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'77 Jeep Cherokee

Jeep #1 was also the first 4wd vehicle I'd ever had. I only have two regrets about this Jeep: The second was selling it. The first was ever buying it at all!

Seriously, Though there was a lot to appreciate in it, there was a lot of trouble too. My first mistake was ever buying a vehicle on payments. NOT bright if you're not making a ton of money. I worked at a kennel at the time and really needed a vehicle that would get me there in the worst weather. Well...that it usually did, but combined with the repairs and other trouble, it added up quickly. I figured I paid for this truck twice....once in payments and once again in repairs. Over 5 years, this was a lot of money! I've learned a lot about vehicles since then and know I could handle more repairs myself now, but it would have been a lot more manageable if I hadn't been making payments on it for the first 2 years either!

My philosophy on vehicles is pretty simple now.....buy something I can buy outright. NO payments, no loans, no hatchet over my head! I believe it's better to own an older decent vehicle outright than to have a newer "financed" vehicle that really isn't all mine anyway. Just my perspective, but I have done a lot better this way than trying to buy something too expensive in the first place.

OK, back to the Jeep. This one was well equipped: AMC 360 V8 engine. 3 speed manual tranny, Dana 20 transfer case. 2 doors. No radio, no cigarette lighter. No complaints there. Only thing better would have been the 4 speed tranny! This truck had guts for darn sure. 4wd was always dependable!

Various problems included: entire brake job, rebuilt alternator(later replaced with new one), entire exhaust replaced, driveshaft rebuilt, radiator hose blowing, battery not up to snuff, and other things....ALL in the first year of having this one. Lots more over the next 4 years. In fact, after 4 years I drew a line.....next "major" repair and it's over! Of course, "major" to me meant anything costing $50 or more. Though I did a few minor things on it(under $50) over the next year, it was when the last of the exhaust fell off(I do mean LAST of the exhaust...as there was NONE left!) AND that it was running like crud at the time, and a number of other problems(mostly body) that I decided to call it done with.

Looking back at these photos, I kind of wish I'd kept it, but can't take that back. It was an interesting vehicle for sure. Fun to be able to plow throw snow with a vehicle like this when you have to!

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