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Should I buy...

3K views 31 replies 15 participants last post by  Luckymac 
#1 ·
Hello, I’m thinking of buying the below Jeep. Owner claims no rust. I would prefer fuel injected but figured I could do the Howell when the time came.

Curious what the experts thoughts were.


Jeep Wrangler YJ 6cyl 5-speed-114K Miles

8,400 or OBO

Newer remanufactured engine, high performance distributor with electronics, rebuilt transmission, clutch
oil pump, water pump, fuel pump, hoses, belts, bucket seats, console, heavy duty alternator, carburetor, radiator, newer paint etc etc etc.
Aftermarket AM/FM CD player with USB port,
Cold Air A/C, newer compressor and dryer


No accidents; Carfax available upon request.
 

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#3 ·
The first thing to think about is do you have emission testing where you live, and if so, will that Jeep pass.
It won't pass California emission visual testing.

$8400.00 seems like a lot for that YJ without a hard top and full doors. It looks to be in good condition, but with newer paint, looks can be deceiving.

Offering half ($4200.00) might get you thrown out but do your homework on CraigsList and your local Pennysaver. Half of the asking price may be what it's worth or it might be worth a couple or few Grand more. Only a close inspection and proper test drive can determine the actual condition and your homework will determine what you want to pay.

In the big picture, what it's worth to you determines what you] might end up paying.

Let us know what you find once you examine it.

Good Luck, L.M.
 
#4 ·
Florida Plates make me question the "no rust" piece, cant tell if the fender by the jack is rusty or dirty, the pics are a little fuzzy, but already has the ignition and carb swap (Weber), some of the wiring looks a little sketchy but that could just be the pics.

I would question why the need for Paint, a reman Engine and Tranny at around a 100k miles. looks like there might be a bit of a body lift.

Interior looks good, upgraded seats, $100 in billet shift knobs (WooHoo). if the pics don't lie and it looks that good I'd go as high as $6500 with a good soft top, and start ticking down from there from anything that looks hincky. But I'd start at the top and work my way down, look at everything, flip every switch and knob to make sure all the lights and electrical is functional, with all the wrenching done Check the w4d out fully.


Good luck..
 
#5 ·
Look at it in person. Pictures are deceiving. If it is as it looks like, I would pay $7000.00 max.
 
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#17 ·
Manny, You have a fatter wallet than I....
 
#7 ·
I would rather get a Jeep with re manufactured carburator then a FI engine which can brake down after a view 1000 miles.
 
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#16 ·
I was actually talking about the engine, not the carburator. Like I said, Re manufactured engine vs unknown condition engine. Which would you choose?
Weird hu.
 
#10 ·
Yep my 94 is kicking butt at 275,000 and my 04 is like new at 215,000
 
#12 ·
Thank you for your responses. It’s definitely overpriced and I wouldn’t pay near that.

Carfax does check out. It’s rather difficult to find anything that isn’t massively overpriced, equipped with poorly installed mods or just flat out hammered.

I do like the fact that it it does have new/ newer parts, decent upgrades and doesn’t appear to be somewhere else’s mess.

A lot of questions as to why the seller would replace all these parts and paint it. My question is, why not? I’m sure some would rush to lift it and install a wheel/tire combo and others would choose DUI, updated seats and tire carrier. I’ll definitely check for rust in the usual spots but outside of looking at it the appearances to be a well taken care of Jeep versus a basket case that is becoming all too common.

I have looked for 91-95 Unicorn YJ’s and they’re just not there in my area.

Again, thanks all!
 
#29 ·
Thank you for your responses. It’s definitely overpriced and I wouldn’t pay near that.


I have looked for 91-95 Unicorn YJ’s and they’re just not there in my area.

Again, thanks all!
Hey! … checkout FaceBook Marketplace .. you can see everything available in your area...I was surprised at how many Jeeps were posted when we were looking....and....Car Gurus … you can narrow down your search...and get some nice comparison pricing...and you may find something you like better.
We found our 2000 Wrangler Sport in New Mexico..family checked it out for us (we have a Jeep guy in family) … Original motor (167k miles)..original paint with patina :)...3" lift 33" tires with aftermarket wheels...we had to buy a soft top and have a/c compressor replaced (knew that at purchase time) $5k .. we have spent the $$ for the top and a OEM hardtop and set it up to be towed behind our motorhome...it is exactly what we wanted.

Have fun and good luck...keep us posted...
 
#14 ·
I have owned a lot of 4.0 powered jeeps (some were renix). Some of my 4.0's were very high mileage well over 200k and one over 300k. The only time i ever replaced a failed sensor was on my 1994 4.0 YJ and the CPS failed right around 200k. It just died at a stop sign and would not start. I pushed it off to the side of the road and was trying to figure out the problem.

I un-pluged the CPS tapped on it with a screw driver plugged it back in and it started. I drove it home before it decided to stop sending a signal and leave me stranded so i would have to tow it. I replaced the CPS with a $80 parts store sensor and continued driving the jeep until the rear frame rails started rotting out and i sold it to a friend really cheap.

He patched the frame up and continued driving it for years until it started dying when shifted into reverse. He said that he had a tranny leak and kept putting some kind of thick lucas fluid in it (bad idea). And said that the reason it kept dying had to so with a shift solenoid. He sold the jeep and i haven't seen it since.
 
#15 ·
Jeep Wrangler YJ 6cyl 5-speed-114K Miles

My YJ went from 220,000 miles on the odometer down to 40,000 miles with a simple change of the speedo/tach cluster.

