Going to look at a Jeep tomorrow
- Thread starter cerberusdog
- Start date
OP
Thanks everyone. It was not good! Drove like crap and had a wobble ( probably from the lift). Something wrong with the brakes. Doors are rusting. It was a great experience
First you’re starting to learn what to look for-
Most every negative experience can be useful
The main thing is to be on your toes and not have an even more negative experience of ending up stuck with a heap
TJ’s are not being put on the market like they were years ago and rust free TJ’s are becoming more sought after
When I got into TJs you could pretty much just pick what you wanted to go buy it six years ago- right down to color
The market will fluctuate but as it does that it will go in the direction of less available vehicles, higher mileage and the good ones bringing even more money
When I used to go with my Dad to look at used cars my job was to point out All the problems. My Dad always had 2 pockets with cash. One had the amount he was willing to pay and the other was back up cash. When he was negotiating he would pull out the money and play with it. He said people negotiate more when they see the cash. Of course this was when 2 grand would buy you a nice car.
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
Don't get too hung up on a rust free Jeep. Your daughter might decide it's not a good daily, and want something else in a year (or a month).
Or she'll love it, and can trade up for a better one.
Or she'll love it, and can trade up for a better one.
OP
Thanks. That might be a possibility if there were decently priced Jeeps in our area. The one we went and looked at was 14k and too much rust for us to have fixed at a reasonable price. The ones with a frame completely rusted through are being sold for 7k to 10k. I am good spending more to get minimal rust or rust free even if she decides to sell it down the line. I do not think she will, she is currently driving a super sweet ride (2010 Chrysler mini van) and had the option to buy our 2017 Honda civic Touring as well as a eco Mustang and turned them down. She is a tomboy who loves the outdoors.
It's not necessarily that the rusted out ones are worth that it's that most people have no clue and only understand visible body rust.
Your budget really is fine it's just hard to find a rust free example. I bought an older Toyota 4Runner which are plagued with rust issues much the same as these TJ's, it took months of looking and a 7 hour drive one way to buy an example that had 230k miles...
What I did do was make sure I got frame photos from every seller or explicitly looked for listings with frame photos. It's probably best policy to avoid any TJ in our area with any frame paint, it's going to be bad more than likely.
Have you or her driven a TJ that actually drove well in your opinion?
OP
We have drove several now, the ones that drove well had no lift and the regular sized tires. And no wobble at high speeds....the first time we experienced that, it was interesting.
I would say the nonliftrd ines with stock sized tires drives better than her 2010 minivan lol. We definitely did not like the ones with the lifts and bigger tires. We have a lead on one 7.5 hours away that another forum member is looking at for us tomorrow and if it looks good my daughter and I are doing a road trip Wednesday
Drive south and don't overpay or settle. It usually takes me close to a year to find a good Jeep at a good price. They sell within hours too.
p.s. I bought my 03' one owner Rubicon for $9500, sold it, then bought it back 2 years later for $9,000.
OP
We have seen a few and agree they sell FAST, we are not flexible enough to be able to drive long distance the same day one is posted especially since I am relying on others to help me decide if it looks good. But I appreciate your deals!
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