PNW new guy

I

Iamhooked

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New here.
Don't have a TJ... yet.
Current ride is a '99 Cherokee Sport.

So... what brings me here?
Two weeks ago, out of the blue, the wife points over to a Jeep and says, "I like that". WUT?!? Where did that come from? (not that I didn't mind it:applaudit:)

She has a RAV4 and likes it very much. I see this comment as an opening for a new purchase.:aplastao: Both good and bad. Good - new to me Jeep. Bad - payments.

I'm here to learn as much as possible so I won't wind up with a dud. And what I've seen so far is conditions, and prices are all over the place. Yeah, I'm pretty good at picking out a good one but it's those that are on fence as far as pricing goes.
Hopefully this site will help me out some.
 
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Welcome to the forum! You join the ranks of many, many of us who are from the PNW including myself, @StG58, @Squatch, @EJD, and @jeep_boss, just to name a few!

I take it you're considering upgrading from the XJ to the TJ? Wise choice! I owned 5 XJs before I bought my TJ Rubicon, and it's the best upgrade I ever made, truly! I'd always lusted over a TJ, just wasn't able to afford one until later in life.

The nice thing about the PNW is that if you get a vehicle that was born and raised in the PNW, it should typically be free of rust. The bad thing of course is that clean TJs in the PNW tend to hold they resale value better than almost anywhere else in the U.S.

Just as an example, I paid 20k out the door for my old 2005 TJ Rubicon with 65k miles. I ended up selling it easily for 23k!

I'm onto my next TJ Rubicon now, which only has 50k miles and I got it from the original owner. Somehow I lucked out and the guy had no idea what it was worth! I ended up paying 17k, which is an absolute steal!
 
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Welcome to the group, from the drier side of the left coast! What model do you covet?
Thanks for the welcome.
I was hoping to avoid the "what model?" question but since you asked, let's get it over with.
I DON'T HAVE A CLUE.
47 different models to pick from. I know Rubicon is the most expensive, I think.

What I'm looking for is an unmolested stocker, hopefully with a hardtop. This will be my daily driver that I can still go out on weekends and cross those deep 4" creeks. lol
In other words, I'm open for suggestions.
 
47 different models? There’s only the SE, X, Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon. The Rubicon of course being the most expensive and fully loaded (if you can even call it that).
 
47 different models? There’s only the SE, X, Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon. The Rubicon of course being the most expensive and fully loaded (if you can even call it that).
OK, maybe not that many models but it doesn't help when I look at an ad the model is not listed. So where do I look to compare models?
 
The other thing to realize is that aside from the SE model having the 4 cylinder, all the other models have the 6 cylinder and are basically exactly the same with the exception of very, very minor things. The only other exception is the Rubicon which has Dana 44 front and rear axles, selectable air lockers front and rear, and the Rock Trac transfer case.
 
Yeah, I'll pass on the 4cyl.
The Rubicon is tempting but there's that pesky price tag.
 
The Sport and Sahara models had an optional Dana 44 rear axle, which is preferable. My 03 Sport came with a Dana 44 rear and rear disc brakes.
 
That's a tough call. I've seen one I want to look at listed for $9000. Used $8000~$12000(?)
I know they go up from there.

Here is the sticky point. If the used ones are going for so much, I've almost considered going new.
 
Good gawd, those are all mostly cream puffs compared to what's on CL in the Seattle area. And at excellent prices as well.
Damn you, I might need to make a road trip.
 
Good gawd, those are all mostly cream puffs compared to what's on CL in the Seattle area. And at excellent prices as well.
Damn you, I might need to make a road trip.

Come on down! We'll make a wheeling trip out of it! There is this thing in the sky down here that you probably won't recognize. It's bright and warm, so don't be scared, lol!
 
That's a tough call. I've seen one I want to look at listed for $9000. Used $8000~$12000(?)
I know they go up from there.

Here is the sticky point. If the used ones are going for so much, I've almost considered going new.
I hear you, I had the same dilemna and had almost pulled the trigger on a 2015 Rubicon, until I ruled them out for size and some technical reasons (I wanted something smaller and more agile, and liked the fact the TJR had the 4.0L and no CANBUS).

There are several realistic factors around TCO in buying a TJ, that you may already be prepared for since you have an XJ. At best, you are buying a 12yr old vehicle, and one that did not rank very high in terms of long term reliability. Going for one with low milage is a safer bet, but it isn't fool proof for getting into a trouble free daily driver. I genuinely think that anyone preparing to buy a TJ should know how to turn a wrench, if not - you may or may not need deep pockets. I'll skip the details on upgrades, but do know that eventually the subject will come up for one thing or another (and possibly several other) bells and whistles.

The are cool little machines, but they tend to be higher maintenance than other comparable vehicles out there. You should be keen on what to look for when shopping around, especially when it comes to the vehicle's clues or info on preventative / ongoing maintenance. This could save you time, money, and bloody hands from having to do heavy surgery as I had to do after I bought mine.

They do hold their value though, and I wouldn't be surprised if they begin appreciating over the next few years. We'll see.

Good luck!
 
Yeah, I'll pass on the 4cyl.
The Rubicon is tempting but there's that pesky price tag.

There's also the tremendous resale value, should you ever choose to sell it.

Oh, and you can thank me later for not having to upgrade your axles or add lockers, since the Rubicon already has them!
 
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