that Buying Your First Jeep Feeling! 1997 Jeep Cherokee Country

[@mefistofer]

You're doing a great job there Dale, not just on Jeeps but at parenting as well

[@JeepSolid]

Thank you! Good times and hard ones as well. Doing the best we can

[@jmccracken491]

Yep

[@jlaradgk]

Yeah he seems like a cool dad

[@Cattabolic]

The timing of this video is perfect. We just bought my 15 year old daughter a non-running 88 XJ. We are going to rebuild it over the next year. She'll know every inch of that jeep when we are done.

[@abstract1dea]

Love my XJ. Most dependable vehicle I've ever owned. Just replaced the 4.0 at 331K miles. Looking for another 20 years with it. Same color as hers and interior is a match too. She is going to love it! And she'll be able to do things with it herself. Everything is so easy to get to and parts choices are immense.

[@gordongman3423]

That smile on her face is priceless.

[@JeepSolid]

She loves it

[@indridcold8433]

Retro inspired, stylish, functional, spartan, serviceable, and indestructible, I just described everything, modern cars, including Jeep, is not.

[@rushwal]

The family that Jeeps together stays together.

[@JeepSolid]

Passing on the passion

[@marinescott7790]

My 97 Cherokee, 2dr, 5 spd. 313,000 miles, all original engine and drive train. I use it every day

[@civilizeddelinquent563]

Wow...to some of us in other parts of the world, that Jeep appears to be off the showroom floor

[@GoatOffroad]

What a great XJ! We bought our daughter an XJ too for her first car. She wanted one because of ours and has watched us build our channel around Jeeps. One great plus is the awesome visibility! ❤️🐞

[@JeepSolid]

It’ll be a great vehicle for her! She’s so excited

[@MrJohnBoat]

How fun .. I remember spending lots of time in my first car just checking it all out and playing the radio.

[@JuanPerez-gn5gn]

Hahaha yea I remember before I had my license I would just turn my car on and listen to the radio outside my house

[@JeepSolid]

Haha!! Yep. That's exactly what she has been doing. Hence the dead battery. LOL. Great lessons on car maintenance

[@sscbkr48]

Wow, nice dad. Bought my first car, a 1950 Ford convertible, on the other side of the mountains from where I lived. Driving through the pass in September with vacuum wipers in a rainstorm, the canvas top blew off. Then the distributor broke. After hitching back and forth with a replacement part I eventually got the car home and by mid winter bought a new top. I always liked adventures. 😁

[@cherokeefit4248]

One of the coolest Jeeps. I love mine and never getting rid of it and it’s never seeing a winter ever again.

[@dylansyjadventures3148]

XJ is a great choice! My dad passed down his YJ to me and it was one of the best parenting decisions ever!

[@Q_Alix]

It's the best vehicle. I have 3 jeeps. 98' XJ with 306,000 original miles. The straight 6 will never die or fail you. Enjoy jeep girl!! oIIIIIIIo

[@JeepSolid]

I hope she becomes a lifelong fan of them 😋

[@delaneywalwyn2791]

Just got my own 91 YJ for my first car! My dad and I have some work to do on it, but it's a lot of fun. Your videos have been so helpful.

[@JeepSolid]

That's great! Glad my videos have helped 👍🏽

[@bobquattrini1787]

Nice Xj!!! My 99 Xj has almost 400,000 Mile's and is just like new...Start out and change all the fluids and hoses and she'll be bulletproof..Mine even has the original head gasket and 🐈...A Real Beast

[@JeepSolid]

Yes. That’s what I am hoping for

[@aairhartjr]

Parenting how it should be! Great job there sir!

[@8avexp]

That's about how I felt when I bought my '88 - brand new. 33 years later, it still gets me around. The paint on that '97 looks far better than mine!

[@roningle3612]

I bought a 97 xj back in july same color as yours, and I put a lot of new parts in it and I drive it all over my area, great vehicle

[@moabwheeling]

Beautiful daughters you have there sir . Another Jeep girl in the making , alright !! Father and daughter project is awesome . I see a lot of XJ videos coming out in the future . Congrats on the new to her jeep , your a great dad Dale . I bought my daughter her first car when she got her license also , but that was many , many years ago . Glad you are all safe and sound back home ,Tootsie included . Take care and be safe .

