Its time to make a choice

Sean150 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:01 am

I went and talked to a custom fabricator that can literally do anything and everything to my KJ that I may ever dream of... but rather than taking my money to do it all to my KJ he suggested that I buy a used vehicle and use that for offroading so that my nice Liberty doesn't get the living s**t beat out of it whenever its taken to the trail. The thought hadn't really occured to me much before because my funds were limited but with my new job I should be able to go out and purchase some beat up old 4runner or a tacoma and mod that to the ends of the earth. I was looking at getting a rack and bumpers made for it but what would be the point if I simply got something else. I d like all of your opinions and ideas so that it might help me make the most informed choice that I possibly can.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:10 am

researching for you :wink:

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:29 am

You could do that. You could get a Wrangler and be like everyone else on the trail. Or, you could do the stuff to the Libby and be different. Myself, I like to surprise people with what my Libby can do and how it looks. My favorite comment that I hear a lot is "I never saw a Liberty like that!".

Terry

Sean150 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:42 am

Fulltimer wrote:

You could do that. You could get a Wrangler and be like everyone else on the trail. Or, you could do the stuff to the Libby and be different. Myself, I like to surprise people with what my Libby can do and how it looks. My favorite comment that I hear a lot is "I never saw a Liberty like that!".

Terry

Yeah I know what you mean Terry. I could try finding another liberty to screw up but i'm wondering if I should risk screwing up my good one that iv got right now. Sadly its hard to find many beat up libertys that people are trying to get rid of.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:34 am

found a low mileage Liberty for sale cheap...only needs a motor :lol:

still think grab a beater Cherokee or CJ, easy to repair , lots of parts available, then also buy a new Dodge diesel dually to pull a 40 foot trailer to where ever you are going wheeling at. Well make that a 48 foot trailer, camper mounted on the front so you have a place to sleep, then you can haul yours and another vehicle ( good friends or ???) :wink:

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:36 am

What are you wanting to do to your KJ? Take a look at the pictures of the guys in California and us in Colorado have taken with our KJ's doing the boulder-strewn trails (rock crawling). Mine is a daily driver. It is how you drive it that will beat it up. Common sense, know your limits, and never gunning it will keep it from breaking.

It sounds like that guy doesn't respect the Liberty. Though he is correct in terms of if you really want to go crazy on the trails, get a beater, but you will break it often.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:56 am

What I have found over the years is if you have a full on trail rig then thats all its used for and you need that trailer and truck to haul it, cause it will not be streetable due to tires/gearing/ lack of windowws/fenders etc. You can not have a beat up total trail rig and drive it every day, at least not in the midwest where you have to drive two to 6 hours just to get somewhere to wheel. Now if I lived in some areas out west then sure it maybe different.
A multi purpose built rig you can build it to serve as a DD and trail rig and for me thats what I like , one vehicle to buy everything for instead of two or more.
For me half of the fun is getting to the trail is seeing peoples reaction that you just drove in of the street and had fun all day and drove home.
If you are going to have a rig that is still streetable then just build what you have and and fun with it!
Also have to look at how many times a year are you going to be going wheeling against what another rig is going to cost you, a 500 dollar rig will not get you out on the trails every weekend for a year with out breakage

just my thoughts, run what ya brought

ReneDave · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:21 am

It depends on what your off-roading plans are. Your fabricator may be used to folks that are a bit more hardcore about their wheeling than you plan to be, and that's territory where no daily driver should venture regardless of model. Tales of folks getting hooked on rock crawling their brand new rig to the point of having to buy an old beater to drive to work because of trail damage abound. If that's what you're looking to do, then your fabricator is giving you good advice on the best use of your money - you can buy a beater rig and build it for much less than custom building the Libby (especially when you factor in the cost of the rental when you trash it :wink:

). If you're leaning more toward moderate wheeling a few times a year or simple off-road trips, then build up the Libby and have a blast with it!

