New to forum, need advice on buying 2000 Wrangler
- Thread starter Staten81
- Start date
Way too much rust to contend with unless you're looking for a project car. It's like an iceberg... only a fraction of the rust is actually visible. Between the miles, rust and hard life, it's a skip.
I had a quarter size spot on my passenger fender.. Just paint bubbling. I knew there was rust brewing under it though. Everything else on my TJ is really good. Anyway, I took it to a trusted body shop and they had to replace a saucer sized piece of the fender.
What you DON'T see can be significant!
I had a quarter size spot on my passenger fender.. Just paint bubbling. I knew there was rust brewing under it though. Everything else on my TJ is really good. Anyway, I took it to a trusted body shop and they had to replace a saucer sized piece of the fender.
What you DON'T see can be significant!
Yea it comes with it. Just not sure how much use I would have for it.
Then a hard pass from me too, that plow installed new is about $4K.
You are at high blue book. With the “piston slap” and rust I would classify it as Fair Condition on KBB. With the snow plow I assume it has heavy duty springs up front which would give you a rough ride with it off and they would need to be replaced. What is the value of the plow if you sold it? A TJ is like a boat they are lots of fun but that fun comes with a cost. Pay up front for a nice one or pay at the back end with continued costs. Go ahead and test drive it at the very least it will give you a reference point for other prospects.
Only adds value if you plan to use it/need it or you can sell it for a decent amount and you are willing to go through the hassle of reselling it. I’ve run plows before and they put a lot of strain on driveline components. Staten81 snow removal service?
Ron and Kay
Member
We bought our 2000 TJ 2 1/2 yrs ago after considerable searching...We are in Kansas...where sand and salt in the winter is a common factor....everything within a reasonable distance had frame rust and body rust. We extended our search to New Mexico as we have family there....we found Lil Red there...NO rust...169K miles....paint on hood marginal due to sun and sand....transmission marginal ...we bought for a good price, as it needed tires soon....We have replaced the transmission and are now, having Lil Red painted...full offbody ... at this point we feel that our TJ is an investment...not just another vehicle. We found a factory hardtop in good condition and have a soft top as well. We are seniors and enjoy our TJ. and....we do not drive our TJ in the snow, sand and salt.
If it is *truly* piston slap, it goes almost completely away when the motor is warmed up and the pistons expand. If you've never heard it before it usually sounds a bit like a diesel when its cold. Sometimes these motors just keep running like this, and sometimes the skirts on the pistons shatter.
In Mass that plow setup would probably fetch you between 500 to 1k, on the higher end if you do a nice removal with all of the push plates, wiring, headlight isolation modules, etc so its a full package.
Being a northeast guy, the rust in the pics you showed isn't horrible, Also, I don't see any rust on the front fenders (yet) which is amazing. Now, since the frame has already been welded, we can make an assumption that the frame is (or at least was) in poor shape.
For me, I won't buy a TJ with a rusted or even a repaired frame, and 6500 seems very high for a questionable motor and repaired frame. If this one had a non-repaired and not rotted frame, i'd take a very close look at it. Even in this case I'd want to be in it for about 4500 with the plow.
Do yourself a favor and pass. Save some money and keep looking for one that didn't come from the rust belt in your area, or travel (or have shipped) a clean one from outside the rust belt.
That's my $.02, and worth exactly what you paid for it!
In Mass that plow setup would probably fetch you between 500 to 1k, on the higher end if you do a nice removal with all of the push plates, wiring, headlight isolation modules, etc so its a full package.
Being a northeast guy, the rust in the pics you showed isn't horrible, Also, I don't see any rust on the front fenders (yet) which is amazing. Now, since the frame has already been welded, we can make an assumption that the frame is (or at least was) in poor shape.
For me, I won't buy a TJ with a rusted or even a repaired frame, and 6500 seems very high for a questionable motor and repaired frame. If this one had a non-repaired and not rotted frame, i'd take a very close look at it. Even in this case I'd want to be in it for about 4500 with the plow.
Do yourself a favor and pass. Save some money and keep looking for one that didn't come from the rust belt in your area, or travel (or have shipped) a clean one from outside the rust belt.
That's my $.02, and worth exactly what you paid for it!
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