[@JeepSolid]

Thank you! It should produce many great memories

[@614XJ]

Love my 96 XJ! ❤️

[@blakewilson272]

I have a 98 Cherokee and I love it! I keep doing things to upgrade it for fun! Excited to see what all you do!

[@JeepSolid]

Thanks. First goal is just replace some worn parts. Get it in great working order.

[@indridcold8433]

@@JeepSolid Check the track bar connection to the front axle. That is biggest source of the dreaded death wobble / death rattle. The right rear spring will be the spring that fails. But you already know all this. Have her be hands on when the repair time comes.

[@dartanprince6260]

“Low on gas but thats normal for a jeep” i laughed so hard so true im always at the pump seems like.

[@indridcold8433]

You must do a propane conversion and still retain the ability to use petrol also. You will not believe how affordable fueling up will be using propane as a fuel. The kit is readily available online and is relatively easy to install.

[@wardperozuk2782]

I remember taking my youngest daughter to get her first Jeep- a Liberty that lasted her through 7 years of university. The day she convocated, she had a job and bought a 2018 brand new SAHARA. She loves her Wrangler! I think you are doing a bang up job Dale -your daughter seems like she knows her way around the vehicle already! Keep up the good work!

[@JeepSolid]

Thank you! We're anxious to get started on it. Perhaps creating a life long jeep lover 😁

Congratulations on your Jeep. Your dad got you a great vehicle!!!!!!

[@kevinwiley6376]

Good score Dale! I have a 99 cherokee same color as your daughters. 225,500 miles, fun to work on and still going strong.

[@bunnyofdoom87]

That is awesome that she's interested in working on the Jeep with you!!! Need more people (particularly girls) knowing how things work and being comfortable checking their own cars for basic maintenance. ❤️

[@JeepSolid]

Yeah! I hope it brings lots of great memories

[@indridcold8433]

Agreed. There was a day shift worker that was in a panic when I came in for my third shift because her car would not start. I barely touched jumper cables to her battery and it started right up. She did not even have a clue the car had a battery. When I went to help her initially, I asked her if she thought the battery was dead, she said, "It is not an eletric car. I just put gas in it." I knew not to ask her anything else at all, after that most unfortunate answer. She looked amazed when I jumped the battery and started her car. I told her not to turn off her car because her battery was bad. She proceeded to get grouchy as she exclaimed again that her car was not an electric car. I just said, "Do not turn it off and go straight home. Have a great night and stay safe." I walked away mid sentence as she was suggesting I knew nothing about cars. I never told her that I am the night company mechanic that repairs everything from small equipment all the way up to the company lorries and fork trucks. Ignorance may indeed be bliss, but it sure makes people very vulnerable and look really arrogant sometimes.

[@bunnyofdoom87]

@@indridcold8433 I... How does she think the radio and AC works then???

[@indridcold8433]

@@bunnyofdoom87 Well with the fuel she puts in the tank, of course.

[@bunnyofdoom87]

@@indridcold8433 🤣

[@MrSnowford]

Fantastic choice. I have a 99, same color. LOVE IT. Have spent the last year getting it back to factory fresh mechanically. Great first car, NO blind spots, slow, great in bad weather. Best of luck with it, cosmetics are really nice, that interior looks new.

[@VeganGorilla555]

It's awesome that you're spending the time to teach her about mechanics and it great that she wants to learn.

[@jmccracken491]

I have a 98 XJ Cherokee 4.0 engine. 214,000 miles I love it.😁

[@mgs8747]

Such a cool guy. Your family is very lucky to have you as you are to have them. Fun to watch and such a positive thing amongst a bunch of other things that are not quite so positive. I just get a good feeling watching your videos of you and your daughters combined interest in the jeep is inspiring and really fun to watch thanks.

