Best Year XJ for builder.

I am 15 almost 16 and looking to buy a XJ. What is the best year to start with?

Something old...because everyone knows first cars don't last long with new drivers.

88-90 4.0L Automatic 4 door.

A 4.0L, 4door, 4wd, older than 97. You shouldn't have any problem finding one for under $3k...just focus on mileage and condition. My brother had an 89...he could never kill that thing. Same with his friends 90. I'm happy with mine..but if i could do it over again i'd get an older limited (leather, power goodies, etc).

1990, 4.0 Renix, AX-15 five-speed, two door, no options.

Well if you went 97 you could tell your friends it's an 01. They wouldn't know the difference unless they knew XJ's :greensmok:

But I agree on anything with a 4.0ltr. If you realy want easy to learn troubleshooting Renix era would be my pick. If your wanting a bit more power High Output (91+ I think) is what your looking for.

Might depend on what you want to build, and what to spend, and where to find the parts. A mid-90's 4.0 with the automatic would be pretty easy to find parts for, and easy to modify. If you're looking for a stick, find something from 89 or so up, with the AX15 5-speed rather than the earlier Peugeot box, which is not looked on fondly by off roaders, and has a nasty, expensive hydraulic clutch actuating system. You get some advantages if you go a little newer than the Renix era (87-90) because from 92 or 93 on, you get the non-disconnect front axle, and a good chance of getting a Chrysler rear axle instead of a Dana 35, which some people would consider an advantage. Of course if you're planning an axle swap, anything will work as a chassis. My daughter's 93 2-door has a D35 axle, but my 95, my son's 96 and my 99 all have Chryslers.

Two doors are neat looking, and if you're tall, you get better side visibility. However, you need to look out for bad door hinges and broken doors on these, and also, for some reason, both the door bottoms and the rear quarters on 2-doors seem to rust more than 4-doors, at least here in New England. You also get pretty poor ventilation on lower-line 2-doors, so if as you can expect, your project car has no working AC, you might want something with rear windows that open. This doesn't disqualify a 2-door, especially if it's cheap enough, but look carefully at those hinges, for signs of sagging, cracking, or inadequate prior repair. Might make a good bargaining point if you spot something bad, too.

That said, any XJ in basically sound condition would be a good starting point if the price is right.

I have grown to think that maybe my 91 I'm selling is in the range of the best years to buy. If I could find a 91-95 with power NOTHING I would be in heaven. I really love my 99 because it is a really solid chassis, but all the electronics scare me. I had it for 3 days before a stupid OBDII check engine light ruined my experience a little. I loved my 88 Pioneer because it had power nothing but had body color molding, solid front "vent" windows, but I disliked the less smooth 4.0, vaccum accuated front coupler, uncomfortable seats, and rusty chassis (MUCH less body undercoating). My 91 with HO 4.0, Chrysler 8.25, and comfy leather seats is perfect...but the power windows are flakey.

I dunno...no Cherokee is perfect...but they are ALL (4.0L with AW4 or AX15) very good. Find yourself a none rusty version with crank windows and you'll be happy forever!

johnlv6 said:

A 4.0L, 4door, 4wd, older than 97. You shouldn't have any problem finding one for under $3k...just focus on mileage and condition. My brother had an 89...he could never kill that thing. Same with his friends 90. I'm happy with mine..but if i could do it over again i'd get an older limited (leather, power goodies, etc).

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whats wrong with jeeps about 97? just wonding cuz i myself have just bought a 1999 jeep cherokee and want to know your reasioning for leaning away from them -miller

Look for a 91-95, imho they are the best looking and most easily repaired cherokees. maybe some of the pre 90 cherokees just because of the great looking interior, i love the red.

any way.

when you find one, make sure you check the undercarriage. check under the foot boards for the front seats, as well as the entire rear end, check with a flash light..

and as i am typing i am realizing that you are from arizona and probably do not have much trouble with rust... lucky bastard lol

id say look for one with a chrysler 8.25 rear axle its the one with the little lip at the bottom, not flush like the turdy five.




milage, id say up to 150-175000 would be good because the owner will think its ready to die and not charge to much, but youll still get several years out of it, even more if you oil change every 2500 miles (better safe than sorry)


in all id say just get a xj
any year they are great rigs
have fun and happy searching

edit:

and yea power nothing, its sometimes more conveinient to push a button, but when they all go on the fritz and you cant roll down any windows youll wish you had power nothing, and also, when you decide to take off the doors, itll be a lot less of a hastle puttin them back on

nothings WRONG with 97+ xjs at all
just the rear hatch is metal, the body style is different, the bumperends/fenders are kinda ghey in my opinion. other than that i think they are pretty nice vehicles, although newer cars seem to be being built less and less reliable these days... plus, good luck finding any 97+ in fair condition for under 5,000 dollars

