Wow these used TJ prices are insane. Paid $15k for my '98 when it was just 3 years old with 30,000 miles. The prices they want for an old TJ now is stupid high. Sure the drivetrain is pretty durable but the body and frames just rot out from underneath them, and typically you need all kinds of mods to safely and reliably run bigger tires.
What to expect with a $10,000 budget
- Thread starter cliner
- Start date
Hello from north Texas. After lurking and browsing similar threads here and on wranglerforum, I decided to go ahead and make my own thread, hoping y'all might be able to help me find a used TJ. I appreciate any help at all.
Budget: ~$10,000
6cyl, manual. Leaning toward soft top, being in TX and all
The closer to stock the better; would like to avoid paying a lot extra for bumpers/winches/etc. This is going to be my DD + occasional off-road trips in the desert, but no serious crawling
What condition/mileage/etc. could I expect to pop up, given my budget? After browsing craigslist for the past few weeks, most of what I'm finding in a 200mi radius is TJs with 125,000-175,000mi for $6-8k. Some with new clutches, a few with new engines. The TJs closer to 100,000mi go up to the 10k range, and under 100,000mi they start to get up to 12k+
Should I stay away from rebuilds or remans? For example:
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/6131902110.html
https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/6148061990.html
If buying a high mile TJ with original engine, what's the sweet spot for mileage?
Another I've been looking at. High end of budget, two sets of doors, has both hard & soft top. Ad says "at least half" of the miles were pulled behind a motor home. Worth looking into, or should I just roll my eyes at the RV claim and move on? https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/6160836532.html
Again, thanks for any help
That white Wrangler looks really clean and if it has the maintenance record to go with it than I would give it a serious look if I was in the market. It appears to be largely stock and well taken care of plus the extras are a very nice bonus. I do feel your pain though as I was recently in your same position when I was shopping my last jeep a year ago. I had my hear set on an 04-06 LJ Rubicon in close to stock configuration as I could find. I never did see what I was looking for but did come across a one owner 05 Rubicon with 43k miles that was a trade in at a local Honda dealer. The previous owner had purchased it from the Dodge dealer in Davis, Ca with every conceivable option (Dual tops an the hard top has never been off or the soft top had the cover removed) plus a dealer installed Warn M8000, and taken it back to the dealer for every service. I paid 15k and was happy to do it. You will find what your looking for if you take your time and have that patience virtue thing going for you.
IamBR549
TJ Enthusiast
Everyone seems to dig the white one. Hoping for more pictures today, and seeing in person later this week. It looks sweet. I know these Jeeps are dependable, but 225,000mi on the drivetrain (assuming odo miles are driven miles only, AND it was towed 75k+) makes me hesitant.
Is there any chance the odo miles actually were accrued during towing and the claim isn't BS? Seems like I'd be gambling on two possibilities: a sweet deal on low miles with extras or an expensive but well-kept high mile TJ with extras... Make sense?
Other possibility is odo is true miles traveled and it was never-or-rarely towed... Best bet is to talk to the owner!
Thanks for y'all's ongoing help
Hello. I was reading the CL ad where you found the white jeep. I read it shows 154860 on the odometer and the claim is 75k of that is from being towed by the 1st owner where as the seller and his father are the 2nd and 3rd owners respectively. Is the seller now claiming the odometer is actually closer to 225k? My understanding and experience with the Wranglers I have towed is that while being towed if you have the key turned to unlock the steering column and (and I mean a Big AND) you turn the key too far, far enough that you have the battery engaged so to speak whereas the dash lights are on THEN the towed miles will accumulate on the odometer. I experienced this once where I had a friend unlock my jeep's column for towing and by the time we finished our 900 mile trip I had added a lot more miles to my jeep and got a dead battery as a bonus. There is a position on the ignition that you can turn the key too that unlock the column, keeps the battery from getting drained, and allows you to tow your Wrangler sans added miles. All that being said though even if it did have 150k on it I would still give it a look and pull a carfax on it. I would actually pull a carfax or similar report on any vehicle I was buying used or have your insurance guy look it up in C.L.U.E. just to be safe.
Oh no, I'm just trying to make sense of the towed-for-half-its-miles claim.
Could be!
Absolutely. Thank you. I'll get the VIN today and try to pull its carfax report
Scroll down this tread and I found a 97 Sahara with 90k for 10k obo
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/help-me-find-a-jeep.5409/
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/help-me-find-a-jeep.5409/
I love my manual 05 LJ as a DD but would seriously consider an automatic for off-road driving. The auto handles the toque conversion for you and allows you to have a foot on the break. When I got mine I felt the manual would be more versatile and I guess it is but wheeling something like Black Bear in a manual can lead to code brown really quick.
Thanks for the help, all. Ended up getting the green one. Had a pre purchase inspection done, and the guy took 3 hours. He concluded it's mechanically stout & has been pretty well taken care of, considering age & "it's a Jeep". Interior and paint could obviously use some work, but everything else looks solid. Needs a new thermostat, but I can do that myself. Asked mechanic about the towed/toad white one, and he had concerns re: towed mileage putting unnatural wear on the drivetrain (e.g., parts not properly lubricated, etc.), and recommended against it. Whether that's true or not, the extras in the green one (new radiator/clutch/tires/bearings/brake pads/rotors/lined interior) were more attractive to me than the cleanliness & hard top & doors of the white one. Both were about equal in my eyes, so I think i would have been happy with either one!
I'm satisfied. It's a pretty big change from the paid-for 2015 Tacoma I sold (fiance isn't as big of a fan, she prefers the ride of a Tacoma), but I needed to downsize price-wise, while still having something fun. Again, thanks for all y'all's help.
I hear ya. I just miss stickshift so much. It'll be 95% daily driven, and any offroading I'll be doing will more than likely just be fun west Texas desert runs, very little crawling.
I'm satisfied. It's a pretty big change from the paid-for 2015 Tacoma I sold (fiance isn't as big of a fan, she prefers the ride of a Tacoma), but I needed to downsize price-wise, while still having something fun. Again, thanks for all y'all's help.
Looks nice! Maybe in the future, when my money situation is better, I can look into beefier axles and lockers. But for now, my budget was firmly set under $10k. Thanks again!
I hear ya. I just miss stickshift so much. It'll be 95% daily driven, and any offroading I'll be doing will more than likely just be fun west Texas desert runs, very little crawling.
So most of this thread is right on. But I own a 180K mile TJR. I do drive it harder than most, lots of highway miles and trailer towing but it was tired. I just put in a new engine... Plus clutch, water pump, hoses, rad etc.... Best investment ever. All in $4600. The difference is night and day. Sure I might have gotten another 180K miles with the tired original 4.0L. But no, they are not bullet proof like the Toyota diesel was. If you are shopping for a TJ... Factor in buying a new motor... Not a cheap back alley rebuild.... And expect to pay over $4K.... All in. So often we don't notice how our engines slowly, steadily degrade but buy that new motor with a 7 year warranty and bingo..... What a difference !!!
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