Advice on potential TJ purchase

J

Jlin17

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Joined
May 4, 2019
Messages
52
Location
Virginia
Hey guys! I'm a first-time Jeep buyer (and first-time used car buyer) and I'll be looking at an '04 LJ tomorrow and I'm really nervous. The mechanic I've had look at Jeeps for me in the past is out of town and I feel like I'm going in without a safety net so I figured I would ask for advice here as everyone is so knowledgeable and friendly.

Aside from the frame rust, is there anything I should really look out for based on the after market mods that have been added to this vehicle (I'll list everything below):

Listing:
2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (LJ)
This jeep is in good condition, and is trail ready
Automatic Transmission
Front and Rear Easton e-lockers
4.88 Gears
3.5” metal cloak lift with Old Man Emu steering stabilizer
Adjustable Lower Front Control Arms
JKS sway bar quick disconnects
Engine and transmission skid plates
Poison Spyder steering box skid plate
Rokmen front and rear bumper
Rear main seal, valve cover gasket, transmission filter, and thermostat replaced
Tires BFG KM2 (15x12.5x33) with less than 2,000 miles of wear
American Racing Wheels
Poison Spyder Hood Louver
Poison Spyder front and rear differential covers with lube locker gasket
New Bestop Softop

The Jeep has 174,XXX miles and the seller is asking $11,500 (a little above budget for me and higher than what I've seen but I suppose that's due to the after market mods and it being an LJ?)

Here's the listing (with photos): https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/682048785544781/
She did not take any of the frame, but when I check it out tomorrow I'll definitely snap some to share here and get a more thorough evaluation from you all.

Thanks so much in advance, again this forum has been of a huge help to me and my worried mind, I'm just afraid of buying something and having it wind up with something major being wrong.
 
Without photos of the frame, we can't tell you much, honestly.

Rust is going to be the number one thing to look for. Inspect the underside of that thing thoroughly, and if in doubt, take tons of high res photos and post them here for us to look at.

Aside from that, I can tell you with those miles that the cooling system is going to need to be replaced if it hasn't been done before (i.e. radiator, water pump, coolant, etc.), O2 sensors (cheap and easy), and the transmission will need to be rebuild or replaced typically around 200k miles (give or take).

I'm not saying the transmission (or any of these parts) is bad yet, but when you drive it, pay attention to how it shifts. When you floor it, does it shift really hard? If so, that's a tell tale sign the automatic transmission is going to need rebuilt.

A new 42RLE transmission for that thing is around $1500-$2000, and labor to install it would probably be another $1000 more (give or take), so a safe bet would be $2500-$3000 for a new transmission.

Again, not saying the transmission is bad, but the general lifespan for any automatic transmission is usually 200k miles or close to it.

The engine on the other hand will last forever if properly maintained. The 4.0 is a near bulletproof engine that with nothing more than routine maintenance will last 600k miles plus before a rebuild (which has been proven).

DO NOT go into Jeep ownership (especially one with high miles like that) thinking that $11,500 is going to be enough.

Yes, it will be enough to buy it, but I can promise you with every bone in my body that you'd be stupid not to have at least 2-3k in the bank set aside for "maintenance" items that may pop-up with it after purchasing it (i.e. transmission). It's a higher mile Jeep, and unless the owner is giving you a super detailed history of maintenance records, then it's a crap shoot in terms of what you might need to replace.

These things aren't inherently unreliable, but you'll hear the term being used a lot "Just Empty Every Pocket" (J-E-E-P), and after owning one for a while you'll soon find out just how true that saying is.
 
As Chris said if the frame is in tact I would strongly consider purchasing this LJ - the price is definitely fair. This person used quality components and did it right so long run you would be ahead of the game with what you are starting out with.

If this is stretching *your* personal budget you need to consider that any used vehicle, especially a Jeep that has presumably been wheeled, is gong to need regular repairs\maintenance however.

Just empty every pocket is real.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Based on those pictures I'd look for any flakes of rust sticking out from between the skid plate and the frame on both sides and stick my finger in every hole in the frame that I could to find out how flaky it is in there. Almost every TJ has some flakes somewhere but how much is what matters. I'd bet this one is probably fine.

I also noticed a JEEP GIRLS ROCK! sticker under the tailgate and a cute little puppy hiding the license plate. I'd say those are pretty good signs that it hasn't been abused.
 
