STICKY What should I look for when buying a used Wrangler TJ?
- Thread starter Chris
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- buying used wrangler tj
OP
Sorry, my app (tapatalk) seems to be showing me a weird order on things.
I got my LJR 8/30 for 17.5 and was curious where in the range people had paid (pretty screaming deal it seems).
OP
I paid $16,700 for mine with 56k miles and rust free. That’s a screaming deal for the Pacific Northwest, where they usually go for 20k or more.
OP
Yep, it’s the same way up here in the PNW. A clean Wrangler or Tacoma will fetch a premium for sure.
chacheebuns
New Member
Just got in a few photos of the underside. Thoughts, advice?
edit: Not sure if the links for the photos were working, just uploaded them instead.
edit: Not sure if the links for the photos were working, just uploaded them instead.
Last edited:
OP
Thanks to @MaloStapalo for taking photos of this. Here's a classic example of too much frame rust. This is actually very dangerous to be driving around like this if you pay close attention to what's going on here:
Potential TJ buyers, I implore you to stay away from TJs with rusted frames! Take your time and find one with little to no rust, even if it means spending more money. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into with some of these rust buckets out there.
Potential TJ buyers, I implore you to stay away from TJs with rusted frames! Take your time and find one with little to no rust, even if it means spending more money. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into with some of these rust buckets out there.
Wrangler65
New Member
OP
Can’t see the frame, so I can’t really say much other than it looks “okay”. The chrome and tube bumpers are hideous, but those can easily be changed. It’s missing the glove box for some reason.
But the frame is the most important part, without pictures it’s impossible to say.
Looks like the glove box is sitting on the rear seat.
Spent its life in Simi California, Canoga Park CA, Glendale CA, and the last 6 years in Henderson NV. Probably safe to assume the frame is clean!
OP
You're probably right, but I'd still check it out.
I can't stand when people who sell these Jeeps don't take photos of the underside.
Same. On any vehicle really.
Do CA vehicles rust much from salt water? I looked at a pickup a few weeks ago that came out of California and underneath was actually pretty rusty, it was all surface and nothing structural by any means. I would have bought it if the price was a tad lower was all.
OP
Unless you live right by the coast and drive it on the beach or in the salt water, then probably not. I'm up here in Oregon but we live about an hour and a half from the coast. When we drive out there for trips, I notice most of the cars are rusted from the salt in the air. However, once you head inland (like where we live), you'd never see any of that at all.
So while I suppose it is possible for a car to rust in California, you'd have to either live on the coast or have come from somewhere else. Either way, it's not common, and the rust would likely just be surface rust, you're right.
The frame rot you find on these things is usually indicative of severe winters and heavily salted roads.
Just joined the forum. I will be a first time Jeep buyer (son is turning 16 so wife finally said I can get one. Lol, she thinks it will be for him!) when and if I find what I'm looking for and its the right price. I'm trying to do as much research as possible and have narrowed down to the TJ is what I want it is now the ever long quest of finding the one I'm willing to buy. I'm in central KY so the rust thing is going to be an issue. I'm seeing good advertisements but no one puts in pictures of the frame so going to have to actually go look at them. It hurts this time of year that it gets dark by the time I get off work but I guess a real good flashlight can take care of that if I really wanted to. Anyway I got good information from this post and also still looking at posts on the site but if anyone knows one specifically and at least tell me where they are or link them I will be very appreciative. I will also try and advise when I'm going to look so I can see if anyone will be available to look at pictures. I've found prospects online (mostly craigslist) but still looking. Might try and go Saturday and look at a few if nothing else to just look at a few for practice. I'm also going to create a checklist of what I want to look at and check. I've also read about the hammer/mallet, is that common? What if the seller doesn't want you to do that? Walk away? I'm assuming they won't like it because it will reveal rust or frame issues?
Any help or assistance is greatly appreciated. Going back to the forums to search for more advice.
Here's looking forward to joining the community!!!!
Any help or assistance is greatly appreciated. Going back to the forums to search for more advice.
Here's looking forward to joining the community!!!!
OP
I would walk away, yes.
You can always take photos of the frame, post it up here on the forum in a new thread, and one of us will usually respond within minutes. If there's really bad rust, it should be apparent.
I'd also encourage you to travel out of state for a rust free Wrangler, especially if this is a vehicle you plan to own for a long time!
Oh, and welcome to the community!
I'm not sure why people recommend bringing a hammer along to hit the frame with. It will only tell you something if the rust is really bad, meaning you can already tell without the use of a hammer. On top of that, most frames with bad internal rust are going to be able to withstand the blow of a hammer without crumbling in. Sure, people might have covered some bad rust up and a hammer might expose that, but if you know what you're looking for, any of those cover up jobs are very easy to spot. And anyway, people who covered frame rot up aren't going to let you hit the frame in the first place.
The best way to tell the internal condition on the frame is with a a camera that you can fish into the frame through some of the holes.
On a side note, I certainly wouldn't want some random person hitting the underside of my vehicle with a hammer. If I was trying to sell a vehicle and someone asked to hit the underside of it with a hammer I'd tell them to get lost.
I have thought about out of state. Living in KY I would have to go south for sure. I think I'm going to do some extensive searching here to get me comfortable with what I'm looking for. Just looked at a post that talked about the rust around the skid plate. Seems to be a real hot spot.
I will definitely take pics and post when I go look at one. Going to start doing that to practice at looking at them and see exactly what I'm looking at and for.
I appreciate the response and I'm going to take my time and attempt to do this right.
I kind of had the same thought about if someone showed up to look at my vehicle and wanted to hit it with a hammer. Just didn't seem right but thought it might be acceptable in the community since rust is a factor. Wasn't sure.