1988 jeep cherokee XJ

i found a jeep XJ near my house for 400 bucks and it runs has som kind of vacume leak and NO windows/windshield at all it is kinda beat up has some dings and in the middle of 200/300 thousand miles i think like 263 thousand all stock and has 75$ worth of back registration is it a good deal? please help i can probably get him to sell it lower around 200 please write me and tell me what you think of this thanks anthony XJ2NV

forgot to say that it has a straight 6 but not an H.O. motor i dont think and also what is the difference between having an H.O. 6 cyl and non H.O. ??? thanks again

Umm well a little more about it would kinda help. 4wd im assuming? 4 liter? Auto? you said it had no windows so are you going to turn this into a trail rig? Future plans with it? 200 bucks i would use it for a parts rig, depending on condition. Really sounds as if its in dire need of retirement into parts life. 300k on the clock and no windows.

Ones High output made by DC other is Renix. Mild HP gain by the HO but doubtful it has one. You can tell my the intake manifold if you know what you are looking for.

The difference between the HO and non HO is relatively small. HO engines begin in 1991. The electronics are different, but both are reasonably reliable and work well. The HO has a little more horsepower, but the older one has good low speed torque. It's basically the same engine. The automatic transmission also was unchanged between the two (and very reliable), but the manual transmission and clutch mechanisms went through some changes, and the stick shift 88 has a Peugeot transmission that is considered a liability, as well as an internal clutch slave cylinder that is very expensive to fix. If this is a manual, I'd give it a pass.

As to whether or not the rig is worth buying, that really depends on what its problems are and what you intend to do with it. Why was it retired? Don't trust a seller who says "oh, it's just got a vacuum leak" as an excuse for a problem. You don't usually retire a vehicle or sell it for a lowball price for a problem that takes 10 minutes to fix. Glass is expensive, and serviceable beater XJ's are available for not much more than that. For anything that old, look really hard at rust issues, and at the front end/brakes, etc. Even if it's a sound and restorable vehicle, your bargain price will vanish in a hurry if it needs new front wheel bearings, ball joints, steering gear, etc.

yea man... i wouldnt pay more than 100 for that... windows dont come cheap, and WHO KNOWS whats really wrong with the motor.

if you want it for a trailer queen, and you are going to cage it/chop it/whatever, go for it, you wont really NEED windows [though i enjoy mine], but other than that, if you cant lower the price, its not really worth it.

check for rust, look at the engine for any excessive oil stains on the motor, shift the 4wd to see if its rusted or if its ok.

just for reference[and some boasting ] the project im building is an 88, no rust at all, I6, 219,000 miles, had some minor front end damage, along with some motor problems.

bought it for 150, and added about 300, then expect another 200 at least and sheel be a DD... you can get cheap and in good shape, just shop around.

in conclusion, if you really want it, and you want to learn how to work on stuff [and spend your money ha ha] go for it, it will certainly need a lot of work, which can only help you out in the long run.