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Looking into buying a Jeep but have questions

2K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  crafty 
#1 ·
Well first let me start off by saying hi and my name is Paul i like in the panhandle of florida and I'm looking to purchase my first jeep. I've done work on jeeps for friends just haven't had the opp. to own one.

Ok well there are two jeeps in my area that are for sale and i was looking for some input from people who had a great deal of knowledge on them. I've heard that i shouldn't get a jeep with square headlights but everytime i ask why no one has a answer.

Here are the two jeeps:

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/car/547223302.html

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/car/544625463.html

I'm thinking about taking out a student loan to buy one. Money is kind of important but i also want to get something that will be dependable and not break completely the first you i own it.

Thanks
 
#2 · (Edited)
First thing if you don't want a vehicle that gets under 15-20mpg THIS IS NOT YOUR VEHICLE. Sorry but it's the truth and kinda tired of people buying jeeps then bad mouthing them because they come to find out they don't get 60mpg...

If you still want one after finding out that then here is the gist.

Square Headlight= YJ

Nothing wrong with them it's really just a inside joke between the Round headlight (CJ,TJ,JK?) people and the YJ owners.

Anyway to your links.

Both look fine but I would go and look at them in person and see which one was wheeled harder. Get every bit of information out of them that you can about how it was wheeled and what they did to it.

Was the work done in their garage or by a shop? ect ect ect...

The TJ looks like it was more of a DD/weekend warrior and the price aint bad.

~Lev
 
#5 ·
Well i just was wondering what should i look for and what should i ask. So if anyone has some suggestions or tell me what to do when i Testdrive it let me know. I haven't been big into the offroad scene i mostly restore and stay on the strips.
 
#6 ·
I agree w/ Lev about the newer Jeep looking like more of a weekend warrior than the YJ.

The prices look decent for both, when you go to look at them both, be sure to get underneath both, w/ a flashlight, and look for signs of damage underneath. It looks like both saw it's share of off road use, but it sounds like maybe the 97 has been kept up a little more, but that could just be the ad has more detail? :crash:

Personally, I like the 97 better, both cuz it's a TJ not a YJ, and the full soft top. A hard top is nice in the winter, but a bikini top is not enough for all summer on a daily driver, IMHO. I assume it rains pretty regularly there, as it used to in Jax Beach when I lived there? With the YJ, unless you get a full top or keep it in a garage, it'll smell like wet dog all the time, I'm just saying! :eek:
 
#7 ·
With the mods on the TJ it might have been wheeled pretty hard. Plus with this statement in the ad---"new clutch with lifetime warranty, new brake pads with lifetime warranty, new front differential with new spider gears carrier and pin, " Check out the drivetrain as much as you can, including for slop in the rear axle.
 
#9 ·
even if it cant be transfered it mean taht the part is a heavy duty part and shouldnt break
things to look for in the TJ, check the skid plates for scratches, is it a 4 or 6 cyl., does it ahve a D35 or D44 (find this out as to weather it has a plastic plug in the fill hole (bad/D35) or a metal plug (good/D44)), and also ask them if the speedo gear ahs been changed b/c if not there are actualy more miles on it than the 100,000 that the odo will read, could be up to 10,000 more if htey put the bigger wheels on right away when they bought it, last thing is if you want a Day to day the TJ is better because it ahs coild and better heat and a easier soft top to put up and down,
its also a really good deal b/c it domes with 35" tires for when u go wheeling which is awesome! the two extra sets of wheels and tires are worth about $1000 nvm all the other extras liek bumper winch etc etc. i say buy it!
 
#10 ·
Welcome to WF :wavey: They both look they have been wheeled, so look at them both and see which one is in better shape. The TJ has alot of accesories added to it, so that means something to if this is what you have been planning for your Jeep. It took me a long time looking at Jeeps before i picked up the one i have. Just be sure its the one you want, and don't pick the 1st one you see.
 
#11 ·
Is a jeep thats already modified really important to you? The reason i ask is because if you want a really dependable jeep that you know hasnt been wheeled hard just look for a stock one thats been a garage queen, then put your own mods on it.

Jeeps that are already lifted and modified are nice because the mods are already put on for you, but then again theres always the possibility that they've been wheeled really hard the owner is just trying to get rid of the headache because everything keeps breaking. Just something to think about....

