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Interested in Becoming a TJ Owner. Is this One a Good Find?

11K views 163 replies 27 participants last post by  Banshee08 
#1 ·
#7 ·
unless you are very knowledgeable about modified TJ's, or have a buddy who is and who can inspect either of these, I'd keep looking.
 
#10 ·
price will vary.. for example...in my neck of the wood, you can find 2003 rubicons for another 3 to 4k if you keep an eye out..

few things.. for the 99.. the gas cap is like 10 bucks.. if the owner can't even fix that.. what major issues might be hidden...
 
#11 ·
That was my concern. He said its common with the 99's.

So he just offered to do a straight trade. My 08 subaru tribeca for the TJ. I told him I'd like to do a trade plus cash because my car is worth a few thousand more. He said I'd rather just sell it outright. What do you guys think?
 
#12 ·
Unless you can get that 97 for under 7k, pass on both, especially since this will be a DD. Also, I would pass on the trade.

Im sure with some more time there will alot more options, maybe a clean stock Jeep with under 100000 miles. Just really pay attention to the little things, like that gas cap. Like someone said, if they cant replace a cheap gas cap then what else hasn't been maintained that you cant see. Really pay attention to little red flags like that and always look for rust on the frame and tub. Good luck! :thumb:
 
#13 ·
both are overpriced for my area...and my area is retarded high on prices.

on the first one, my first mod would be to remove that POS airfilter, and put an OEM intake system on. I also don't trust anyone who says "too many mods to list" my thought is "If you want to sell this thing, you'd better be willing to list them all out." I'd take that as a red flag of "I'm trying to lie by omission".

on the second one...4.5" of lift? That's a lot of lift. I'd be curious about the rest of the suspension and drivetrain. If it still has OEM control arms I'd walk away(to me that would mean the Prev. owner is a moron, and there's no telling what else he 1/2 assed). a good set of control arms are 1k, so figure that into the price if you're more forgiving than I am. Does it have a TC drop? or a SYE? SYE is the proper way, and that's another 1k roughly. Drive it up to highway speeds. Does it feel like it's going to kill you? if so, walk away.

Drive them, see how they shift. they have a very tough transmission, but see how they shift. (they shift like a dumptruck when new, just make sure they don't shift like a broken down dumptruck :p)

Look the frame up and down on both, if they look like they've been recently painted (the frame that is) I'd walk away...they're trying to hide something bad.

FWIW, I just paid 6750 for a 99 4.0L/Auto wrangler with ~120k on it...The price those are listed at is actually on par with what most people around here ask for their Jeeps...but eventually you'll find someone who isn't a jackass, and has realistic visions of Jeep values.


on the CEL - never take a previous owners word as to the cause of a check engine light. ALWAYS check it out. (it's free @ autozone)

look at all the fluids you can (engine oil, coolant, PS fluid, brake fluid) on these jeeps.
If they all look old, just know that's another issue you're going to run into (lazy owners) it's just another red flag of possible problems down the road.

Drive it, if you haven't ever driven a Wrangler, find a friend who has owned one (preferably a non-moron). Have him drive it too. If you are like me and can't keep friends :D, take it to a trusted shop and pay him to look it over and tell you red flags he sees. Getting someone with experience to look the jeep over is invaluable when you are new to jeeps and just learning everything

I don't mean to insult you in any way. It's a lot to take in, and I really don't want to see anyone get screwed.
 
#14 ·
Hey definitely not insulted at all. That info was really valuable and I actually learned quite a bit. I'm a car guy and jeeps are new terrain for me. So the more I learn the better. All of you guys have been really helpful so far and I definitely feel like this is a welcoming environment. It's gonna be hard to look these 2 over because the 97 is an hour and a half away and the 99 is closer to 5 hours away. You can't agree sight unseen.
 
#15 ·
I say keep looking... when the right deal shows up you will know. I also agree to look for a stock vehicle. I just bought my 2005 LJ with 104k miles for 9,300 this past Saturday from a dealer. Around here, that price is not easy to find. It needs a few things, top, tires, has a couple leaks, etc. but that's how I wanted it - a blank canvas. Honestly from what I've been seeing, if the Jeep is on there for more than a week you can get a better deal! The good ones literally get scooped up within a day or two. The trick is to know what you want, know the main things to look for, and then get on it. Everyone here really helped me out in what to look for (common rust areas, etc.) and I also read up on common problems that I should expect.
 
#16 ·
Neither stand out as exceptional. I'd keep looking unless you're just ready to pull the trigger. BTW you'll see quite a few Jeeps on CL willing to trade. Many purchase one then realize it's not their bag & just want to get out of it. Might be an option & you can avoid taxes.
 
