Well I recently joined and posted to get a few quick questions answered. Now, we've officially made the purchase.
Yesterday, my family bought this 1997 Wrangler Sport (4.0 w/ 140k, auto, Dana 44 rear, 3.73's) and already love it! I've always wanted a Wrangler but this is my first. My first car was a 1998 Cherokee Sport (totalled (not my fault) after less than 6 months) and my wife currently has a 2018 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk that we've had since new. I've loved every Jeep I've owned and always dreamed of a Wrangler as I grew up following everything off-road and TJ's were the real deal.
The previous owner had it for 1.5-2 years and went through everything to make it a nice fun toy for their family. We feel like it's very tastefully done and is a great starter for us.
Within the past year the Jeep has had
-Fresh paint (Land Rover arles blue)
-Raptor lined fender wells, inside tub, and under hood
-Zone 3" coils with Rancho 5000X's
-New stereo and speakers
-Bedrug carpet kit
-Bedtop Trektop
-33" BFG ATs on Pro Comp Wheels
-Pro Comp bumper
-LED lights
-New valve cover gasket, heater core, brakes, windshield, door seals, door handles, fender flares, marker lights, and other trim bits
The Jeep is super solid and straight (as straight as a TJ's body can be!). We bought this as a family toy that we can run around in and just have fun. It will also be an ongoing project for me and my son as he grows up (16 months now).
However, no Jeep is without it's issues, so it does need a few things. First, it appears that it has an RMS leak. Going to do a fresh oil change and maybe add some AT-205 to see if that helps. Also going to retorque the valve cover and oil pan The previous owner used 10W-30 high mileage but it's only had about 1000 miles since they built the Jeep last year. Going to start fresh, clean everything, and see where we're at. I've read all the how-to's and called some local shops. I'll probably hire that one out if it needs to be done. There's also an exhaust leak and I already have the manifold and engine mounts on order. It's got the "new style" manifold on it, so it's been replaced at some point, but I'm expecting cracks when I pull it off. It has a new steering box, but there seems to be a small PS leak that I need to track down. And lastly, the front seats have broken cables for the release. Just adds an extra step for getting in and out of the back, but not a major issue for us right now.
The near term mods (1-2 years?) are fix the issues, interior LEDs, LED taillights, rear bumper/tire carrier, different front bumper w/winch mount and winch, front window tint, and a few other odds and ends.
Long term (???), more lift, 35's, Dana 44 front, cage, gears and lockers. I'd like to build it into just a solid, safe, and reliable 35-37" tire rig for the family to play in.
Already learned a lot here and looking forward to having an outlet so I don't drive my wife insane! Luckily she's quickly come on board and loves our "little blue Jeep"
Yesterday, my family bought this 1997 Wrangler Sport (4.0 w/ 140k, auto, Dana 44 rear, 3.73's) and already love it! I've always wanted a Wrangler but this is my first. My first car was a 1998 Cherokee Sport (totalled (not my fault) after less than 6 months) and my wife currently has a 2018 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk that we've had since new. I've loved every Jeep I've owned and always dreamed of a Wrangler as I grew up following everything off-road and TJ's were the real deal.
The previous owner had it for 1.5-2 years and went through everything to make it a nice fun toy for their family. We feel like it's very tastefully done and is a great starter for us.
Within the past year the Jeep has had
-Fresh paint (Land Rover arles blue)
-Raptor lined fender wells, inside tub, and under hood
-Zone 3" coils with Rancho 5000X's
-New stereo and speakers
-Bedrug carpet kit
-Bedtop Trektop
-33" BFG ATs on Pro Comp Wheels
-Pro Comp bumper
-LED lights
-New valve cover gasket, heater core, brakes, windshield, door seals, door handles, fender flares, marker lights, and other trim bits
The Jeep is super solid and straight (as straight as a TJ's body can be!). We bought this as a family toy that we can run around in and just have fun. It will also be an ongoing project for me and my son as he grows up (16 months now).
However, no Jeep is without it's issues, so it does need a few things. First, it appears that it has an RMS leak. Going to do a fresh oil change and maybe add some AT-205 to see if that helps. Also going to retorque the valve cover and oil pan The previous owner used 10W-30 high mileage but it's only had about 1000 miles since they built the Jeep last year. Going to start fresh, clean everything, and see where we're at. I've read all the how-to's and called some local shops. I'll probably hire that one out if it needs to be done. There's also an exhaust leak and I already have the manifold and engine mounts on order. It's got the "new style" manifold on it, so it's been replaced at some point, but I'm expecting cracks when I pull it off. It has a new steering box, but there seems to be a small PS leak that I need to track down. And lastly, the front seats have broken cables for the release. Just adds an extra step for getting in and out of the back, but not a major issue for us right now.
The near term mods (1-2 years?) are fix the issues, interior LEDs, LED taillights, rear bumper/tire carrier, different front bumper w/winch mount and winch, front window tint, and a few other odds and ends.
Long term (???), more lift, 35's, Dana 44 front, cage, gears and lockers. I'd like to build it into just a solid, safe, and reliable 35-37" tire rig for the family to play in.
Already learned a lot here and looking forward to having an outlet so I don't drive my wife insane! Luckily she's quickly come on board and loves our "little blue Jeep"
