Today was the last day for my '04 Jeep Liberty. And it hit emotionally too.
It hit like a rollercoaster, an SUV (one that could tackle the elements properly too) that's been in the family for 16 years is now gone.
It was because rust and age was starting to plague the Jeep. The last time it went into the garage for fixes apparently there were some extra problems that the mechanic knew prior, which left a bed taste in our mouths since he could've said something. We started to look for a new car this week and settled with a Molten Lava Honda CR-V EX. But I'm gonna miss the Jeep greatly.
I took a lot of photos of the car to remember it by. Many obsessively taken at weird angles but I don't wanna forget about this car. My Dad got it back in December of 2003 replacing his Dodge Ram, I was at my Grandma's house and he was picking me up. I was surprised when he rolled in and it had that new car smell. It was the year where my bratty attitude as a child started to change and I began turning into the person I am today. We got more confident in going on vacations again and took it on some of them too, and also in the same year I had got three cats then (all three died about a year ago which also was a rollercoaster of emotions).This SUV is also special to me because it got me through college and it was the first car I ever drove in 2012.
The photos are numerous, but I hope you can relate to what I was feeling when I left for the dealer with Dad earlier.
Here's one of many pictures of the interior
Years of wear and embarrassingly a lack of vacuuming for about two years too.
The radio and climate control, and that was the handle for the driver's seat recliner too under it.
The dash board, I took two other photos of it too trying to show it illuminated and show how many miles it got as well.
The center console (which had seen better days too.) It may have been an automatic but it lasted long enough to prove how good a car it was, The 4WD still worked too, both low and high gear.
The opened moonroof with the controls to the left. I remember when I first saw the monroof as a kid it amazed me because you could finally see above you. I liked it even more when Dad showed that it moved to either be tilted or move all the way back.
The backseat, I had a hard time staying still because my rib was on the center console.
Another attempt on the rear seats.
Inside center. It held CDs in it and although there was little room for stuff inside when cds were in there, sometimes we'd be one cd short to make the center open for something. Played so many cds in this thing. Also the window switch in the middle.
Backseat looking in.
Just like the front, the passengers had access to the windows in the middle too.
Inside the rear door. There was even a cupholder there too!
Backseat folded down.
What the back looks like from the inside.
Here's the back.
All open with one seat folded down (which I forgot to put back up later on).
Sideview for the left side. Rust on the sideskirts were also a major killer for the car too.
Damn... Part of the rear left flare fell off while the other still held on. But that gives an idea how bad the rust was.
I wanted to have the radio on for this picture.
Front view. I had an accident back in my Freshman year of college which was unfortunately my first. The bump never popped back out like a few other times it had when something bumped into the plastic. the right signal also was mostly out too.
Diagonal shot (the charger was behind the Liberty)
The right side skirt. Mostly intact, barely.
One of the wheels.The Jeep had disc brakes on all four wheels which helped it stop very well. It kills us that it had new tires in too. They weren't bad though.
Lock for the Hood.
Here's the power plant. A 3.7L V6 engine that once produced 210 ho and 230 ft-lbs of torque.
I also took a video of the Liberty's startup as well. Just to remember what it sounded like.
I even showed the engine working and the radio as it was on too.
When illuminated in the front.
Illuminated in the back.
Here's the stickers of all four years I went to Rivier University. Right on the windshield. I first went there when they newly started calling themselves a university instead of a college.
We couldn't save the stickers because the glue was so baked into the windshield. We didn't have the time anyway and they were ripping too so no matter what it was doomed to be left behind. At least I took a picture of them before the Jeep had to go.
The rest of the windshield.
Even on the way there I couldn't stop taking photos too. While I was waiting for my Dad I admit I actually shed a tear because I was remembering all the good and bad times with this SUV. It was an emotional process.
Here's a clearer picture of the moonroof controls.
The drivers side door.
The last two photos are gonna haunt me for a long time. The last two photos of the old Jeep Liberty Sport before and during trade in at Boch West Honda.
Before we got to see the new car prepared. We took about a half an hour talking to the dealer about the car and the services Honda provides.
The final photo....
Here is the new 2019 Honda CR-V EX AWD. The Jeep was on the side, we didn't have new plates yet so we took the old plates in order to drive on the road.
Now the Jeep is gone, it may be scrapped / put apart, or somehow they may fix it and try to sell it, or if by any miracle someone will buy it as is and try to work on it themselves. Either way, it was 16 years of memories, gone in a flash. What a strong and resilient little Jeep that was.
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Comments (10)
You’ll miss that punchy 3.7L, but lots of luck with the new ride
It is tough to let cars go when they've been in the family for so long. Hopefully your new Honda will be just as good a faithful servant as your old Jeep was.
Thank you, I hope it'll bring as many good memories too. It's gonna take me a while to transition.
I have gone trough two cars, and cared for them the best I could, now I`m getting to drive my father`s Volvo S60, It`s over 17 years old, its a diesel with 310k miles on the clock. So far its been very reliable but not without some tear and wear, the cruise control gets stuck ocasionally if engaged, the asisted steering squeals whenever we turn... Not to mention the interior and the seats have lost a bit of colour over those 17 years, the bodywork is dent & rust free even if it has been driven trough the dirty countryside roads, the exhaust however has already hints of rust.
It`s not fast by any means, neither quick but back when I was learning to drive my father usually would take me with it to the abandoned industrial area or the countryside backroads and he would pull over to the side of the road, hand me the keys and say "Take over yourself" then I would be scared at first by the size of it but the more I drove the more I learnt until the fear went away, That`s why I`m thankful to learn with a long sedan instead of a tiny 1.4cc hatchback
So... I certainly share your pain buddy, it will be the same when my father`s S60 starts falling appart as years pass which I pray is not soon, and trust me... it was far better to leave it in a dealer than watching all of those memories and good experiences getting put into the crusher at the junkard and watch as it gets crushed.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=58HJuSlGo24
Be happy of one thing, thanks to him another Jeep gets to live for a bit longer, just like the cycle of life.
Yeah Volvos are easily some of the strongest cars out there. That will last longer than my Jeep easily. I can imagine how hard letting that go will be whenever that time comes. But until then it's yours to covet, you mechanical diary, all the...
Read moreI can understand how painful saying goodbye to a car that’s been part of the family for long can be like. It’s like loosing a pet. I’ve only owned my 2003 Freelander for about 3 years as my first car (and its 16 this year) but I’m planning on being it’s last owner. Because you first car, even if it wasn’t a new car, or even a good car, was your first car, an experience that is unique to you. I’m never letting mine go, so I can only imagine that gut punch feeling from having to let what is effectively a family member at this point.
I'm sorry
It's fine. I just wish we could've kept it longer.