I have had a lot of cars, trucks, and SUVs over the year but I think the 95 Jimmy that has been in my family is the toughest thing I have ever seen. Below is a time line of its life.

1. 1995 My daughters friend's dad purchased a Top of the line Jimmy.
2. Dad turns Jimmy over to their 1st teenage son with about 60k on the clock. Son rolls car twice. Dad repairs car.
3. Dad gives Jimmy to 2nd teenage son. He also rolls the car with about 120K on the clock. Dad repairs car.
4. Dad gives Jimmy to teenage daughter she drives the car for about 4 years and totals the rear end and bends the frame.
5. In 2000 I purchase the car for $500 and beat out the body and make frame repairs in my barn. 165,000 miles. My daughter drives to Colorado to attend college in Steamboat Springs. (Two wheel drive spells trouble from the start)
6. Daughter crashes into snow banks, trees, and other cars. She is handy with a wrench and makes regular trips to the junk yard for repair parts to keep it street legal.
7. Daughter hits Elk at 2 in the morning with 220,000 on the clock. Elk seems to win the battle but later dies after taking a dump inside her car when he went through the wind shield. He also kicked the hell of the outside door panels kicking his self out of the car. Lucky for her no one is hurt.
8. I drop off a used Jeep and trailer her Jimmy back to Texas.
9. My other daughter needs a car. The Jimmy motor still runs and the car drives fine but the Elk totaled the front end. I installed the same year model truck fenders, hood and front clip.
10. This daughter also moves to Colorado with the same Jimmy. She repeats here sisters driving skills in the snow. It is not long and the Jimmy looks like it just won the demolision derby because even though it looks like hell it starts right up and goes down the street straight.
11. 3 more years of abuse and the Jimmy now changes lanes without moving the steering wheel and has more squeks, rattles, and noises than my daughter can stand. A local car repair man claims it is not fit to drive anymore even though it starts right up and the motor is still as strong as ever.
12. 275,000 miles on the clock and I drive to Colorado with a Toyota for her and then drive 1000 miles back to Texas in this rattle trap with it wanting to change lanes without moving the steering wheel. However this Jimmy is one mountain climbing machine with still lots of power left in the engine. I got the perfect new body for this engine just waiting in Texas.
13. I have an old Isuzu Trooper that I paid $200 for and stuff the Jimmy engine and transmission in it. I part out the Jimmy and sale the rest for scrape and make about $500.
14. Now at 300,000 miles on the engine it is still running strong. It still can go between oil changes without having to add oil.
15. Now that the Jimmy motor is in the Trooper thanks to a 3" body lift I can change plugs, power steering pump, and the starter without ever having to open the hood.
16. I have no idea how much longer this Jimmy motor will live on.

 

I was starting to love the Jimmy, then you ripped it's heart out and threw it away! A tragic love story.

 

4.3 motors is the best everrrrr. i beat the **** out of mine. the transmissions suck,but the motors can take a beating.

 

it was a very said day to see the Jimmy waiting its turn for the cursher. But my two daughters left no part of this ride without deep battle scars. It would of took a 50 gallon drum of bondo just to make it look like an suv again.

 

It just needed to be resurrected into a trail rig! Oh well, it had a good life, all be it a tough one.

 

You could consider it a heart lung transplant for a trooper trail rig. Cover your eyes if you can not stand to see the transplant of an Uncle Sam motor in a Japan body.