Oi! Newb from NJ!

Whats the best TJ model to start with?

  • SE

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Sport

    Votes: 3 27.3%

  • Sahara

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • X

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Rubicon

    Votes: 8 72.7%

  • Willys

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    11
xXshutterflyXx

xXshutterflyXx

New Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
13
Location
Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
Hi All,

Just wanted to say hello :wave: and give a thanks for the add!

I have been saving my @$$ off and finally have $5k to start a TJ!!!
I know its not a lot to work with, but I'm excited to finally be able to start my search.

For me, I have basic car maintenance experience.
You know, the minor repair/replacements under my belt such as tires, batteries, disk breaks, oil changes, heater core, belts, headlights, ect. I'd like to expand that knowledge and work on a TJ while doing so.

I'm hoping that with your help, you could give advice and guide me on when/where/how to find the best TJ for my $$$ (I know is easier said then done here in NJ with all these rust buckets) around NJ, PA areas.


What I've been thinking about are the 04 Rubicons (i know more $$$) but i think i might want a 2004-2005 model. So, some new/ more modern amenities, but diffidently NOT like a JK.
For me, I know that my Jeep would be my daily driver, but i don't drive much (under 1k a month) as i work from home and most things are walking/biking distance for me. I'd like to take it up to places like Rausch Creek and Jenny Jump (I've been to these places on quad) so i know its a mixture of some small/medium rocks, dirt/mud and some narrow tree trails too. With all this in mind, I want to start small and build for my terrain as needed. I know WAY too many people who have mall crawlers (mostly JKs near me,to be honest) that are all done up with anything and everything and never do anything but drive the parkway... :-/
Pretty dumb to me...

ANYWAY... if anyone has some advice on where to start, some tips or ideas they feel would be beneficial for me for my type of build and experience to share (especially if your riding around these trails too with your rigs)... I'm more than happy to take it!!!

*(One things for sure, I want the 4.0 as i had that in my old XJ and it was fun to drive)*

Thanks again guys (and gals) and look forward to maybe even trailing with you all soon!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Cole
A word of advice: save up more money.

I say that because for 5k it will be impossible to find a clean, rust free (or mostly rust free) TJ. Rust will be our biggest enemy when it comes to these TJs, especially living on the East Coast. Your best bet is to look for ones that have been garaged during the Winter months, or ones from states where they don't salt the roads. I suggest checking this thread out: What should I look for when buying a used Wrangler TJ?

There is no question that a Rubicon is the best model to start with, as it was the highest trim level offered from the factory. The Dana 44 axles, factory lockers, RockTrac transfer case, and fixed yoke, will definitely shave a lot of the money off of would be "mods".

Of course for a clean, rust free Rubicon, you'll end up spending north of 15k at least. However, the good thing is that these TJs (especially a clean Rubicon model) will hold it's value tremendously, and of anything it should go up in value. It's not uncommon to see TJ Rubicons selling for 25k or more with low miles and no rust. I paid 20k for mine with 60k miles on it for instance.

But as far as finding one, you're going to want to search Craigslist, AutoTrader, the Jeeps For Sale section on this site, and eBay. If you want to find a clean one, be prepared to potentially travel to other states and drive it back.

I really can't stress the rust thing enough. You want to find one that is as close to rust free as possible, unless you want a big project. Ask someone like @Ranger_b0b about rust. He's been dealing with the rust on his Rubicon for a long time. I'm sure if you ask him he will tell you that if he could do it over again, he would have just saved himself the time and found one that was completely rust free, even if it had costed more money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: johnny deeker and xXshutterflyXx
Chris said:
A word of advice: save up more money.

I say that because for 5k it will be impossible to find a clean, rust free (or mostly rust free) TJ. Rust will be our biggest enemy when it comes to these TJs, especially living on the East Coast. Your best bet is to look for ones that have been garaged during the Winter months, or ones from states where they don't salt the roads. I suggest checking this thread out: What should I look for when buying a used Wrangler TJ?

