Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Avoiding a Money Pit

ironcladtopedo6974 said:
I guess I should clarify, by not too much effort I meant I am not looking to do a full body off restoration, or swapping frames and tubs, things like that. I am more than willing to put some sweat equity (and maybe a couple busted knuckles) into it and doing repairs you mentioned the right way than trusting Joe schmo to do it or paying a shop to do something I can do myself. I realize I'm going to need to correct some deficiencies and replace wear items. I can do that in my garage for a couple hundred bucks at a time over the next however many months.
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You’re probably going to enjoy it based on how you describe what you are up for-

Usually to get one in really good drivable shape is 1500-4000 dollars depending on the tires.... And 30 trips to the part store

Then how you build the vehicle affects cost from there.

We are not elitests- but everyone of us have probably been bit in the wallet...And we all tend to be gravitating toward do it one time and do it right.

I’m going to tell you your best safeguard- Whether it’s a Rubicon or a sport and a manual or an automatic get an understanding of how the control arm system really works and the consequences lifting one brings-

You don’t have to have one to begin to learn and then you’re really better able to evaluate a purchase and see down the road a little better.
 
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AndyG said:
Yeah, those really offend John Coop and Triton.

It reminds me of the three midgets who went to the Guinness book of world records-

One of them came out and he said I’ve got the smallest hands in the world

The other one came out and he said I’ve got the smallest feet in the world

And the last one was going to try to have the smallest PP in the world and he came out all upset and they said what’s wrong? He said I don’t know who @tr21triton is, they said nobody is going to beat him.
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yep 😞 I got a2x10 ! 2 in. long, 10 in. wide :ROFLMAO:
 
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AndyG said:
You’re probably going to enjoy it based on how you describe what you are up for-

Usually to get one in really good drivable shape is 1500-4000 dollars depending on the tires.... And 30 trips to the part store

Then how you build the vehicle affects cost from there.

We are not elitests- but everyone of us have probably been bit in the wallet...And we all tend to be gravitating toward do it one time and do it right.

I’m going to tell you your best safeguard- Whether it’s a Rubicon or a sport and a manual or an automatic get an understanding of how the control arm system really works and the consequences lifting one brings-

You don’t have to have one to begin to learn and then you’re really better able to evaluate a purchase and see down the road a little better.
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Another reason I'd like to get one is my stepdaughter just turned 11. She likes jeeps and thinks they are cool. I figure we could turn it into something nice for her over the next 5 years so she has something when she gets her license. she can be my gopher and maybe learn a thing or two while helping me.
 
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AndyG said:
Yeah, those really offend John Coop and Triton.

It reminds me of the three midgets who went to the Guinness book of world records-

One of them came out and he said I’ve got the smallest hands in the world

The other one came out and he said I’ve got the smallest feet in the world

And the last one was going to try to have the smallest PP in the world and he came out all upset and they said what’s wrong? He said I don’t know who @tr21triton is, they said nobody is going to beat him.
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Hey why have you been looking at my peepee anyway ? YOU PERVERT !!!!!
 
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Even your top end $8k for a decent TJ is a stretch. Especially in the northeast where everything is rusted, a clean version will fetch a premium. Not to mention, a TJ will always be a money pit! lol

Have you considered other, more reasonably priced, options like an XJ Cherokee, or a ZJ or WJ Grand Cherokee? Those would be great winter options, especially something with full time 4WD or auto 4WD. They can be found decently cheap, can be had with a 4.0 (some Grands with a V8), and are still reasonably priced for modifying in the small lift and all-terrains range. No, you can't take the top off and it's not a Wrangler, but it might be a better fit.

Edit: Honestly, even a KJ Liberty might be a decent option. Dirt Lifestyle Nate built a nice little diesel KJ overland on his YouTube channel.
 
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The only 'money pit' aspect to my jeep has been wanting the unicorn, LJ Rubicon model. After that its been a largely easy ride as far as costs go. Owning a jeep is not where the money goes, its modding it. I would suggest finding a mildly modded Jeep that has the essentials, and from there you will be very well setup for winter driving.

I bought mine with a small 2" lift, 31" tires and a winch and it has proved to be a very effective all-weather vehicle. For Thanksgiving, i took it to Glamis Sand Dunes and didnt struggle once. For New Years i took it to Flagstaff and drove right through a blizzard before the plows were out in full force. The only 'mod' i have added was an onboard air compressor and small creature comforts like new fog lights. The rest either came with the Jeep or has yet to prove itself a priority.

All of this assumes you purchase a unit free of rust and major mechanical issues. Good Luck!
 
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Arthurius said:
The only 'money pit' aspect to my jeep has been wanting the unicorn, LJ Rubicon model. After that its been a largely easy ride as far as costs go. Owning a jeep is not where the money goes, its modding it. I would suggest finding a mildly modded Jeep that has the essentials, and from there you will be very well setup for winter driving.

I bought mine with a small 2" lift, 31" tires and a winch and it has proved to be a very effective all-weather vehicle. For Thanksgiving, i took it to Glamis Sand Dunes and didnt struggle once. For New Years i took it to Flagstaff and drove right through a blizzard before the plows were out in full force. The only 'mod' i have added was an onboard air compressor and small creature comforts like new fog lights. The rest either came with the Jeep or has yet to prove itself a priority.

