Just occurred to me that my time with the XJ is getting shorter and shorter. I am planning to say goodbye to my friend when it kicks over 200,000 miles. Right now, it's at 188,000 miles. That means 6 more oil changes, 500 gallons of gas, and most likely a new set of tires. Wow, time flies when you're driving a vehicle you like.
It's been a reliable car.
Notable Upgrades
150,000 - Installed new rims and tires
150,000 - Installed new exhaust system
170,000 - Installed new air filter
190,000 - Installed new rear shocks
190,000 - Installed new track bar and connecting rods
190,000 - Installed new brakes and rotors
190,000 - Installed new fog lights
190,000 - Installed new belt
190,000 - Installed new head gasket
190,000 - Replaced all rubber hoses for dry rought
190,000 - Installed new radiator and added new fluids
Oil Change Mark Dates
1.) 173,000 - December 24, 2008
2.) 175,000 - February 15, 2009
(Changed universal joints also)
(Changed front wheel bearings)
(Rotated tires)
3.) 177,000 - March, 1, 2009
(Replaced o2 Sensor)
(Replaced Fan Belt)
4.) 180,000 - May 15, 2009
(Rotated tires)
5.) 182,500 - July 10, 209
6.) 185,000 - August 14, 2009
(Rotated tires)
7.) 187,000 - October 3, 2009
8.) 190,000 - November 25, 2009
(Installed new radiator)
(Replaced all hoses)
(Installed new head gasket)
9.) 192,000 - January 4, 2010
10. 194,000 - February 2, 2010
11.) 196,000 -
12.) 198,500 -
13.) 200,000 - December of 2010, the Cherokee was sold for $1400 dollars to a coworker. It was a great vehicle and got me to a lot of amazing places through the years.
I replaced it with a 2000 Jeep Cherokee from my mother. It would later be stolen and totaled when my wife and I bought our first house. Jeep Cherokees are simple cars and even simpler to steal than most vehicles these days. Someone broke into it one night as it was sitting outside our house. They jacked it and drove only a few miles before rear ending it purposefully into a telephone pole and totaled it.
From here, I hit more bad luck as I chased down a dream of mine. It was an Isuzu Vehicross. I was done with Jeeps and my wife was quite happy to hear this. The Isuzu was built in Tokyo Japan and to me, represented the best of what Japanese manufacturing could encompass. Sadly, this was not the case with my pristine looking Vehicross. With 114,000 miles on the vehicle, I paid around $8,000 dollars and paid it off in less than six months. Then, the problems began, most specifically with the transmission. The car cost me another 6 grand in repair work at which point after multiple breakdowns I concluded that it was time to sell. I sold it to a gentleman who was an original engineer for Isuzu. He drove all the way from Texas and drove it home, breaking down along the way multiple times. I often wonder if he still owns it. The car was ahead of it's time on many levels and I really wished it would have worked out.
Finally, as I update this blog, it is the eve of 2015 and six years has passed since I penned the initial words. I went without a car for a year but ultimately purchased a 2014 Toyota Tacoma. Living in urban Denver, the Tacoma sees generally less than a hundred miles during the week, complimented by trips to the mountains on the weekends when needed. I hate making payments but with a little over 10,000 miles on the clock, it feels good to have a hassle free car. I plan to keep the truck for a long time, maybe even give it to my son or daughter when that time comes years from now. More on this truck in another blog.
It's been a reliable car.
Notable Upgrades
150,000 - Installed new rims and tires
150,000 - Installed new exhaust system
170,000 - Installed new air filter
190,000 - Installed new rear shocks
190,000 - Installed new track bar and connecting rods
190,000 - Installed new brakes and rotors
190,000 - Installed new fog lights
190,000 - Installed new belt
190,000 - Installed new head gasket
190,000 - Replaced all rubber hoses for dry rought
190,000 - Installed new radiator and added new fluids
Oil Change Mark Dates
1.) 173,000 - December 24, 2008
2.) 175,000 - February 15, 2009
(Changed universal joints also)
(Changed front wheel bearings)
(Rotated tires)
3.) 177,000 - March, 1, 2009
(Replaced o2 Sensor)
(Replaced Fan Belt)
4.) 180,000 - May 15, 2009
(Rotated tires)
5.) 182,500 - July 10, 209
6.) 185,000 - August 14, 2009
(Rotated tires)
7.) 187,000 - October 3, 2009
8.) 190,000 - November 25, 2009
(Installed new radiator)
(Replaced all hoses)
(Installed new head gasket)
9.) 192,000 - January 4, 2010
10. 194,000 - February 2, 2010
11.) 196,000 -
12.) 198,500 -
13.) 200,000 - December of 2010, the Cherokee was sold for $1400 dollars to a coworker. It was a great vehicle and got me to a lot of amazing places through the years.
I replaced it with a 2000 Jeep Cherokee from my mother. It would later be stolen and totaled when my wife and I bought our first house. Jeep Cherokees are simple cars and even simpler to steal than most vehicles these days. Someone broke into it one night as it was sitting outside our house. They jacked it and drove only a few miles before rear ending it purposefully into a telephone pole and totaled it.
From here, I hit more bad luck as I chased down a dream of mine. It was an Isuzu Vehicross. I was done with Jeeps and my wife was quite happy to hear this. The Isuzu was built in Tokyo Japan and to me, represented the best of what Japanese manufacturing could encompass. Sadly, this was not the case with my pristine looking Vehicross. With 114,000 miles on the vehicle, I paid around $8,000 dollars and paid it off in less than six months. Then, the problems began, most specifically with the transmission. The car cost me another 6 grand in repair work at which point after multiple breakdowns I concluded that it was time to sell. I sold it to a gentleman who was an original engineer for Isuzu. He drove all the way from Texas and drove it home, breaking down along the way multiple times. I often wonder if he still owns it. The car was ahead of it's time on many levels and I really wished it would have worked out.
Finally, as I update this blog, it is the eve of 2015 and six years has passed since I penned the initial words. I went without a car for a year but ultimately purchased a 2014 Toyota Tacoma. Living in urban Denver, the Tacoma sees generally less than a hundred miles during the week, complimented by trips to the mountains on the weekends when needed. I hate making payments but with a little over 10,000 miles on the clock, it feels good to have a hassle free car. I plan to keep the truck for a long time, maybe even give it to my son or daughter when that time comes years from now. More on this truck in another blog.
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