Should I buy this 2003 Rubicon?

[Jps0311]

Hi guys. Been searching around the forums here for a couple weeks and just signed up because I think I found a Jeep I'm interested in buying.
2003 Rubicon with 108K. He is asking 14K and I got him down to 12,500 and he is going to thrown in a new soft top also.

The NADA is showing $10,800 for clean retail so I'm struggling to pay that much over. However, it is completely rust free, new tires, and a new soft top. Carfax checks out too. Good buy or no?

4.0 L 6 CYL AUTOMATIC
4 X 4
LOCKING FRONT AND REAR AXLES
4.10 GEAR
AM/FM/CD PLAYER
CRUISE CONTROL
MONOCHROMATIC REAR VIEW MIRROR WITH EXT TEMP AND COMPASS
FACTORY HARDTOP WITH DARK TINTED WINDOWS
FOG LIGHTS
REAR FOLDING SEAT
TRAILER HITCH
RUNNING BOARDS
WEATHER TECH FLOOR MATS
SMALL LOCKING SAFE UNDER SEAT
A/C AND GOOD HEAT
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS
THERMOSTAT
VALVE COVER GASKET
FRONT AXLE SEALS AND UNIVERSAL JOINTS
SWAY BAR BUSHINGS
TRACK BAR
REAR AXLE SEALS AND BEARINGS
TRACTION BAR BUSHINGS
NEW FLUID FRONT AND BACK DIFFERENTIALS
IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS

OLD MAN EMU 2.5 in
LIFT WITH NEW HEAVY DUTY SPRINGS,SHOCKS AND FRONT STEERING STABILIZER


BRAND NEW TIRES BF GOODRICH ALL TERRAIN TA KO2 285/75/16

 

[Steel City 06]

If everything is functional and the underbody isn’t rusted, I would pay that price, especially for a hard and soft top Rubicon. Mods don’t really add value but they can be kept or changed if desired

 

[cliffish]

If frame checks out that is deal, grab it.

 

[Thumper4fun]

Looks like a solid rig. I would buy it at that price based on your description and research.

 

[bromel]

Good deal. Just feel around inside the frame to confirm it's rust free. They rust from the inside out.

 

[S.McArthur]

Found the ad, I'd be on that like a fat kid on a twinkie; or Chris on a JKU ebay ad.
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/d/salisbury-2003-jeep-wrangler-rubicon/6862267518.html

 

[Alex01]

Looks like a solid buy. You could probably even get rid of the tcase drop since its a rubicon and only a 2.5 inch lift.

 

[Thumper4fun]

If you buy it I would seriously consider adding a 1.25" body lift and MML to better accommodate the tires and rid yourself of the tcase drop.

 

[Honeybadger]

$12,500 is pretty reasonable price for a Rubicon. Looks clean and well kept

 

[glwood]

@Jps0311, have you seen this TJ in person, or just the ad? It looks like a very good Rubi for the price.

 

[Buckeyebutch]

Remember that NADA price is Averaged out. So some prices will be higher and lower.
From what I see in the pictures, I'd be on that immediately.

 

[AndyG]

Rubicon’s are the SuperSport of the Jeep world ...2003 is a great year . We approve the purchase and up to $5,000 in mods the first year . Anything beyond that will require an application for review.

Signed,
AndyG

Forum Vehicle Purchase Department and Upgrade Advisory Panel Member Since 2018

 

[Rick Flair]

Looks good to me. I paid a little more for my ‘03, but it had 59k miles on it and some mods I didn’t have to do so that added value to ME.

 

[MaloStapalo]

I paid 13.5 for my 03 Rubicon exactly one year ago. Had 95k on it if I remember correctly. It's at 102k now.

 

[ftwhite3]

Wait...did someone say twinkie?

 

[Jps0311]

Thanks guys for the insight. I went and test drove the Jeep today and made a gentlemans agreement to pick it up next week. Can someone elaborate on what is meant by the transfer case drop. He did put in some spacers in what looks like between the frame and a skid plate. Is that the proper to accomoadtw for drive shaft angle with the lift?

 

[AndyG]

I paid 20,500 for my 03 last year...It had 20,500 miles . The negotiation went like this-

Me-Will you take less?

Seller -no

They had it for 22,000 originally. I wrote a check .



Tip- move on it, nice ones sell fast when not overpriced. The only book value that matters on nice O3 Rubicon s is checkbook value...write one if you want it . I would not wait , someone will come along with cash.

 

[Alex01]

Thanks guys for the insight. I went and test drove the Jeep today and made a gentlemans agreement to pick it up next week. Can someone elaborate on what is meant by the transfer case drop. He did put in some spacers in what looks like between the frame and a skid plate. Is that the proper to accomoadtw for drive shaft angle with the lift?

Transfer case is the spacers you pointed out. Typically a transfer case drop is not needed on 2.5" lifts and when it is often a motor mount lift will eliminate the need. Also, since its a rubicon it has a different driveshaft then a model with a lower trim which would make it even less likely to need a drop.

(The following is typically not needed unless the lift is over 3")
The proper way on a rubicon to remove a tcase drop would be to buy adjustable control arms and point the rear pinion towards the transfercase. On a lower trimmed model you would need a sye/driveshaft and adjustable control arms.

 

[Jps0311]

Okay, so it seems like the concensus here is that i dont need the spacers? Any reason why I would want to remove the tcase drop?

 

[Jamison C]

Okay, so it seems like the concensus here is that i dont need the spacers? Any reason why I would want to remove the tcase drop?

Those spacers ARE the tcase drop. Your tranny/tcase are mounted to the skid plate. When you drop the skid plate with those spacers, it lowers transmission and tcase too.

What @Alex01 is trying to explain is that your lift is so minimal, your pinion angle to the tcase isn’t going to be dramatic enough to create serious (if any) vibrations. If there were, a 1” motor mount lift would be a more ideal way to solve minimal vibes than lowering your drivetrain.

Take the spacers off, see if you have any vibes. Worse case scenario, you have vibes and you put the spacers back on to fix it.