[@davidga9502]

Fantastic Dale! I picked up ‘96 for my kiddo a few months back for him and I to work on for his first Jeep in about a year. No way I was putting him in my TJ 😁. We have applied a lot of info from your videos to working on the XJ so far and it will be great to actually watch you working on an XJ too!! Well don sir.

[@JeepSolid]

Thank you!! We are excited about it.

[@austinbelch1506]

Just bought my first jeep a few days ago, got a 99 xj sport with 179k on the odometer. Couldn’t be happier with my purchase

[@kykynkey7559]

little tip on xj rear quarter panel rust, owned 97 for 5 years now - hot august no rain for a month notice a few drips at rear - pulled the lower forward rubber plugs on quarter panels and couple liters (quarts) of water ran out of each one, so I drilled small drain hole at bottom of each plug so they can self drain, so water finds its way in then sits there for months ... nice family project luv it, I also have YJ best jeep ever owned, awesome channel!

[@BrodieBr0]

Take note world, this is what a great dad looks like. Keep passing that knowledge down, not enough parents do this sort of thing now days. Great video!

[@BeaterJeep]

I have 3 sons…… between us, we have 3 XJ’s. My oldest has a sports car. Fun times wrenching on our 3 Jeep’s. I’ve owned many 4x4’s over the years. Lots of off-roading fun.

[@BillLaBrie]

This is a great way for a young lady to learn about death wobble and electrical faults.

[@jmccracken491]

Bill, my 98 has neither.😁

[@indridcold8433]

Death wobble is nearly comically easy to fix. It terrifies people because it is so striking. But anybody with mild mechanical knowledge can easily fix the issue. I have fixed many death wobble / death rattle vehicles with great ease. I find that buying solid front live axle 4x4 vehicles with death wobble can get me extremely good deals because the owner believes the vehicle is destroyed. One time, all I changed was a single bolt on the track bar and set the toe of a Ford F-250 and resold the pickup truck for $5500 more than I paid for it. Death wobble, though dramatic, is near child's play to fix.

[@stuartbear922]

None of my XJs ever had death wobble. Most of the suspension parts are easy to replace. My lastest XJ is a leaker from HELL. Oil and rainwater leaks. Fixed the oil leaks, but the rainwater is coming throught the cowl I believe.

[@JeffDeWitt]

My 96 has neither, and it's got about 600,000 miles on it.

[@indridcold8433]

@@JeffDeWitt 600,000 your engine should be buttery smooth, still have great compression, and have another 200,000 before you have to do your first rebuild. Even then, just substitute a quart of Lucas Engine rebuild in your oil change and you can probably baby it to one million.

[@jeromethrelkeld2463]

Good job Dad! My daughters 1st car was a 96 Cherokee and she loved it.

[@JeepSolid]

That's awesome! I have that same great first car memory

[@JoeB3477]

What a great first vehicle

[@64samsky]

I'm looking forward to the videos that follow. Congratulations on your daughter's new ride.

[@JeepSolid]

Thanks! She's excited!

[@jduncan8907]

125K! man what a deal. Got my 98 xj with 144k in 2018 and I was equally as excited lol. Drove a 91 when I was 16 as well. great rigs.

[@PlumdogMilli0naire]

Great job finding a perfect first Jeep, Dale! My first Jeep was a 96 Cherokee two door 12 years ago and that’s what started my addiction. My daughter just turned one last week and I’m in the process of getting my Comanche up and running so I can eventually hand it down to her.

[@joegeorge3367]

awesome video. i have my 16 year old daughter driving a car that doesn't have anti-lock brakes, or lane departure avoidance or skid control, etc. I told her "you have to drive the car." you have to learn the skills of driving - in snow, rain, ice, sleet, etc. you have to predict what the 3-4 drivers around will do and how your car and skills keep you safe. later in life she can get a late model car with those other features.

[@weskhud]

That's a clean Jeep. That reminds me of when my daughter got her first Jeep. Enjoy those times brother, they go by fast. That 4.0 will treat her right.

