I NEED a Jeep!!

[wooley12]

To explore the local forest service roads, drive into town and satisfy my mid-life crisis #4 (or is it 5?) with the top down and the doors off. There is a steady supply here on CL in my $4-6K budget. I can turn a wrench for water pumps, clutches etc. but would rather drive than do any major motor work.

1- Most everything seems to have been "lifted". I'm not sure that for me that's needed and leaves lots of room to screw things up by some "shade tree". What say you?

2- I'm from the EC but now in the PNW. Not used to dealing in 170k plus engines. (Rust gets them first in the NE). How long do Jeep engines go before they need rings or a valve job?

3- What kind of "they all break there about now" kind of Jeep things should I be looking for when I shop?

I know, get a 6 but that's not likely with the budget. So I'm thinking a 4 banger.

[Shredhead]

My wife had a 87 4 banger when I met her. Our first date was over Pearl Pass to Crested Butte.
I loved that thing. It got us over everything we ever tried.

[jgb@etree]

If you get one w/ a 4.0L inline 6, it will run FOREVER.

[rockcreek]

Ive owned 2 wranglers. The first was an 88 renegade, rhinolined inside and out, 2inch lift, with 100k. bought it for 5k (10 years ago) I was 19 at the time. One fine summer's eve my friend and his older brother took me down to hooters, told the working ladies it was my 21st bday and got me kanoodled. I woke up to the sound of a large bang, behind the wheel of my jeep, driving home to my house. I made it 500 yards from my front porch and the jeep died. come to find out from my mother, who covered for me when the cops showed up in the early am, I had chopped a telephone pole clean in half ( I hadn't a clue). They followed the trail of radiator fluid from the scene to my jeep. Not my finest hour. I was young and dumb and lucky, and that damn jeep saved my bacon.
To your questions:
I would bet that you could find the 4L 6 with less than 150k for less than 6 grand.
Going lifted is not such a bad thing, but you have to do your homework. Who done the work, how long ago, etc. six inches of lift is dumb, two/three is fine, but Beware of the death wobble when the suspension is modified. Your right though, if your not rock crawling you prolly don't need 6inch lift with sway bar, lockers, etc.
The tranny and suspension are the biggest things to look out for imho. My father had two Cherokees with the straight 6 and put 350,000 on each of the motors.
If your into wrenching, may I suggest a cj?
One of the most wonderful things about the wrangler is that parts are readily available and relatively inexpensive.
If this is indeed a midlife crisis, you will want a jeep that can handle going places that will make you uncomfortable. That is the fun of it. tires are important.
jeep forums are your friend.
My currently daily driver is an 07 rubicon., two inch lift, 33's push button sway and lockers built in sirius, its my end of world vehicle. I love it. you will love yours.
/end rant

[stevesmith7]

I was you about five years ago. Bought a 98 4 cyl with 125k on it for about 6k. Put some bigger tires on it and explored all the trails. It would go places I didn't feel comfortable going. What it wasn't was decent on the highway getting there. After I'd done all the close by trails more than once there were always places a little further away that involved an hour or so on the highway. I ended up replacing it with an 01 Tacoma. Still a 4 cyl but it would keep up on the road and still go most everywhere I wanted offroad. Plus it was just a whole lot nicer getting there. Everyone should own a Jeep once.

[snoqpass]

For that kind of money you could get a dual sport motorcycle that will take way more places then a jeep and use way less gas

[wooley12]

^^^ Agreed but Been There, Done That and want to take my best friend with me out into the 4 wheel accessible wilds.

[LightRanger]

If you get one w/ a 4.0L inline 6, it will run FOREVER.

This. 240k on my Cherokee at the moment. Zero engine issues. Oxidizing paint and such, so I'm probably going to hawk it for cheap to a high school kid pretty soon, but it's been good to me.

[Bobby Stainless]

^Yup. XJs with the 4speed auto and 4.0 I6 are bulletproof, and cheap.

[Labcabin]

86 CJ7

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[warthog]

I agree everyone should own a Jeep. Not sure I agree that a 4 cyl is even a Jeep though.

Mine will do 90 on the highway with the 304.

My old '83 was lucky to see 55 downhill with the wind at my back. That had the old inline 6. Seriously wondering if that thing was firing on all cylinders, looking back at it.

