Buying first TJ (maybe)

la_creme

New Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2022
Messages
23
Location
Tucker, GA
Hi folks,

I'm hoping the TJ experts here can steer me in the right direction. Right now, I'm thinking of buying a '99 TJ X Sport with 62k miles on it. There is a dime sized rust spot on the frame under the passenger side door that I'm concerned about, but a very small spot.

Also, there was oil coming from the front diff. Slightly rougher than I'd like idle, but maybe that's a simple spark plug fix?

I drove it, it drives nice. All the way up to 60/70mph it was very nice. No death wobble whatsoever. It would just be a weekender, maybe 20-30 miles a week, if that.

Here's a Google photos folder of pics I took around the engine and frame from underneath the jeep.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uG5abxnQofCJWgbr7
Does anyone have any insight? Some advise? Friendly guy is asking for 15k. Obviously, we can't offer quite that, but if there's something I'm not looking for, I'd love for some help with that.
 
How expensive are we talking? If I wanted to put 5k in it in 3-4 years for them to take it apart and sandblast, etc.?

I want to buy a TJ I can keep the rest of my life, and continue to modify, maintain, and improve. A big 5-7k restoration after a few more years of enjoying it isn't a huge deal to me. But if we are talking 10k-20k to take it down to the frame to de-rustify it, maybe that changes things.
 
You might be right. Supply is so tight, I was willing to work with this one. But sounds like the consensus is to keep looking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: L J
You might be right. Supply is so tight, I was willing to work with this one. But sounds like the consensus is to keep looking.
If I search ads everyday for a decent deal on a problem free nice Jeep, I find maybe 4 a year. They also sell within a day, if not hours, Have cash and act fast if you see one. I only ended up with my current one owner, Texas born and raised 03' Rubicon ($9,500) because I sold my 00' white Sahara 4 days earlier for $9,000 and had the cash on me on a Sunday morning. Otherwise the guy had people lined up for Monday when the banks opened.
RR5 (2017_11_20 00_38_12 UTC).jpg

white jeep good pic.jpg
 
NEVER buy a Jeep from any dealership. These current ridiculous prices on used vehicles don't apply to private party sales from honest people.
Okay, maybe I'll hold off on seeing that one today then.

What's your budget? Did you see the red Rubicon in TN in the for sale section for $18k?
18k would be on the high end, but if it was a private seller, I think we could swing that. Trying to stay in that 14-18k kind of range. Is that a classified on this website? Rubicon would be sweet.
If I search ads everyday for a decent deal on a problem free nice Jeep, I find maybe 4 a year. They also sell within a day, if not hours, Have cash and act fast if you see one. I only ended up with my current one owner, Texas born and raised 03' Rubicon ($9,500) because I sold my 00' white Sahara 4 days earlier for $9,000 and had the cash on me on a Sunday morning. Otherwise the guy had people lined up for Monday when the banks opened.
Wow, noted. 4 a year is crazy low. We're TJ crazy to get in something this summer. But maybe it doesn't happen.

Good note, is we DO have the cash ready. You talking cash cash? Or some type of means of writing a check? What do private sellers prefer? Is there an electronic transfer that won't charge me an arm and a leg?
 
Good note, is we DO have the cash ready. You talking cash cash? Or some type of means of writing a check? What do private sellers prefer? Is there an electronic transfer that won't charge me an arm and a leg?
I only accept cash money when I sell my jeeps. My sister-in-law works for Bank Of America and said you can screw people over, even with bank issued cashiers checks. I bought a stock 03' with 27,000 miles on it for $8,700 and brought cash. The guy's wife made me go to the bank and get a cashier's check instead. I guess she was paranoid I might come back and rob them for the cash, after they signed the title over to me. :unsure:
 
  • Like
Reactions: JMT
The '99 TJ has quite a few signs of spent time in a rust prone environment. The 10th picture shows rust between the transfercase skid plate and the frame rail. The asking price of 15K for an X model (as other members have stated) is TOO MUCH....
The '98 TJ that the dealership has for sale appears that new parts were bolted on to entice prospective buyers.
Personally.... I would keep looking (as other forum members have recommended).
 
  • Like
Reactions: JMT
The '99 TJ has quite a few signs of spent time in a rust prone environment. The 10th picture shows rust between the transfercase skid plate and the frame rail. The asking price of 15K for an X model (as other members have stated) is TOO MUCH....
The '98 TJ that the dealership has for sale appears that new parts were bolted on to entice prospective buyers.
Personally.... I would keep looking (as other forum members have recommended).
HARD PASS for 15k… in Georgia that should be about 1/3rd that price.

Thanks folks! We will not go see it and pass on that one.

I now see what happens when pot is legal. Stoner prices and stoners buying online. Oh ...wait...dude I didn't order that overpriced , ugly ass Jeep.....did I? COOL Dude. Light it up bro and hand me a beer......and mom's check book. :rolleyes:
This is a good looking one, definitely worth consideration. Problem is the price though.

Isn't that a bit high for what it is?

I may go ahead and upgrade my membership here so I can track the classifieds here. Anyone bought a TJ specifically from a connection on this site?

Everyone's been so helpful. Thank you all kindly!
 
Last one looks like the best of them to me.

The miles though is what freaks us out. Really trying to get something under 100-120k miles. Something that was a weekend car, not a daily driver.

These are tall asks, I'm aware.
I am like you, even though these 4.0 can go hundreds of thousands of miles I still would want to be 110K or less. I would PM the red rubi (oh half doors!) and see what he says about price. If you don't have enough posts to PM yet ask @Chris if he can give you permission to do so. A couple thousand more for a really good TJ will mean nothing in the next year or so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
Last one looks like the best of them to me.

The miles though is what freaks us out. Really trying to get something under 100-120k miles. Something that was a weekend car, not a daily driver.

These are tall asks, I'm aware.
I would suggest to up the mileage in your search. I'd rather have a clean 125k mile jeep than a 50k mile jeep with rust on the frame.
The 4.0 is a super reliable engine.