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WTB: Well Maintained XJ

P

PetrolHead

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Garbage Grove, CA
Hey all,

New member, long time lurker and admirer. I've spent the last few weeks searching for an XJ. Craigslist has been turning up scammers, garbage, and overpriced dealers. I'm hoping someone here might know of a decent rig for sale. I don't care much about cosmetics, but I highly value mechanical condition and maintenance. Last thing I want is something that breaks down all the time. I'd kinda prefer something stock so I can modify it as I see fit but I wouldn't decline a modified rig that was owned by the right person and done properly. 97-99 would be preferred and I'd rather pass on 00-01 (unless it's an 01 Amber Fire Pearl..yea right) to avoid cylinder head issues. Budget is $5k, but I can push it a little if the perfect rig popped up.

Help a newbie get wheeling!
 
i think even horribly maintained xj's last forever. :D
i'll keep my eyes open for you. where in socal are you?
 
I'm in Long Beach, but willing to drive anywhere up to about ~200 miles. I guess you're right, horribly maintained XJ's do last forever. I'd just rather wheel than work on keeping it running all weekend. Thanks for the help!
 
PetrolHead said:
I'm in Long Beach, but willing to drive anywhere up to about ~200 miles. I guess you're right, horribly maintained XJ's do last forever. I'd just rather wheel than work on keeping it running all weekend. Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
i think i've put about $80 into my poorly maintained 91 xj with 217k on it when i got it in november. i have yet to do any other repairs to it since then.
water pump, belt, plugs, wires, and fluids. everything else was upgrades (suspension stuff, body armor, etc).
you dont hear too many people talking about fixing stuff that they didnt break wheeling in here.
 
If anything, buy CHEAP/broken whatever, and put the rest of the money into it.
 
my dad is going to be selling his XJ soon. its an 87, been well maintained its whole life and is in excellent overall condition. it has 3" of lift on it now, coils in the front, HD lower control arms, RE1600 track bar, bastard pack rear, extended brake lines, JK rubi shocks all around. only down side is 212k miles. the trans shifts fine but the engine is showing its age. doesnt burn oil. did the rear main seal last year, amongst a bunch of other things. it has 235/75 street tires on it now and it would also come with a 2nd set of tires, 31" Mts on jeep alloys.

he'd like to get $2000, which still leaves you a ton of room in your budget, but it sounds like you might want something newer. For an 87 though, the interior and exterior are in great shape. its white. PM me and i can send you all the pics you want.
 
I've had projects before, but I just don't have the time for one now (I work full time and go to grad school at night), so sadly, I'd kinda rather spend the extra money for something that isn't broken and probably won't break unless I wheel too hard. I'm not afraid of age, I just hate smog with a passion and find that newer vehicles tend to pass a little easier. Cheepcherokee, I'll PM ya.
 
People dont brag about fixing basic parts on their xj's, because its basic stuff that everyone has to deal with. Dont hear much about people doing their taxes either... but i'd guess at least 50 pays those...

The OP has the budget to buy a nice jeep... let him! I started off with sub >$1k cherokees, but recently bought a 98 for allmost three times that... shouldve done it sooner!

Junkers are fine for some, not for all.
 
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1076644

Decent deal. Even if the motor truly is 'blown', you could pay someone to swap in another motor for your budget.

I'm on the fence on selling my XJ, I bought it in Dec and put like 1,900$ into maintenance. Bought a lift and installed all that. But cosmetically its kind of a mess. Has dents everywhere, but hey its a trail rig right? Runs AWESOME. But I couldent let it go for less than 3,800. Its a 95.
 
xcm said:
People dont brag about fixing basic parts on their xj's, because its basic stuff that everyone has to deal with. Dont hear much about people doing their taxes either... but i'd guess at least 50 pays those...

The OP has the budget to buy a nice jeep... let him! I started off with sub >$1k cherokees, but recently bought a 98 for allmost three times that... shouldve done it sooner!

Junkers are fine for some, not for all.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly.

Dirt Yota said:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1076644

Decent deal. Even if the motor truly is 'blown', you could pay someone to swap in another motor for your budget.

I'm on the fence on selling my XJ, I bought it in Dec and put like 1,900$ into maintenance. Bought a lift and installed all that. But cosmetically its kind of a mess. Has dents everywhere, but hey its a trail rig right? Runs AWESOME. But I couldent let it go for less than 3,800. Its a 95.
Click to expand...

Yea, I really don't care about cosmetics. Wheeling isn't always pretty. PM'd ya.
 
 
Last edited:
Thanks for throwing these up! Incredibly, I'd seen and or called each add. Maybe I'm being too picky, let me know if my thought process is off...

losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/2899030983.html
I'd rather have something ready to go that I don't have to deal with getting street legal.

losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/2896771256.html
2WD...I'd really prefer 4WD.

sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/2899403138.html
"Engine has a noise." Called and he said it's knocking. Not really in the mood to do an engine change.

sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/2849271748.html
This one is quite intriguing and if it was in LA, I'd probably check it out. But the wheels belie the work done. I highly doubt it was that well taken care of.

sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/2894642658.html
Sold

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2904344338.html
Guy wants $9k for it. Seriously.

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2882474721.html
I really REALLY want to avoid a dealer. Don't trust 'em and don't want to pay sales fees and crap.

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2899958317.html
This is the worst of them all. I e-mailed the guy an hour after he posted it. I went and looked at it, LOVED it offered to pay him on the spot and he refused. Told me that some other guy e-mailed him before I did and offered him cash the day after I came to look at it. I GOT THERE FIRST but he said it wasn't the moral thing to do. WTF?!?

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2869752167.html
This guy won't respond. Must be sold.

inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2902793456.html
Called, but I can't get out there till tomorrow. He said two guys are coming to look at it today. Doubt it'll be there tomorrow.

ventura.craigslist.org/cto/2892429383.html
If this were street legal, it'd be done. :laugh:

palmsprings.craigslist.org/cto/2846642103.html
2WD

bakersfield.craigslist.org/cto/2891323595.html
Same as the 99 in Hemet, I can't get up there until tomorrow. Guy claims he's got a lot of people coming to look at it. I bet it's gone already.

losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/2902544680.html
Sold.

losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/2895957066.html
This one's hard. I want an MJ bad, but I'd really prefer an XJ for the rear seats...It's hard to not scoop this up though.

So, I've done my HW. Anything that's worth buying sells instantly. All the other stuff seems to be shady, junk, or dealers. Anyone think my reasoning is off?

TA2Jeep said:
I am not affiliated in any way, just sharing :

losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/2899030983.html

losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/2896771256.html

sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/2899403138.html

sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/2849271748.html

sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/2894642658.html

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2904344338.html

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2882474721.html

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2899958317.html

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2869752167.html

inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2902793456.html

ventura.craigslist.org/cto/2892429383.html

palmsprings.craigslist.org/cto/2846642103.html

bakersfield.craigslist.org/cto/2891323595.html

losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/2902544680.html

losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/2895957066.html


:greensmok
Click to expand...
 
When I bought mine, they posted it @ 2am on a Saturday morning and I called @7am and woke them up. Drove to Palm Springs and picked it up. lol

They are not easy to come by. I will let you know Monday what I want to do!
 
Don't give up on the ones that you can't look at till tomorrow.

There's a lot of CL flakes out there.
 
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