As for YJ vs TJ....if you're looking for a cheap wheelin rig that you'll only drive on the weekends a YJ is the way to go. They're older, still have millions of aftermarket mods available, and it isnt gonna break your heart if you dent it up. Then again you have to deal with jeepers makin fun of you cause you've got square headlights :D

If you're looking for a jeep to drive everyday then id say get a TJ. The TJ has more interior comforts, a better ride because of the coil springs, and its simply more updated then the YJ. Plus its newer which means (hopefully) less repairs you're gonna run into in the next couple years. Personally i prefer the looks of the TJ over the YJ too, but thats just my opinion...
 
#12 ·
I emailed the guy about it last night and this was his reply:

"All great question! I will try to answer what I can.
I am the fourth owner and I bought from a guy in NC and drove it down her. On the way down the tranfer case broke because he had the front pinion angle wrong. I replaced the transfer case and then the throw out bearing went out. So I replaced the whole cluth about a month ago. Have only taken it offroad 3 or 4 times since I have had it but nothing crazy just a little fun in the mud. Realized the 4x4 was slipping in the front diff. so I opened up and the pin and spider gears were broke. Replaced everything including the carrier in the front end and also put a Steering stabilizer in. When I got the Jeep the muffler was rusted so I put a new long tube header, CAT, muffler, and 2" piping all the way back. Sound great. Just changed to oil pan gasket and oil. Still needs to be aligned but I am in the process of getting that done. So, the Jeep had some issues when I bought it but I am pretty sure I have fixed them. It runs great just needs to be aligned so it won't be all over the road. Original miles yes. Mostly city miles. One small noise I can't figure out what it is though. Doesn't seem to effect anything? Make me an offer?"

Sounded good to me i just have to drive over and check it out myself and make sure everything is in working condition.
 
#13 ·
Maybe it's the skeptic in me, but it sounds to me like he's had nothing but problems with it since he bought it. Maybe trying to get rid of it before it costs him any more money.

BTW, is this the same Pierce I've seen on Gulf Coast Muscle?
 
#15 · (Edited)
Ya i am Pierce off the forums. I'm looking into getting a jeep for around 6k.

He told me he was selling because he needs more of a city car because he drives from Pensacola to Destin for work every day.

So would yall stay away from the cylinders? Because that one turned out to be one.
 
#20 ·
I've driven a 4 cylinder YJ with a manual trans... it wasn't bad around town, but it did seem to have a rough time on hills and trying to keep up with traffic on the highway. Personally, I prefer the inline six.

BTW, I saw a nice looking seemingly unmolested YJ for sale on New Warrington Rd 2 or 3 blocks South of Pete Moore Chevy. Don't know anything about it, but it looked good from the road. It might be worth checking it out.
 
#22 ·
The only experience I had was with my first Jeep which was a 92 4cyl. It had a major case of blow by which was followed by a bad knock. I went through 4 Salvage Yard motors before I found a good 1.
1st--Motor was not locked up until power was put to it. Ran for 1min.
2nd--Ran perfect but was pumping oil out everywhere, including up the
dipstick tube
3rd---lots of noise taps and rattles

If the 4cyl. goes rebuild it or purchase new, a good one is hard to find.

Go with the 4.0 engine, they are harder to kill unless you suck in a bunch of water :doh:
 
#23 ·
Ok thanks. I told the guy that i was going to take a look at it thursday so i will still look at it but i wasn't going to make anything final until i got it to a shop and had some people look over for any problems. But now that everyone is saying go with the 6 i think i might keep looking because i know they are good engines.

I live right near new warrington so i will see if i can find the jeep you are talking about.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I seriously doubt that any live that long, mostly because they are pushed too hard. In general, there are far worse engines out there, but this little engine gives it all it has every time you hit the highway, there comes a point when they say "&*$% it, I'm done!":doh:

Bottom line, around town, low speeds, flat land, its like a cheap truck, not very quick, sounds pretty wheezy, but if it's all you got, it'll get you there & back, and hey, it's still a Jeep, beats driving a clapped out old Volvo Wagon!
 
#26 · (Edited)
4 cylinders are FAR from bad engines. I have a 2.5 4 banger in my jeep. Yeah they're a little slower at highway speeds but besides for that i think its a great engine. It's also very easy to make up for the lack of power on the highway by shifting at higher rpm's too. You get used to driving the 4 cylinder eventually and learn how to make up for its lack of power. It's a torquey little engine too, plenty of power for offroading as long as you're not doing any extreme mud bogging. You probably wouldnt notice a difference offroad between a 4 and a 6.

Overall dont be scared of the 4 banger, its a great little engine, very reliable, i've never had a problem with it.
 
#27 ·
If you end up looking at a 4cyl. check the airfilter first for oil. Take it for a nice little drive and check it again when you get back. They can be a good little engine, some of my friends run them but I am not sure of their milage. Just check for excessive blow by.;)
 
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