"Nice truck"

[Jimmy N.]

. I don't think the term SUV was in wide use back then.

No, the SUV term didn't appear until after the Utility part was gone.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

No, the SUV term didn't appear until after the Utility part was gone.

No kidding...there is no way I would ever try to take a modern SUV in the places I took those Ramchargers.
I always wanted a Grand Wagoneer, but either never had the money when I found a nice one, or vice versa.

 

[Jimmy N.]

Yeah, I think the Jeep Cherokee XJ was about the only one that stayed truly useful, outside of the mall parking lots.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

Yeah, I think the Jeep Cherokee XJ was about the only one that stayed truly useful, outside of the mall parking lots.

True....I forgot all about those. I don't see many of them in my area any more. They either rusted out, or had that cam bearing problem and wound up in the junkyards.

 

[Jimmy N.]

I had a really clean low mileage 2001 when I moved here. Got tired of it and bought a Ram 1500.
That was six years ago, and now I miss the XJ.

Anyway, they're still around in this neck of the woods. Although I found mine in Los Angeles.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

I had a really clean low mileage 2001 when I moved here. Got tired of it and bought a Ram 1500.
That was six years ago, and now I miss the XJ.

Anyway, they're still around in this neck of the woods. Although I found mine in Los Angeles.

ok...so that leads me to a question. I see you are at a high enough altitude to get snow, do they use anything to treat the roads like salt or ash or anything?
Here they put down enough salt to kill everything in its path, and if you drive through it and then don't wash the underside of your vehicle, it won't last long. At least the newer car washes around here have a blaster to drive over that sort of gets the underside clean if you drive over it slow enough.

 

[Jimmy N.]

We're getting some 140 inches on average. They use cinder and salt, but must go easy on the salt part.

I never washed that XJ, have never washed the 1500 (no car washes around here), but no damage.
Also, while not subjected to road salt, even bare steel laying around doesn't rust here.

Colorado is a different story. They use that evil magnesium chloride.

Anyway, the red XJ didn't show the "red sh!t" they spread on the roads here, and I hope the red 'Hawk will be about the same.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

We're getting some 140 inches on average. They use cinder and salt, but must go easy on the salt part.

I never washed that XJ, have never washed the 1500 (no car washes around here), but no damage.
Also, while not subjected to road salt, even bare steel laying around doesn't rust here.

Colorado is a different story. They use that evil magnesium chloride.

Anyway, the red XJ didn't show the "red sh!t" they spread on the roads here, and I hope the red 'Hawk will be about the same.

View attachment 16483

They dump rock salt on the roads here along with this salt brine liquid that they spray on to pretreat. It's wonderful getting caught behind one of those trucks...you either get pelted with salt being thrown or bouncing off the road....or you get sprayed to the buh jeezus with that brine crap.

 

[Jimmy N.]

Ouch, that sounds brutal.

Now, if you want utility without a hint of sport, this is what I drove for some 10 years.
Even with a Banks turbo and 4.10 gears, it was a (heavy) dog.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

Ouch, that sounds brutal.

Now, if you want utility without a hint of sport, this is what I drove for some 10 years.
Even with a Banks turbo and 4.10 gears, it was a (heavy) dog. View attachment 16484

We had those in the Marines before the air wing got Humvees. Man they were pigs. Lots of low end grunt to get up hills and such but you weren't winning any races. They were nearly indestructible though. I still see a few of those running around in my area. The local National Guard held onto some of them until recently.

 

[Jimmy N.]

As you know, the M1009 came with 3.08 gears. Yuck.
Needed taller tires for freeway speeds, but that made it even more gutless.

Ended up with the turbo, a built 700R4, and 3/4-ton axles with 4.10s. Nearly perfect.
Well, as long as I wasn't in a hurry, and remembered my earplugs.