[@dominik7014]

Till piston fall apart

[@kykynkey7559]

little tip on rocker rust, (97 xj) , if you remove the rear seat and its passenger side pivot bolt you now have a hole on both sides to the inside of rockers you can spray in some anti rust , I originally poured engine oil in but note it may leak at the bottom pinch seam, regardless - if the outside looks good might be good idea to anti rust through these holes to keep it looking that way ... dont have a solution for bottom of doors yet - mine are not rusted there either so I spray some "rust check" in couple times a year - luv the xj dont want to see them rust ... still love the channel ;)

[@southhillfarm2795]

Can't go wrong with an older Cherokee in this kind of shape. Reliable, easy and affordable to repair. All round good vehicle.

[@markabaxter]

Great to have fun with you’re first car, I remember doing up my first with my Dad. Cool to see your daughter enjoying that experience with you 👍

[@bryanmcentush4788]

And a Jeeper is born!!! Good for you!!

[@craigfarndale4260]

Awesome work, Dale (and family - especially the person delegated to holding the camera). Your daughter has a mint Jeep.

[@aidanmakinster922]

Awesome first car! I'm 17 and hopefully in the next few weeks im gonna buy a xj as a first car. They are such great cars.

[@georgecurtis6463]

I remember getting my new 96 cherokee. Was thrilled. And then it kept getting better. Congrats !

[@JeepSolid]

Thank you!

[@ScottPriestley]

I just picked up my first XJ a couple weeks ago. Needs a new head, springs and shocks. Looking forward to having fun with it.

[@bryman868]

My first car was a 96 grand Cherokee. I loved it so much.

[@kjamesjr]

Looks just like my 99 XJ. Also bought with 125k on it. Gonna switch to a different daily though because I’ve already put like 25k miles on it. Good buy. Keep it clean, there’s not much left! Check your heater core for coolant leaks. Most common issue for coolant leaks.

[@pra3t0rian]

That thing is clean! Good buy.

[@JeepSolid]

Sure was! Thanks

[@spondal1]

A couple days ago I bought my first Jeep, 1992 Cherokee Laredo, the odometer says 142,xxx but it doesn’t work but I don’t think it has more then 200,000 because it is almost rust free, I live in Minnesota so that’s a rarity, $600 and I can’t wait to start wrenching on my new truck, also glad I stumbled onto this video, always great to see parents teaching there kids lessons, I had to learn on my own about mechanics and how to keep old things running, also it may sound like I’m old but I’m only a freshman in college.

[@Zoofactory]

This is wonderful eye in the calm of the storm of insane such times... FTR - I think most of us are trying our best to do the same.. She’ll be teaching her boyfriend how to fix his car when it breaks down. 👍 Competence knows no gender.

[@JeepSolid]

Haha!! Yep. I want her to know the basics. Prevent getting ripped off in the future at some shop.

[@shychi7772]

Amazing you are an inspiration. Love the vids and congrats to lilsolid great job 🤙😊🤙

[@jakedavis1085]

I bought my 97 XJ country 8 years ago and I daily it still with 240k miles on the clock. I average about $300 in repairs a year, little things here and there. These jeeps are as good as they get. Can’t wait to rebuild it to a 4.6 stroker motor one day when I have a new daily. But for now, best $3000 I ever spent.

[@wes11bravo]

This reminds me I have a mere 3 years until my daughter takes to the road. She's very analytical without my help but I plan on teaching her basic maintenance and troubleshooting on my '01 TJ, how to use hand and power tools, off road recovery techniques, etc. Armed with this knowledge, in addition to her being able to drop a moving target at 200 meters, she should be more prepared for life's little challenges than most kids her age..

[@jamesjohnston9970]

Beautiful family. Thats gonna be a nice first car for her. With your knowledge and skills it should last her a long time.

[@JeepSolid]

Yes. Should be a good one.

[@hermecortes6080]

I got the blue one, 1998. And it’s almost brand new!!!!

