Newbie needs advice on possible TJ purchase

Xposure said:
The ‘story’ is the rear diff got busted and it was parked. While parked the wheels, doors, top, bumpers, winch, maybe other stuff was all stolen and the insurance totaled it. This guy bought it and has replaced everything and painted it. Most I’ve seen in the south east that are similar with a clean title go for around 11-12....this guy is asking 9k and I was thinking of offering 7k if it drives solid. But literally, the only TJ’s I’ve seen for around 7k are 97/98 with 150k or more miles and typically a bit rough. I thought 7-8 would be pretty good for a 03 with 91k.....but hey, 5-6.5k sounds better.
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5 to 6.5k sound about right. 7k being the absolute top end if it rides fine and everything works such as AC and it has a Dana 44.

I would stop analyzing the current suspension set up. I think the only time they add value is when you can see the purchase date and mileage when installed. Otherwise consider them something that may need to be replaced. Besides even in good condition I wouldn't think they add more than $500 to TJs value. Your biggest issues are the title, paint job, and maintenance records.

If you are dead set on low mileage and not early years I would spend more on a clean title one. Most insurance won't have full coverage for a rebuilt/salvage title like already mentioned.

I also would think that it does have a cheap paint job if the guy bought just to flip. Also no hardtop and wheels that are too small for the lift.

The ones you mentioned that are 11k to 12k will be a far better deal. Heck you can even try and haggle down to 10k. But it may have a hardtop(worth 1k right there).
 
Edward Turner said:
My 98 TJ came from Birmingham last year, clean title, no rebuild or salvage and 140K miles and the best I could do was $9K which seems to be the going price around here for a TJ in decent condition.
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Yea that’s what I’m finding. I’m looking in the under 9k range and most are 97/98 with some modifications and miles like yours OR sometimes a 2000-2002 that’s bone stock and a little worn looking. I’d like to find one with a mild lift, good shocks, good AC, tires that look appropriate and have a lot of life, I6 and automatic (hard to find auto), good top, 100-140k miles. For around 8k. BUT I’m not in a hurry so I’m just watching waiting on a decent deal.
 
Chris said:
That X makes a huge difference, ask @Jerry Bransford. The non X model RS5000 are pieces of crap from what I hear. I run the RS5000X though, and they ride amazing.

Shocks are preference. If you want stiff riding shocks and prefer a very stiff ride, get Bilstein 5100s or Fox shocks. If you like softer and smoother riding shocks, the Rancho RS5000X is the best of the bunch. They'll all perform exceptionally well off-road though, some will just ride stiffer than others, that's all.

If I was going to daily drive my TJ though, I wouldn't run anything other than the Rancho RS5000X. As for reservoir shocks, unless you're doing a lot of high speed washboard roads (i.e. desert racing), a reservoir shock offers no benefit to the majority of us.
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I stopped by and looked....it was a ranchero rs5000 no x or anything....and yes, it was rough riding. Seemed like it would be like riding a bull that’s trying to sling you out of your seat. Lol
 
I paid $4,800 for my 97 jeep sport (clean title). It has its problems and 196k miles but it has the 4.0l and a 5 speed (note: Arizona Jeep NO rust). Everything else I was going to change regardless of what it had on it. If you spend too much on the Jeep you won’t have enough money left to make it the way you want it.


This is just the way I look at jeeps


1. Clean title

2. 4.0l - you can rebuild it cheapish if it becomes a problem but most are 300k-400k motors if you change your oil and take care of it.

3 NO RUST!!!!!!!! Once you see the rust you have to think about all the rust you can’t see.


The things I didn’t like that I could change.


Now I do have to say I really wanted a 99 or newer because of the dial ac controls. But I found ways to convert it over if I really want to.

It had 3.07 gears with 31" tires. (Fixing that now with 4.56 gears and 33" tires.)

I didn’t like the lift it has.....but I can fix that to.

Hell I really don’t care for the color. - That can change.


The point i am so poorly trying to get across. Don't look are the bad things you can change, look at the things that you can't. You cannot change title status back to clean. **** You can do a motor swap*** but it is a royal pain in the arse more work and money then selling and buying a 4.0l. While you can grind off the rust and repair the frame it hardly ever goes away it seem to come back again and again. ( I work in Aircraft sheet metal) while we typical don’t have rust on aircraft ( some bolts are still steel and landing gear parts) even aluminum still has corrosion. And unless you get every last bit out it will come right back.
 
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Boinked said:
I paid $4,800 for my 97 jeep sport (clean title). It has its problems and 196k miles but it has the 4.0l and a 5 speed (note: Arizona Jeep NO rust). Everything else I was going to change regardless of what it had on it. If you spend too much on the Jeep you won’t have enough money left to make it the way you want it.


This is just the way I look at jeeps


1. Clean title

2. 4.0l - you can rebuild it cheapish if it becomes a problem but most are 300k-400k motors if you change your oil and take care of it.