There is no question that a Rubicon is the best model to start with, as it was the highest trim level offered from the factory. The Dana 44 axles, factory lockers, RockTrac transfer case, and fixed yoke, will definitely shave a lot of the money off of would be "mods".
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris!
That's one thing that I was concerned about , the rust...especially living in NJ.
I was going towards the Rubicon model too thinking the same way, saving on the possible mods that I would be making anyway in order to fit the type of off road driving that I would be doing with my Jeep.

Most Jeeps I am finding that need some work are around the $6-15k range from NJ to PA to MA to CT, as I have been actively looking now thinking I might be able to find something. I'll always be saving (Lets face it, its a jeep, you're never done putting money into it) but keeping my eyes peeled more so now to actually purchase one.

Thanks! :sun_smiley:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
xXshutterflyXx said:
Thanks Chris!
That's one thing that I was concerned about , the rust...especially living in NJ.
I was going towards the Rubicon model too thinking the same way, saving on the possible mods that I would be making anyway in order to fit the type of off road driving that I would be doing with my Jeep.

Most Jeeps I am finding that need some work are around the $6-15k range from NJ to PA to MA to CT, as I have been actively looking now thinking I might be able to find something. I'll always be saving (Lets face it, its a jeep, you're never done putting money into it) but keeping my eyes peeled more so now to actually purchase one.

Thanks! :sun_smiley:
Click to expand...

Yes, most people don't spend enough time thinking about it from the start, but you will indeed end up saving a lot of money buying a Rubicon. The axles and lockers alone would cost you $3000 plus (likely a lot more) if you were to add them to a base model TJ.

You can find clean, rust free Jeeps in your area, they're just much less common, because most of the people who owned them didn't care. If I owned a vehicle in that area, I simply wouldn't drive it in the Winter when they salt the roads, or if I had to, I would use something like Fluid Film and religiously coat the underside.

Either way, if you had to end up taking out a loan for the difference and say spending 17k on a Rubicon, I can assure you that if it was well kept and rust free, you'd never have to worry about it losing any value, as long as you kept it clean. That's the nice thing about these Wranglers, they really don't depreciate in value unless they are in poor condition.
 
  • Like
Reactions: johnny deeker and xXshutterflyXx
Welcome to the forum mate ...I'm not from the States buy going off what I've seen for sale over there at 5k the pickings are pretty slim....but not impossible.
I looked for close to a year to find something that suited me and then the one I found was a 4.5 hour drive away, so be prepared to go the extra mile if needed (no pun intended):D-———- Remember rust is the enemy-———-
 
  • Like
Reactions: xXshutterflyXx
Thank you for all the welcomes

I am diffidently going to keep saving and looking hard. I'm not in any rush to "have to have" a TJ, I just know I'm going to get one.
Sooner or later, I'll know when the right one is right in front of me rust free and feeling right for me ;)

Gaining knowledge from here and meeting some folks along the way just makes it all that much better when it happens
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kiwi TJ and Chris
xXshutterflyXx said:
Thanks Chris!
That's one thing that I was concerned about , the rust...especially living in NJ... Most Jeeps I am finding that need some work are around the $6-15k range from NJ to PA to MA to CT, as I have been actively looking now thinking I might be able to find something. I'll always be saving (Lets face it, its a jeep, you're never done putting money into it) but keeping my eyes peeled more so now to actually purchase one. Thanks! :sun_smiley:
Click to expand...

good morning, don't be discouraged about the rust belt factor, there are plenty of good TJs here that were bought & cared for by people that understood how to properly take care of them from the get go. I'm in Suburban Philly & I found mine in New Jersey. I'd say about half of the TJs I looked at were fine from a rust standpoint so I know they're out there.

I still look at TJs all the time just for fun either on Cragislist, used car lots & sometimes ones that are randomly parked wherever (I swear at some point someone's gonna say wtf are you doing looking under my Jeep man :watchout:).

One way to save big cash is to consider the 4 banger. The 6 was a 'must have' on my list when I was in the market however in hindsight the 4 would've served my purposes just fine but for me it's not a daily driver, I drive old man slow in the slow lane anyway, & the 4 is just fine for wheeling purposes... I know I passed up a lot of good TJs for much less than I paid because they didn't have a 6.

