1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ Restoration Project

Just after college I made my first major life purchase: A brand new soft top 1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ (YJ...hmm? "Yuppy Jeep"??). The purchase price was roughly equivalent to my annual take home pay at that time (see window sticker below). Finding a YJ with a 4.0 L AMC straight-6 engine and an AX15 transmission was not an easy task at the time due to high demand and limited supply. The YJ was nearing the end of its production run (Note: YJ production ended in 1995. There are no 1996 Wranglers.) and most of the 4.0 engines at the time were going into the more expensive Jeep Cherokee (XJ) line.

• History of the Jeep Wrangler YJ 1987-1995

• A Closer Look At The '87-'95 Jeep Wrangler YJ 

• Is it finally the YJ Jeep Wrangler’s time to shine? 

• Wrangler YJ: Common Misconceptions

• Upgrades and Mods for Your Jeep YJ

• A Look Back At The First Generation Jeep Wrangler YJ

• The Short List: 5 Reasons You Should Buy a Jeep YJ 

Sadly, life happens...family happens...and after eight+ years of abuse (OK....let's call it what it was: LOTS AND LOTS OF FUN!!!) the Wrangler feel into disarray and was no longer "road functional" (alternator, brakes, rust spots). The Jeep was put in the garage in 2005 pending a plan.

(Continued reading story below...)