question..98 vs 99

Sorry for asking this question.... You guys are probably tired of answer this over and over. I'm new at this and would like to get you feedback...

I was close to buying a 99 XJ, 5 speed, 6cyl, 4x4, 88,000 miles, RE 5.5", 33" bfg's, 4.56 gears, locker, rear tire carrier and some other stuff, for $5000 , another buyer beat me to it, really sucks.... Now I have to find a stock xj and mod from scratch (guess that's the fun of it).

I found an stock 98 for about $3500, all stock, Auto, 6cyl, 4x4... What are you thoughts, is the 98 comparable to the 99? After searching for week, I got caught up with posts indicating the 99 was the best year but I'm not sure exactly why. Will the 98 be just as good? Is there specific things I would have to look for?

Hope to see it today and report back....

I'll continue searching but the person that has it for sale is looking to get rid of it very soon and was hoping to get some feedback from you guys....

I'm still not clear as to which is better auto or manual. Is it just preference? Will the auto last for a long time with routine maintenance? Do I have to worry about rebuilding it often? Since I'm in Florida, everything's flat and I would use it most for mudding, not many places that I know of with rocks. Would like to visit Ocala and other places through out the state.

Thanks in advance for you feedback....

where in fl? auto supposed to be "bullitproof" mine had 300,000 miles and still going fine but the torque conv. wouldnt lockup so had a reman one put in

When I was looking, everyone with a 5spd said get an auto. I did and I am glad I did. So that's 6 votes for auto.

I prefer the auto for wheeling, but thats just me.

And as far as differences between the years? Slightly better flowing intake manifold is the only difference that I know of on the 4.0. You could get one at a junkyard if you want, but it's probably not really even noticable between the years.

I would go with the AW4 as well, its almost bullet/idiot proof. You will never kill it unless it gets too hot. No big difference between the 98-99. The 99 is the last year of the HP D-30 and still has the good cylinder head(00's have the 0331 head that "may" crack).

The AX-15 and NV3500 are both good trannys if you just have to have a stick.

ive always owned manual vehicles therefore i have a manual jeep. I feel automatics are no fun and i feel lazy driving them. No offense guys

Sure, manuals are more fun.

But you take what you can get on a used vehicle

projectTK said:

ive always owned manual vehicles therefore i have a manual jeep. I feel automatics are no fun and i feel lazy driving them. No offense guys

Click to expand...

Its a personnal preference just like politics or religion, there is no "right or wrong" in this debate.

I have wheeled both and prefer a auto. I also happen to be a "clutch killer" and I get tired of putting them in. Auto's have always given me better service/less maintanence due to my driving style.

The 98 won't have the new intake manifold which flows a bit better but aside from that i think its equal to the 99. Should still have a HP d30, hopefully a Chryco 8.25 (29spline) in the rear. Also if you are still in the market, nows a good time to decide if you are gonna want the Selec-trac (np/nv242) transfer case. It has the FULL TIME 4wd option that you can't do in the regular command trac(np231) case. There are full threads dedicated to the np242 vs np231 so consult them if you aren't yet sure of your direction. No need for anyone else to post up saying the np242 is a bad case. Its weaker yes, but still handles more torque than the 4.0 can dish out. It has limited aftermarket support if you are doing a big lift and need an SYE. But for the rainy/snowy/sleety days where you want the security of 4wd but are still on the street where a locked 231 won't safely play in the turns, the 242 will have you covered.

oh yeah, the 98 also has the full length oem roof rack vs the 99 up having the roof rack that is only covering the rear 2/3's of the XJ.

The '99 has a lot of positive features, many that have been mentioned already:
Last year for the HP D30
First year for the higher flowing intake manifold
Last year for the good ignition system IMHO ('00-'01 has the distributorless)
No 0331 head
Sweet color-matched bumpers on the Sport


Of course, I've got a '98, which I still think is great. And like one (or more) of these guys said, make sure whichever one you get has the Chryco 8.25 rear in it. You'll thank yourself in the end.

I like the 5 speed, but mine's box stock, and although I take it off road onto forest trails and unmaintained roads and the occasional shallow ford, and the like, I don't wheel in anything like the same league as most here. Even for that, though, low range is a must owing to the tall gearing, so if you're planning to get serious without regearing, the auto is probably more comfortable.

The 98 I'm looking at is going for $4000 and here's what I found. After taking a quick look at the jeep this evening, the owner tells me that the fuel gauge is not working correctly and would need to be replaced. Still need to take it for a test drive and make should it tracks down the road correctly and there isn't any other problems. I checked the tranny fluid and it was kind of dark but did not smell burnt, same goes for the motor oil.

I'll be searching some info on the replacing the fuel gauge but could you tell me how hard it would be? Anyone have this problem before? I'm going to ask to drop the price based on how much this repair cost, will also get a carfax report(just hope that's accurate).

Any thoughts? Would it be possible to get a build sheet from the dealer if I gave them the vin number? Not sure if I have to be the owner.

Thanks...

If you have to buy the sender it may be expensive. I know the pump/sender unit is big money. You do have a point about buying one built. They sell for a big discount compared to building it. But then again they may be more beat on. I bought a woman owned city driven 2000. I dont think it was in 4x4 much. It was in great shape but I put a ton of money in it to make it the way I want it. I could never sell it for anything near what I have in it.
Thats how toys are.

kennzz05 I'm down in south broward. Forgot to reply to your question...