Used Wrangler purchase...things to look for

Your budget numbers may help us answer your questions better.

A lot of people swap 4 cylinders out for 6 cylinders, usually after they've lifted them and put bigger tires on. I'd look for a '93 and up Wrangler with a 4.0 L HO engine. You should be able to find one for a few thousand.

the 4 banger is slow i have one and wish for a little more, but at the same time i have been very happy with my jeep.

just so you know i bought my 98 2.5 L 4 cyl with 72 on it for 7 grand 4 years ago. i would not pay more than 5 for it.

Try to stay away from a jeep that is already lifted .
Not knowing how it was built or by who might be worrisum (sp)
Not to mention having to fix all the mistake take time out from enjoying it .
8K budget will get a sweet ride .
Def get a 6cyl 4.0 .
Stick or auto is up to you .

Make sure you inspect the body mounts and the surronding tub area .
6cyl are pretty much built proof so miles shouldnt be an issue .
Three wranglers I have owned , 84cj7 , 97 and one 03 all made it over 150k miles with no real problems
Well my 03 has around 138xxx on it right now and I havent had to do anything but put a clutch in it @ 100k miles

Quote from Chief57

My hope is to jack the sucker up 4" with a suspension lift, because just like you I want to look cool as a go to Walmart.

If thats all you want thats cool , but why bother asking for opinions ?

my .02

get a 4.0 liter 93 and later
auto/stick is your preference
93-95 still has leaf springs/square headlights...rougher than a TJ but can be found pretty cheap.

for 6000-8000 you should be able to get a decent condition TJ (97-2000+) i would limit my search for that price range to 85,000 miles
look underneath at the tranny skid plate, gas tank skid plate, and lower control arm brackets (on a TJ).....this is where you will find the majority of off road damage and signs of abuse. the market right now seems flooded with YJ's you can get a nice jeep cheap (picked my 93 YJ up for 1500 bucks)
TJ's are holding value because of the new model year/style change. look at private sellers for the better deal. stealerships are making a killing on TJ's

I might sell you mine for a bit more. Probably looking at 12K but I guarantee you its a VERY capable jeep and well worth every penny. 2000 TJ 6 cyl auto with 54K on the clock. (Maybe less I can't remember) More mods then I care to list. 4.5" lift with 1.25" BL and everything else to make it trail worth. Even looks good too.

Let me know if your even interested and I'll email you exact specs and price.

Quote from mellowyellow

my .02

get a 4.0 liter 93 and later
auto/stick is your preference
93-95 still has leaf springs/square headlights...rougher than a TJ but can be found pretty cheap.

for 6000-8000 you should be able to get a decent condition TJ (97-2000+) i would limit my search for that price range to 85,000 miles
look underneath at the tranny skid plate, gas tank skid plate, and lower control arm brackets (on a TJ).....this is where you will find the majority of off road damage and signs of abuse. the market right now seems flooded with YJ's you can get a nice jeep cheap (picked my 93 YJ up for 1500 bucks)
TJ's are holding value because of the new model year/style change. look at private sellers for the better deal. stealerships are making a killing on TJ's

Display More

Good advice right there .

Quote from Chief57

Just today I've found two 1998 Wranglers on Craiglist that really interest me. If anyone has the time and interest....one in Bear listed for $8000 (posting #446563741, and one in Manassas listed for $7400 (posting #471750170)...I'd like to hear from you DEJA folks with your gut feelings about those posts.

The one in Bear seems high to me @ 8k but the seller didnt list the lift installed if any .
Hard to tell in the pics but there might be a budget boost on it with no body lift
Might want to find out if his price includes both tops or just the hard top

I couldnt find the one listed in Manassas .

I'm not familar enough with auto's to comment on that part .

Quote from Chief57

By the way, what the heck is a "locking converter?" The owner describes his Jeep as an auto 3 speed, which he says sometimes people call a 4 speed because of the locking converter. Sorry to be ignorant...is this important?

A locking torque converter (or lockup depending on who you ask) mechanically locks the output of the engine to the input of the transmission to eliminate slippage which increases gas mileage, lowers tranny temp, etc, etc. Most modern light/medium duty automatics have this feature. Many people think that it's the tranny shifting as it will usually decrease the rpms and produce a similar 'feel' as another gear. This is in no way a substitute for a true 4spd (or more) overdrive auto tranny as it still only has a 1:1 ratio in 3rd but it does help. Most people I know that have built Jeeps w/ 3spd autos have stuck with ~4.10's even with 36-37" tires to maintain a tolerable RPM on the highway and simply depend on the slippage of the torque converter on the trail to make up for the steeper gears.

--Ian

No ones calling a 3 speed with a lockup converter a 4 speed auto. Auto's have had lockup converters since probably the late 70's, they are the norm.

The newer TJ's ('03+) have a true 4 speed auto which is superior to the 3 speed in both performance and gas milage.

I have an '02 TJ X 5 speed and even lifted and bigger tires I'm doing better on gas than I did in my '01 extended cab Silverado.
I was lucky enough to get it off the lot after lease turn in, I doubt it had ever seen mud before I got it. The look on the salesguys face was great when I laid on the ground under it to look at the skid plates.