tell me what you know about jeep wranglers..

[madness410]

so my civic took a huge dump on the turnpike yesterday and its probably history. im looking into f-bodys and jeeps wranglers.

ive always had my eyes set on fbodies but if for some reason i cant find one in a reasonable amount of time ill need to broaden my horizons since i absolutely need a car. i know a lot of people here own wranglers...are they reliable? easy to work on? common problems with some generations? good stories? bad stories? which motors are the ones to trust? thanks in advance.

Jon

[r0nin89]

Theyre garbage **** jeepers

Well to start you know this is a terrible time to buy one right? People think Wranglers are worth double their value when its nice out cause they have a removable top.

Heres some general information I gathered from when **I** (dun dun dun) almost bought one.

For a daily driver the xj (leafsprings front and back) is gonna be a little bit of a rough, rattly ride. That being said both the 4.0 and 4bangers are great motors.

TJs are much more rounded over. They have a coil front which makes them nicer to drive in and the interior is WAY updated on them. Its sorta like they went from stone age 80s straight to modern late 90s interior with them.

In general without a hardtop your going to get wind noise and seeping of cold/hot air. Be aware they are a very short wheelbase vehicle and on the light side. Very easy to skid out and throw the ass end out in.

For a mediocre XJ (80s and early 90s) expect to pay around $3000.

TJs I couldnt tell you the market on. They can be pretty ridiculous. Like I said alot of people private and lots think theyre worth their weight in gold.

[madness410]

thanks for the help man. what exactly is TJ?

im browsing auto sites and there are alot going for 9K and up with close to or over 100k miles. is that normal?

im good with pricing camaros at good prices and stuff because i frequent this site but for me wranglers are exposing a blind person to disney world..

[bandit88]

Originally Posted by madness410

thanks for the help man. what exactly is TJ?

im browsing auto sites and there are alot going for 9K and up with close to or over 100k miles. is that normal?

im good with pricing camaros at good prices and stuff because i frequent this site but for me wranglers are exposing a blind person to disney world..

TJ's are the generation of the body (1997-2006)

JK's are the present style and there are YJ's (1987-1995)

[madness410]

thanks for clearing that up...are those just the models abbreviations or are they short for something

[Squirrel]

XJ

YJ

TJ

[deadtrend1]

Originally Posted by r0nin89

....

For a daily driver the xj (leafsprings front and back) is gonna be a little bit of a rough, rattly ride. That being said both the 4.0 and 4bangers are great motors.
....

For about 5 minutes I sat here wonderiing what XJ's had front leafs, then I realized you ment YJ.

Your're right though, they are expensive. you can't seem to touch a decent 2.5l TJ thats not shot to hell for under 6-7k dollars, let alone a 4.0.

Originally Posted by bandit88

TJ's are the generation of the body (1997-2006)

JK's are the present style and there are YJ's (1987-1995)

You don't know how proud I am right now ..

[FlyingDutchman]

JEEP = HEEP

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket

[madness410]

yeah im wondering why the prices on jeeps are so jacked up..anything special about them?

[r0nin89]

Originally Posted by deadtrend1

For about 5 minutes I sat here wonderiing what XJ's had front leafs, then I realized you ment YJ.

Your're right though, they are expensive. you can't seem to touch a decent 2.5l TJ thats not shot to hell for under 6-7k dollars, let alone a 4.0.



You don't know how proud I am right now ..

Yep brain farted

[greenformula92]

Originally Posted by madness410

yeah im wondering why the prices on jeeps are so jacked up..anything special about them?

people think they are worth way more than they are.....they are rattle boxes

[FlyingDutchman]

Originally Posted by blk95formula

people think they are worth way more than they are.....they are rattle boxes

actually friend of mine paid ~3500 for an '00 xj with about 110k, put on 19k more miles and some lady wrecked it. needless to say the insurance comp totalled it and gave him ~5700 lol

[JL8Jeff]

The short wheelbase of the CJ or Wrangler can make for a tough daily driver. Take a test ride in one to see how you like it. You're probably better off with something with a longer wheelbase. Even my 2001 Silverado standard cab short bed makes for a stiff ride with bigger tires and aftermarket shocks so something shorter will really rattle you around. And right now in the middle of summer, Wranglers are way overpriced.