There was a thread over at jeepforum about this. The general conlusion was that 96's were one of the best years because of the increased frame rigidity, increase in motor power, 29 spline 8.25 (in later '96 models), and so on.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305415

The best cherokee to build is the one u have. In your case the one u will have. Get out there an find a killer deal. Make sure theres no rust or its been in an accident. I would prefer 87-89 with 150-200 miles (very possible) 4x4, 4.0L, 4 door, and i myself am a sucker for white: Try not to be a sucker for power everything. I wish i had manual everything 17 years later....haha

BE VERY PATIENT. Dont give away your money to the first XJ, look around, do some research and buy what u like. If u like the older body style, get it. If you like the newer body style, get it. All doors are open, either way u cant make a mistake in buying any XJ, unless they have the GM V6. STAY AWAY from that. For safety measures, get 87-newer, thats it.

what is this Renix 4.0 Im hearing of? How much power does it have compared to an HO? I myself am a Jeep noob. I just got a 1990 4 door 5-speed for pretty much free. Used to be more of a Yota guy till I got this and I think its a badass truck. Havent wheeled it yet but I will soon enough.

Meanie5470 said:

what is this Renix 4.0 Im hearing of? How much power does it have compared to an HO? I myself am a Jeep noob. I just got a 1990 4 door 5-speed for pretty much free. Used to be more of a Yota guy till I got this and I think its a badass truck. Havent wheeled it yet but I will soon enough.

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The short.

Renix is short for Renault Bendix(sp?). Its the French style computer system, used on 87-90 Cherokee's. Its system provided the engine to be rated at 177 hp @ 4750 rpm, 220 ft lb @ 4000 rpm.

The HO system is the Chrysler computer system, used on 91 and up's, and provided the engine to be rated at 190 hp @ 4750 rpm, 220 ft lb @ 4,000 rpm, 96 and up the torque is rated at 225 ft lb @ 3000 rpms.

Search the net a bit, you will come up with alot of info. HTH.

What they said and 87 look for one with the dana 44

miller said:

whats wrong with jeeps about 97? just wonding cuz i myself have just bought a 1999 jeep cherokee and want to know your reasioning for leaning away from them -miller

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I venture to say partly due to the 0331 head castings on 99 up. yeah the ones that tend to crack around 90K+. Better check the numbers and watch for spoogie in the oil and visa versa.

miller said:

whats wrong with jeeps about 97? just wonding cuz i myself have just bought a 1999 jeep cherokee and want to know your reasioning for leaning away from them -miller

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There's nothing wrong with it...for what i got it for, an older one would have been better. If i'd done more research on model year specific information...i would have gone with a 96 or older because they have less issues when modifying the suspension (i recently ran into this with my 97). That may not be a concern for him now...but i would put money on it that there will be some sort of lift kit on it by this time next year. My brother did it with his 89 limited (his first ride at age 16) and one of his buddies did it with his 90.

He also said he's about to turn 16, which led me to believe that he had a limited budget. You can get any older XJ in decent condition for $2,500 or so (maybe less). While i only paid $3k for my 97 Sport, you could get an older one in better shape for the same amount of money. I also think it would be good for a younger driver to start on an older vehicle.

That being said, i do like my 97. I originally purchased it as a beater, as i had a 05 Jetta GLI for a daily driver. When i decided i didn't want the Jetta (or the payment) the XJ became my DD. It's been a reliable rig for me. I've driven 5+ hrs on trips and never once been stranded (it's got 160k miles)...knock on wood .

1997-99....great years. pre 97 had too much fiberglass and such. 99+ has some stupid issues with them. every 00-01 xj I've seen has had issues of some sort...guess the factory workers just said F*c& it....we're stopping production next year anyhow.

MENEZES said:

I would prefer 87-89 with 150-200 miles (very possible) 4x4, 4.0L, 4 door, and i myself am a sucker for white: Try not to be a sucker for power everything. I wish i had manual everything 17 years later....haha

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You nailed mine exactly 89 4.0 AW4 4 door in white with 170,XXX when purchased. 196k now. Manual windows, door locks etc. but it does have AC. Purchased it with a salvage title two years ago for $1500 in stock condition.
Here it is now.

I owned an 87 as my first jeep. loved it. I wish I still had it. No power anything and no carpet(factory). I now own a 98 and love it too. but for different reasons. I love the 97+ years because i like how they changed the looks of the interior and exterior. That being said, you can find a good 96- cheap. I did, I found an idiot selling a 96 with 90k for 1200. I sold it 3 months later for 2500 and bought my 98 for $3500. If I was going to buy another one, I would by a 97+ that was state owned. Because they have no power and usually no carpet. You will find later in wheeling that all the goodies make it more expensive to modify and fix.