Jeep Virgin here

[mike1386]

Ok I have always liked Jeeps, but always thought they were to expensive. I drove one not to long ago and have been drooling about it ever since. I found that some older model Jeeps that already have some bells and whistles are to be found in my area for $5,000 or less. I have a truck already so this will not be my primary transportation. What I would like to know from you guys with older Jeeps is what to look for when buying one to make sure I do not get a lemon. Also how do Jeep engines fare in the long run? How easy/expensive is it to rebuild the engine or transmission? Just some starters, I never knew there was so much to know about Jeeps.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Sully]

Generaly,jeep motors are good motors.If they are treated right,they'll last for a long time.What kind of jeep are you thinking about?Year,model,ect?

 

[TwistedCU]

The state of Jeepz

Jeeps are a joy to drive, simple to work on, and parts are a dime-a-dozen. Like any 4x4 vehicle, look for the little hints - clean oil, clean motor, etc. You will get different opinions as to which motor is the better one, but in reality, they're all pretty good.

 

[88WRANGRED]

welcome to the wonderful world of JEEPZ. if i were gonna buy an older jeep again, like i did last november, i'd have bought something in the 93-95 range 4.0L fuel injected. The only thing i don't like on the 92?-current jeeps is the rear section of the roll bar. It is good for rollover purposes but i like the slash back that my 88 has. but what do you want????

 

[Snitty]

the motors are amazing... they rarely fail.. and when they are tired.. they still do the job... they are easy to replace... there is not a motor put in a short wheelbase jeep that any moderately mechanically inclined person would have trouble rebuilding... but on the other hand.. the manual transmissions in the current jeeps are no good... the older CJ trannies were not so bad.. but anything in a YJ is junk. I can't speak for the automatics, but as for the manuals, they are NOT easily rebuildable... I can't find ONE shop around here that will take the job... but... with a mind, some muscles, and some tools, they are easily replaceble...

all in all... they are the easiest maintained motor vehicle on the road

 

[Gage]

I think it depends on your needs. any thing with a carb sucks. So I would go with 93 to present becuase they are injected. However the suspension in the 97-present(TJ) is better than the YJ becuase it has coil springs which have more travel than the leaf springs plus in my personal opinion the TJ looks better because it has the round OllllO headlights and every one knows that is the signature front end of a JEEP.

 

[Joopin]

Actually the fuel injected engines first came out in 1991... which added 60 HP to the 6 cyl. That may be something to consider in your search.

 

[TwistedCU]

I think it depends on your needs. any thing with a carb sucks. So I would go with 93 to present becuase they are injected. However the suspension in the 97-present(TJ) is better than the YJ becuase it has coil springs which have more travel than the leaf springs plus in my personal opinion the TJ looks better because it has the round OllllO headlights and every one knows that is the signature front end of a JEEP.

Correction - the "ride" is better. More flex? I'll give you that, too. Better suspension? Well I gotta disagree there. I depends on what you want a Jeep for.

Oh, and my '92 is injected.

 

[Gage]

your right about the injection. 91-present. but don't get me wrong I like all wranglers

 

[olyeller]

i can't speak too much about the simplicity of the yj/tj, but the non-computer controlled cjs are very simple to maintain and you can fix/mod about anything on them yourself without worrying about getting screwy computer codes.

what part of the country are you in? i had my 258 rebuilt in march for less than $1000. every part in the engine was replaced, except the crank, block and head casting and they were all machined as necessary to make them like new.

 

[jeepco88]

Socal Fires

you might want to stop by barnseand noble and pick up "standred catalog of Jeep 1940-2003". it has specs on most jeepz in those years

 

[Sully]

My carb does a fine job!You just need to set it up right.

 

[Tug-n-pull]

Rust is not your friend. Study the frame and any where that anything bolts up to the frame of any size. Crawl all over under and around the jeep. Look for oil leaks broken missing parts and you will learn a bunch your 1st day out looking. Tug

 

[mike1386]

I am really not sure what I want. Sorry for posting so late, I do not have the internet at home. I like the picture of the Jeep in TwistedCoppers signature. I live in flatville (houston texas) so my needs are not as severe as some. Doing a little work to one is not a problem, I am not extremely mechanically inclined (cause I have never had to be) but I am a quick study. I am still trying to figure out what the difference between CJ TJ Wranger Renegade and all that is. Thanks for all the suggestions, any other helpful advice?

 

[jay79cj7]

yj family bar

I like CJ's... The classic look, including the round headlights, and incredibly simple to work on in most areas. I was worried when I got mine that it would be hard to find parts, but hardly so. There are hundreds of places on the internet where you can order just about anything you want, stock to custom. And there is always ebay for new and used stuff.

To Tug's point, check the frame carefully. I didn't know what I was looking for and have some cancer I need to repair. The back of the frame where the shackle connects seems to be the most troublesome area.

Somewhere around 81 the CJ's got a little wider axles (good), a computer controlled carb (bad from what I hear), and the 258 got an update. Not all the parts are going to be interchangeable between early CJ7's and late ones for these reasons, and the 80s models seem to be more prevalent when looking for parts, at least in my searches. From 76-79 the CJ7s with auto trannies have a full time 4wd transfer case called Quadratrac that was previously in full size Jeeps like the original giant Cherokees. That's what I've got, but it doesn't seem to be too popular.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[mike1386]

I was also wondering, if I were to get a Jeep with the 6cyl. How easy is it to switch out to an 8 later on? Or should I just stay with a 6? BTW sorry if I ask stupid questions, really I am a virgin to a lot of this (mechanical qustions included)

 

[jay79cj7]

Well, I hear that the transmission behind a 4 banger won't hold up to an 8, but a 6 cyl transmission might. I have never done it but it sounds like it depends on which stock transmission you have and what 8 you want to drop in. Not all combinations bolt up to eachother, so depending on your selection of engine and the transmission you start with, to drop in an 8 might require nothing at all, some adapter from a place like advancedadapters.com, or a whole new transmission. If you do some searches on here or just on the web in general you will find alot of info. From what I have read, it sounds easier to drop an AMC 8 cyl into a CJ than it would be to drop in a Chevy or other. I don't know about others... TJ/YJ.
You will need new motor mounts with an 8 cyl also.

 

[mike1386]

Reverse light

Another question I had was about the security of a Jeep. Is there anything you can really do. I figured I could get a detachable face stereo to help a bit, but it seems to me that Jeeps are not very hard to get into. Just wanted some feedback on this from some of you Jeep Veterans.

 

[avyoung]

The best security is don't put anything in there you won't miss. I would recomend one of those old radio's with the nobs. Thats what I have never been stole yet.

 

[hi_c]

Even with a hardtop and full doors, you're only as secure as a car. Thieves will get in if they want to. Glass isn't that hard to break. Might be more of a deterrent than a soft top, but still...

By the way, you can get fuel injection as early as 87 if you go with a 2.5L 4-banger. I have an 89 with TBI. But since we caught you before you buy, do yourself a favor and get a 91-later 4.0L motor with the AX-15 transmission. Basically, a 4.0L with a 5-speed. Shouldn't be too hard to find one under $5000 in good shape. Look for a YJ Sahara around 92-95. That'd be my ideal "used-under-$5000" jeep.

just my 2 pennies
C