I've done some scouting for others that are far away before, so if you see one over here I'd be happy to go look at it for you to save you a trip in the event it's a rust bucket. A couple months ago I got my buddy into a stock 02 Sport in excellent condition, perfect body, Dana 44 rear & a hardtop for $5,000. Now that one did have a SafeTcap frame repair done but it was solid. With a perfect frame that one would probably have been closer to $8,000+/- but for his purposes it was fine as also a weekend toy.

Best of luck in your search, keep your eye on the ball because acquiring a TJ is worth every bit of the effort

Edit: Rausch Creek has become a home away from home, there so much I have a season pass. Me & my above buddy just took his new Sport up there a couple weeks ago for his first ever off road experience - he's hooked, we're heading back on Saturday. Even stock he had no trouble at all doing all the greens and a couple blues, I get the impression he'll be lifting, locking & big tiring it pretty soon :applaudit:
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: James Rowe and xXshutterflyXx
Westtown Willy said:
good morning, don't be discouraged about the rust belt factor, there are plenty of good TJs here that were bought & cared for by people that understood how to properly take care of them from the get go. I'm in Suburban Philly & I found mine in New Jersey. I'd say about half of the TJs I looked at were fine from a rust standpoint so I know they're out there.

I still look at TJs all the time just for fun either on Cragislist, used car lots & sometimes ones that are randomly parked wherever (I swear at some point someone's gonna say wtf are you doing looking under my Jeep man :watchout:).

One way to save big cash is to consider the 4 banger. The 6 was a 'must have' on my list when I was in the market however in hindsight the 4 would've served my purposes just fine but for me it's not a daily driver, I drive old man slow in the slow lane anyway, & the 4 is just fine for wheeling purposes... I know I passed up a lot of good TJs for much less than I paid because they didn't have a 6.

I've done some scouting for others that are far away before, so if you see one over here I'd be happy to go look at it for you to save you a trip in the event it's a rust bucket. A couple months ago I got my buddy into a stock 02 Sport in excellent condition, perfect body, Dana 44 rear & a hardtop for $5,000. Now that one did have a SafeTcap frame repair done but it was solid. With a perfect frame that one would probably have been closer to $8,000+/- but for his purposes it was fine as also a weekend toy.

Best of luck in your search, keep your eye on the ball because acquiring a TJ is worth every bit of the effort

Edit: Rausch Creek has become a home away from home, there so much I have a season pass. Me & my above buddy just took his new Sport up there a couple weeks ago for his first ever off road experience - he's hooked, we're heading back on Saturday. Even stock he had no trouble at all doing all the greens and a couple blues, I get the impression he'll be lifting, locking & big tiring it pretty soon :applaudit:
Click to expand...

Thanks #WesttownWilly

I know I can find a decent Jeep around here between NJ,PA and NY, ect timing is everything. I'm just going to keep looking around and fine THE ONE instead of possibly jumping into something I could be throwing my tools at in disgust later. Lol

I thought about it for awhile, and I feel the same way I think most people do...I gotta have the 6... I had an XJ with it and it was so much fun. Then I had a 2011 dodge ram with the hemi... I don't think I could go back to a 4 if I tried to convince myself...lol

Thank You for the offer of checking out your way too, it's greatly appreciated!

As for Rausch, it's a great place. I haven't done any Keep trips through there, but I've taken my 2014 Yamaha Grizzly 700 out there to play a few times and it was awesome. So, needless to say being about to take my Jeep around there to explore would be a happy bonus!

Once I have my shit together, i totally look forward to heading out there and grab a group to enjoy a weekend.
 
Where in NJ are you? I have found many TJ's for sale, but most have been butchered with spray foam and bondo, then covered with undercoating so they look good.
When I bought my 98, I bought it because it was pretty much rust free, inspite of the 2.5 motor. Having said that, a Wrangler won't carry the work supplies I need or an A frame ladder, so I sold it and bought another Cherokee. I much prefer the Wrangler tho, and I would hold out for one with a 4.0 engine, only because everything here is highway driving.

Ken R
 
  • Like
Reactions: xXshutterflyXx and Chris
59 wagon man said:
hello and welcome . i lived in jersey and worked all up and down the shore when i was younger. Southern new York (aka florida) has nice rust free examples and transporting them to nj is fairly simple.
Click to expand...