#17 ·
I would keep looking. But for sure take it to a shop for a look over. The shop around me it cost 95$ for a full look over. I had been looking for about three months. Before I found my 2002 sport 4.0 stick w/110k for 7500 (he dropped 1000 due to the tires being Prius sized). But keep looking. The perfect deal will come and it will be love at first sight!!! Good luck to ya!!
 
#18 ·
You all know more than me so I'll keep looking. I get emotionally invested in this stuff and when you see something nice you're almost blinded by potential issues. At least now I have more knowledge so I can ask better questions.

Has anyone here sold their DD to a dealership and bought a jeep privately in the same process?
 
#19 ·
You all know more than me so I'll keep looking. I get emotionally invested in this stuff and when you see something nice you're almost blinded by potential issues. At least now I have more knowledge so I can ask better questions. Has anyone here sold their DD to a dealership and bought a jeep privately in the same process?
I got totally invested in one a found. It was a 99 4.0 auto. 93k on it. Fully moded with everything I wanted. The guy was an hour or so away and he came to me. He was asking 9200 for it. Got it checked out and there were some issues. Like ummm 4wheel drive didn't work. The guy was an idiot. So i figured why not get him to drop price then I'll get the work done with the
Money I save. So he agreed to 7000. And two days later the day of the deal well actually two
Hour before I was gonna meet him to do the deal he back out. Well I though my life was over but two weeks later I pull in the the drive with my girl Shelby (below) go her cheaper than the 97 and in better condition. Hard top d44 rear etc. so I'm happy I waited!!!
 

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#21 ·
To the OP: Your best bet will likely be CL. You will get 3x the amount of hits than through a regular search from a website like AutoTrader or Cars.com. Also, small car dealers normally dont list on sights like AT and Cars.com simply for cost reasons. CL normally lists vehicles that are on small lots (sometimes the gems) that are almost hidden from the auto buisiness. Its how I found my beauty so Im hoping it will do the same for you.
 
#42 ·
The owner of this one 1999 Jeep Wrangler has been texting with me for the last few days. He said he will sell it for $8500. 128k miles. Besides the gas cap thing I mentioned before he said the fuel gauge gets iffy at times. I told him I wanted to run a Carfax and also have it looked over by a mechanic and he totally agrees. Only problem is he wants me to drive 6 hours to do that. Bubble=burst.
 
#43 ·
The owner of this one 1999 Jeep Wrangler has been texting with me for the last few days. He said he will sell it for $8500. 128k miles. Besides the gas cap thing I mentioned before he said the fuel gauge gets iffy at times. I told him I wanted to run a Carfax and also have it looked over by a mechanic and he totally agrees. Only problem is he wants me to drive 6 hours to do that. Bubble=burst.
Make him meet you half way or more. If he doesnt agree then he may be afraid to drive it that far. His excuse will likely be that he has no one to give him a ride back.

If it were me, I would still pass. I think there are maybe better TJs out there for you than this one, but then again you may feel that this is the one.
 
#75 ·
Alright guys I think I'm closer to narrowing it down and then I'll be part of the group. This one I posted the other day. He will take 11k.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/4667839923.htm

And this one I was supposed to check out last month but cancelled.
2000 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4.0L

History on both check out so far. Very well maintained. 3rd owners on both. Running a Carfax as soon as my cars appraised for a trade in. These 2 stand out the most and the owners of both are really forthcoming and super nice.
 
#76 ·
From one Jeeper to another Jeeper (future) I think the black 2000 TJ built for the logging trails, the one posted last week, is probably the best wrangler you have found. It looks to have been a quality build for the current owner that has been well taken care of. If the frame checks out, $11k doesn't seem high or low, but a fair price, and I think that is the Jeep you need to invest your money towards.

The other one is a mall crawler, which is not a bad thing, but you are going to hate those tires that are on it. They are 33"x12.5" Dick Cepek Radials on 15x10 pro comp alloys. A great pavement princess setup because the wider rims help with wearing evenly and basic stability on road. Reason I know is because I bought my TJ with the exact setup. The rims are not bad, but if you were air down to offroad your chances of breaking a bead are more likely. A 15x8 rim is best with a 33"x12.5" tire However, the tires are another story. The Dick Cepek Radials are the worst tire I have ever driven with. Pathetic sidewalls and wear quick. The last thing I would hate to see is you do is spend $1200 to have to replace those tires in 6 months.
 
#78 ·
Lol wow you had the EXACT same setup. I didn't realize they were 15x10. Angle of the pic I guess. Seems the black on black is good but it's cutting it close to max budget. That's the only concern. A mall crawler is fine as long it was done right.
 
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