[camaroracer1992]

i had a 94 yj sahara 4.0/5 speed when i was in HS/college. bought it used with liek 15k on it and put another 30k on it. I mustve gotten one of the **** one because at 40k half the valvetrain went on it, thank god at the time i purchased a 7yr warranty. the jeep dealer fixed it, or so called fixed it and it never ran right after that. only got $7k on a trade in in 2001 on my Z71 i bought at the time.
on a side note i lifted mine with a 4" BDS lift and the thing had 31's on it and it rode like a f'n tank.
did i love the vehicle when i had it and it ran great... HELL YEA

would i buy another one.... most likely not, because my 3500 silverado has me spoiled now

[greenformula92]

Originally Posted by 97camaro

actually friend of mine paid ~3500 for an '00 xj with about 110k, put on 19k more miles and some lady wrecked it. needless to say the insurance comp totalled it and gave him ~5700 lol

on of the few that sold them cheap.....i almost regularly see 90-95 going for more than 3500 with a ton of milies on them....some with rust. your buddy got lucky, the guy selling it just wanted to move it

[Iroc-z86]

i owned a tj, it was ok, gas milage sucks, highway sucks. not good for long trips. it was a lot of fun, went off road without any mods. overall i like it but it was lemon. I bought a 96 xj with 175k for $500 and it is one of the best cars i ever owned. i average 20mpg consistently and highway is nice too. IMO id get a cherokee, 98+ are a few bucks but if you look for an older one they are dirt cheap.

[79T/A]

Just for rOnin89, Jeeps hold their value so well because they are the best vehicles ever. Period. Nothing can touch them on or off road.

Seriously, they hold their value because they are very popular. People love that in the summertime, you can drop the top and go to the beach. People love that in the wintertime, they will be unstoppable in the snow (Or so they think). Plus, the drivetrains tend to last a very long time, whether 4.0 or 2.5. The lower the mileage, the bigger the price tag.

I bought mine new in 2001. Nine years and 149k miles later, I still love it. I used to commute daily in it (Both before and after I lifted it). In 2003, I drove it to Richmond, TX, pulled into my uncle's garage, lifted it and installed some 33s he had for me, drove 200 miles north to Gilmer to wheel, drove back to his place, and then drove all the way home to Jersey on gigantic 33 x 14.5 x 15 Mickey Thompsons. Admittedly not the smoothest ride but I didn't mind it. My wife, on the other hand, could have done without a ride that long.

If you do get one, don't expect it to handle and ride like a Caddy. Despite the coil springs, it's still a Jeep. Also, the more you do to it, the more you HAVE to do to it. For example, if you want to run bigger tires, you're going to need to lift it. Then you'll need longer shocks. Then you'll have to worry about steering geometry. Hence, JEEP - Just Empty Every Pocket. Even something as simple as pulling the doors off for summer means some money out of pocket for mirror relocation brackets or another set of mirrors. It's a sickness.

Good luck!

[The Fixer]

I've owned an '01 XJ as a DD for the last 5.5 years. It's been very reliable - bought it with 48K on it, and it has 88K now. It's not a rattlebox - it's actually comfortable and handles decent considering it has two solid axles. I'd get a '97-'01 Cherokee over a Wrangler, especially if you need to haul people or house project stuff.

[Blacdout96]

if your not using it in he trails or on he beach, no use having a girly vehicle.

[madness410]

thanks for all the input guys im looking into them a bit more and doing research. we have a family friend that works at a dealer...looking at his used inventory he has a 99 wranger 6cyl 4.0, auto transmission 86k miles. hes asking about 9k but im sure he'll give us a better price.

would i be getting ripped if i got that wrangler for 8k?

[79T/A]

KBB suggested over $9k for a dealer. I don't think $8 is unfair at all, though. I'd even try $7, but I'm a cheap bastid. It IS a ten year old Jeep...

http://www.kbb.com/kbb/UsedCars/Pric...|0|217745|true

[madness410]

yeah i didnt get a chance to look at kbb but im going to shoot for 7 but id be content with 7.5 im going in to see him probably today or next week

that dealer price is actually really cheap compared to others on craigslist and all that

[deadtrend1]

Originally Posted by madness410

...

that dealer price is actually really cheap compared to others on craigslist and all that

because people on craigslist beleive that a 2" RC lift with 33's and a set of KC highlites should double the value of it.

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by 97camaro

actually friend of mine paid ~3500 for an '00 xj with about 110k, put on 19k more miles and some lady wrecked it. needless to say the insurance comp totalled it and gave him ~5700 lol

The Wranglers are typically way "overpriced", not so much the rest of the Jeep lineup. You can find older Cherokees (XJs) for a steal all the time. Anything Wrangler based (CJ, YJ, TJ, or JK) is bound to be overpriced though - old, new, or in between.

- Justin

[trashman01]

"Jeeps are like tampons, every pussy got one", "i got your jeep thing, now it burns when i pee"

i could go on, they are a dime a dozen up here, and they do ok off-road, ive pulled a few morons out of a pit that was way too mud for their 33"s