I’ve owned a 2-door, 5- or 6-speed Jeep Wrangler for 32% of my life.  I had the privilege of driving two green Jeeps.  I sold the second one a few months ago.  Enough time has passed.  I can now write about my Jeeps.

My second Jeep was much more comfortable than my first.  It was a 2008 Wrangler.  It was a hardtop.  My 1995 Jeep was a canvas top.  The newer one had great A/C and a heater that fired up quickly.  I joked that the heat in my ’95 Jeep came on as soon as I got to where I was going.

My ’08 Jeep and I had great experiences.  I drove it to Toronto, Canada six times to get on an airplane to fly out of the country.  Those trips were in the winter.  One time, coming back through a major winter storm in Fort Erie, I was concerned that the wind was going to lift the hood.  My Jeep had two clips on the side that held the hood down.  The wind was fierce and the snow was blowing sideways.  I could see the hood coming up a half inch or so.  On the stretch of highway that I was on, there was nowhere to stop and take shelter.   I then remembered I had the bungee cords for securing my bike to the bike rack.  I hooked one of the cords to the grill and to the small upside down “U” shaped clip on the hood.  It secured the hood through the storm.  Sounds silly but I was really proud of myself.

I miss a few things about my latest Jeep.  The Jeep Wave being one of them.  When you pass another Jeep, the driver often times gives a wave.  My friend told me that started after WWII.  Surplus Jeeps could be had for $250.  When a veteran passed another veteran in a Jeep, the “Victory” sign was exchanged.  The two-finger salute also was saying, “I served in World War II.”  Now the wave is more of a true wave.  Only a few Jeep owners give the Victory salute.

I also miss the way I would pull into a parking lot.  I would put the clutch in and then shift into neutral.  I would turn the engine off and glide into a parking spot.  Anybody standing close by had to look and wonder how a Jeep could be so quiet.

My 1995 Jeep was special for other reasons.  It had a canvas top.  I got a tear in the top shortly after putting on a new roof.  I drove downtown one Saturday morning and Gabe (of the famous Gabe’s Shoe Repair) came outside with a needle about a foot long.  He sewed the tear.  I paid him with some cash and a copy of Frank Sinatra’s Watertown CD.

The ’95 model was unique for two other reasons.  It was the last year for the square headlights.  Jeeps were retooled for 1997.  There really is no 1996 Jeep Wrangler.  The new versions were sold in 1996 as ’97 models.

Perhaps the most unique thing about this Jeep was the way I bought it.  I drove past a used car lot on my way to a meeting.  I saw the Jeep.  I pulled right into the lot and went to look at it.  A big burly man with an Irish paddy cap came out of the sales office.  He told me he had owned two Jeeps and they were fun to drive.  As a person who sells, I like to see how good salespeople I deal with are at their job.  I asked him how long he had been selling cars.  “Two weeks,” was the answer.  He told me he just retired as a Catholic priest and his friend owned the lot.  His friend gave him the job to occupy his time.  I knew who this priest was by his reputation and also knew the church he retired from.  I told him I would like to take the Jeep to my mechanic for a review.  The owner of the lot let me do that.

My mechanic told me the Jeep was in good shape but was going to need a new water pump.  The cost would be $250.  

I drove the Jeep back to the lot.  The priest came out and asked if I was ready to write a check (his version of the “close”).  I told him I would buy the Jeep, pay exactly what they wanted, but I had to deduct $250 for the water pump.  The owner came out and joined the high- level negotiation.  He told me the vehicle didn’t need a water pump.  If it did, he would have put one in.  I repeated my offer.  The owner told me there was a warranty on the vehicle.  He would lower the price but remove the warranty.  I told him he would leave the warranty in place and I would buy the Jeep for $250 less than the asking price.

There was silence for a few moments.  Then, the priest-turned-car salesman said, “Ken, if you buy it now at full price, I’ll give the Jeep a special blessing.”  

Now, there are those ultra-religious types who would have jumped at that offer.  But not me.  I said the sentence that was said one time in the history of the world and will never be said again:

“No offense, Father, but I’d rather have the water pump!”

We did the transaction on my terms.  I kept the warranty and got a new water pump.  And my love affair with the 2-door, standard shift Jeep Wrangler began.