HardRock's Jeep Wrangler

[HardRockCamaro]

I've had Ford, I've had GM, now I've got a Chrysler...

Picked it up this morning:



2000 Jeep Wrangler Sahara hardtop with 4.0L straight six and 5 speed manual transmission.  
Been garaged all its life and has covered just 33,000 miles from new.  condition wise it's as close to "as new" as you're likely to get with just a few water marks on the backs of the seats from when they got wet with the roof off, no biggie...  

Previous owner spent £1,300 on a set of 5 16 inch Eagle polished alloys with BF Goodrich all terrain tyres, over £400 on a stainless Borla catback exhaust, £800 on an aftermarket soft top, and another chunk of change on stainless side steps, chrome mirrors, a cold air intake kit and a Blauplunkt radio and 4 Infinity speakers.  All in all nearly £3,500.

Now, the side steps will be coming off (probably tomorrow) and the original black mirrors (as pictured) will be put back on as soon as I've rubbed them down and had them re-powder coated.  Going to pull the end cvaps off the bumpers and get some clear indicators too.  

Once the bank balance has recovered I'm going to get a top quality 2" suspension lift.  


First impressions are that it's quicker than I expected with the engine roaring and howling when you give it a large portion...  

It's very noisy, wind noise is significant above 60mph, the suspension bangs and crashes over every bump and it's quite the fuel guzzler...  
But it has a lot of character and feels unstoppable, very mechanical and tank like...  

I'm well pleased as I think it looks ace!  

[ianjpage]

that looks very nice - really are great fun them jeeps!

[Fieldy]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

It's very noisy, wind noise is significant above 60mph, the suspension bangs and crashes over every bump and it's quite the fuel guzzler...

we warned you!

Looks lovely, more pics when possible.....

[Gator]

looks nice Andy and a big departure from gliding round in a caddy

[Motorama]

Looks very tidy, cant imagine you'll want to get it dirty green laning

[F Body]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Eagle polished alloys

They'd keep me happy for a while

Better get in a few tubes of Autosol

[Gator]

Quoting: F Body

They'd keep me happy for a while  

Better get in a few tubes of Autosol

you gonna polish them for him thats good of you

[Gator]

actually hed most likely be doing you the favour

[HardRockCamaro]

Todays first mod was to remove the front bumper end caps (the bits that rise up to meet the wheel arches on UK models only).
Someone in the US is going to send me the US end caps (better than ours as they don't rise up to meet the arches, they just plug the ends, but ppl in the states still prefer to remove them) but for now it can run with bare metal ends, pedestrians beware!
Each one is held on by just 3 nuts, got one off no problem as could also get a spanner to the bolt, but the other 2 go through to the front and finish in a flat mushroom topped bolt that you can't grip.  So tore the flippin things off instead, just need to get a dremmel to the bolts to get them off.

The side steps are easily unbolted at the front, not sure how they attach at the rear, looks like they're under some covers etc so they can wait for another day as it started to rain...

I don't thin k the rear seat is going to stay long as if you put a Mars Bar in the "boot" it's then full which is of no use to anyone...  for now I'll just use the fold and tumble aspect of the rear seat, but truthfully I don't need a rear seat so I'll pull that out sometime.

Done over 70 miles already doing errands and I'm lovin it, every time I get in it it's like I'm starting off on some expedition, lol!  


Deffo want to go off-road in the spring, no point in having it otherwise really..

[art b]

nice lookin jeep.......

ya gotta get it dirty, as thats what they do best....

[Incursus]

[Amey]

Love those - we had an older Sahara hardtop Auto.
The hard top on ours was the tan\sand colour though.

Think it was a 96 but can't remember - will have to find out some pics.

I drove it from Shrewsbury to the middle of Wales on L plates when Ian and I went on our honeymoon in 2000
Fantastic thing to drive and would love another one

[Roadkill]

I'd prefer a Defender myself but each to their own - it does look very tidy and in very good nick.

[Ponti]

Quoting: Roadkill

I'd prefer a Defender myself but each to their own - it does look very tidy and in very good nick.

Would have to agree, but then again I've had 4 Landies.  I drove a friends wrangler years ago and though that for it's size the powersteering was to light ( you could almost us just 1 finger) Has it changed

[Andy]

Quoting: Ponti

I drove a friends wrangler years ago and though that for it's size the powersteering was to light ( you could almost us just 1 finger)

Hummers are exactly the same

[HardRockCamaro]

Quoting: Roadkill

I'd prefer a Defender myself but each to their own - it does look very tidy and in very good nick.

