1988 XJ wagoneer: test drive

i test drove a 1988 wagoneer today. the asking price was $2500. interior was pretty good, paint was fading. it has 125,000 miles. all power accessories worked. i have been shopping for an XJ, and this is the first one i have driven. here are my questions:

1. it felt underpowered. i would think with a 4.0L and 177hp and a relatively light unibody it would be able to get out of it's own way. it felt like i would expect a 2.5L to feel. also under full throttle the trans shifted at 3500rpm, which seemed very early to me. it also surged a little at idle. anybody have any ideas as to what the problem/problems could be?

2. the steering and suspension both seemed very, very soft. is this because it is a "luxury" model and they were trying to make it feel like a 1985 sedan deville? do the base or sport models have a more firm feel to them? i was probably gonna put a lift on it anyway, so the suspension would eventualy get changed out, i am just curioous about this, and it would be a while till i got the money set aside for the lift, so i'd have to live with what i got for a while.

thanks for the help,
chris

Couple of things...

Check the compression. A guage is cheap and it would only take a few minutes. That should let you know if the engine is getting tired early.

My '88 as two modes for the transmission, comfort and power. Make sure you check the shift points in both. 3500 is a little early, mine will go all the way to the redline if you flog it.

The transmission shifting is controled by the ECU. Could be an electronics issue if the XJ doesn't shift correctly or the shift linkage should be adjusted (real ez job, 3 min max).

If the XJ is perfect I'd give him the 2500. If not try and get closer to 2000 if it's fairly clean. New cars are avail. for 0% so used car prices are very low. Blue book means nothing these days!

Good luck.

CBJ,

Remember it is a 15 year old vehicle so there are parts that are at the end of their life. Also don't be fooled by the HP number, you have an XJ with plenty of low end torque for off roading. The HO cherokees have a different cam along with different heads, exhaust manifold, intake and throttle body to get 13 more advertised HP. Yes, the HP is higher but the torque at idle is much less on the HO.

The first problem you describe could be from:

a) Partially clogged CAT - fix it by replacing it.
b) Worn distributor - bushings are worn and your timing is retarded, fix is a new distributor
c) Dirty Throttle body or intake manifold, need to be cleaned.
d) Crank position sensor - you can buy a high altitude version at the dealer, it gives you more advance which means more power. This XJ has a knock sensor so you won't have pinging.

I'd find a dealership and ask to talk to their mechanic who worked there when your XJ was new. Ask if you can bring it in for an evalution, might help you with negociation on price. You should expect to pay for an hour's labor but he can tell you what wrong and what it would take to fix.

On the suspension check to see if the shocks are black, if so then they are the stock ones. On my XJ I have replaced:

a) Upper and lower control arm bushings
b) front and rear sway bar busings
c) rear leaf and shackle bushings
d) Shocks, I am not running Monroe Reflex shocks, night and day difference ove the monroe manics with 30K on them.

As my tag line says I have done most things to my 88 XJ, any more questions just ask.

Martin

A couple of other thoughts:

The power steering on XJ's is pretty overboosted compared to some vehicles, so it is normal to have light-feeling steering, but it will seem even lighter, and tend to kind of pitch into corners if there is wear on some components, especially the front swaybars.

If this is a "wood-panel" Wagoneer, and there's any rust at all, be very careful to "sound" the body for hidden rust under the plastic appliqué. In extreme cases the rust can grow underneath there, and not become evident until a huge hole almost magically appears.

Although the mileage on that one is pretty low (suspiciously low, actually), otherwise the price is pretty stiff for an 88. There are lots of good XJ's out there, and if you have a chance you should test drive a few more to get a better sense of what is the norm.

If you're looking to build up a trail rig, and this 88 has the factory tow package (separate trans. cooler and receiver hitch) you might luck out and get the rare and desirable Dana 44 rear end, but you can't automatically count on it.

Go to any lot with a similar 'veteran' XJ and ask for a test drive. Then you'll have something to compare the ride and power to.