If you don't have a camera to look inside the frame, a cheap $5.00 flexible/extendable magnet can really help you investigate a bit further than the areas you can only reach with your hands.
 
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OP, for a point of reference, I bought my 2005 LJ last August and asking price was $13.5. It had 100k mikes, 3.73 gear, 31" tires, OEM bumpers, no lift, no lockers, hard top. The frame was solid, but needed addressed for surface rust.

To add lift, lockers, tires, regear, and bumpers, I have over $4k. If the frame is solid on the one you're looking at, I'd say it's a good deal compared to PA prices.
 
174K miles at $11K +. You might not have to rush on that one, so maybe your mechanic would be back? I will let other more experienced folks answer more accurately though. I bought mine at $13K with around 40K miles. It is a Rubicon, but I had to redo the suspension and replace the fenders and paint, so I have a ton into it, but it is clean underneath since it wasn't really driven that much.
 
Here are some pics of the underside
91979
91982
91984
91988
91989
 
Looks pretty good. Double check the insides of the frame where the skid plate attaches.

The fact the frame is not painted\doctored in an attempt to hide rot is a plus. What I see from the photos just looks like normal surface rust.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
The ad does say 'serious offers only', so it does seem they will consider less. How much less? Make an offer and see.
 
Chris said:
Without photos of the frame, we can't tell you much, honestly.

Rust is going to be the number one thing to look for. Inspect the underside of that thing thoroughly, and if in doubt, take tons of high res photos and post them here for us to look at.

Aside from that, I can tell you with those miles that the cooling system is going to need to be replaced if it hasn't been done before (i.e. radiator, water pump, coolant, etc.), O2 sensors (cheap and easy), and the transmission will need to be rebuild or replaced typically around 200k miles (give or take).

I'm not saying the transmission (or any of these parts) is bad yet, but when you drive it, pay attention to how it shifts. When you floor it, does it shift really hard? If so, that's a tell tale sign the automatic transmission is going to need rebuilt.

A new 42RLE transmission for that thing is around $1500-$2000, and labor to install it would probably be another $1000 more (give or take), so a safe bet would be $2500-$3000 for a new transmission.

Again, not saying the transmission is bad, but the general lifespan for any automatic transmission is usually 200k miles or close to it.

The engine on the other hand will last forever if properly maintained. The 4.0 is a near bulletproof engine that with nothing more than routine maintenance will last 600k miles plus before a rebuild (which has been proven).

DO NOT go into Jeep ownership (especially one with high miles like that) thinking that $11,500 is going to be enough.

Yes, it will be enough to buy it, but I can promise you with every bone in my body that you'd be stupid not to have at least 2-3k in the bank set aside for "maintenance" items that may pop-up with it after purchasing it (i.e. transmission). It's a higher mile Jeep, and unless the owner is giving you a super detailed history of maintenance records, then it's a crap shoot in terms of what you might need to replace.

These things aren't inherently unreliable, but you'll hear the term being used a lot "Just Empty Every Pocket" (J-E-E-P), and after owning one for a while you'll soon find out just how true that saying is.
Click to expand...
Read this one guy . Let it soak in. 175,000 on a wheeled Jeep is the start of a project ..any truck made starts costing you around 175,000 miles . Just wear and tear. Just have some money .
 
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So the history of the vehicle is when the lady purchased it, it had 173k, had never been offroaded. She has offroaded it twice since getting it 2 years ago, the rest have been local/highway miles.

What do you guys think price-wise? Does $11.5k still seem fair after seeing the underside?

Also just to clarify, I expect to spend some money in maintenance, and I want to do my own maintenance I'm hoping to learn a lot from owning a Wrangler, I just don't want to get into a money pit situation. And $11k is pushing the limits of what I wanted to pay just to own the Jeep, I expect to put a few k's into it over the years in maintenance.
 
There's nothing wrong with communicating what your comfortable limit is to the seller. The worst that can happen is a no. Then you can decide if you want to stretch your budget, or keep looking. The best that can happen is you drive away with the LJ.
 
It is an LJ and that will cost you, if you don't need the extra space then a TJ will be less expensive. I don't think that this is a bad price for this jeep, as long as you accept that at 175K you might have a bigger ticket item to replace.
 
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