wavingpine11
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Central PA
I need to replace the clutch and power steering in my 92 5sp XJ, and since I work outside that's out until the spring. I've been looking for a newer XJ w/ the NP242 transfer case to use as a daily driver or generally less frequently fixed vehicle. I have an '04 Subaru WRX STi that can be my daily driver if it needs to be, but I prefer to put the miles on something else.
I went to look at a 98 XJ classic today, auto trans, looked like D35/D30 axles, with 155,000 miles on the odometer and with an engine that the owner told me was put in at 100,000 miles with 55,000 miles already on it. It has the full time 4wd option, which I don't see for sale very often. I went to check it out today, and got the guy to let me drive it with my plates (it's been off the road since September when his daughter got another car and had no plates). As far as the body went, it looked great on the outside. The only cancer it had was on the rear bumper, which will only be on temporarily anyway. The underbody was in prisitine shape, new exhaust, and no rust. The interior was in fair condition, meaning looked kind of poor for the year with generally dirty looking front seats and the steering wheel leather missing from the top. Originally they were asking $3500. I offered $2600 if I could drive it with my plates on it. So he (the father, whose name it was in) agreed, and we took it for a spin. After it warmed up, the engine ran great, and the full-time 4wd also worked great (could only test it on the street). Lots more power than I ever felt in my 92 with a rebuilt engine in it, that's for sure. Bu there's the catch--until it warmed up, the transmission bucked and wouldn't transfer full power to the wheels. Once it was warm, it ran with absolutely no problems. The only other issue was the airbag light was on. The owner said he had replaced the clockspring in the steering wheel and that som ewire had come loose on the bag. The spring made some noise as the wheel rotated, but centered fine. He said it needed lubed.
The first question is: what do you XJ geniuses make of the transmission issue? Some random guy at the house claimed it was a valve of some type that could be accessed by dropping the oil pan. At one point before it warmed up, it was doing this bucking, and he told me to floor it and that only mad eit less happy. Then it warmed up. No issue. What does this sound like, and would an otherwise desireable Jeep of this vintage and transfer case be worth dropping $2200 to $2500 for? What could I expect the transmission to cost if I found a suitable used one?
My girlfriend thinks I'm emotionally vested in it because of the transfer case. She may be right. I'm looking at it like this, so far: I paid almost $2K for a 92 XJ which feels like it has half the power (I think it may have had a non H.O. 4.0 put in before I got it) with the common NP231 in it. If the tranny makes it through the winter, I can swap it out myself in the spring. If it doesn't, I can add it to the line of Jeeps in the driveway and drive my car.
Let the opinions flow!
--wavingpine11
I went to look at a 98 XJ classic today, auto trans, looked like D35/D30 axles, with 155,000 miles on the odometer and with an engine that the owner told me was put in at 100,000 miles with 55,000 miles already on it. It has the full time 4wd option, which I don't see for sale very often. I went to check it out today, and got the guy to let me drive it with my plates (it's been off the road since September when his daughter got another car and had no plates). As far as the body went, it looked great on the outside. The only cancer it had was on the rear bumper, which will only be on temporarily anyway. The underbody was in prisitine shape, new exhaust, and no rust. The interior was in fair condition, meaning looked kind of poor for the year with generally dirty looking front seats and the steering wheel leather missing from the top. Originally they were asking $3500. I offered $2600 if I could drive it with my plates on it. So he (the father, whose name it was in) agreed, and we took it for a spin. After it warmed up, the engine ran great, and the full-time 4wd also worked great (could only test it on the street). Lots more power than I ever felt in my 92 with a rebuilt engine in it, that's for sure. Bu there's the catch--until it warmed up, the transmission bucked and wouldn't transfer full power to the wheels. Once it was warm, it ran with absolutely no problems. The only other issue was the airbag light was on. The owner said he had replaced the clockspring in the steering wheel and that som ewire had come loose on the bag. The spring made some noise as the wheel rotated, but centered fine. He said it needed lubed.
The first question is: what do you XJ geniuses make of the transmission issue? Some random guy at the house claimed it was a valve of some type that could be accessed by dropping the oil pan. At one point before it warmed up, it was doing this bucking, and he told me to floor it and that only mad eit less happy. Then it warmed up. No issue. What does this sound like, and would an otherwise desireable Jeep of this vintage and transfer case be worth dropping $2200 to $2500 for? What could I expect the transmission to cost if I found a suitable used one?
My girlfriend thinks I'm emotionally vested in it because of the transfer case. She may be right. I'm looking at it like this, so far: I paid almost $2K for a 92 XJ which feels like it has half the power (I think it may have had a non H.O. 4.0 put in before I got it) with the common NP231 in it. If the tranny makes it through the winter, I can swap it out myself in the spring. If it doesn't, I can add it to the line of Jeeps in the driveway and drive my car.
Let the opinions flow!
--wavingpine11