All of this assumes you purchase a unit free of rust and major mechanical issues. Good Luck!
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yea, but was it in the $5-8k range ? ;)
 
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ironcladtopedo6974 said:
What website did you use? Trying to find more places to look.
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Craigslist, but that was three years ago.
It looks like FB Marketplace is tha more popular choice these days
My only requirement was a clean frame/tub, all the mechanical I can do myself.
 
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tr21triton said:
$5-8k range ?
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No but i was looking for a mildly modded LJ Rubicon with under 50,000 miles. OP is looking for a stock or better 4.0 TJ under 150,000 miles. I would say that can easily be done under $10,000. Especially cash.

Just watch out for rust.

x2 to searching online for stuff outside of the rust belt. I drove my Jeep home from Vegas to PHX (5 hours) and it was worth every mile!
 
ironcladtopedo6974 said:
I've never traveled more than few hours by car for a vehicle before. I don't know if I have the nerves to commit that much to buying a vehicle sight unseen, but I'll keep it in mind. What sites would you recommend I browse?
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I’m willing to look if you find something in Sacramento area of California, but for the price you desire, I am not sure that is doable in CA.
 
A local member found a TJ listed for $8K and bought it for $6,500, or something close to that. I think he had been looking for about a year. They are out there, but they're few and far between. @ironcladtopedo6974 I think rust, and the prevention of rust, should be your biggest concern.
 
jbarnes85 said:
As said the northeast is a tough spot to buy jeeps. I have one from Alabama and one I bought locally here in Maryland. Needless to say one still has the paint marks on the frame and the other not so much.

Here's one up by you that might not be too bad. I'd ask for some frame pictures! https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/756478786520373/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp:64018e1f-e650-4735-89a3-a98d4e661628
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9500 04 rubicon listed 2 weeks ago ! if it's real it's sold next day.....
 
I always tell folks to think about what needs you want it to serve before buying. It can do a few things extremely well, but it cannot do everything adequately because each demand requires compromise.

We've had ours for 19ish years. It was in great shape when we bought it. We kept it on 31's for 17 years. I decided to go through it and bring it into the modern era and ended up spending $20,000 at least. Money well spent. Cheaper than a JK or JL for sure. No matter how well it is maintained, they are old now and critical systems will need to be repaired or upgraded.

As far as price, as long as you're patient, you will find what you are looking for. My buddy bought a client's 06 LJ for $3,000. It was all stock, never been off road, and mechanically sound. They just wanted to get rid of it. Go figure.
 
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I've been on car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and boat forums going back to the Usenet days 30+ years ago. You want to not have a money pit of a vehicle? Stay the hell off of internet forums. You're a click away from The Next Big Thing, or worse, The Ticking Time Bomb. Internet forums are all but designed to convince you that there's something wrong with your vehicle that's only a Simple Fix away from correcting what those stupid engineers who designed the thing screwed up.



If you're looking for a 5-speed, then understand that you're looking for a 20 year-old vehicle. Before you consider spending a cent on mods, remember that damn near every piece of rubber is going to be shot. If the suspension is stock, it all needs to be replaced. Even if it's in great shape like mine was, there's still a bunch of stuff in it that's just old. Think about it as a restoration project, If you're planning on driving it while you're doing the restoration, figure out what you need to do immediately to keep it on the road and safe. Then start taking a systematic approach to replacing things. For example:

I needed tires. No point in buying tires when I knew the suspension was worn to the point that it'd eat up my shiny new tires. So I figured out what size tires I wanted, and then decided to replace suspension parts with pieces that would make those tires work. Which of course led to having driveline vibrations, which meant either a TC drop or a SYE and driveshaft. "Do it once, do it right", so a thousand dollars for new tires turned into quite a bit more than that. But I won't have to address anything in my suspension for a decade, and if I ever want to go higher, it's a matter of swapping springs and shocks, then making a few adjustments.
 
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I will add that patience is the thing. It took me several months of searching Craigslist and FB Marketplace to find mine. I drove a solid 6 hours to go get it and tow it back. I ended up paying $5000 for a Sport 5 speed that was completely stock other than 31" tires that was used for a commuter between Rainier Wa and Seattle for the vast majority of it's life. 330K miles and a couple small dents, but it was stock and well taken care of. They exist and patience on your end will pay huge dividends. That and looking outside the NE for a good one. Your not going to find perfect in that price range or even close to "New", but if it has a solid frame and had loving previous owners, you can find one that meets your needs.
 
ask friends and then be patient with their answers. I asked a friend 4 years ago about buying his '04 4.0 Manual TJ X (no rust... Texas.) It took him 3.5 years to come around, but he finally did for $5K. It was worth waiting. I rode a little 4-stroke moped to work and school for a year, got small peepee jokes flung at me, but saved up enough to have the cash ready when my friend got a new truck and needed $5K I guess.
 
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jbarnes85 said:
As said the northeast is a tough spot to buy jeeps. I have one from Alabama and one I bought locally here in Maryland. Needless to say one still has the paint marks on the frame and the other not so much.

Here's one up by you that might not be too bad. I'd ask for some frame pictures! https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/756478786520373/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp:64018e1f-e650-4735-89a3-a98d4e661628
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I've had my eye on that one. Waiting to see if he drops the price a little. I just sent him a message and he said he's the original owner and the pictures of the frame are extremely nice. I only saw one rust spot and it looked like it was surface rust that could be fixed with a wire brush and some coating in an hour.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts
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