True,
I've been looking around a lot and keep keeping options open. I have $5k saved as I've stated above, so I know it's not a lot. However, I suppose financing is an option if I honestly fine THE one...
 
KenR955 said:
Where in NJ are you? I have found many TJ's for sale, but most have been butchered with spray foam and bondo, then covered with undercoating so they look good.
When I bought my 98, I bought it because it was pretty much rust free, inspite of the 2.5 motor. Having said that, a Wrangler won't carry the work supplies I need or an A frame ladder, so I sold it and bought another Cherokee. I much prefer the Wrangler tho, and I would hold out for one with a 4.0 engine, only because everything here is highway driving.

Ken R
Click to expand...

Hi Ken,

I have seen quite a few myself. Especially now that the weather (except all this rain!?!?) is getting warmer. I'm down the shore, Ocean County area. I went out just the other day looking at an 05 4.0, it looked ok. Going to see how she starts/drives.
Here are so quick snaps I took while it was raining so, couldn't get too under it for long as I was soaked. Lol
It said automatic, for $10k...but, it wasn't an automatic...lol

0519181131.jpg


0519181131b.jpg


0519181123.jpg


0519181131_Burst01.jpg


0519181130.jpg


0519181129a.jpg


0519181128.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dawghouse and Chris
KenR955 said:
Where in NJ are you? I have found many TJ's for sale, but most have been butchered with spray foam and bondo, then covered with undercoating so they look good.
When I bought my 98, I bought it because it was pretty much rust free, inspite of the 2.5 motor. Having said that, a Wrangler won't carry the work supplies I need or an A frame ladder, so I sold it and bought another Cherokee. I much prefer the Wrangler tho, and I would hold out for one with a 4.0 engine, only because everything here is highway driving.

Ken R
Click to expand...
I've also seen so many "butchered" TJs with scrappy lifts, cut frames, and zip ties parts...so, I really want a clean TJ where No one has messed with it! Don't want to inherit some one else's bad hack jobs...lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dawghouse, EJD and Chris
xXshutterflyXx said:
Hi Ken,

I have seen quite a few myself. Especially now that the weather (except all this rain!?!?) is getting warmer. I'm down the shore, Ocean County area. I went out just the other day looking at an 05 4.0, it looked ok. Going to see how she starts/drives.
Here are so quick snaps I took while it was raining so, couldn't get too under it for long as I was soaked. Lol
It said automatic, for $10k...but, it wasn't an automatic...lol
Click to expand...

Inspect that frame thoroughly, there's some fairly bad rust there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xXshutterflyXx
$10,999 with a 163K too much for that, that is a $6500 jeep at best in our NY-NJ area! This rain blows, my TJ has not been out of the garage in 9 days, put it in summer mode with the half doors and top down till October.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xXshutterflyXx
cliffish said:
$10,999 with a 163K too much for that, that is a $6500 jeep at best in our NY-NJ area! This rain blows, my TJ has not been out of the garage in 9 days, put it in summer mode with the half doors and top down till October.
Click to expand...
I know, that why I was like it's "ok" as I wasn't impressed. I didn't drive it or anything, but it's not the best or the worst. Some surfavecrust here and there, back by the hinges too for the rear door. It looks nice inside too, taken care of that way, but I wanted to get under the actual frame and look (which I couldn't without getting my hoodie soaked) so, I'll have to go again when all this scrappy rain stops so I can look at axels, drive train, ujoints, ect. I'll try to post everything here if I get the chance to see it again too. I know jeeps move quickly even in crappy conditions
 
Was sent this by a friend, thinking of taking a look at her and a possible test drive this coming weekend (if it's not raining again) high miles, so def not going to entertain near their asking price, but was wondering what you guys thought before I went out to take a look at her...

https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1J4FA39S55P367370

Carfax said 3 accidents reported (all 3 owners has 1) one front, one rear, and one hitting a mailbox. Lol
The under picture in back doesn't look bad, but just wondering what you all think.

Appreciate it!
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom
Back