3 NO RUST!!!!!!!! Once you see the rust you have to think about all the rust you can’t see.


The things I didn’t like that I could change.


Now I do have to say I really wanted a 99 or newer because of the dial ac controls. But I found ways to convert it over if I really want to.

It had 3.07 gears with 31" tires. (Fixing that now with 4.56 gears and 33" tires.)

I didn’t like the lift it has.....but I can fix that to.

Hell I really don’t care for the color. - That can change.


The point i am so poorly trying to get across. Don't look are the bad things you can change, look at the things that you can't. You cannot change title status back to clean. **** You can do a motor swap*** but it is a royal pain in the arse more work and money then selling and buying a 4.0l. While you can grind off the rust and repair the frame it hardly ever goes away it seem to come back again and again. ( I work in Aircraft sheet metal) while we typical don’t have rust on aircraft ( some bolts are still steel and landing gear parts) even aluminum still has corrosion. And unless you get every last bit out it will come right back.
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Well I’m hesitant to get a rebuilt title vehicle, but was considering it. But I agree with you. I’m wanting one with no rust and in solid mechanical shape and preferably lower miles. The ONLY reason I considered this rebuilt title car is because it wasn’t due to a wreck, it just had parts stolen and the frame looks great and rust free.

BUT you brought up something else. There is a Jeep with 4.56 gears and 33” tires and 32RH 3 speed trans that I like a lot. But with the 3 speed it seems like it would be pretty wound up on the interstate at 70-75mph. I want offroad usage BUT I want a Jeep we can take on a full day interstate road trip a few states over for camping and off-roading. I kept feeling like with the 4.56 and 33” tires that it may be too wound up for a 8-9hr long interstate drive. What do you think? I know you haven’t swapped over yet but I’m sure you’ve researched it. Any feedback for me?
 
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Xposure said:
Well I’m hesitant to get a rebuilt title vehicle, but was considering it. But I agree with you. I’m wanting one with no rust and in solid mechanical shape and preferably lower miles. The ONLY reason I considered this rebuilt title car is because it wasn’t due to a wreck, it just had parts stolen and the frame looks great and rust free.

BUT you brought up something else. There is a Jeep with 4.56 gears and 33” tires and 32RH 3 speed trans that I like a lot. But with the 3 speed it seems like it would be pretty wound up on the interstate at 70-75mph. I want offroad usage BUT I want a Jeep we can take on a full day interstate road trip a few states over for camping and off-roading. I kept feeling like with the 4.56 and 33” tires that it may be too wound up for a 8-9hr long interstate drive. What do you think? I know you haven’t swapped over yet but I’m sure you’ve researched it. Any feedback for me?
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the 4.56 gears should be fine with that transmission. there are fights over witch is better the 4.10 or the 4.56 with 33's. From what i have read on other site including this one both are acceptable.but the 4.10's are preferred. my advice would be to make sure you take it on the freeway to see what your RPM's are doing before you buy it.

I run a manual tranny and the act differently than the autos' when it comes with gears. for example in 4th gear i turn 1 rpm of the motor and the drive line turns one turn. every time. in a auto you have no psychical connection to the tranny. you will lose a bit in the torque converter. that is why the recommend lower gears (number wise) for the auto then the manual.

now the part where i get destroyed for even bringing it up. next time you need tires you can go with 35's and that would help. but the Dana 35 doesn't like them and you might break stuff more often. just my 2 cents.

**** after thought. i do have the rear 4.56 in and the run great for the 1 mile i drove. but i still have 31" tires until next Monday when my 33's come in. for now the front is apart.
 
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Xposure said:
I stopped by and looked....it was a ranchero rs5000 no x or anything....and yes, it was rough riding. Seemed like it would be like riding a bull that’s trying to sling you out of your seat. Lol
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Yep, that's the crappy RS5000. The RS5000X is a completely different design, and a very good shock!
 
Boinked said:
the 4.56 gears should be fine with that transmission. there are fights over witch is better the 4.10 or the 4.56 with 33's. From what i have read on other site including this one both are acceptable.but the 4.10's are preferred. my advice would be to make sure you take it on the freeway to see what your RPM's are doing before you buy it.

I run a manual tranny and the act differently than the autos' when it comes with gears. for example in 4th gear i turn 1 rpm of the motor and the drive line turns one turn. every time. in a auto you have no psychical connection to the tranny. you will lose a bit in the torque converter. that is why the recommend lower gears (number wise) for the auto then the manual.

now the part where i get destroyed for even bringing it up. next time you need tires you can go with 35's and that would help. but the Dana 35 doesn't like them and you might break stuff more often. just my 2 cents.

**** after thought. i do have the rear 4.56 in and the run great for the 1 mile i drove. but i still have 31" tires until next Monday when my 33's come in. for now the front is apart.
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This particular Jeep with the 4.56 has a Ford 8.8 rear axle and a high pinion Dana 30 front. Would that setup be good for 35” tires?
 
