Need Advice on Possible Purchase

Hi - So I'm looking at picking up this 1993 5 speed. Mine is just rusting away. I hate paying this much but prices are up for unmodified, no rust, 5 speed manuals. Hard to find. My worry is, it seems to be missing the "sport" and "4x4" logos. Which means it may have just been repainted. Which means it may be hiding..rust? I don't konw much about bodywork. But it is the one thing making me hesitate on this purchase.

Anyone got an opinion on this? It is at a used car dealer. Any other tips/thing to look for. I've been driving a 1991 Sport 5 speed, 4x4 for 20 years, fyi. Thx much.

- TJ

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/fremont-1993-jeep-cherokee-40l-5speed/7476004492.html

She's definitely a re-spray, look at that orange peel on the back hatch close up. Pull up the carpet in the rear cargo area, that should give you an idea on actual rust, but im going to guess it was probably just re-sprayed to get rid of the flaking clear coat. The unpainted factory wheels don't look like they have any corrosion so it's probably mint. The price is a little high for the Midwest, but it seems pretty damn low for the coast!

Ya ok, thought so. It just makes me a bit more apprehensive, as original paint means it was probably garaged for most of it's life. So I guess I'll have to dig deeper, under carpets etc. Garaged is always better around here, for everything on the XJ. Hm...

Any other opinions/thoughts are welcome

thx - TJ

Crawl underneath it and give it a thorough inspections. Look at the under body, the leafs, the axles. I do a under body inspection on any used vehicle I buy.

Bring a flashlight and probe around with a screwdriver. If it's a rust bucket, you'll know right away. It's hard to hide rust underneath a vehicle.

It does look clean. I think that price would hold up in the Midwest, at that mileage. The interior looks VG. On any older vehicle I'd look for rust. At that price, I'd bring a creeper, to look at the undersides. The Driver's side floor board, just above the rear muffler, and the rear passenger in front of the bumper. Also, the rocker rails. I also see aftermarket roof luggage racks. So, a bit of a plus for me. Possibly pull up the carpet(s). Especially on the driver's side. I'd also make sure the AC works and blows cold. Its a bit of $$ to get to work.
Also, on my 2000 XJ, my rear rails were rusted out. They were packed up by a rodent. I missed that, when inspecting it. So, as suggested before, check everything. Yes the market on XJs has gone up. I actually think that if it is as good as pictured, then a fair price or even a VG Deal.

A one owner XJ, at this age? That is a rare find.

Driver's seat not worn through? That is a rare find.

No pics of the pedals. I would check to see that the brake and clutch pedals look just as good as the upholstery on the driver's seat.

And yes, I would crawl underneath and check for rust in the floorboards. The area directly above the cat is the first place I would be checking for rust. Odds are it has rust there. That wouldn't be a deal breaker. But if it has no rust there then I would say that is a gem.

And the price is not out of line at all if that Jeep is actually as clean as it looks.

Super clean condition IMO and looks very well kept. I'd check the edges around front core support too for rust and under battery tray area to see how solid it looks. Other than that it's a nice looking re-sprayed XJ. The drivers seat bottom looks like the foam is starting to break down but easy to fix. I'd buy it

Ok, thanks for all the help. I checked it out, didn't buy tho. Pros: It was definitely rust-free, very clean underneath. Guy had full maintenance records, engine was quiet and powerful, shifted nice. Cons) Suspension needs a complete refresh, all original. Lots of play in steering. Wasn't a fan of the re-spray, his friend had done it, an O-K job, but I almost prefer to have had it done myself or left it peeling.

All in all a sweet jeep, nice guy selling. Will make a good find for someone. Good bones. But I'll stick with my rustbucket for a while longer I guess. 1991 Sport, I'm original owner...always on the lookout for a find though

thx - TJ

Shame about the paint job.

The rest of the cons won't matter at all to someone who wants a good starting point. Probably would be replacing all that anyways.