Newbie considering 4 local XJs,pointers and advice welcome

Well I needed something reliable enough to be a daily driver, and tow a car to and from tracks that are farther than local
So i decided on the XJ, cheap, reliable, easy and cheap to repair

ive done a little research and it seems that i want a 95 and up
but will settle on the 91+ because of the HO ( or was that 92 ?)
from what ive found online other than the OBD1 VS OBDII
the cooling system is the only real diffrence, up to 97 that is.. correct?
how hard is it to upgrade to the newer open system if im going to get an aluminum radiator with the cap anyway?

My price range is rather low, im looking for something no more than 1500-2000 tops
it needs to be able to Tow a max of 4000 LBS which i doubt will be a problem
be comphy enough for daily driving, and rust needs to be limited to surface rust only or panels that can be unbolted easily
though im sure if it has rust through a panel that unbolts it can be hidden elsewhere as well

Im located in South FL so AC would be a big Plus, but if its something cheap and easy i can repair it,

i decided i want an automatic, all my other cars are manual, and i love it, but for ease of towing and incase i get hurt at work (im a mover) decided on an Auto

So for my needs, daily driving, and towing, which of these 4 seem to be the best buy? what should i be aware of? or what do i want to look for?
even though i dont plan on a lift for quite a while i think i want a 4X4
Just seems that at the race track parked in the grass... a trailer with a car on the end would just dig a 2wd in the mud and wet grass more..

all of the following are automatic 4x4's
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1995 sport $1500

miles unlisted
AC works
anti lock brakes
claims power windows and locks.. but on the interior pic it looks like a window crank is missing?





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1992 limited $1800
141,000 miles
sony CD
power windows ,locks, and power leather seats
leather interior
No ac listed... not working?

4 wheel drive works great. Aluminum wheels, red paint, some rust but easily fixed. New windshield, New front shocks, will give away new rear shocks to install yourself. Newer plugs, wires, etc. GREAT project car or basic transportation!!! A MUST look car, call in with an offer!!

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This car looks good, has low miles, nice features.. but doesnt say ANYTHING about AC, so untill i hear from the owner i will asume it doesnt work
that and the fact there is oil soaked carboard under it.. and he claims its a great "project"



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1996
$2350 ( would definetly talk him down to under $2000 )
power windows and locks
cruise controll
and ABS

I contacted the seller about the specifics and this was the reply

The forward right panel is dented, there is a dent on the roof, the front panels are cracked, and there are a lot of little rust spots on the top of the hood. The tires are worn down and the interior has stains on the seats. The a/c doesn't work, but I have never taken it to the shop to find out what the problem is. The mileage is 161,089. These are the things that are wrong with the Jeep, this is why I am selling it so cheap.

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im not sure what he means by forward right panel and front panel
if the rust is just surface rust... its not a big deal
the non working AC sucks.. i would have to ask him to knock the price down if i get it..

ps, pb, pdl, p/windows, cc, tilt, am/fm, air bags, abs, tint, the body is in rough condition, but she still runs good, $2350 obo,

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1992 $1950
Miles unlisted
description makes it seem like all is in order but its a 2door....and i kinda wanted a 4door but its not a deal breaker

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I will of course be going in person to look at all of these before i make my desicion
but id like some pointers on what else to look for in general and based on what you know..
and posibly on advice on which whould be on the top of your list

No matter which i choose, i will be doing a basic tune up, and tranny cooler right away because i have a 5 hour towing trip (each way) april 27th
if money allows i will upgrade to an aluminum 3 core radiator (CSF?)
( how hard is it to upgrade closed to open if i plan to get the cap'd rad?

I couldnt find any info


Thanks for your advice.. sorry for the long first post!!

check for rusted floor under the pass. side above muffler and cat. very common area to be rusted all the way through.

My suggestion is based on one comment "towing about 4000lbs". While the XJ is rated to pull 5k I would serously think of choosing another vehicle. While you won't have much trouble where it's flat. As soon as you get into some hills, or encounter a good windy day you'll be itching for a heavier vehicle. On that note if you your really set on an XJ (which will make you a great daily driver), and want to tow with it I would suggest a 95+ (unless you happen to come acrost an 86/87 with a Dana 44 rear axle). The 95's (maybe 96) along with a few other things have a few improvements that would help in towing. Stay away from any XJ that has ABS. They come with the dreaded Dana 35 rear axle. The 97+'s have a stiffer body than the earlier ones. The 99's have a new style intake that is supposed to give you a few more lb-ft of torque. I think they also got a better exaust headder that is slightly a bit more resistant to cracking midyear some time.

scoobyxj

Have you been to Kewpees recently?

My $0.02:
You are correct about the missing window crank, so no power windows on that one. All those jeeps would have the open cooling system stock. The Limited would almost defineately have A/C, there were very few options on that model. If all the power options are still working I'd probably lean towards the Limited (assuming it's just some surface rust, check the spots pointed out above). Oil leak is quite likely the rear main seal, but the good news is the 4.0 uses a 2 piece seal so you don't need to drop the trans to fix it. The leather seats in XJ's are some of the nicest I've encountered, the fact that the center sections are perforated leather probably really helps in the Florida heat.