99 TJ Sport with 60,500 miles/ 31 x 10.50 Kelly Muds on 8" American Racing (?) wheels/locking EVERYTHING that unscrews (gas, hood, spare)/ BRAND NEW (yesterday) custom exhaust man./ Panasonic Ghost invisible face head unit w/RCA Lyra MP3 player/Optima Red Top/KC daylighters (150 watt, I think)
Not much has gone wrong...one dead battery, one SHOT rear differential from ignoring towing limits when it was new (covered under warranty), new manifold yesterday, 3 flat Goodyears before upgrading, Chrysler CD player got skippy and was replaced. Radiator is currently starting to weep and will upgrade to a 3-core or whatever before summer comes in full force. The mirror coating rubber crap is rotting off-time for a sandblast of the mounts and the installation of some relo brackets soon. Oh, it also goes through brakes like there's NO TOMORROW- like a new set every 14 months. Thank goodness for Midas lifetime brakes.
No, it was a 44 and I was a shade over 4000 lbs. for around 650 miles in the hottest summer I can remember around here. I think it popped some teeth-it sounded a lot like stones stuck in mud tires (machine-gun like rattle). My dad had had a Comanche with the same engine (and I think a 44 rear) that was rated WAY beyond the TJ for towing, and before I understood about wheelbases I ignored the limit.
It looks worse on paper. Considering I've had it for 5 years already, it's been really trouble-free. All of these things happened in the first few years, and it's been solid ever since.
I lemon-lawed my '97 due to the infamous water leak. I took it in 7 times, and they still couldn't fix it.
I scheduled a 7th time, and sent a registered letter to the Chrysler Area Rep (as required). In Illinios, its 12 mos. or 12,000 miles (something like that) during which you can file a lemon law claim.
I was at about 11,500, and I told them that if try #7 didn't work and failed outside the period, I was reserving my right to claim over the previous 6 tries. (I could have filed after 3x).
So the area rep followed thru with the dealer on repair #7, and it leaked 2 weeks later.
No hassle... no arbitration. They offered to "buy it back" - giving me full sticker price (I paid $100 over invoice), minus .11/mile (lease mileage rate). I'm guessin "buy back" doesn't affect the title, so they can sell it again.
So I got to order a 99 with all the options I wanted the on the 97 but couldn't get (they messed up my order at the end of the model year)... got a better loan rate, and was only out-of-pocket about $800 on the whole deal.
I have a 97 spice soft top(purchased separately) on the 99 (tan), but who cares! I kept the add-a-trunk too.
How good is the add-a-trunk? I have an old metal "junk-box" with a latchable lock. (something work was throwing out). It's great to throw my cables and tools in, but really isn't formed for fitting in the jeep.
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