[@lilred-emax2027]

Great first vehicle. Simple durable engine no rust great choice

[@mrfunkybassist]

My first vehicle was a 1987 jeep cherokee. Awesome cars

[@gregblaszczak5443]

Very clean find! The interior looks especially great. That cooling system looks like it’s pretty rusty. I’ve had good luck with a product called Thermocure on my XJ. I did 2 separate flushes back to back and it cleared up the ongoing rust issue with my cooling system. Best of luck!

[@hermecortes6080]

That motor in line (6)never dies…

[@arthurprado3818]

This thing is a diamond 💎 try finding one like this in Michigan 👍🏾

[@jamesprice1549]

I have the exact same vehicle, but in red. And both of my kids drive Jeep Wranglers (YJ & TJ). God is good!

[@steveblankenship5474]

I have a 97 XJ country same wheels. Great choice

[@stephencannon3140]

I had the XJ and fast forward almost 15 years not back in the Jeep family with a Grand Cherokee WK........WK2 I believe (2020)

[@2needey1]

Building a Jeep is priceless

[@301steady]

Put some 33 inch shoes on it, right after you add a 4.5" lift from Iron Rock Offroad. Also, get her a Power Bank Jump Starter and teach her how to use it. That way, the young lady isn't reliant on some serial killer to give her a jump start.

[@indridcold8433]

33x12.5R15 Dick Cepek Xtreme Mud Terrians, on 15x10 inch Soft 8 rims aluminum rims to compliment the blue paint with a nice offset so no scratching of tires takes place, 4.5 inch Skyjacker lift system, bushwacker pocket style fender flairs to cover the edge of the beefy tires, Dana 44 rear axle, Terminator AX-15 Rockland Standard transmission, Atlas II transfer case, rhino lines floor boards, 4.11 to 1 gears with a Detroit auto locker for the front, ARB air locker for the rear, barricade winch bumper for the front with Stinger and extra flood lights mounted on it. Hella LED retrofit headlights, pillar mounted LED spotlights. 52 inch combination flood and spotlight LED light bar with Amber clearance LEDs built in. Smitty built roof rack with spare tire holder and a place for a shovel and a HiLift Jack, Sideband CB radio, HF, VHF, UHF amateur radio with modificationals to be able to be able to use it on low power 49 Mhz, MURS, FRS, GMRS, diamond plate aluminum trunk with MREs, water purification tablets, fire starter, high intensity torches (flashlights), first aid, recovery strap, chains, a crossbow, complete basic tool set, smoke grenades and flares. On the rear Barricade bumper with Jerry can holders an HF antenna. On the Smittybuilt roof rack, a VHF antenna and UHF antenna, in the tuffy console, her 9mm Glock, and a box of bullets is saved in hopes she never has to use it but she is fully capable to use it. The best thing she will have onboard her Jeep Cherokill, will be thed knowledge and ability to use everything onboard it.

[@lb6960]

My first car was also a 97' Cherokee Country, I had it when I was 15-16 years old and I'm 17 now with a 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid lol

[@toledojeeper2932]

One of the first things I do to XJs is a coolant flush and change...usually end up putting in a new radiator about 1 month later. No one evers changes the coolant and these engines need to be kept cool as possible. But nice XJ...I worked on the XJ assembly line for around 13 years.

[@rossmclaren2522]

Great looking Jeep, nice to see you spending time with your daughter and going over the fine points of vehicle maintenance, too. This will be a great project that you both can work on. Interior looks very clean, Infinity system too, nice! I would check the date stamp on those tires though.

[@mikeyoung6347]

That is a pretty nice jeep, with a/c! I have the same color TJ, PQ7, without a/c. You can have much better airflow by switching out the intake manifold with a 98, 99 "horse shoe" intake. its a simple bolt on. well worth the effort. Maybe buck up the alt with a 130amp from a Durango.

[@utistudent099]

Have a good look at the wires that plug into the very front fuel injector as it sits in the heat stream from the exhaust and go brittle. Mine had the insulation on the wires come off and it shorted out and ruined my PCM. This is a critical inspection point.

[@forbeshutton5487]

I miss my 98 XJ.... That ons looks great but remember that a coolant flush and new thermostat are cheap insurance on the 4.0.

