Diamond In The Rough. New To Me 97 TJ

Thank you all for the words of encouragement and for the words of harsh reality on just how bad the jeep really is. I feel like an idiot.

Nevertheless, I spoke to eBay today and unfortunately since the vehicle is over 10 years old, the protection afforded to me is very limited, if any. I was asked to call back on Tuesday after the holiday to speak to a specialist to see if maybe they can cover the shipping back to the seller. I am not optimistic. I am pending that conversation before notifying PayPal. I’m really not looking for a conflict and may just wind up dealing with whatever it is that I have. I live in Florida and if I can get the jeep running reliably (engine and drivetrain), I can just use it and enjoy it for what it is, a toy. Lesson learned on buying a car sight unseen, irrespective of how nice the seller seems to be.

I also have to keep in mind that I only paid $6250 for it. And I know many on here will argue that it’s worth far less than that, but in the grand scheme of things even if I spend $4,000 getting it to a great place, I have a jeep with my own flavor in my own style for 10 grand which ultimately isn’t a bad deal.

I’ll be counting on those of you on this forum to help guide my decision making and will be very open to feedback. I did go ahead and order a new shifter pivot stick today. There was one on eBay in great shape for 40 bucks, so I figured it would at least make me feel better to fix one thing on her.

Hope you all have a great memorial day weekend with your loved ones.


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I also am a new member and just bought a 1997 white TJ. I live in 7 miles from Florida, in Alabama. First I think you are right, for 10 grand you will have a jeep you like. sometimes, especially in this part of the USA we pay a bit more for Jeeps and small pickups ect. If you like it then that is all that matters.
 
stylo328 said:
Thank you all for the words of encouragement and for the words of harsh reality on just how bad the jeep really is. I feel like an idiot.


I also have to keep in mind that I only paid $6250 for it. And I know many on here will argue that it’s worth far less than that, but in the grand scheme of things even if I spend $4,000 getting it to a great place, I have a jeep with my own flavor in my own style for 10 grand which ultimately isn’t a bad deal.
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That would be a very conservative number if you cannot handle most of it yourself. Tires alone will eat up nearly a quarter of that, depending on which way you go.
 
well, that stinks. Its obviously had some rust repair in its past. Hard to tell if it was done properly or not, but its done now. If Ebay and Paypal don't come through, I still think you got an OK deal. I paid nearly 10K for mine, and I have rust everywhere. Its not undriveable, but I've been fixing it as I go. It was also bone stock, so I've had to pay for a lift, tires, Maintenance, etc. Mine is a Rubicon though, so there is more "value" to start with, but still, I think you did OK.
 
Used vehicles of any kind are pretty overpriced here in Hawaii. I thought I paid too much for my TJ but this thread makes me feel better. My TJ has high mileage but little to no rust, 3" lift and generally in good shape. I knew going in I would spend some $ on it to clean it up. It runs great. Jeeps just cost more. I guess.
 
stylo328 said:
Thank you all for the words of encouragement and for the words of harsh reality on just how bad the jeep really is. I feel like an idiot.
...
Hope you all have a great memorial day weekend with your loved ones.
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Don't feel like an idiot dude. In the big scheme of things, it's just a small bump in the road and a lesson learned. Keep your head up and move forward!
 
mcj600 said:
Don't feel like an idiot dude. In the big scheme of things, it's just a small bump in the road and a lesson learned. Keep your head up and move forward!
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Very kind of you, thank you and everyone else for the encouragement.

I have come to terms with the seller and will be shipping the Jeep back for a refund. I will still be out the shipping expenses, both ways, which I estimate will end up somewhere in the $1,500.00 ballpark.

I gave it a ton of thought, read all of your advice and after carefully considering the options, the $1,500.00 lesson seems like a much better alternative than finding a replacement frame or dealing with all of the individual issues.

I will keep the shifter pivot stick I ordered hanging in the garage as a reminder...

I am transitioning my search. Maybe a newer Jeep is a better fit for us.

I’ll post whatever the final resolution is for closure. Thanks again.


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stylo328 said:
Very kind of you, thank you and everyone else for the encouragement.

I have come to terms with the seller and will be shipping the Jeep back for a refund. I will still be out the shipping expenses, both ways, which I estimate will end up somewhere in the $1,500.00 ballpark.

I gave it a ton of thought, read all of your advice and after carefully considering the options, the $1,500.00 lesson seems like a much better alternative than finding a replacement frame or dealing with all of the individual issues.

I will keep the shifter pivot stick I ordered hanging in the garage as a reminder...

