Not a TJ Owner..... Yet

16k seems a little high, unless it is in near perfect condition with NO rust on it, then I would say it's likely worth it.

If you bring cash and offer then $1000 less, I'll bet they take it. A clean LJ can be very hard to find, even harder than a clean TJ.
 
16k seems a little high, unless it is in near perfect condition with NO rust on it, then I would say it's likely worth it.

If you bring cash and offer then $1000 less, I'll bet they take it. A clean LJ can be very hard to find, even harder than a clean TJ.
X2
 
So, I've found 2 Jeep sim going to look at Monday and I want to get your guys opinion on which one you think would better and why.

1997 black TJ, 6 cylinder, manual, 45k miles with a hard top. 2.5" Skyjacker lift, gambler wheels with 31" tires. Owner says he's third owner and has owned it the last 10 years. No accidents, the last 2 owners are from Nevada, 1st owner was from somewhere that snowed because there's surface rust on the axles but that's it. Owner wants $9,700 or best offer.

OR

2001 white TJ, 6 cylinder, manual, 37k miles with full soft top and Bimini top. 4" pro comp lift, 33" tires on steel rims with bead lockers. Aftermarket front and rear bumper with tire carrier, matching spare rim and tire and high lift jack mounted on back. Warn winch, full doors, and bar doors. 2nd owner and has owned it for 3 years. 1st owner did all the accessories and put a binder together with all the receipts. Both owners from Nevada, no rust. Owner wants $15k or best offer.
 
So, I've found 2 Jeep sim going to look at Monday and I want to get your guys opinion on which one you think would better and why.

1997 black TJ, 6 cylinder, manual, 45k miles with a hard top. 2.5" Skyjacker lift, gambler wheels with 31" tires. Owner says he's third owner and has owned it the last 10 years. No accidents, the last 2 owners are from Nevada, 1st owner was from somewhere that snowed because there's surface rust on the axles but that's it. Owner wants $9,700 or best offer.

OR

2001 white TJ, 6 cylinder, manual, 37k miles with full soft top and Bimini top. 4" pro comp lift, 33" tires on steel rims with bead lockers. Aftermarket front and rear bumper with tire carrier, matching spare rim and tire and high lift jack mounted on back. Warn winch, full doors, and bar doors. 2nd owner and has owned it for 3 years. 1st owner did all the accessories and put a binder together with all the receipts. Both owners from Nevada, no rust. Owner wants $15k or best offer.
The miles on both are extremely low given the years they were bought, so that's a wash. I myself would prefer to purchase one that was as close to original as possible, and do my own mods, so I would know they were done right. The '97 is more in that category. The Skyjacker lift will most likely need replacing, but that is not hard to do. The hard top on the '97 is also more desirable, as those are hard to come by and are expensive. A soft top is much easier to obtain for a reasonable price. If the hard top is not your choice, forget that then. Price on the '97 is much better for the mileage on the Jeep. If the last two owners of the '97 were in Nevada, and the Jeep has little to no rust, that is also good.

As far as the 2001 goes, the larger lift, while looking great with the larger tires, brings up more questions. How was it used? Harder trails, more possibility of drivetrain issues, wear on steering, etc...also, is there any accommodation for the driveshaft angle with the 4" lift, ie. slip yoke eliminator/CV driveshaft/adjustable rear control arms, or motor mount lift/tummy tuck...? The more mods on a vehicle, the more questions that pop up. The bumpers and winch on the 2001 are also a plus, but not at the price difference between the two.

Also it may come down to your driving each one, and what you discover on the inspection of each.
 
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The miles on both are extremely low given the years they were bought, so that's a wash. I myself would prefer to purchase one that was as close to original as possible, and do my own mods, so I would know they were done right.

X2 to this. I'm always very, very skeptical of highly modified TJs. Unless I know that it's something high end like a Currie lift, Revolution axles, ARB lockers, etc., I won't touch it. I say that because anyone who has the kind of money to put those parts on there is probably someone who is going to take care of it.

