$9,000 to much for 00' TJ Sport with 150k miles?

The problem with someone else's build is they are rarely ever "balanced". Meaning that the modifications are rarely put together in a way where all the parts actually work together correctly. With a little experience you can look at a TJ going down the road and tell if someone has put it together from internet advice and magazine articles or they put it together with a plan and it's end use in mind. A well built TJ is expensive and hard to find. Owners of a well built TJ don't usually sell them, and when they do it's for a lot of coin.

There are great deals on poorly modified TJ's out there because they ride and drive like crap. Some are worth fixing though, if they have good bones and you have time and energy (and money) to resurrect them.
 
9 out of 10 TJs on Facebook are hack jobs. At least the ones I've seen, haha.

As much as Craigslist can have it's pitfalls, I would look on Craigslist first. I'm only saying that because I've looked at my local Facebook marketplace to see the TJs for sale on there. It seems that's where the young kids are trying to offload their "projects". That's just what I've seen at least.

The nicer, unmolested TJs seem to be on Craigslist. Usually for sale by the older man or woman, who simply drove them and painted them, never molested them.

To me, that's a perfect canvas to start from!
 
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I think I might have found a TJ that might be a better fit for for me. 01' Sport with 115k miles. 3" supreme suspension lift with metalcloak adjustable track bar, and 33s. Says fully restored over the winter. Frame is "factory solid" with new undercoat applied. Both soft, and hard top for $8,000 price negotiable with in reason. Opinions please. Going to look at it later today.
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That thing has rust and simply spraying undercoating over it does nothing but hide it. Plus, those are 3" spacers on a stock spring, not a good idea.
 
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ImRickJamesYo! said:
Thanks for your opinion. I'm new to jeeps so just trying to learn as much as I can before I buy.
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Smart man! I know you'd like to get one lifted and such but, as others have said, you never know what you are getting with one modded out. Anything with lots of lift, large tires, modified fenders, etc, I would stay away from as a first time buyer. Look for a stock Jeep in mechanically sound condition, throw on a 2" budget boost with 31's, and roll happy knowing you have a solid and reliable vehicle.
 
Rob5589 said:
Smart man! I know you'd like to get one lifted and such but, as others have said, you never know what you are getting with one modded out. Anything with lots of lift, large tires, modified fenders, etc, I would stay away from as a first time buyer. Look for a stock Jeep in mechanically sound condition, throw on a 2" budget boost with 31's, and roll happy knowing you have a solid and reliable vehicle.
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Isn't a budget boost just going to be spacers like the one I just posted?
 
Yes, but they are 1.75-2" at most which are not an issue with proper bump stops. Those 3" are too long so you would need to add nearly 3" of bump stop to prevent severe coil bind. If the rear has the same spacers, there is a good possibility of drive line vibrations unless the transfer case was lowered.
 
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He says he has the stock wheels and tires. In song think he has driven it since he "restored" it this winter. If it doesn't have bump stops, or transfer case lowered would it be worth buying. Drive it home, remove the 3" lift, and put the stock wheels on. Then sell the lift for what I can, and buy a proper lift for it? Most of the stock ones I've been looking at, have had higher miles. So just trying to figure out options.
 
Rob5589 said:
That thing has rust and simply spraying undercoating over it does nothing but hide it. Plus, those are 3" spacers on a stock spring, not a good idea.
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X2 to this. That TJ was poorly built, and it's hiding some issues.

This is again why I look for stock TJs when buying used. Most of the time, they are the ones that aren't abused.
 
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The rust is the concerning issue for me on this one. That rust may have bedliner sprayed over it, but I can tell that it's really bad rust underneath. I'll bet the entire upper part of the frame (and inside) is coated with horrible rust.

Personally, I'd keep looking.
 
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I'm really at a loss here. I live in Northeast Indiana. We still use a lot of salt on the roads. Any 10-20 yr old jeep frame is going to have rust. It won't matter if it's stock or not. I have no how much rust is acceptable. It looks like some surface rust on the shock tower. I guess I'm just getting more and more discouraged ad I go along here.
 
Don't buy one in Indiana then. Buy one from another state that is rust free and drive it back. Either that, or look for the person in Indiana who owned one and took good care of it, treating the underside to prevent against rust.

The alternative to that is that if you are okay spending $9000 or so for a vehicle with rust, then by all means, don't listen to us and buy it. I'm simply saying I wouldn't spend any amount of money on a TJ that had a rusty frame, because I've seen how dangerous they can be (I've seen posts where guys had their frame brake in half while driving down the road because it was so rusted out), and I've see how rust spreads like cancer.