Wish I had google back then. I was an engine newb. Now, I don't hesitate jumping into the engine stuff. Just label really well, grab the digital camera, and go for it. If you have any bolts left over, you did it wrong.

[Timberridge]

Ditto on the AMC 4.0. Had a TJ 4.0L 6 cyl once that went to 350K. Everything else fell apart but that engine.

[Cono Este]

My old '83 was lucky to see 55 downhill with the wind at my back.

.

That brings back bad memories of trying to get home from college in my sisters 4 cylinder cj7. POS.

[Buke]

I had a 95 XJ with the 4.0L inline 6. Mine was the 2 door sport model. It was awesome but at 175k the head gasket leaked like a sieve and the exhaust manifold had broken. Head gasket would have been easy but the exhaust manifold was going to be pricey so I sold it and moved on. I loved that thing...

[Viva]

Get the version that Barbi drives.

[flatlander#2]

I agree everyone should own a Jeep. Not sure I agree that a 4 cyl is even a Jeep though.

Mine will do 90 on the highway with the 304.

Actually not sure 90 in a Jeep is a Jeep. They say the 4cylinders last forever as most of them were bought to be fun convertibles and not Jeepin. I had a 79 CJ5 with that six, crazy short little bastard. I think a Razor rides better than that thing did. Had a 97 Cherokee with the 4.0. Got in an accident 2 days after daughter was born, totaled. Had too much going on to think oh I should keep this and build it back up. Have a 2012 JKU Ruby now, topless for two weeks, gets 20mpg.

[El Chupacabra]

I had a 95 XJ with the 4.0L inline 6. Mine was the 2 door sport model.

That was exactly what I had too. (Green, with 5-spd manual trans.)

Just bought a '96 XJ from a co-worker's mother-in-law. One owner, 120K miles, 4-door, white, AW4 automatic. No rust, no accidents, most records. Needs a thorough going-through of all fluids, filters, probably new U-joints in the driveshafts, and may need some steering/front end work, but that's about it. These are cheap & easy to work on, so it's going to be a project Jeep with the kids so they can learn how to fix cars, and then when mini-Chup is old enough to drive, it's his.

For the O.P. -- since you're looking for a top down/doors off Jeep, IMHO buy a TJ ('97 to '06) with the 4.0L 6-cyl. The automatics were 3-speed for the early years; later ones got a 4-spd (don't remember when). 5-spd manual available in all years. The 5-spd NV3550 is the one you want -- none of the automatics were very strong -- IIRC, that 5-spd was in the early 2000s (something like 2000 to 2004).

[bmg97]

86 CJ7

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I miss mine every fucking day. I had to XJ's as well. Love Jeeps

[grskier]

We traded in my wife's jeep Cherokee ('00ish) with the I-6 for a '06 with the smaller of the Hemi's in it.

I LOVED that stock Cherokee... what a bad ass vehicle. I won't beat on the new one near as hard, so as a result we don't go jeeping nearly as much.

[MakersTeleMark]

Buy a FJ40 and fuck the heap.

[Flyoverland Captive]

Saw this little beauty while biking last week:

[Art Shirk]

Everyone should own a Jeep once.

Everyone should own a classic bronco once. Jeeps are made of plastic. 4 on the floor 302 and have some fun.

[Flounder]

Jeeps are made of plastic.

Depends on what you have. I had a 78 CJ5 that had no plastic on it. It also had a 360 V8. The thing was a beast. Only snapped one set of rear axles by giving too much gas. Surprised the hell out of more than a few people coming off the line. As long as you didn't turn, it wouldn't flip.

Totally get where the OP is coming from. This was my 30th b-day present as well as a reward for paying off my student loans. It was also quite a while ago. Loved driving it in the summer with just the bikini top on it. Probably should have kept it but someone saw it and offered me more than I had into it. Bought it way cheap off a kid who was having major issues with it over heating. He had replaced water pump and radiator. Should have checked to see if the fan was working! Quick and easy and never over heated on me.

Get a jeep, just make sure it's not your only vehicle.

[stevesmith7]

Get a jeep, just make sure it's not your only vehicle.

QFT.......

[Pow4Brains]

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Empty
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For accessories. ; )

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