comment

It makes whatever you have now all the more valuable, sentiment and collector wise. Just think, I have one of the limited run of rectangular headlight short wheel base Jeeps! With overhead valve engine, and leaf springs on all four corners, you won't see that in your dealer show room again. I'll bet that vacuum thingy on the front axle is a real curiosity by now too!

Earle

I asked my youngest daughter what Jeep she wanted when she was of legal age to drive. First words were "not one of the new ones". She likes my CJ8, YJ and 89 GW. Sadly this very well ,may be the direction DC is taking Jeep. I do like the concept truck. If it is built we'll just have to wait and see.

chris

So with the '07 Wrangler being drastically changed, how long will it take for a "mint" '06 Rubi to become a collectors item?

If I had unlimited wealth, I might just purchase one and store it for 10 years.

Tom (dreaming again)

Have you seen the Compass? Ugh!

Yeah but you could say that about past Jeep/AMC's "have you seen the": Jeepster Commando Pacer Eagle

Those are all some funny lookin, not-sure-what-they-were-thinkin' products (And I know some of you love the first two, to each their own right?). Of course that liniage of failed "tweener" Jeeps should tel DC all they need to know, but they'll repeate history... It didn't kill the real Jeep (sorry Bill) the first four times it's not going to now...

My dad had one of the AWD Eagles when they first came out for a period of 3 years.

He told me when he made the decision to trade it in (company car) when he added up the repair receipts and the repairs during years 2 & 3 added up to more than the car cost to purchase new.

"Sim>> Have you seen the Compass? Ugh!

That's pretty much what I was saying in the "NOT for dirt" thread.

As for Jeep just tweaking things from time to time, I suspect that was less a marketing decision and more a result of poverty. Jeep in its many incarnations seldom had enough cash on hand to retool the lines. That's why you got CJ bodies with punched holes and screwed-on cover plates that went to nothing: They were originally for access to equipment that had been relocated production-years earlier.

Coasty wrote:

For serious and semi-serious trailing here out west, a narrow body is usually advantageous and sometimes necessary. I notice the '07 will be wider. Seems to me that the serious rock-crawler people might shy away from the newer ones.

Jeeps were meant to get back in to where others couldn't and I hate to see that change.

On the other hand, I think my '04 Ruby may not depreciate as fast as it might have otherwise.

Ralph

I think the answer probably is that the lawyers want the vehicle made more stable on-road to lessen the likelihood of rollovers. They (corporate lawyers) have no real interest in the lessening of the off-road utility.

I was gone those years except for a couple trips home so I don't know the history in depth. I did drive it once to the airport as was impressed at the road manners of the AWD.

My Dad drove 30-35K miles a year and was good about scheduled maintenance so it wasn't the cost that bothered him as much as the unreliability

I seem to recall him saying after a breakdown (No Start) and tow to the AMC dealership they would do "a tune up" and then he would be good again for a while when it would happen again.

Did these things have a Crank Sensor?

I'll send him an e-mail and ask what he recalls..

Yup. Probably most likely. Shame, though.

Late seventies, early eighties, things were bad all over. Build quality was low, the Japanese were starting to make some serious penetration into our markets, and manufacturers didn't really know how to comply with ever more stringent emissions control requirements and the increasing price of gas. The car most likely had a carburetor and electronic ignition. The "No Start" could be explained by inappropriate heat range spark plugs, a poorly functioning electric choke, and ill-conceived attempts to comply with new emissions regulations. I doubt that there was much wrong with it, except maybe an insatiable hunger for new spark plugs.

Electronic fuel injection, including the infamous crankshaft position sensor, had the end result of making things better, not worse.

Earle

I had an ignition module go out on my '86 T-Bird. That was the tow I referred to a few weeks ago where $25 worth of parts ended up costing $300.

On the other had the only ignition failure I've had on a Chrysler product was a dual ballast resistor on a '73 Dart Sport. That total was $1.26 including tax.

But, of course, my limited experience may well not be common.

The ground clearance is the same 8.5 inches on the SRT8 6.1liter Hemi pictured as the Laredo.

The spoiler and ground effects package makes the difference as the Approach Angle (degrees) is less than half (15.8/34) and the departure angle difference ( in degrees) is 19.7/27.1

The model you picture is available in 4WD but lacks the 4X4 badge, the Trail Rated badge, and has NO off-road option package available. The HO 6.1 liter Hemi (that does not disable cylinders for better mileage/emissions) is not marketed to people who need serious towing power as this model has no available factory trailer hitch available.

Also of note is the 285/40ZR20 AllSeason Performance Tires..

This edition is tuned for its intended audience - the urban gangsta, wanna look kewl, ghetto dweller who will require the standard "run-flat" tires to be ."outrunning da man" while 'takin' care of bizness" with his 'hos 'n homies on suede leather seats

Perhaps you are right..... the SRT8 should not carry the name 'Jeep" The only options I see missing is a "Continental Kit" , 1000 watt stereo, and huge whitewalls to have a perfect "factory" pimp-mobile.

Their money is just as good as ours.

Earle

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