Jeep owners, I need some advice...

[skinnyj]

Hey guys,

I'm probably going to sell my daily driver to my 18 year old. Being that I will be buying a car because I want to and not because I need to, I have some options. I'm thinking of going back to a Jeep, but I don't know much about them past 2004. I'll likely be looking at a Wrangler with high mileage in the $5k-ish range. I only drive about 5-8 miles a day, so an older vehicle doesn't frighten me. I'm just wondering how they age and if there is anything specific to look out for.

 

[ferp420]

jeeps arent the most reliable rigs around i live in a ohv park and its always the jeeps getting towed off the trail out here and they line the hyway every sunday and keep the tow truck drivers in bussiness i would say 90% of the vehicles being towed are jeeps

my girl rented a gladiator and couldent drive over 55 the thing was all over the road shaking and bouncing all over the place and it only had 1000 miles on it

 

[Postclanker]

I have an 03 TJ...it had all of 70k miles on it when I bought it 2 years ago now. It performs flawlessly!

I am really glad it’s before Chrysler took over....I wouldn’t buy a later year Jeep for that very reason. Actually, if you take care of it...it’ll treat you well.

I actually want another one...pop a nice small block in it :shock.
Best of luck in your search Skinny...


You better share a pic when you do....:mrgreen:

 

[skinnyj]

I have an 03 TJ...it had all of 70k miles on it when I bought it 2 years ago now. It performs flawlessly!

I am really glad it’s before Chrysler took over....I wouldn’t buy a later year Jeep for that very reason. Actually, if you take care of it...it’ll treat you well.

I actually want another one...pop a nice small block in it :shock.
Best of luck in your search Skinny...


You better share a pic when you do....:mrgreen:

It depends on what you mean by "when Chrysler took over". Chrysler has owed the Jeep brand since 1987(?), but I think I know what you are saying. I had a '04 GC with the in-line 6 that could trace it's lineage all the way back to the 60s. In '05 they went to a "pure" Chrysler V-6 and I've read that that motor was hot garbage.

A good friend had an '01 TJ and he did have an issue with frame rot...

 

[JDM74]

Also “5kish” isn’t going to buy a Jeep in very good condition, at least not around here.

 

[Postclanker]

It depends on what you mean by "when Chrysler took over". Chrysler has owed the Jeep brand since 1987(?), but I think I know what you are saying. I had a '04 GC with the in-line 6 that could trace it's lineage all the way back to the 60s. In '05 they went to a "pure" Chrysler V-6 and I've read that that motor was hot garbage.

A good friend had an '01 TJ and he did have an issue with frame rot...

As I understand it...they (Chrysler) didn’t replace the original Jeep motor until 2005 ? It is indeed “hot garbage “ ....that was my point anyway. I’ve always wanted a 2-door Jeep...not sorry at all I bought it.

Hell, it’s too easy to swap a motor....
Your friend probably ran it in salt water maybe??? I almost bought a similar TJ until I looked underneath it....I’m surprised it was still together...it was pretty bad!

 

[BJoe]

The 3.8l wasn’t the greatest motor for Jeeps, so If you look for a JK, look for a new one with the 3.6l, much better engine. Keep in mind to that Chrysler “took over” in ‘87, but Daimler was in charge pretty much from ‘99-about ‘08 or ‘09 and those were probably some of the worst products they put out since the mid-late 70’s, my 2012 200 with the 3.6l has been solid the last 8 years and 106k miles I’ve had it.

 

[skinnyj]

Also “5kish” isn’t going to buy a Jeep in very good condition, at least not around here.

That is the crux of it...

When I was kid in the late 80s, you could get a car for $500. It was generally beat up, but it likely ran and would pass inspection. Now that we are looking for my daughter, it is harder to find affordable entry-level cars. At 18, I don't want her saddled with a car note and the balloned insurance costs that come with it. My current car only has 96K on it and is paid for, so it would be perfect for her. I only live a mile from work, so I'm willing to take a flier on something that may be rough but runs and passes inspection.

 

[themountain]

Just say no to Fiat ! Get a Toyota instead "thumbsup"

 

[skinnyj]

Just say no to Fiat ! Get a Toyota instead "thumbsup"

We have a 2019 Tacoma and I like that so far.

 

[themountain]

We have a 2019 Tacoma and I like that so far.

Have this thing since 2015...never let me down..ever"thumbsup"

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[Sneetches]

Well if it has to be a Wrangler I wish you luck in your search, because i previously searched the <5k range for a while and it's like looking for a Unicorn (at least around here), and you can't even find a decent XJ Cherokee for that amount it seems.

 

[Col_Sanders]

$5k budget is going to really limit you quite a bit. Might be able to find an early manual trans 4 banger TJ with high mileage for that if you're lucky.



XJs have gone up a lot, but there are still some really clean examples out there for that price if you're patient. They're underappreciated IMO. You can get the 4.0 with a good auto transmission (AW4) and up until the last couple years, they had the better Dana 30 front end...Since they're lightweight they do very good both off and on road. Just gotta keep that cooling system maintained. Small radiator and squished engine bay.



ZJs and WJs have really dropped in price. They'll have a bunch of fancy electronics and stuff on them though so there is more crap to go wrong. And ZJs are ugly.

jeeps arent the most reliable rigs around i live in a ohv park and its always the jeeps getting towed off the trail out here and they line the hyway every sunday and keep the tow truck drivers in bussiness i would say 90% of the vehicles being towed are jeeps

my girl rented a gladiator and couldent drive over 55 the thing was all over the road shaking and bouncing all over the place and it only had 1000 miles on it

I'd bet 80-90% of the vehicles that are actually offroading are Jeeps too so that would make sense. As for the Gladiator, I dunno. I rented a JLU and it would vibrate like crazy once I hit ~65. Front driver tire was about worn out on the outer edge. Previous renter might have hit something. I took it back and got another one that would do 90+ perfectly smooth. The little turbo 4 banger would get it and got pretty good fuel economy too.

 

[skinnyj]

Yeah... I hit Auto Trader and $8-10k seems to be the starting point.

 

[KJ10]

Gonna be honest here. For the money you want to spend, a Grand Cherokee with a magnum or SRT engine is what you want to find. Or an old Wagoneer that may already have an LS in it... if not, kits are available. Just watch out for frame rot next to the gas tank.

 

[KJ10]

Dammit NO! Wait! Just buy this 65th Anniversary ed. from me. Only $3500 and I'll throw in a parts Jeep that already has a lift. Same color, even.



parts Jeep



Tow bar not included, since I didn't get it. And I told my dad he could have the rims off the parts rig. I already took the front seats for my J10 crawler.

 

[Postclanker]

Wow, kinda like where this thread went


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[Peaker]

I am not able to help, though my spam folder do indicate that somewhere i do seem to own a Jeep.
I just wish i knew where it is, it would be a nice upgrade from the 8 year old little Suzuki hatchback i drive.

 

[skinnyj]

After doing some searching, I could probably land a WJ with some miles on the clock in the $3-5K range. I had a '04 WJ a while back and I did like it. I do want to stay at '04 or older, as I want to stay with the 4.0L six.

 

[Lesorivel]

Guys, I need advice. Not so long ago I've got driving license and now I am planning to buy my first car. I can afford a car for approximately $10k, what are the best options? By the way, if someone wants to learn driving theory easily, I recommend this website https://www.easytheorytest.co.uk/practice-driving-theory-test