Perhaps you’ve owned Jeep Wranglers for years, but you’ve never experienced one of the original models, the YJ, and you want to know what it’s like. If so, take a look at the following video.
A presenter for The Fast Lane Car bought a 148,000-mile 1995 YJ Sahara for $6,500 a year ago. Given its age, it does have some rod knock and it has exhibited some emissions problems. However, its 4.0-liter I6 is still buttery smooth. Like modern Wranglers, it’s a rough-riding off-road fun machine that’s easy to upgrade.
The easiest way to upgrade a YJ, though, is to make sure you buy the right one in the first place. TFLC recommends avoiding the 258-cubic-inch I6, models with an automatic transmission, and any YJs with a lot of off-road mods on them because, as you can imagine/verify from experience, those have probably taken a beating in the rough stuff. Also, try to get a ’95 because it has a fully galvanized body.
What do you YJ owners out there think? Do you have any other tips for prospective buyers of a square-eyed Wrangler?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