[@stih201]

What a cool dad

[@isaiahpena8501]

Just got a 99 xj sport lifted same color for 5000, don’t regret.

[@jeepfreakgarage6497]

Great first vehicle 👍

[@JeepSolid]

Yes! It’ll be a fun project

[@toddsharearm9875]

Nice JEEP. I miss the boxiness of the cherokee.

[@danhambrick6331]

Congratulations Dale.Looks like you found a diamond in the rough.....

[@JeepSolid]

Yeah. It's a good one

[@fastdude2002]

Radio shouldn’t kill the battery that easy. Check battery condition, connections, alternator. You don’t want her to get stranded....

[@MajorWeakness]

HEY, that's what I got my youngest daughter for her first car! Very cool. My channel has tons of XJ repairs (not as professional as yours lol) it's a great father daughter project!

[@JeepSolid]

Thanks! It will be fun. I'll have to check out your channel

[@BroncoSolid]

Did he just call your videos professional? You’ve come a long way Dale

[@JeepSolid]

Haha! Yep

[@highwayxj9397]

Knew I’d find you here!

[@sonnynick1]

Congratulations!!!!!!!

[@yerwrng]

That's what an xj looks like when it's still mostly XJ...lol... I kinda forgot.

[@indridcold8433]

Whether it is a bone stock Jeep Cherokee XJ or a highly modified Cherokill XJ, they are volumes better than anything Jeep has today. Jeep really lost its way. The Wrangler and gladiator are the only two Jeeps with solid live axles. They are more like tribute vehicles to the, "legacy Jeeps," (pre 2006). The Wrangler is starting to faulter with fragile components like screens, and worthless exterior plastic bumpers and over engineering. The ridiculous automatic engine stop and start design flaw that is in the JLs is an engine killer. Who ever thought it is a good idea to let a vehicle's engine stop and go to zero oil pressure and restart over and over is a true idiot. But hey, it saves a spoonful of fuel per full tank. Never mind the engine suffers every start with low oil pressure. I am guessing there will soon be an independent suspension equipped Jeep Wrangler that will cater to the obese soccer moms with no Jeep vehicle retaining solid live axles. I am currently looking for a 1995 through 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ. That engine had the thick cast AMC 242ci I6 that is near impossible to distroy. Most of them in the junk yard can probably be made to run with extremely minimal effort. I went to a junkyard to get a 4.11 : 1 reversed cut Dana 30 front axle for a customer and saw some XJs lined up. For fun, I just tested compression on the first three cylinders of three of them. All three of them still had great compression. It was likely all three engines would likely fire up with minimal effort. Today's Jeep engines will likely never see 200,000 miles. Is this really progress at all? The current jeep vehicles will likely have very short service lives. They will be sent to the junkyard way sooner than any previous model Jeeps ever. But they save fuel. However, the idiot, "greenies," do not realize that melting down an old vehicle to make another vehicle will use far more energy than any vehicle could ever use during its service life. The process to melt it down will also produce far more pollution than any vehicle could ever produce during its service life as well. If you want to save the world, keep your current vehicle as long as possible and keep it running as good as possible. Save the world and the vintage Jeeps. Do not scrap them.

[@JeffDeWitt]

@@indridcold8433 I've got a 96 Cherokee XJ that I bought when it was one year old with only 20k on it. It's about as basic as they come, 4.0, stick, 2 doors, 2wd, AC... and that's about it. It didn't even have a console and the dash had a speedometer and gas gage. It now has a full dash, a console, the nice alloy wheels off a Wrangler... and 600k on it. I've bought four other vehicles over the years to be my daily driver, and the old Jeep has outlasted all of them, and I expect I'll have it for the rest of my life. Best car I've ever had.

[@MrDaBears83]

@@JeffDeWitt wow I'm looking at a 95 XJ for $2000 with 250,000 mi

[@JeffDeWitt]

@@MrDaBears83 I don't really know what they are going for these days but if the thing is in good shape I'd buy it.

[@whodatmatt4498]

Good buy! Love the XJ's.

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

Nice clean XJ. Those things have really gone up in price. In certain markets, you could get $10K plus for it, as is.

