help me buy first jeep

jos

jos

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Joined
Jun 4, 2016
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So Im new to jeeps and am buying it to fix up and take dogs around to keep them out of my race car lol Im looking at the TJ ether a 98 or 99 i put the links below i dont know if thats ok ? My main worry is miles and it crapping out on me on the highway come winter.

one is a 98 wrangler sahara with 125k looks pretty stock and well taken care of

the other is a 99 with 170k miles with a lift and some other stuff my concern is the miles on this one as the engine is original.

my main plan is to strip interior clean up what rust i can and bed line it. put a cargo net up after i take bench out and use that as dog area. Then over time armor and replace suspension with new lift.

just worried to buy someone's dying jeep lol


http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/5614073789.html

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/5611213406.html
 
The Sahara would probably be my first choice but that depends on its condition underneath, specifically how rusty it is. A local Jeep might have a lot of rust. The '99 may be in better condition, rust-wise, since its previous owners lived in Washington and Florida where the roads don't get salted. The 170k miles wouldn't scare me that much, my previous '97 TJ had 192k miles on it the day it was stolen and it ran great without any oil consumption.

Take a flashlight and crawl underneath them both and give them a good close-up look and go with the one with the least rust, so long as everything else looks fairly good. I'd have a compression check done too on the one that you like the best, as a final check. A good or bad compression check would be my final deciding factor.
 
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Good Advice. Thats one of my worries is how much rust am i willing to accept. More then likely i would attempt to tackle as much rust as i can myself. The interior will be bedlined day i get it. And then the exterior will be next and powercoated the roll bars red and wheels then il be done until i make another to do list lol
 
Like Jerry says, "the least rust". Keep in mind, once body rust manifests, the best way to rid of it, if the metal is perforated, is to cut and replace the metal. Not cheap. And chunks inside the frame, to me, is a no go.
 
so pretty much just check the frame for rust and then body rust?
 
and the 4 cyclinder probably wouldnt handle highway speeds as well as the sahara?
 
For me, just my personal choice, I prefer the 6 cylinder

And yes, the frame (be very thorough) as well as the body mounts of the frame and where the body meets the rubber, as well as under the carpeting. Starting at the floor boards; driver, passanger and along the inside of the rocker sides. I mean, really look for it! Be aware of what may look like 'fresh' paint. I've found two dealers attempting to conspicuously cover rot w 'coating' or rattle can paint. Check the body where the rear bumper meets the body. Check the gate hinges (they can be replaced easily) but the tailgate can cost a penny. If you're still not sure - then take it to someone that can put it on a lift and give it a good look. 25 bucks maybe, but so well worth a solid inspection, where you just may not be able to see by crawling under. If you're still not sure, walk away. There will be another Jeep.

Don't by someone's nightmare.BRemember, it's your money and your time that will be vested in this thing.


jos said:
and the 4 cyclinder probably wouldnt handle highway speeds as well as the sahara?
Click to expand...
 
jos said:
and the 4 cyclinder probably wouldnt handle highway speeds as well as the sahara?
Click to expand...
Nowhere nearly as well, though the 2.5L is the equal of the 4.0L for most offroad situations. I didn't notice the '99 was a four-banger or I would have pushed harder for the '98 Sahara if it's not rusted out.
 
I looked at the ad for the Sahara. Probably should have done that before my 'check under carpet' rant. But that is a good deal. Now go check it out- Quick!
 
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