Hey everyone, just wanted to say hi. My wife and I recently purchased our first Jeep. We got a 2004 LJ in Patriot Blue. We bought it off of ebay (which is another first! vehicle anyway) and have so far been really pleased with it. I've included a few pics that the seller used when listing it. Since these pics I found some TJ Rubicon wheels on craigslist and swapped them out. I've ordered a 2" OME suspension lift and 1.25" JKS body lift. Plan to run 33" tires and maybe swap bumpers out. We aren't hardcore trail riders, but we do like to go to the beach and I'll use to take hunting in the fall/winter seasons. I've joined forums in the past when I've had other vehicles and it's always nice to be part of a group that are willing to help each other out and bounce things off one another, I'm sure this one is no different!
First time Jeep owner saying hello
- Thread starter SOMDLJ
- Start date
Peter Saint
New Member
Peter Saint
New Member
Exciting news. Post a topic over at https://wranglertjforum.com/forums/new-member-welcome-area.107/ . Share some photos if you have them
Thanks everyone! I didn't even realize there was a spot on the forum for new members to post. Mods please feel free to relocate this thread there if needed.
Great looking LJ! What brand is that hard top?
Also, good choice on the OME / JKS setup as a nice, mild lift.
Also, good choice on the OME / JKS setup as a nice, mild lift.
lafittejeep
TJ Enthusiast
Thanks! The hard top is by Rally Tops and is two pieces, the front piece over the driver/passenger lifts out like a targa top. The underside of the top has a fabric insulation to help deaden the sound.
Yes I've been reseraching online a lot for a good lift without totalling breaking the bank and the OME/JKS combo seems to be very favorably reviewed on multiple sites. I've got a Metal Cloak track bar for it as well. I hear very good things about Currie but have read enough to know that it's overkill for what my intentions are.
That's a good setup for sure. It's very easy to lose focus of the end goal with these Wranglers. You've got guys like @StG58 who can stick to their build plan and not divert from it one bit... then you've got guys like myself who can't resist the urge to be constantly upgrading things, even if it's overkill beyond belief.
Very nice!! Personally I really like the color matched flares on yours, I really was trying to find one like that but shopping used and staying in a budget can be tough. I've been debating getting mine painted to match or color matched Linex but am not sure just yet.
Tell me more about the ebay purchase? I am looking now for a TJ and have just browsed around on ebay.
lafittejeep
TJ Enthusiast
The painted flares and that chrome grill came with it when I purchased in Feb 2018. Not sure if its some special edition or those were added.
It was an option package, I believe called the Special Appearance Package or something like that. I actually like my blue grill, just wish I had blue flares too!
Well I've bought plenty of stuff off of ebay before, but it's the first time I've ever bought a vehicle through ebay. For months I looked online at Jeeps around my area here in Maryland. After awhile I started to feel pretty comfortable at analyzing through pics and info listed (year, options, mileage and condition) what seemed to be a good deal and what wasn't. Whenever I found what I thought was a good deal it was either sold by the time I went to look at it or I got there and it was full of rust. I started to broaden my search parameters and started finding some other good deals but they were usually up in PA and that becomes hit or miss if they have a lot of rust. I actually found a nice 06 LJ hardtop in York, PA at a small dealership and it was Impact Orange which I love. But it was a Rubicon and had over 150k miles, but they still wanted $15k. Not saying it wasn't worth it, but I knew I really didn't need a Rubi and it was hard to justify the premium cost for it...but it really is hard to find orange.
Eventually I just started to check ebay as well because I can look at completed listings and get an idea of what these things are actually selling for. I found this one on there but it was across the country in Phoenix! I did a history report and they were the second owner, but first was from Indiana so I was still suspect about rust. I emailed the seller (private seller) and asked for more pics of the frame/undercarriage and it looked spotless. We ended up talking on the phone and I just had a good feeling that I was dealing with a good person that wanted to make sure he was selling someone a good vehicle. I checked around online to see roughly what shipping would cost and made an offer that still put me at or below what I felt was a good total price for the vehicle even with the shipping, and he ended up accepting. I had to do a Paypal deposit right away and then send a certified bank check within the next few days. He then overnighted me the title and I arranged shipping with a broker (another entirely new process I had to figure out). By the time it arrived I had temp tags to put on it and got it inspected the same day. Maryland has a pretty strict vehicle inspection process and my father in law happens to be a state inspector. He was suspect about the whole deal but after he looked it over he said he was really impressed with how clean it was. Only thing it needed was new front U-joints.
I can say without a doubt that in my case the seller very well represented the Jeep and I don't feel like anything was wrong/bad with it that he didn't clearly tell me about before I bought it. Again, I just had a good feeling based on the tons of pics and info he gave me and actually talking to him. Not everyone will be that way, maybe I just got lucky. I would consider doing it again but it would still have to make sense.
If you have any other specific questions about the process just PM me and I'm happy to share!