It's just a bad investment is all. But again, it's your money, and if you think you can deal with rust, then by all means, go for it!
 
Mine came bone stock in Dec 2016 with 46,500 mi for $12k, Texas Jeep from my local area with no rust, if that's any comparison. Then you can do what you want with it. I looked for 6 months.

X2 on the upgraded parts to what everyone is saying here. If it's already modded, look for name brands like Currie, Savvy, OME, Metalcloak, a few others, all the way around.

But, best advice, get something nearer stock, convince the wife that you are spending less on a stock Jeep so you can spend X amount of dollars on mods. That will mean you need to decide how you are going to use the Jeep first, so you can figure out how much it will cost. This is a good place to do that. Big learning curve so ask a lot of questions and read a lot. You'll be happier in the end and it will really be YOURS!

Craigslist surrounding States that don't have salt, if there are any, it will be worth it!
 
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Don't get discouraged. Like Chris said, if you can find something out of state and can make that work, keep that option open. Some rust isn't necessarily bad. But, if the frame has serious rust, flaking on the inside, spring perches that are coming apart, etc, stay far away. Some surface rust, stuff that can be scraped or brushed off, isn't a deal breaker. Also be wary of sellers trying to cover up rust with under coat, bed liner, etc. They know it is an issue and are trying to get over on a buyer.
 
I agree with what @Rob5589 said... I would be wary of owners who try and spray bed liner over rust to try and conceal it.
 
Also, keep in mind that many of us (myself included) it took months (sometimes years) before we found the right TJ.

I looked for 6 months before I found one up to my standards. Don't rush into something like this, wait however long it takes to find the right one.
 
Don't get discouraged, and don't let these guys from out west talk you out of a jeep. Rust is a problem for TJ's, but just because you see a little on the frame doesn't mean the whole thing is shit. I do agree that undercoating hides issues (mine had the same thing done to it). The trick is to learn where they rust, and check the frames there. I suggested using a ball peen hammer, and I was serious. If a buyer has a problem with it, then walk. Jeeps are NOT that rare, and finding a good one isn't impossible, even in northern Indiana. I did the ball peen hammer thing on a dealer lot, with him watching me. He also offered to put it on the lift for me.

Rust can be a pain, but If you're careful, you won't get burned. Buddy of mine has a 99 TJ with 220,000 miles on it...Its been in Michigan its whole life. Does it have some rust issues? Yes...But its not going to "break in half." He's had to Saf-T-Cap one rear end section, and replace the rear spring perches. He also knew what he was getting into, and paid accordingly (like 4500 bucks). Be smart, don't make an emotional purchase, and know what you are getting into.

If you truly want rust free, you will have to travel. Its a fact of life in the midwest. I decided that the extra travel cost could be better put toward fixing the rust issues I saw...a 700 dollar plane ticket, 3-4 hundred in hotel rooms, and a couple hundred in gasoline goes a LONG way toward fixing a couple spots of rust.

If you want to PM me, I'll share some pre-purchase pictures, along with the details of what I paid, and what I've found since I got mine. Mine came from Vermont, to Ohio, where I believe it spent most of its life. I bought it from a guy in Fort Wayne, who picked it up from an auction in Ohio.
 
ImRickJamesYo! said:
I'm really at a loss here. I live in Northeast Indiana. We still use a lot of salt on the roads. Any 10-20 yr old jeep frame is going to have rust. It won't matter if it's stock or not. I have no how much rust is acceptable. It looks like some surface rust on the shock tower. I guess I'm just getting more and more discouraged ad I go along here.
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I feel ya, I live not too far away from you and we still use alot of salt in the winter also.
But, Like I said, don't get in a rush and you will find one. I looked at many that were "rust buckets" but took my time and found one with minimal rust.
Now, with that being said, you and I obviously are not going to find one like those on here who live in the western half of the US, but trust me you can find one close to home with minimal rust if you take the time.
I'm not sure what you are looking to spend, but there are several "nice" looking ones on Cincinnati Craigslist. Of course the pictures on there can be very deceiving as I found out when I was looking.

I know this is probably out of your limit, but I just thought the others might like it:

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/ctd/6097765305.html
 
What's your budget, how far are you willing to travel and what minimum features do you require (like 6 cylinder or auto transmission, etc.)? I live in the Bay Area and am always looking for jeep deals. I paid $12,000 for my 2002 sport with 42,000 miles last May. If I see something you like I'll be happy to let you know.
 
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