Buying my first jeep - your advise please

Doug Hanson said:
Thanks for the input. This is my first rodeo in the jeep world. I am curious about your comment "I don't think mileage matters much". Could you elaborate?
Click to expand...
ONLY if you have passion for the rig.
I partway with our first jeep with 575K+ on it for me and my dad can passionately fix all problems at the garage.
The 4.0L 6 cyl. is known to last way longer than any jeep engine if you keep an eye on these three:
1. MUST do rust prevention every year with no excuses
2. Engine MUST purr like a cat and growl like a lion in the woods
3. 7 fluids MUST be up-kept and checked religiously
 
Last edited:
So I didn't buy the TJ - there was alot more wrong with it - doh - like it wouldn't shift into 4wd - may have been a linkage thing but who knows. Anyway - I'm moving on to a new opportunity. Oh - btw - no rust!
 
  • Like
Reactions: TJ2 and Chris
Good call on passing on that TJ. It was hard to tell from the crappy photos (why do sellers do that???), but from what I could tell, it looked pretty beat up. I'm not surprised it had some issues.
 
Thanks.... young guy selling the jeep - he got it as a "gift" for 1200 and then put another 7 K into it with transmission, etc... off-road stuff. Now he's upside down on it - the inside is pretty beat up as well. It was a great learning experience for me - I'm glad I was able to drive it too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Starrs and Chris
6k doesn’t leave you much room, but at that price point a tj will more than likely require some work. 10-11k I think you can find a pretty decent one to work with.
 
Starrs said:
6k doesn’t leave you much room, but at that price point a tj will more than likely require some work. 10-11k I think you can find a pretty decent one to work with.
Click to expand...

Yep, X2 to this.

You're not likely to find a super clean, rust free, well running TJ for 6k. I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm just saying that if you want something like that, you're going to need to be in the 10k plus range as far as price goes.

For 6k you're going to get something a little bit more beat up, and more of a project. That's fine as long as you're okay with a project. Just make sure you get a project that is preferably rust free! Rust is an absolute killer on these TJs, seriously.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Starrs
If you are mechanically inclined you can probably find a decent rider with some small issues the owner doesn't want to fix for cheap. I bought a Jeep with small issues for less than 8K but had to put a fuel pump and head/lifters (head was just because I wanted the less prone cracker on 00-01 4.0) on. I am less than 10k and it is solid. Now my jeep is a 2000 and not as desirable but low miles and will go anywhere. Depends on what you are able to do to negotiate a deal.
 
Im not afraid of miles. I’ve got over 175k on mine and it’s still strong. I’m 100% with Chris. Rust is the killer. And for sure, you’ll be hard pressed to find a ‘perfect’ TJ @5 to 6k.

As far as the one you originally posted about, it looks good! But you have to get up close and inspect that frame very, very thoroughly. If its rust free, those small things (CB, rip in seat) are nothing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
fourpointzero said:
Im not afraid of miles. I’ve got over 175k on mine and it’s still strong. I’m 100% with Chris. Rust is the killer. And for sure, you’ll be hard pressed to find a ‘perfect’ TJ @5 to 6k.

As far as the one you originally posted about, it looks good! But you have to get up close and inspect that frame very, very thoroughly. If its rust free, those small things (CB, rip in seat) are nothing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I used to live in Renton, just south of Seattle. I spent 8 months looking for a tj . It's a tough market. They want 6k for 97 4 banger in good shape, there are a ton of really clean Jeeps there, none cheap. Either they are dad's daily driver, or the family weekender. As already suggested, find one you like the look of with a clean frame. There are so many Jeep shops up there, i.e. Olympic 4x4, Northridge.
I finally found a single owner 230k mile, 97 sport. It had been driven for 6 months by his grandson, it had its entire cooling system yanked, out tossed all the parts in the Jeep and it sounded like it had a rod rap, ended up being a really bad water pump. He must have smoked and party in it, it was filthy. I got the motor running, gutted the interior scrubbed it all with carpet cleaner and other things. I paid 3k, got it running for another 500 and went to Olympic 4x4 and got all kinds of little parts, by the time I had it insured and registered I had only 6k init. Moral of the story, keep looking for a clean body and struggle frame nothing else really matters.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: fourpointzero
Top Bottom
Back