With the top removed and tucked away in the garage, the next step was to take off the doors. Despite owning this vehicle for 16.5 years, they’ve never before been taken off. Years earlier I ran my old YJ with the hinge bolts off all the time, so removing and replacing doors just took a minute in those days. It was certainly time to take the plunge with the Prodigal TJ before the weather turns too cold.
Mirrors.
A design "feature" of the Jeep Wrangler is that outside rear view mirrors are mounted onto the door. This is not unusual as cars go -- but most cars don't feature removable doors. Jeeps do. So when you take the doors off, which I plan to do shortly, you will also be removing both rear view mirrors.
What to do?
The Prodigal TJ is back from the shop - literally, The Jeep Shop in Chester Springs, PA. With the new tires on, there was a significant rubbing problem at the extremes of the steering arc, plus the Jeep felt jittery on the road like the tires were out of balance. And I needed the annual inspections done.
It turned out:
Every Jeep project includes a set of tires....
In this case, thanks to CraigsList, I was able to acquire them (along with an old-school set of steel 5-spoke Jeep wheels of YJ / Cherokee vintage) for a very low price. It meant a 45-mile drive each way, to Willow Grove, PA, but it was worth it.
Here's a look at some of the interior issues, beginning with the excellent WeatherTech floor liners. These really can't be beat, even though they're a little pricey (and these need a good wash down). I bought these for Christmas one year for my son; sort of like giving a gift to myself. 
I got my '00 TJ back this week after a 7-year absence.
I bought it brand new off the dealer's lot in February 2000. It was my daily driver until my JKU showed up in 2009. Then the TJ became my daughter's daily driver for a year or two, and then my older son's who drove it for most of the past 6 years.
Now, at last, it's back where it belongs.