XR · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:23 am

The first time I took the KJ out we all met at a gas station.The trail leader showed up,went inside and got a coffee.We all gathered around for the pre-ride breifing and the first thing out of his mouth was "OK who's driving the KIA?"I raised my hand and he just shook his head.Well we went out and played in the woods a bit and then came up on this big hill.This guy with a heavily modded TJ had a rough time of it.So I just dropped it in 4LO and went on by him and stopped at the top.Turned around and crawled back down past the stranded TJ.Backed up to where he was and smiled and drove down the hill.Ever since then I love takin' the KJ out and showing people it's a Jeep after all.

kskj · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:23 am

The libby is the only jeep i've owned and it is a daily driver.It's all in how you drive on the trail Ive been to colorado twice,moab twice and offroad around here alot allways able to drive it home so far no major problems.Now my son had a grandcheokee the first year at moab completly trashed it it made it home in two wheel drive but thats about it. But I'm with everbody else I love the comments on the trail.(look its a liberty whats it doing on this trail) I think I'll keep it a long time it is more fun than any hotrod or any other car I've owned.

Sean150 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:21 pm

Everyone has good points. My KJ isn't exactly my daily driver so some scratches don't bother me too much but I don't want to see the thing destroyed in a couple of years from having fun off-roading. the fabricator's builds are pretty extreme with full frame replacements and custom lifts and suspension systems that he has built himself so he is used to rock crawling and doing other wild stuff with them to the point that he has to keep fixing things. I'm not sure how rough he treats his vehicles compared to how I drive because I havn't seem him drive any of his rigs around yet plus trailer queens are no problem for him because his main source of income is transporting vehicles for people so he already has the equipment to move them around to wherever he needs.

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:40 pm

if I were to buy another Jeep just to mess around in I would get either a Wrangler or Cherokee.

but I like my KJ and I have seen a couple cheap enough that you could buy another KJ and wheel it hard

jeepmedic46 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:59 pm

I would never get rid of my Kj. Its dependable and its a jeep.

callaway · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:59 pm

i bought a cj for $800 and am turning it into my beat-the-crap-out-of vehicle

Can't afford to do break something too badly on my daily driver

XR · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:05 pm

When I want to get extreme it's two wheels for me these days.Cannot afford to be tearing stuff up.That's why I have these.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:14 pm

Thats it Sean, the above post is right, you need an ATV,
lots more places to ride them,
easy to get to and from the trail,
can park it in the garage even with the car and KJ ,
women love guys on ATVs :wink:

Have the best of two worlds

now think about that tonight :wink:

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:21 pm

Tokyojoe wrote:

It sounds like that guy doesn't respect the Liberty. Though he is correct in terms of if you really want to go crazy on the trails, get a beater, but you will break it often.

I think too many people are quick to break out the "prejudiced against KJs" card.

The guy would probably say the same thing to the owner of a JK or FJSnoozer. There are many people, including JK owners, that can't believe that I have such a banged up beat "nice shiny new" vehicle.

Personally...I'm all for the dirtbikes. Love me some dirtbikes...and that is one ancient YZ you got there, XR!

XR · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:05 pm

It's an '80 YZ465.It makes as much power as my CRF450R.Starts in 2-3 kicks and I rent it out to plow in the spring.

ReneDave · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:05 pm

XR wrote:

"OK who's driving the KIA?"

Heh, I had that exact same comment once. Same trip I had to pull a guy in a TJ off the rocks twice - second time I told him on front of everyone that it was okay, we'd never tell anyone that he had to be rescued by a Liberty. :lol:

Me giving him the second tug (weird angle because of trees off to my right):

rmorit01 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:10 pm

I would simply ask the following:

1. Do you love driving your KJ on the trails and offroad?

My biggest regret was going with two vehicles. The toy was a "full size jeep" two door cherokee (AMC 360 V8, 33X12.50 tires, 4 inch lift, TBI fuel injection, custom bumpers, roof rack, and comfort mods, but just a beater) that I drove as a daily driver and camping vehicle. Certainly impractical as a daily driver and it was lucky to get 12MPG.

Guess what happened once it no longer was the daily driver? It became a toy and remember the toys are always hard to justify and it was sold since...toys become hard to justify after awhile.

Honestly, the cost of breaking a ring and pinion on a beater is likely the same to replace it on your daily driver so all in all , factor in the price of $2,000 beater that will most likely break and that you will continue to have to mod and you would like have to put some work into a beater to make it reliable to even run it offroad (or get it to the trail).

Stick with one vehicle and put your money into upgrades and making it more reliable and focus on driver skill rather than "building it" ...

I have seen more folks get a thrill out of driving a stock TJ in our jeep club "101 driving events" as compared to the guys "yawning" as they drive their built buggies over everything in sight.

One day, your daily driver will be a 125K mile beater and then turn it into your dedicated offroader. Seems like alot of fab work involved in putting in an SFA.

Its time to make a choice

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