Newer remanufactured engine, high-performance distributor with electronics, rebuilt transmission, clutch
oil pump, water pump, fuel pump, hoses, belts, bucket seats, console, heavy-duty alternator, carburetor, radiator, newer paint etc etc etc.
Aftermarket AM/FM CD player with USB port,
Cold Air A/C, newer compressor and dryer

No accidents; Carfax available upon request.
Ask to see receipts or most all that stuff may not have happened

Buyer beware

$8400 seems like a lot for a YJ unless all those items you mentioned are documented with dates and mileages and it should be in near perfect condition.

Check the frame thoroughly for rust inside the rails and out.

Have a thin cotton glove with a small magnet inside it, run your hand along the body looking for Bondo.

Do an inspection of the wiring looking for obvious poor work.

Get it out on the highway, around town and drive it as you stole it looking for obvious problems.

Crawl underneath it with the motor running listening for odd sounds in the motor, trans, T-case and exhaust system.


Check all steering components for wear.

With the purchase price of my YJ, needed repairs and upgrades I've got at least $8000 in mine and it isn't finished yet. Like others have said start your offer low and work up from there.
 
#18 ·
No good reason(s) for that Jeep to have needed all of the repairs listed. This deal is VERY sketchy. In my mind everything mentioned devalues the Jeep. BUT, if it is all true, that thing better be BETTER than brand new all over, in and out, top and bottom.
 
#19 ·
After considering some the information gathered here and details about the vehicle, I have decided to pass on this one.

1. Carfax was missing the first 5 years of its life not that carfax is always reliable.

2. Jeep was manufactured in Canada- rust potential

3. I would prefer FI although I don’t have a problem with a 4.2 with a better than stock carb.

4. Price for the unknown.

Just too many unknowns and questions.

My quest will continue, this has been a strenuous search as I owned a 2005 Jeep TJ Willy’s edition (green with the camo seats) that ended up being the biggest POS ever. Many mechanics and $$$ later and I swore I would never own a Jeep product again. I believe I may have ran into the OPDA issue for which Jeep didn’t seem to have a fix for (the Crown solution didn’t work for me).

However, I like many of you enjoy all the freedoms that owning a Jeep provides.

Love the ability to easily work on the older CJ’s/YJ’s however love the conveniences of the 4.0. I’ll keep looking for the maniacal year/type of Jeep.

Suggestions are appreciated .
 
#20 ·
I owned a 2005 Jeep TJ Willy’s edition (green with the camo seats) that ended up being the biggest POS ever. Many mechanics and $$$ later and I swore I would never own a Jeep product again. I believe I may have ran into the OPDA issue for which Jeep didn’t seem to have a fix for (the Crown solution didn’t work for me).

The TJ started going downhill in 2000 the 1997-1999 were the most reliable

The 1991-1995 YJ's were the most reliable of the YJ years
 
#22 ·
Not to discount the above posters and their favoritism for the latter years in the yj line, but my '89 without the smog crap HEI and 2150 Carb starts up everyday, runs like a top does 80 on the freeway (only on the freeway if needed) and only requires new plugs and oil change every six months, whether it needs it or not. Yeah, I need to swap out the BA-10 for a later ax-15 with external slave at some point, but the ease of working on it for me outweighs the minor inconvenience of hunting down the right parts for the 258.

The two 4.0 xj's we've had in years past we're awesome though, I only replaced the first one due to it being stolen. The automatic with the 4wd served my wife well in the snow in Idaho and never left her stranded, Right up[ to the point when the electrical went haywire and I opted for a new Grand Cherokee

I guess my point is, Old Jeeps will be a project in some form or other, each model has it's pro's and con's, '94-'95's were arguably the best of the jeep engineering curve. Too bad they didn't continue the production line longer. No matter which year and build you end up getting the cost of rebuilding from the ground up is still less than that of a new Razor or Polaris side by side, so why not keep looking for the base that appeals to you and enjoy building it into what you want to end up with.

FWIW... I'm looking for a Nice 94-95 Stocker for the rest of the family to play in and quit breaking stuff on my '89. lol

Good Luck in your search
 
#27 ·
My YJ is 33 years old (Build date 04/11/86) and built in Canada. I'm the third owner.
It was sold new in Colorado and Was registered here since new. It's virtually rust free. Some of the fasteners were frozen with corrosion (body bolts and main eye spring bolts) But I don't find any frame or body rot.

Place of manufacture wouldn't make any difference to me if I were looking to buy another vehicle.

Good Luck, L.M.
 
#28 ·
I personally have 2 YJ’s an 88 and a 94;

The no rust I highly doubt it..

My 94, I thought was rust Free, until I removed the transmission skid plate to do a 350 transfer and found out the frame was rotten, so welded in a new one..

With the humidity I would doubt the rust free.

Now the price..

$8400 for a YJ carb... I would not offer 1/2 you won’t get that, I wouldn’t go over $6000...

Now that would be, after doing the following..

Claiming rust free..
I would remove the skid plate and check, I would also check the entire undercarriage to ensure it wasn’t just covered up with undercoating ..

Also check the motor mounts, the YJ’s have a tendency to break them and a little difficult to notice right off..

Now the price also has to be determined by extras, disk brake over haul? Tires? Lift?

Now are they installed correctly?

Don’t rush take your time and tell the seller you will go through everything, and what you are planning to do..
 
#32 ·
Welcome to the Forum phasegen,

Post some pics of your new ride. We always like to see what the other guy has.

Good Luck, L.M.
 
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