I have a kid that will be getting his permit soon and has wanted a wrangler/cj his entire life. I will be on a 4k budget. I have owned numerous jeeps but do not know them nearly as intimately as i do subarus at this point. Advice appreciated regarding pitfalls of wrangler/cjs purchase? years to avoid? motors to avoid? thanks rick
4.0L last forever. If you get a YJ, get 91 and later. I think the transmissions on 90 and earlier aren't as good. I also believe the 89 and 90's are 4.2L 6's. I don't think they are fuel injected. If you can get into a TJ (97-06) with higher miles you'll get coil springs versus leafs and a lot less frame rust. I'd be surprised if you get a CJ or YJ frame/body in this state that isn't in rough shape... I think you can get 97-98 TJs with a little over 100k for around the price you're looking at. (97 and 98 TJ's are prone to cracking at the exhaust manifold - replacing with a set of headers is a recommendation)
I have owned 4 grand cherokee's, 1 cherokee, 1 comanche, and 2 Wranglers (yj's). I still like the leaf springs in the yj's over the tj's and if I were going to pick a Wrangler up for a kid (which I would probably not) I would choose the 4 cylinder from 92 to 96, the 6 and 4 are the same engine architecture and both are long term runners 300k plus easily. I would recommend against a CJ as the frames are prone to rust and are a weaker design than yj's and tj'sany wranglers past 92 are good hardware all of the way around. pre 92 the six was the 4.2 that I would try to stay away from. I think the 4 was injected from 88 on? I have also heard of TJ's going for around that price in passable shape. Also I would recommend a hardtop, STRONGLY. you might give Steve Carpenter at Park Jeep a call and ask if he knows of anyone with a Jeep like you are looking for, tell him that Harlow sent you
Just going to toss this out there. After about 15 years, you can't gauge reliability. The spread of environmental damage will vary drasticly. You're talking classic car territory, and you'll have cars in varying states of repair and some in full restore status. As someone that has purchased a few classic cars on a budget for restoration, I'll tell you right now that a classic American make car that isn't considered a collector car that can be purchased for under 4k is going to be a mechanical nightmare in terms of rust/rot, electrical problems, mechanical issues. Spend your 4k on something made between 1990-present. The status of the last 3 cars I bought: 1967 Datsun Fairlady - cost: 2,500. Rusted throughout, the body looked great, but all sheetmetal and frame underneath it were beyond repair 1969 Datsun Fairlady - purchased as a package with the above car Non-running, no engine, just a rusted out body on a decent frame. 1969 Datsun Fairlady - Cost: 3,500. Body in good condition, a few spots of rust in the usual spots. Engine did NOT run. At all. Played with it for a few days trying to get it to start but it would not.
I had a 1988 Cherokee 4.0 5-speed that I bought new and drove for ~150,000 miles over 14 years. The older it got the bigger money pit it became. The basic driveline held up OK, but just about every ancillary system failed in some way. I also would not get a new/young driver a vehicle with a high center of gravity. I scared myself a couple times with the Cherokee. $4,000 basically buys a project. Just about anything you buy for that amount will need some work (brakes, tires, battery, fluid changes, etc), so make sure to budget for that too. When a car reaches that point in its life a lot of owners start skimping on the basic maintenance stuff. Whatever you decide on, I would first get an insurance quote on that particular vehicle so you don't get a surprise later once you call your agent.
Agreed, my 80 cutlass, clean body, like crazy, rusty as F frame. my 81, rotbox, rusty floors, rusty 1/4s, clean as new frame. Things just dont make sense.
try for a tj w a 4.0L motor. i had an 05 and loved it bought it with 8k and sold it with 22k gas and oil changes were the only things i did. avoid the square headlight years...i test drove a bunch of yj's and disliked the ride for a daily driver, also many had lots of rust and some were carbureted (which i didnt want to deal with) generally the tj was better with the previously mentioned addition of coil springs all around and some better creature comforts also. good luck, they are fun in all conditions unless the top is soft and you are driving more then 8 hours somewhere.
I have owned two TJs and one YJ. The YJ is definitely stiffer ride than the TJ (coil springs). My 91 YJ is 4.0L FI motor. The 89 is a 4.2 carb'd... not sure about the 90 but leaning towards carb'd. As stated earlier, 4G on a CJ or YJ will buy you a project. Higher miles, 15-20+ years old...stuff will wear out. A CJ or YJ in good shape (rebuilt) is in the 10G + range.
