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Looking to get a Wrangler as my DD, what should I know?

2K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  jarata 
#1 ·
I have been think about getting a Wrangler as a DD but I don't know what year to get. I was thinking about either a TJ, inline 6 with a stick, or possible a JK(money permitting). I will use it mostly use it on the road with some trail and mudding(mudding is a past time in my town). I also want a hardtop as people at my college can not be trusted... This will be my DD for a few years then I will keep it as a winter/trail beater.

Will the TJ 4.0 keep up with traffic or will I have issues with on ramps? How reliable is are the TJs and Jks? Are there any years I should avoid? Most of my friends jeeps, mostly cheap YJs, have had crap reliability but I think thats from thrashing them around in the woods. My neighbors V8 ZJ is drinking alot of oil. Also, what year is easier one to work on, I will doing all the work myself? Is the LWB worth it?


I won't be modding it too heavily(until I get another DD). I was thinking a small lift, most likely an Old Man Emu(didn't like friends RoughCountry). A slightly larger tire, no larger than a 33. Possibly might put new gears in. Then some small mods like a winch, lights and bumper. Then once I get my new DD in a few years I will put a SBC because, why not?


Thanks in advance, this looks to be a amazing community here.
 
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#2 ·
Get as new as you can afford. Tj are good especially with the 4.0. You will find more with a stick. Jk have more automatics. Avoid the 3.8 in a jk. Some people have said they are sluggish. 2012 was first year for 3.6.
You can find hard tops on craigs list if you find a soft top you like. Jeeps are easy for criminals. (Locks only keep honest people out) I don't let anything of value in mine and i go doorless. I do live in a pretty safe small town.
 
#5 ·
You can find hard tops on craigs list if you find a soft top you like. Jeeps are easy for criminals. (Locks only keep honest people out) I don't let anything of value in mine and i go doorless. I do live in a pretty safe small town.
I'm find with leaving my doors off around town. I've seen plenty of other people do it all summer. At my college there was numerous thefts because left their windows down. I figured a hard top should stop most scumbags.

Is the 3.8 really that bad with a stick? I heard it was crappy more because the auto sucked when mated to the 3.8. I would want to get a JK but I want to spend less then 12k and I haven't seen any used JKs at the price right now.
 
#6 ·
$12K will get you a nice TJ with a 4.0 and a stick. The 4.0 is basically bullet-proof and with regular routine maintenance it will last a long time.

Obviously it will merge into traffic differently than a Corvette but it won't be the dog that my 4 cyl YJ is.

I bought a 94 Wrangler brand new and daily drove it for 8 years. I had zero issues other than routine maintenance items. When you daily drive a Jeep you make certain sacrifices but the fun of owning a Jeep makes up for the small sacrifices you have to make.

My 94 Wrangler had a soft top and I got one of those lock boxes that bolted under the seat. Any of my valuables that needed to be stored went into the lock box. I just never kept much in my Jeep that was valuable. It's really not that bad.
 
#7 ·
At less than $12K, you're pretty much looking at getting a TJ. I see you're in NJ--the rust belt--before you drop a dime on a Jeep, check the frame very closely for rust, repairs, "repairs", and/or cracks and holes. They tend to rust from the inside out, such that a "little" crack or hole can be more extensive than it looks at first blush. Last year I put $ into having my frame welded from the front control arms back...

I DD my '02, and it is just fine for light wheeling, and on interstate highways with 3.73s pushing 30" tires. If I ran 33s or crawled, I'd probably prefer to re-gear. YMMV, and invariably will...
 
#10 ·
Would a dealership be better for finding non-rusted TJs? I've found a 04 Rubicon with a Auto for 15k, should i check it out?
NO !! Buyer Beware. Dealership or Private Sale. Know yer stuff.

But for a great buy look for the dealer who never sells Wranglers but takes one on trade. They usually just want to get rid of it. Get there before they wholesale it.

NOTE... a great buy will be gone in a week.

15K for a Rubi is definitely worth checking out. Finding a good TJ under 10K will take luck.
 
#9 ·
A dealership would likely be selling trades or TJ's they got from auction. You may have luck but I wouldn't say better luck. If you can look out of your area, I'd do that as well. I agree with 2003 and up TJ's but I don't recall cracked heads as an issue with earlier ones. Cracked manifolds was an issue though. I had a 99 that was a victim. Still a great ride though.
 
#12 ·
Heads were not a problem with early 4.0s, Headers were a problem though. The header would eventually crack, just replace it with quality aftermarket one and youre set.

The 4.0 is a super reliable engine no matter what year it came from as long as you keep up on maintenance.

I daily drove mine for upwards of 6 years, expect a lot of maintenance. My friends would always poke fun at me for always needing to go to the parts store for something. There's always something that needs to be fixed.
And as for keeping up with traffic, I'm rarely in the fast lane. Even before my lift, tires and gears. It really depends on your gears and tire selection.

If youre doing work yourself, by far the TJ/LJ will be easier to work on than the JK.
 
#14 ·
Honestly so many things I can't remember it all. I had it with me as my only vehicle for my 4 years in college. Over that time from what I can recall I had:

A front caliper seized while I was driving
Misfire with CEL
Smog dances (stupid carb stickers)
Rear end made grinding noise
Front ujoint seized (made a wobble on turning)
E-brake cable snapped (still doesn't work right)
Rear main leaked (not as hard of a fix as sounds)
Oil changes
Brake services
And little odds and ends


And after writing this list, it sounds like I'm trying to talk you out of it. I'm not! I love my jeep and wouldnt have had it any other way. Just be aware that you will have things go wrong that will need to be repaired. Also it may help to hear that all of the above problems were solved in either the campus parking lot or a friends garage when I was lucky.
 
#16 ·
I walked off the lot with a 2013 JK sport for $21K (all taxes and dealer tricks in) 10 months ago. Good deal for me, others may have done better.

In some ways it's the worst car I have ever owned. No power locks, or windows ... 6 gear manual, roughest ride of anything I have ever owned.

And I love it. So happy ... it is an unstoppable tank in the winter, and the manual tranny has made driving fun all over again.

We take my wife's new Cherokee on longer trips because it's got all the goodies and drives like a dream.

No regrets - Jeep for life!

W.
 
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