I want to buy a Cherokee XJ!

[JeepNoob]

Hi!

I live in Brooklyn (from Boston) and I'm looking to buy a Cherokee XJ. My first car! I want it for transporting art/sculpture supplies and furniture around the city - but more importantly for taking out on the beaches of Long Island and everywhere between the East and West coast.

I recently had a bad experience with a used car dealer in Brockton, MA who tried to sell me an XJ and lied to me about it's condition. So now, I'm trying to make sure I'm educated and don't get taken advantage of.

I wanted to connect with some people that are really into these cars. I want to figure out what to look for and what to avoid, where are the best and worst places to buy them, etc...

Because I live in the city, I don't have a space or too many tools to do heavy work on a car. Simple stuff I can figure out... but I'm not looking for a car that needs any major work done. My budget is around $8000 (this includes any repairs in the near future) but from what I've gathered so far it seems like I can get what I want for far less.

So basically... where do I start? Which forums should I dive into first? Are there other sites I should look into? Does anyone know anyone who restores and sells XJs?

Thank you, thank you!!

Natalie

:xj-pink:

[bigjim350]

First don't call em cars :P jk. But craigslist is usually a good place to find a decent deal.

[4.3LXJ]

Where to start.

If you want a top notch vehicle. There is a guy on here in Calgary that does excellant work. I think he has at least a dozen. :D His user name is Jensen so you can PM him if you are interested.

Since you have a pretty good budget to work with, I would suggest you factor some of that into travel. You live in the rust belt because of the salt on the roads in winter. If you can find one that is out of there, say in the Carolinas etc that will be to your great advantage. 98 and 99 are the best years to get. The 4.0L engine and AW4 automatic transmission will last with a little tlc about 300K, so don't be scared by high milage. I pulled a 98 engine and tranny out of my sons Wrangler with 360K that runs good and strong.

So to start with, rust free is your goal with a 4.0L engine and auto transmission. It is up to you whether you want full time 4WD or not, but it would be a good idea where you live in winter

[Mudderoy]

You should be able to find a good solid 4x4 Jeep Cherokee 99, stay away from 2000 and 2001 for less than $4,000. If you don't care about 4x4 then you can probably knock $500 off that $4,000. I'd look for one in about the $150k miles, or less.

You might want to have a look at craigslist, post the link here and we can look at it and give you our opinions on good, bad, and what to ask.

[XJ Wheeler]

As far as reliability look for one that has been taken care of. Low miles are a plus but the level of care is far more important. Many make it over 300k on the original drivetrain and i've heard some going 600k. Also, make some local jeep friends that wrench. If repairs do come up they're your source for cheaper labor. ;) As well as advice.

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

[abebehrmann]

Yes to what everyone already said. Craigslist is a good place to start. I bet if you look hard enough you can find a very nice one for less than $4k. One recommendation I would have is to have an experienced mechanic give it an inspection before you purchase it. You can usually find one to do a thorough inspection for ~$100. He (or she) will be able to tell you if there are any major problems with it so you're not stuck with a lemon and will also find all the little problems that you can use to bring the price down while bargaining. This should more than make up for the cost of the mechanic. Good luck in your search!

[JeepNoob]

You're all so great! So helpful. I'll link you to a couple I've seen to see what you think. I'm just starting to realize I can pay a lot less for what I want, so maybe the prices on the ones I'm looking at are too high.

[Mudderoy]

You're all so great! So helpful. I'll link you to a couple I've seen to see what you think. I'm just starting to realize I can pay a lot less for what I want, so maybe the prices on the ones I'm looking at are too high.

We can only go by what we see in our area. It's possible XJ's are more expensive in yours, but lets see what you find.

Did you want a 4 wheel drive, or you're fine with a 2 wheel drive?

[autotech98]

Prices vary from region to region as jake said and also if two or four wheel drive as tony mentioned. Make a list of the optuons you would like and compare from there. And as Abe mentioned a reputable mechanics opinion will def help

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547

[abebehrmann]

Ooooh, I thought of another thing. Since you're in the northeast it might be a good idea to look for one with the NP242 transfer case instead of the NP231. That way you would have the full-time 4x4 option for driving on road in 4 wheel drive. With the NP231 you really shouldn't use it much, if at all, on road due to the lack of a differential in the transfer case. You can tell if it has the NP242 transfer case simply by looking at the transfer case lever. If it's the 242, it will show 2wd, 4 part-time, 4 full-time, Neutral, 4 Low.

[autotech98]

I dont know why they label it like that. It is so confusing. I got 231 in mine.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547

[Mudderoy]

I dont know why they label it like that. It is so confusing. I got 231 in mine.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547

Full Time 4x4 = Not REAL slippery
Part Time 4x4 = REAL slippery

:P