[@indridcold8433]

Wow! That XJ is the best offroad SUV ever to exist! Never let her get rid of it. The modern Jeeps are garbage compared to the legendary Jeep Cherokee XJ, Jeep Wrangler YJ and TJ, Jeep Grand Cherokee up to the WJ. The 1997 has the thick cast cylinder head and is near indestructible.

[@liriogalvan9131]

WOW WOW THAT WAS VERY AMAZING A GOOD FATHER LIKE ME I DID THE SAME THING TO MY BEAUTIFUL BELOVED DAUGHTER I GOT HER A 2006 JEEP WRANGLER 65 TH EDITION IN VERY GOOD CONDITION WITH SUPER CLEAN FRAME I AM VERY HAPPY FOR HER SHE IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE GOD BLESS HER ALWAYS AND GOD BLESS YOU BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER AND YOU FAMILY ALWAYS AMEN 🙏🇺🇸🇮🇪🇮🇹🇩🇴🌞🌻🙃❤️

[@chewbaccac-3po129]

I would buy it to because I love old jeep

[@mikegriego3671]

Looks clean. My 99 classic xj has almost 250k mi, still kicking.

[@billdursa4724]

Nice dad and daughter. Good to see a young person that is thankful to have a safe vehicle even though it is not shiny and new and full of stupid new technology.

[@Sqnutt]

I wouldn't call it a safe vehicle. in an accident with a modern car with a rigid structure that has passed modern crash tests like euro ncap, it will be a horror show. Even a small hatchback like a ford fiesta will punch through that Jeep like a pinata.

[@scottdoubleyou563]

I've had 3 XJ's (still have 2 of 'em), 2 YJ's, and a TJ. That "Bought a jeep feeling" you're talking about? Yeah. It boils down to "What the hell was I thinking? But It's ALWAYS worth it. Looks like a solid XJ.

[@herdmentality8336]

I just did a restoration on my 2000 XJ, rebuilt the rear fenders with lower body armor, put another kit of lower body armor on the doors and front fenders, welded on of course, painted it Dove Gray with Raptor liner, and have all black logos coming. New EAG front bumper, with JCR offroad front unibody kit and a Smittybuilt winch. Steering will be upgraded, all heavy duty front end parts, 3 inch lift, new rear leaf springs, Skyjacker shocks. It looks like a tank. Never had a Jeep with a winch before, figured I better make it happen. Also never restored any Jeeps before like this. The Raptor actually gave me a problem on the last bottle, I think it didn't get tinted quite as dark and did not want to shoot out of the gun at first. I think the bottle was maybe going bad. Looks a bit streaky. First time for everything. Hood is heavy now.

[@Rocscrawler]

Dale, tell your daughter to wash or dispose of the lanyard she drug across the very wet battery when she first opened the hood and reached for the prop-up rod. That will get battery acid on everything it touches. AND, don't forget, an empty gas tank means the in-tank fuel pump has very little to no cooling. Our policy on our jeeps is that 1/2 a tank is in fact "EMPTY!" That makes the fuel pumps last a lot longer.

[@Grenyas]

Super awesome buy. I'm on the hunt for XJ as a second Jeep to accompany my LJ.

[@JeepSolid]

It's a good one

[@johnalie967]

That is awesome Dale congratulations! I am thinking of buying a Cherokee for my 16year old as well. I just worry about buying a lemon and hearing about it from Mom or end up with repairs that cost more than the purchase price. Be great if you did a video on what to look for in a used Jeep (ie low coolant + milky oil=blown head gasket) or how to test a transmission. Would like to buy one as a small project Jeep without getting into major projects (concerned about attention span). Look forward to watching future videos on this one. Any name yet? “Old Blue”? “Baby Blue”?

[@joeygee11]

You are killing her dad. She is thinking....."Give me the keys"

[@cravenadventures]

Subscribing! Got to support us Oregonians. And great choice on Jeep for your daughter. Personally I think ZJ's are better but that's just me.

[@moparchallenger749]

Lucky girl Great Dad 👍