Chris said:
Yep, that's the crappy RS5000. The RS5000X is a completely different design, and a very good shock!
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This second Jeep I’m talking about has a Rough Country 4” lift and shocks. I’ve read that most people don’t care for that setup...is that due to the lift the shocks or both? If I wanted to switch the shocks to say Ranchero 5000x would I be able to do that and keep the Rough Country lift? Or does it mess things up to mix brands that way?
 
Xposure said:
This second Jeep I’m talking about has a Rough Country 4” lift and shocks. I’ve read that most people don’t care for that setup...is that due to the lift the shocks or both? If I wanted to switch the shocks to say Ranchero 5000x would I be able to do that and keep the Rough Country lift? Or does it mess things up to mix brands that way?
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Mixing brands is just fine. The bad part about Rough Country lifts is the shocks. If you swap the shocks out for something like the Ranchos, then it will ride nicely and you’ll be good to go!
 
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Chris said:
Mixing brands is just fine. The bad part about Rough Country lifts is the shocks. If you swap the shocks out for something like the Ranchos, then it will ride nicely and you’ll be good to go!
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Awesome, great to know. This second potential Jeep we are talking about has a 4.56 in a Ford 8.8 rear axle and a high pinion Dana 30 front. Do you know if that setup would be good for 35” tires?
 
Xposure said:
Awesome, great to know. This second potential Jeep we are talking about has a 4.56 in a Ford 8.8 rear axle and a high pinion Dana 30 front. Do you know if that setup would be good for 35” tires?
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Yes, that setup will work nicely for 35” tires, though you’ll still want chromoly axle shafts as well. Those can easily be added though.
 
This second Jeep is....

99 Wrangler TJ
4.0L
135,000 Miles
Automatic transmission 32rh rebuilt less than 1000 miles ago, still under warranty
4” rough country lift and shocks
33” Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 85-90% tread
Ford 8.8 rear axle
High pinion Dana 30 front
4.56 gearing
XRC front winch bumper
9.5 ton Warn winch w/ synthetic cable
Gobi stealth roof rack

Over all very clean jeep. No rust, nice interior, top in good shape. Clean title.
 
It’s clear to me I had very different criteria choosing my TJ. Not interested in mud, rock climbing or rough off roading I went for a reliable daily driver that hadn’t been lifted. It’s a minority position here for sure. I looked at literally hundreds of TJs in our general area before I found this Sahara in Birmingham. I’d have hunted for an X or a Sport if I’d been looking for something to build.

My county has the most miles of unpaved public roads in the state and I wanted to put the top down on go. It’s the simple beauty of Jeeps that you can use them to please yourself.
 
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I was scared of the black one I started the thread about because of the rebuild title. However I talked to my ins agent at State Farm and he said for me to take a lot of pictures of how nice it is. He said if it’s ever totaled they will determine value like normal then deduct usually about 20% from that value for it having a rebuilt title. So as long as I get it about 20% cheaper it’s not that big of a deal, I was worried it wouldn’t be insurable.

Saying all that....I went by late yesterday, I couldn’t drive it because it was late and they were closed but left it unlocked for me so I could look at it. It is SUPER clean. The undercarriage and floor pans look like nearly a new vehicle. The guy doesn’t know much about the history except it was repoed and while at the repo yard it was stripped (prob from the previous owner getting their aftermarket stuff back). They apparently stopped abruptly and left because one shock was half way removed and one rock guard was half way removed. This guy bought it stripped and has replaced parts....it’s never been wrecked and its in super clean outstanding condition. I was expecting to not want it due to rebuilt status but after seeing it in person it’s pretty tempting.
 
Xposure said:
I was scared of the black one I started the thread about because of the rebuild title. However I talked to my ins agent at State Farm and he said for me to take a lot of pictures of how nice it is. He said if it’s ever totaled they will determine value like normal then deduct usually about 20% from that value for it having a rebuilt title. So as long as I get it about 20% cheaper it’s not that big of a deal, I was worried it wouldn’t be insurable.

Saying all that....I went by late yesterday, I couldn’t drive it because it was late and they were closed but left it unlocked for me so I could look at it. It is SUPER clean. The undercarriage and floor pans look like nearly a new vehicle. The guy doesn’t know much about the history except it was repoed and while at the repo yard it was stripped (prob from the previous owner getting their aftermarket stuff back). They apparently stopped abruptly and left because one shock was half way removed and one rock guard was half way removed. This guy bought it stripped and has replaced parts....it’s never been wrecked and its in super clean outstanding condition. I was expecting to not want it due to rebuilt status but after seeing it in person it’s pretty tempting.
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Looks like you did your homework. After all the research you have a good understanding of whats its worth and you know it will be insurable.
 
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