Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator

Might have found a gem (300k mile Rubicon)

SuspectLJ said:
that frame looks to have rust bubbling underneath the paint. it has definitely been sprayed.

I bought one of these to see the inside of a frame of a jeep we were gonna buy for my wife. saved us a lot of heartache.

edit: those rockerguards are wider than the factory ones that came on that jeep. probably something hiding under there too.
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It's possible. Unfortunately being where I am location wise, this 06 is a very clean example. I am basically between the 06 and the 04. I don't see it being worth getting a lesser spec, at this point. There is also an LJ for sale near me with a hard top, but has had extensive frame repair done & has some body rust.

It seems like given my circumstances I will need to pick my poison. I haven't seen either of these in person yet (the 06 or the 04). I am humoring going to check out the 06 tomorrow.
 
zwhite1999 said:
It's possible. Unfortunately being where I am location wise, this 06 is a very clean example. I am basically between the 06 and the 04. I don't see it being worth getting a lesser spec, at this point. There is also an LJ for sale near me with a hard top, but has had extensive frame repair done & has some body rust.

It seems like given my circumstances I will need to pick my poison. I haven't seen either of these in person yet (the 06 or the 04). I am humoring going to check out the 06 tomorrow.
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I'm in the South Florida and had to go to Arkansas to get my jeep. if you have the means i really think you could get more for your money with a bit of travel.
 
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SuspectLJ said:
I'm in the South Florida and had to go to Arkansas to get my jeep. if you have the means i really think you could get more for your money with a bit of travel.
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Where did you look to find yours? I have a pretty strict budget of $8,000 and I'm trying to get my hands on a clean Rubicon while living deep in the rust belt. I guess travel isn't out of the question but that will certainly cut into my budget. I am moving to Canada in two months, and am selling all my other vehicles due to high import cost. My current TJ needs frame repair, transmission repair, and it's a 3 speed automatic behind a 2.5L on 33s, so that one is going as well. I am looking for one clean TJ that will be my daily and will also handle any snow or exploring I decide to do. Unfortunately, I have less than two months to find one, get it registered, and all that.
 
zwhite1999 said:
It's a 5 speed. The only thing wrong with it is the 4WD light doesn't work, and lockers don't engage. The shop said they put a new 4WD sensor in and it didn't fix the issue. He has not diagnosed any further.
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The lockers won't work unless the position sensor on the tcase indicates the Jeep is in 4L.

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Hold the trip odo button down, turn key to ON, release trip odo button. All gauges and lights will go through self test. If the 4WD light comes on, the problem is the position sensor or the wiring.
 
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JKP said:
The lockers won't work unless the position sensor on the tcase indicates the Jeep is in 4L.

View attachment 671600

Hold the trip odo button down, turn key to ON, release trip odo button. All gauges and lights will go through self test. If the 4WD light comes on, the problem is the position sensor or the wiring.
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good catch I forgot about that lol. the PO of my rubicon messed with the wiring and I can turn on lockers anytime.
 
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Chris said:
$8900 for a Rubicon with 300k miles :LOL:

Reminds me again why I have such contempt for dealers.
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Yeah, it’s frustrating especially considering there’s certainly a markup. Given the condition and the facts, what would you pay for something like that? Would you trust it as a daily?
 
zwhite1999 said:
Yeah, it’s frustrating especially considering there’s certainly a markup. Given the condition and the facts, what would you pay for something like that? Would you trust it as a daily?
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That NV3550 transmission will be on its way out. It's a miracle it made it to 300k miles unless it's been replaced already.

I wouldn't pay more than $3500 for that thing personally and as far as trusting it as a daily driver, I wouldn't trust it until I overhauled it with a bunch of maintenance items.

300k isn't a big deal for a TJ that's been maintained. The problem is, you don't know how well (if any at all) this one has been maintained.

That transmission has either been replaced or it's on it's last legs, that's almost a guarantee.
 
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Chris said:
That NV3550 transmission will be on its way out. It's a miracle it made it to 300k miles unless it's been replaced already.

I wouldn't pay more than $3500 for that thing personally and as far as trusting it as a daily driver, I wouldn't trust it until I overhauled it with a bunch of maintenance items.

300k isn't a big deal for a TJ that's been maintained. The problem is, you don't know how well (if any at all) this one has been maintained.

That transmission has either been replaced or it's on it's last legs, that's almost a guarantee.
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That’s a fair point about the transmission. I’m looking through the Carfax right now, it doesn’t say anything about replacing a transmission. It does however have extensive service records otherwise, the one owner treated it as if it was his first born, it seems. It’s got tons of maintenance records and parts being replaced. From what I can see, the entire cooling system has been done, the electrical and fuel systems consistently serviced, fluids always changed, and tires always aligned, rotated, and replaced.

The shop it’s at now did a full tune up, changing out numerous maintenance items like plugs, coils, brakes, tires, and all that.

Another user made a valid point that while the motor isn’t that scary for 300k, it’s the rest of the components.
 
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zwhite1999 said:
That’s a fair point about the transmission. I’m looking through the Carfax right now, it doesn’t say anything about replacing a transmission. It does however have extensive service records otherwise, the one owner treated it as if it was his first born, it seems. It’s got tons of maintenance records and parts being replaced. From what I can see, the entire cooling system has been done, the electrical and fuel systems consistently serviced, fluids always changed, and tires always aligned, rotated, and replaced.

The shop it’s at now did a full tune up, changing out numerous maintenance items like plugs, coils, brakes, tires, and all that.

Another user made a valid point that while the motor isn’t that scary for 300k, it’s the rest of the components.
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It’s the price that I have real issue with. That price is far too much for what you’ve got here. Perhaps it was well maintained, but given the fact that the lockers don’t work and the transmission is a mystery, that’s just way too much money to pay.
 
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speeding_infraction said:
I wouldn't buy that. TJ's are great but they aren't the only vehicles that do well in the snow. Don't get stuck on any particular vehicle
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TJs aren’t even that great in the snow compared to something like a Subaru. Some won’t like to hear that, but it’s the truth.
 
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A few years ago I bought an ‘03 Rubicon that was mint 5-speed 130k for $12k, turned it for $17.8k. This was when the market was good. Now it’s garbage. If this rig is worth $8.9k my red one is easy worth $25-30k
 
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JMT said:
A few years ago I bought an ‘03 Rubicon that was mint 5-speed 130k for $12k, turned it for $17.8k. This was when the market was good. Now it’s garbage. If this rig is worth $8.9k my red one is easy worth $25-30k
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Yep, their asking price is absolutely laughable in this market.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator
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