I'l like a defender myself, but really it would have to be the SVX model with the removeable roof and short wheelbase and they're big money.  In fact any Defender is big money.

5k gets you moon mileage and plenty of commercial use or a restoredish mid 80s model.

Not enough money and I prefer the look of the Wrangler anyway.  

Quoting: Ponti

for it's size the powersteering was to light ( you could almost us just 1 finger) Has it changed

Nope, it's uber light...

[EDGE]

i must admit, it is pretty cool.... its mint too on the outside, like a new one....

its like a tonka toy, you can see all the bolts holding things together and i quite like that...

[Fieldy]

needs more mud..... i cant get my truck dirty enough

[HardRockCamaro]

Took the Jeep to have the tracking checked yesterday, always worth doing when you buy a car.  The steering wheel is not level when going in a straight line and I hate that, so took it to Elite in Dagenham (the only place I will allow to track my car) and they straightened the wheel and redid the front tracking which was ever so slightly off.  The wheel is not quite 100% straight but to be honest it does seem to depends on the road camber now...

Put some new Bosch wipers on there too as the old ones were shot and fitted 15" ones instead of the 13" ones that were on there.  They work ace now and are completely silent, well worth the £13!  


The Jeep had one fault when I bought it, the heater temperature is stuck on max, hardly a problem in the winter but I thought I'd at least figure out the cause.  The slider control is fine, and the cable is pulls on works fine.  the problem is the mixer door which is a *little* stiff to push from full hot to any other setting (which I did by hand).  So when the cable tries to push it the cable just bends at the end instead while the door stays put.  Works fine in any other position other than full hot so will try greasing it.


Decided to change the stereo from the Blauplunkt to the Alpine out of the IROC.  I don't like the display on the Blauplunkt and the sound quality isn't up to much and it has to be cranked right up to hear it.
The Alpine sounds a lot better, I had a bit of trouble finding room for the iPod interface box thingy behind the dash, but I got there in the end and now I can listen at level 15 vs 30...  
The Jeep needs a small sub to get better bass, I'll put one of those self powered 8" under seat subs in the centre console at some point (which is where the factory sub goes if so equipped).

[F Body]

How are the wheels coping with the road salt

[HardRockCamaro]

Had it washed yesterday but they're covered again.  

It's a PITA as the car lives in a side street and I can't get water to it to clean it.  

So they have to take their chances...  

[F Body]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

So they have to take their chances..

I had no choice but to spray the GMC wheels with WD40 if the roads were salty, just one days driving on salted roads really started to pit the alloy

[nick69]

I love the Saharas, we had one before leaving UK.  The MOST reliable motor we had.

[HardRockCamaro]

Just a quick update on the Jeep...

The mirrors had been replaced with chrome ones by the previous owner and I hated them so it's now back with the OE black mirrors as per the pic I posted previously.

I lost the radio security facia thingy so had to buy a new stereo.  I got a good deal on another alpine at Halfrauds of all places at just £169.  The iPod control is now built in instead of needing a big adapter interface.box and changing tracks/playlists is now much faster.  Unlike the old one it also charges the iPhone 3G and has a built-in Parrot bluetooth handsfree kit so basically I've regained the cigarette lighter socket (which was powering the phone), don't need to buy a bluetooth handsfree kit and the radio works better than the older model.

Beyond that nothing to report, it just plods on...

Went in for its MOT and passed with flying colours.
the mechanic commented that this is no sign of wear on anything and it's the best condition Wrangler he's seen so hopefully I got a good 'un!  

MPG is averaging 19.5, with a best of 24.5 on a long trip to Wales.  

I'm now commuting into London for work in heavy traffic so it'll be interesting to see just how bad it gets doing that.  


Pic from N Wales on Christmas Day:

[Andy]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

I lost the radio security facia thingy so had to buy a new stereo. I got a good deal on another alpine at Halfrauds of all places at just £169. The iPod control is now built in instead of needing a big adapter interface.box and changing tracks/playlists is now much faster. Unlike the old one it also charges the iPhone 3G and has a built-in Parrot bluetooth handsfree kit so basically I've regained the cigarette lighter socket (which was powering the phone), don't need to buy a bluetooth handsfree kit and the radio works better than the older model.

Alpine CDE-103BT?