What's a fair price for my Jeep?

Long story short, I may need to sell my Jeep due to school/life expenses. I really don't want to as I love my rig...but lets face it, how many of you have seen me out on the trails recently? The cost of wheeling + driving it is slowly out-weighing other things I have going on.

That said I'm trying to figure out what I'll ask for it all, and if I can ultimately find a suitable replacement vehicle and get the cash I need to make it all worth it. So what would you pay?

I was thinking $5k as a minimum, but I'd like to get closer to $8k...obviously there's a fine line between wanting and getting.

I bought this '88 XJ limited 2 door (with sunroof) not quite 3 years ago now and built it up, a good chunk of the parts on it were bought then but some came from my last rig (built ~5 years ago).


Rock climb by schmitz516, on Flickr


Trying a new line by schmitz516, on Flickr


IMG_0062 by schmitz516, on Flickr

Here's the specs:
Suspension/Tires/Axles/drivetrain
RE 4.5" springs painted silver, 1.75" RE spacers
RE 1.25” grease-able shackle
RE 3.5” lift full-leaf springs
RE HD trackbar and brace (trackbar bracket area was plated and bracket welded to the plate)
35"x12.5” Goodyear MTRs (old style-siped) on D-hole black steelies
Iron Rock Offroad OTK steering (1.5 years old)
Claytons long arms/cross member (3 years old)
D30 front Eaton e-locker 4.88 gears, chromo shafts, spicer u-joints, Red Riddler diff. Cover (3 years old, newer unit bearings + bushings, new left caliper)
Ford 8.8 with 4.88 gears, LSD. Red Riddler diff. Cover, Red brake calipers, RuffStuff axle swap kit (has a chipped gear, axle makes a little noise - 3 years old)
242 transfer case with an IRO Hack-n-tap SYE with a stock front shaft
I6 4L engine approx 190k, newer valve cover gasket, 2 year old (t-stat, alternator, starter, TPS, timing chain/gear, harmonic balancer, Gates belt, idler pulley, Costco battery, coolant hoses), ~6 month old (O2 sensor and water pump)
4 Bilstein 5125 shocks (10” travel front, 8” travel rear with bar pin eliminators)

Armor
THOR guards
4x2 1/4" rocker replacements
Rigidco winch bumper (bent)
Homebrew rear bumper, tied into hitch bolt holes
C-rok inner steering frame plate
HDEngineering shackle relocation brackets and frame stiffeners
Rustys 242 t-case skid

Other parts
WJ brake booster with ZJ prop valve 'custom' - works great
Extended brake lines
Custom routed magnaflow exhaust (stainless muffler)
CSF 3-row aluminum radiator (was warranty replaced about a year ago)
Aluminum overflow bottle
Upgraded 5-90 aftermarket grounds – multiple engine/battery/alternator ground cables
Clarion DXZ385 deck
CB radio and firestick antenna
4 Kicker KS650 5” speakers (sounds great)
'97 cherokee sound bar added above passenger seat with infinity speakers (spliced with rear speakers)
Tinted rear windows (5% back, 20% sides)
4 HF fog 'rock' lights (2 in front, 2 in middle)
Hella H4 housing with Silverstar bulbs
Aftermarket light wiring harness in yellow with 2 relays
Leather seats, drivers side is ripped
LeBaron hood vents with aluminum drain pans
Mopar door hinge braces
3 year old windshield (very few 'dings')
4 year old Mopar sunroof seal


Extras:
1 brand new wheel bearing
1 brand new alternator
1 brand new CPS sensor
1 used TPS sensor
A set of doors for each side
A rear hatch
Full-size BFG MT spare mounted on 5x4.5 with 4.5BS (has a 1.5 spacer)
Set of left/right heims for the steering
Spare passenger 8.8 shaft, and D30 shaft


I've done fluid all the way around the Jeep over the last 2K miles or so (including new tranny filter), and new u-joint on the rear DS. It currently has an intermittent clunk I've been chasing down, somewhere in the drivetrain (my bet was the tranny flush took care of it, but I'm not betting on it yet). The trackbar needs a new bushing, and the passenger door is smashed in an inch or two (might need to be pulled out a little to fit the replacement door - still opens though as is). Otherwise it runs great. She's never left me stranded since 'completing' the build.

