[dparrtech]

Ladies and gents,

I finally parted with my dearly beloved 91 4Runner, and am looking at joining the Jeep family. I have a family friend that is selling a 2001 TJ sport Dana 44 5 speed with a/c, hard top, and a tilt wheel as about the only stock options. 47k original miles

Aftermarket:
-All gen-right armor (front bumper, rese bumper with swing away, sliders with step, tube fenders front and rear, tub reinforcement on rear, inner steel fenders up front.
- Dana 30 up front with detroit and chromo axles, OX cover, 4/56 r+p
- Dana 44 out back with eaton e locker and chromo shafts, rear axle moved back 4 inches, heavy duty cover, 4/56 r+p
- gen right low profile aluminum gas tank with skid plate.
-fab tech 6 inch lift with aluminum dirt logic 2.0 shocks
- some type of hy-steer kit
-4/1 transfer case gears
- beefy fab tech t-case skid
- mile marker 8k winch
- hella halogens up front
- currie front sway bar
- it looks like all links have heig joints on them
- 5 15x8 alloy wheels
- brand new 33x12.5x15 duratracs x5
(Used to have 35, 33 looks a bit small)
-looks like a double cardan joint on the rear driveshaft, (does that constitute SYE)
-comes with a soft top
- aluminum radiator


Owner wants 15k, seems firm on price. I calculated roughly 18k in parts alone, about 12k blue book value, does that make 15k a good deal? Adult owned and meticulously maintained. He's a trustworthy guy (if he said it has chromo shafts it will)

Photo attached, seem like a deal?

 

[mckey73]

What does KBB say? What are you willing to pay? No matter what's been done to a vehicle it's worth only what some sucker is willing to pay.

 

[dparrtech]

KBB on the vehicle is just shy of 12k, full blown retail estimated around 14k. Basically I'm taking out a 0% loan from my parents for 30 months. 15k pretty much the top of my budget, but I can see the value in what's been done to it, and that its all been installed at a reputable 4x4 shop by (I would assume) competent technicians. does 15k seem fair for something with such low miles and extensive work? I know with toyotas book tends to go out the window, my pops 02 taco books at under 10k, he bought for 11.5, and dealers sell them for 16k (5 spd 4x4 elocker), so I know blue book only carries so much weight. Opinions?

 

[cctriesch]

Go ahead and buy it.
I used to be a Yota guy with a 96 4Runner. I loved that vehicle, I had it locked and it would go everywhere. I even pulled out quite a few Jeeps back in the day...
Then I got a beat to hell CJ7 as a fun toy. Then the Jeep bug set in. Next was a XJ, and a few years later a TJ.
While I don't DD the TJ, you would have to pry it from my cold dead hands to sell it.

 

[dparrtech]

Tj won't be a DD. I would call it an occasional driver and regular wheeler. I've always dailied a pickup, and can't imagine not having one. So that being said, I think it makes some of the perceived negatives of a TJ less noticed. I bought my old 4Runner wanting a cheap wheeler, and quickly realized its fairly hard to find cheap capable and reliable in the same rig. I figured if I were to buy something built then I can let the PO lose money on it and not me. I just want to make sure 15k doesn't seem out of line.

 

[Scruffy Wilson]

I think the deal is extremely fair.

but buy the sounds of it it isnt for you.. sounds like you can barley afford it.. if something brakes on it or the truck you might not be able to pony up the cash..

 

[dparrtech]

I have the expendable monthly income to make it happen, just not the liquid funds to pay cash up front. I don't necessarily plan to wheel it in any extreme fashion until paid off, which I can do in under a year (just bought and paid off the soon to be fiance's $9k ring in 2 months). In a perfect world it would be something I could jump on when the cash is in my pocket, but I like the idea of acquiring something with a history familiar to me.

 

[grogcummins]

One of the recurring themes I've read on here is that, to an extent, the mods on the Jeep don't factor in to the value of the Jeep when selling as much as the seller thinks/hopes. That's why you see stock Jeeps tend to sell a little better/faster than built Jeeps. That said, I truly couldn't tell you if that's a fair price at $15k.

I will say that regardless of whatever the seller - or his friends/family - tell you about the quality of work, where it was done, etc., go get it checked out thoroughly by an independent shop. Meaning not the shop he used. You don't want to buy someone else's problems. I understand your thought of "letting the PO lose money" on the mods but if the mods are crap, not installed right or have been run into the ground, *YOU* will be the one losing money.

If it were me in your situation, I'd look for a stock Jeep that you can build up *YOUR* way and *YOU'LL* know the history.

 

[mannyfresh]

I would just add that while the price seems pretty fair, all the mods can go both ways. A lot of people don't want and will not pay a premium for something that someone else has worked on and modified because it may not be set up for what you want or need and you don't actually know if the work was done well.

It sounds like you're confident this guy did it right, so that sounds fine. If you like what he did then 15k sounds a little steep, but not unreasonable. He might have a tougher time than he/you thinks selling it so why not try to come in lower?

 

[Jay_Hawker]

Great deal! I'd take it in a heartbeat. I get that a lot of people on this site don't think mods are worth paying more for but I don't agree. I think of it like this: if the mods were done correctly and you like them than they basically did the work for you and I wouldn't mind paying a little more for it. The PO will never get all their money back out of the mods so I feel like you are coming out ahead. That's a good looking jeep and I wouldn't be afraid to pull that trigger. I know I have more than what he's asking in my jeep right now, and I'd laugh if someone offered me blue book on it.

 

[Zarni]

I'd go for it if everything looks/feels solid and checks out with another shop. I bought my TJ already lifted with minor mods but verified it was all done correctly. 4 years later I'm just replacing worn out parts (shocks, etc) and it drives as smooth and straight as the day I bought it.

If you're comfortable with the quality of the work done, seems like a deal worth jumping on.

 

[dparrtech]

Thank you all very much. I'm going to go drive it again (get it on the highway and make sure there's no death wobble, and check the head castigated to check if it's one of the potential cracking ones.) if all seems good I think I will jump on it and start having fun!

 

[3X4X4]

I would look for a Jeep closer to stock and with mods that can be reversed or undone. That one I am sure i nice off road but if you intend to drive it on the road and over the road or DD it, no thanks on that.

 

[Spiffums]

33s with a 6" lift bothers me. I'd see what a set of rubber would cost for 35" and offer him whatever the difference was.

I looked at a 04 on a lot with 31s on about a 6" lift.......felt like I was riding on top of a spring no thank you.

 

[john dear]

bone stock wrangler is the best used jeep wrangler ever.

again its your money.

 

[dparrtech]

I'm working on a short(er) time frame, (the gf starts medical school in July, we would like to get some easy trails and camping in this summer,) so buying a modified, turn-key rig is likely the way I will want to go. Being 24, I think the mystique of driving a lifted jeep outweighs the possibly unpleasant driving experience. In a perfect world, it would have 35s on it for sure. The only silver lining is those duratracs tend to wear pretty well (had a set on my runner,) so I know they will last me until a bit after I've paid off the jeep (doesn't stop me from wishing there were a set of 35 all terrains ok there.) as for the "driving on a springg" feeling: I thought the currie anti-rock away bar did a decent job of helping out on road. I think the idea of negotiating down to swap to 35's might be well worth it though, thanks!