The guys who throw on the Skyjacker and RC lifts are the guys who are trying to save a dime. And not that there's anything wrong with that, but in my book that just means that things were usually done on the cheap. An RC or Skyjacker lift is pretty much the bottom of the barrel for TJ lifts (there is a reason they are as cheap as they are), and so that one with the Skyjacker lift probably wouldn't be my cup of tea.

Personally I think the 2001 sounds like the better option. It's more expensive, but these vehicles do hold their resale value quite well.

But hey, they could both be in excellent shape, so I wouldn't rule either out. I just know that a Skyjacker lift is going to ride like crap (I know from experience).
 
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@cKc99 I wish I would have found this forum and made a post just like you have. I looked for a TJ for nearly two years before buying my LJ. I test drove private party Jeeps and stealership Jeeps... even road tripped, like yourself, from Nashville to Louisville to look at a Jeep.

I will be following to see what you get!
 
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Thanks FF_Jeep.. I was hoping for the LJ I mentioned earlier but the dealership sold it just before I got there. One of the sucky parts of living a couple hours away from a major city. Oh well....

I ran the Carfax report on the black 97 TJ and discovered there was odometer discrepancies and its been involved in a rear end accident. This is the second Jeep I was interested in that had "low miles" and the Carfax reports showed it had odometer issues. Don't know if it's shady sellers or Carfax not reporting correctly but I'm not going to take any chances.
 
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Yesterday I checked out the 2001 white Jeep I mentioned above and bought it!! It is the best Jeep I've seen yet. Runs like it's new, interior is perfect, low miles, absolutely no rust, dents, dings, or damage. Soft top in great shape and came with a lot of extras. Owner took it over to 4 Wheel Parts before I went down and had all the suspension and steering checked, alignmet done and put on a new steering stabilizer.

While I was picking up the Jeep, I found a hard top for it close by me for pretty cheap so today I drove down and picked it up.

The Jeep was a little pricey compared to others but the PO dropped his price some so I could get the hard top. IMO, this Jeep is way worth it!
 
Yesterday I checked out the 2001 white Jeep I mentioned above and bought it!! It is the best Jeep I've seen yet. Runs like it's new, interior is perfect, low miles, absolutely no rust, dents, dings, or damage. Soft top in great shape and came with a lot of extras. Owner took it over to 4 Wheel Parts before I went down and had all the suspension and steering checked, alignmet done and put on a new steering stabilizer.

While I was picking up the Jeep, I found a hard top for it close by me for pretty cheap so today I drove down and picked it up.

The Jeep was a little pricey compared to others but the PO dropped his price some so I could get the hard top. IMO, this Jeep is way worth it!

Sounds like you god a good one! What did you end up paying for it? When you get a chance to take some good photos, be sure to share them!
 
Yesterday I checked out the 2001 white Jeep I mentioned above and bought it!! It is the best Jeep I've seen yet. Runs like it's new, interior is perfect, low miles, absolutely no rust, dents, dings, or damage. Soft top in great shape and came with a lot of extras. Owner took it over to 4 Wheel Parts before I went down and had all the suspension and steering checked, alignmet done and put on a new steering stabilizer.

While I was picking up the Jeep, I found a hard top for it close by me for pretty cheap so today I drove down and picked it up.

The Jeep was a little pricey compared to others but the PO dropped his price some so I could get the hard top. IMO, this Jeep is way worth it!

Glad it worked out for you. Don't forget to post a few photos of your new prize.
 
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Great news! I've been following this thread since day one, and pulling for you. Sounds like your patience paid off. The best scenario is where the PO did all the mods right. That could save you a lot of time and $$. And a hard top as well. Congratulations.
 
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Thanks everyone. I haven't really had time to drive it. Maybe this weekend I can get it out and take a couple of pics.

Here's one I took when I bought it.

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