P.S. I'm not necessarily selling it, but I am preparing for that as a possibility.

Good luck. Cherokee's don't have much of a resale value as a whole or even for parts lately. Your probably better off just to keeping it.

BoringDave said:

Good luck. Cherokee's don't have much of a resale value as a whole or even for parts lately. Your probably better off just to keeping it.

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Yeah I know it. But I'm hoping people who have been watching the market better then I can give me the good news that I still have a chance at recouping some costs.

:helpme:

Scott, sorry to hear you have to entertain this idea! But to be honest your right, Ive been waiting for it. Unfortunately from what I have seen, my best guess is you MIGHT be able to get 4 out of it and that would be lucky.

More like 3K for it. I just sold a 97 with rubi d44 with superior shafts ctms tnt truss. 8.8 with superior 8.8 kit 4.88 thor guards claytons ultimate jcr silders rebuilt 4.0 with 3K miles on it.

took 3 months to sell and sold it for $4,800

Good luck getting close to 4K for it. Part it out.

It doesn't cost you anything to park it at your folks house and put a tarp over it until you can afford to use it again.

It will cost you more to built a new one later...

Its probably worth more parted out than whole.

Sorry Scott, the only thing that is worth anything on your rig is possibly the front axle.

You want opinions from people experienced with the market and XJ's? I'll give you mine: Part it. I agree it's worth $3-4k tops complete, but way more than that in pieces. Take the time and do it if you want top dollar back outta the parts. Is this still the one with chipped rear ring gear teeth?

Here is a good picture of the running gear

Mine just rolled off for $3700 and even that was a struggle. Mods are in my sig.

Resale is minimal once you modify past the usual poser lift and tires. And god forbid there's any body damage, let alone paint blemishes.

XJ_ranger said:

It doesn't cost you anything to park it at your folks house and put a tarp over it until you can afford to use it again.

It will cost you more to built a new one later...

Its probably worth more parted out than whole.

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Yeah, but unfortunately that doesn't solve my problem with needing a different car. I need the money to buy something else. I'm not too concerned about building a new one later, I hope to be making decent money once I'm done with school...so building a better rig shouldn't be an issue.

I agree with everyone though, I think realistically I'm looking at $4k tops. But I can't help but notice guys with rigs that have way less then mine asking $5-8k, can't help but wonder, eh?

Maybe I'll try seeing where craigs gets me and part it if that doesn't work out. It's just not very economically viable for me, considering how I've only been driving it on the street.

X2 on parting... Funnily people are telling me that XJ's are kind of getting to be more of a collector's item. There is a 2001 for sale in Bellevue with 30k odd miles on it for
$14,000 !! The problem with this group is that the last thing we are looking for is a rig that has seen er... moderate use. . The sweet spot for me if I swap out the shell will be a late model 2wd used by a retired home economics teacher to get groceries once a month who wants to get a Prius. Our Renix era XJ's are truly not worth anything which is what makes them great in a way.

nickguy said:

The sweet spot for me if I swap out the shell will be a late model 2wd used by a retired home economics teacher to get groceries once a month who wants to get a Prius. Our Renix era XJ's are truly not worth anything which is what makes them great in a way.

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Something like this:


http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/cto/3029746227.html

nickguy said:

X2 on parting... Funnily people are telling me that XJ's are kind of getting to be more of a collector's item. There is a 2001 for sale in Bellevue with 30k odd miles on it for
$14,000 !!

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I've seen some high $ XJ's on car lots too. I think that for them, it doesn't matter what the price is because they are marketing to people that don't care. They just see it as $200 per month. It doesn't matter to them if it is for 10 months or 40 months.