I am transitioning my search. Maybe a newer Jeep is a better fit for us.

I’ll post whatever the final resolution is for closure. Thanks again.


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That's good to hear on the Jeep purchase refund at least. I would probably have taken the same route also and chalked it up to a $1500 lesson, sorry to say...
 
Good news your in Florida lots of rust free jeeps out their. A little more expensive then N.E jeeps I searched for mine for over a year. Just watch out some from costal areas have been driven in salt water on beaches
 
1500 is a much better hit than what it would have taken to get that one back in safe working order. Hey, at least now you now what to look for :D
 
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And just like that, she is back on a trailer heading up north to Virginia. I feel bad for whoever buys her next. I hope they are smarter than I was about asking the right question and knowing what they are getting into.

It was difficult to explain to our younger children why the jeep they were so excited about getting is now leaving back to the seller. I just told them that dad made a mistake and they should learn that things aren’t always as they appear to be. .

I went to a local dealership today to look at a 2018 JLU. The Rubicon was $54,000. Not sure what I’m gonna do next, but maybe buying a new Jeep is the safer, albeit more expensive, route


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stylo328 said:
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And just like that, she is back on a trailer heading up north to Virginia. I feel bad for whoever buys her next. I hope they are smarter than I was about asking the right question and knowing what they are getting into.

It was difficult to explain to our younger children why the jeep they were so excited about getting is now leaving back to the seller. I just told them that dad made a mistake and they should learn that things aren’t always as they appear to be. .

I went to a local dealership today to look at a 2018 JLU. The Rubicon was $54,000. Not sure what I’m gonna do next, but maybe buying a new Jeep is the safer, albeit more expensive, route


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The seller agreed to take it back? Wow, that's a nice seller!

You can find a cherry TJ if you look, you just have to know what to look for, and never, ever, ever go to look at one unless the seller is willing to provide you with lots of high resolution photos of the underside and the frame.

My 2005 Rubicon has 50k miles, is an original owner vehicle (I'm the second owner), and it was 99% rust free. Of course I paid 17k for it, but you get what you pay for.

If you do go on the hunt for another TJ, post the ones you look at up here on the forum. I'm almost always online, and I can pretty easily tell what is a good buy and what isn't.
 
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stylo328 said:
Very kind of you, thank you and everyone else for the encouragement.

I have come to terms with the seller and will be shipping the Jeep back for a refund. I will still be out the shipping expenses, both ways, which I estimate will end up somewhere in the $1,500.00 ballpark.

I gave it a ton of thought, read all of your advice and after carefully considering the options, the $1,500.00 lesson seems like a much better alternative than finding a replacement frame or dealing with all of the individual issues.

I will keep the shifter pivot stick I ordered hanging in the garage as a reminder...

I am transitioning my search. Maybe a newer Jeep is a better fit for us.

I’ll post whatever the final resolution is for closure. Thanks again.


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Good choice.....I would have done the same thing. Cheaper that route instead of spending alot more trying to fix the problems..... and you still have a Jeep with a bunch of patches that isn't worth much and would be very difficult to sell when ever the time comes.
 
stylo328 said:
I went to a local dealership today to look at a 2018 JLU. The Rubicon was $54,000. Not sure what I’m gonna do next, but maybe buying a new Jeep is the safer, albeit more expensive, route
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There’s no way to say this without sounding like a dick but what were you expecting when you paid 6 grand for a 21 year old modified TJ sight unseen? I mean yea sometimes they’re in better condition for that kinda scratch but I’d say that’s more the exception than the rule, & to find the exceptions you’d better look at it in person.

That said, your head was in the right place picking up a TJ, don’t compound this mistake with a nearly 50k swing in the other direction with a brand new JL because let’s face it, that’s not what you were thinking when you had this Jeep idea so it may be a kneejerk move & if so imagine the potential buyer’s remorse then…

Deep breath, do it right
 
Cool, now you know what to look for. And of course, we can all help out too if you see something you like. Take a bunch of pics and post em up. We love to spend other peoples money :D Realistically, plan to spend 10k for a nice one, maybe more, maybe less. Rust is a big problem with the TJ. High miles not so much as long as it was maintained well. All sorts of aftermarket stuff can add value if decent, but can seriously detract if crappy. Best to stay away from heavily modded rigs. Many people have no idea how to work on a vehicle and do more harm than good. A nice as close to stock TJ is what you want. Keep looking, it's out there.
 
Looks nice - and a lot like the other one! I would hit the seller up for some nether-region shots. Frame, oil pan, gas tank, skids, rears, driveshafts, etc., etc. He does say no rust in the details...
 
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