Hi, Ive been spending some time here researching. Im lookin at a 91 yj with 6 cyl auto. The good part about this jeep is that the body and interior are in great shape. Paint is great, seats are flawless. The downside is that it has about 190M on it. Theres a lot of oil buildup around the valve covers, esp the front. The diffs look like theyre leaking a little bit and the transmission too. (Im hoping that its just a matter of changing the gaskets?or am I being overly optimistic?) No rust, no apparent body work or evidence of accidents. I know that the values of these jeeps vary depending on location. Im located in So Cal and was wondering what you guys think of this vehicle and what a fair/good price would be for me if I were to buy it or should I avoid this one because of the apparent leakages and mileage. Thanks to any and all advice. This is a kick ass site.
Need advice.Thinking about buying a used jeep.
- Thread starter hohum
- Start date
Gone&DoneIt
New member
I have to agree, unless you are looking for a garage project.judge09 said:
redrooster
New member
Buy it. $1500 max.
LVRockCrawler
New member
miles kill it - if you want to keep it for a while and eventually rebuild the drivetrain (how big a project you lookin for?) - also I personally hate the automatics - i tell anyone who asks - go I-6 with 5 spd - more reliable, more control - and like rooster said - 1500 is about all i'd go for that - keep looking or go cheap on the one youre lookin at... just my $.02
Thanks for the feedback guys. Ive been looking for weeks and cant seem to find a decent deal. Theyre all asking top dollar and most of the ones im seeing in the classifieds are 4cyl. Im thinking that maybe since its summertime, the prices are higher. Do you think Im best off waiting til winter or something? The one one I was looking at had an asking price of $4500. That was one of the lowest priced jeeps that I could find.
Im not in a huge hurry,although I must admit Im anxious. Ive been reading up on different forums and books trying to gather as much info as possible. Im getting tired of the city(crowded,full of traffic and rude/inconsiderate people). I think getting out there will be very therapeutic.
Ive been on several forums and would have to say that this has to be one of the best in terms of the quality of people posting. Ive noticed on other forums(outside of the jeep community) that there are often a lot of big egos, sarcasm, and chipped shoulders. This forum has been a welcome change from that. Cheers.
Im not in a huge hurry,although I must admit Im anxious. Ive been reading up on different forums and books trying to gather as much info as possible. Im getting tired of the city(crowded,full of traffic and rude/inconsiderate people). I think getting out there will be very therapeutic.
Ive been on several forums and would have to say that this has to be one of the best in terms of the quality of people posting. Ive noticed on other forums(outside of the jeep community) that there are often a lot of big egos, sarcasm, and chipped shoulders. This forum has been a welcome change from that. Cheers.
Wrangl3r93
New member
Yeah just keep looking. I looked everywhere for jeeps and found my '93 4 cyl 78k miles for only $4,300. My girlfriend is in the process of trading her car for a 1997 tj that the girl was only asking $3,900 for. Your best bet is to stay away from car lots and check local listings. And welcome to the forum.
tardis454
New member
Take your time, choose wisely, be thrifty, there's a lot of junk out there. It took me 1 month to find a nice YJ, and 2 months to find a really nice XJ. I looked at 50 plus Jeeps in person and on the net when I searched for my XJ & YJ's. I eventually found exactly what I wanted for the price I wanted to pay. I highly recommend CarFax reports. They're not always 100% accurate, but they do help weed out the rats when your looking for a good car. At least 5 of the XJ's I looked at were salvaged wrecks with sponged out of state titles, or odometer discrepencies. Most of the sellers didn't disclose that information for obvious reasons.
Wrangl3r93
New member
Carfax.... haha... my dad's truck has been through 3 wrecks, 2 deer, and was misreported stolen for 9 years(the damage was turned in on insurance). Ironically carfax says it has a clean history. And that was after paying $25 for them to check it. My jeep has been in at least 2 wrecks i know of and the only thing it comes up with is that it might have an odometer discrepency. I don't have much faith in carfax.
Sparky-Watts
Banned
I looked for about 3 months to find my YJ. It's a '94, had 54,000 on it (2 years ago) and was in excellent condition. It was owned by a female lawyer, and she told me she never took it off road, kept it in the garage all the time, and never even drove it in the rain. I must've driven 30 or 40 other Jeeps in that time, and they were all either high mileage, rusted out, or had been trashed by the previous owner.
But, in the end, it's up to you. You can buy the one you have found now, or keep shopping for something better. It all depends on how much you want to spend, how long you want to wait, and what kind of Jeep you want to get. A Jeep finds you, you don't find a Jeep. I was on my way to a small dealership to make an offer on a TJ when I saw the YJ sitting on a private lot that I had driven by a hundred times. I made a quick turn across 3 lanes of traffic to get to it, and the next day it was in my garage.
But, in the end, it's up to you. You can buy the one you have found now, or keep shopping for something better. It all depends on how much you want to spend, how long you want to wait, and what kind of Jeep you want to get. A Jeep finds you, you don't find a Jeep. I was on my way to a small dealership to make an offer on a TJ when I saw the YJ sitting on a private lot that I had driven by a hundred times. I made a quick turn across 3 lanes of traffic to get to it, and the next day it was in my garage.
TWDJ
New member
hohum ... Welcome to the California Jeep search! I ran into the same issue when looking for my YJ. I had the added limitation of wanting 4.0L, automatic transmission and 93+ to get the FI. Figuring most of my time would be in the high Sierras with a full compliment of gear and youth (I'm a Boy Scout leader), the offerings were limited.
What I found was a 93 YJ, mechanically in good shape ... no rust, no dents, bushings worn with a tight engine and good auto transmission at 145K miles. Best deal I could work out was $4300 and I knew going in there would be money spent on bringing everything up to spec. That is the way it works on the left coast. No sleepers around here.
In retrospect, I would have probably gone with a CJ instead for a few reasons ... 1) less initial outlay with the ability to do more. Dealing with computers and all is expensive and old underhood wiring can give you the creeps when you think of where you might be wheeling. 2)updates/upgrades to the vehicle cost about the same. 3)the option NOT to smog a 25+ year old vehicle so you can do what is needed at a more reasonable cost.
Do yourself a favor. Check with Jeeping buddies, local clubs and this forum for continued advice. We have all paid for our education in one way or another!
Much success!
What I found was a 93 YJ, mechanically in good shape ... no rust, no dents, bushings worn with a tight engine and good auto transmission at 145K miles. Best deal I could work out was $4300 and I knew going in there would be money spent on bringing everything up to spec. That is the way it works on the left coast. No sleepers around here.
In retrospect, I would have probably gone with a CJ instead for a few reasons ... 1) less initial outlay with the ability to do more. Dealing with computers and all is expensive and old underhood wiring can give you the creeps when you think of where you might be wheeling. 2)updates/upgrades to the vehicle cost about the same. 3)the option NOT to smog a 25+ year old vehicle so you can do what is needed at a more reasonable cost.
Do yourself a favor. Check with Jeeping buddies, local clubs and this forum for continued advice. We have all paid for our education in one way or another!
Much success!
TwistedCU
New member
Fuel injection came to the YJ Wranglers beginning with the 91 model year in both the 4 and 6 cyl engines. The only main differences beyond that were the new style rollbar in '92, external clutch slave cyl in '93, ABS on some (not sure what year they started that) and different trim packages/colors.TWDJ said:
'90 and earlier 6 cyl's were the 4.2L (258 c.i.d.) with carter carbs. The '90 and earlier 4 cyl's had the same 2.5L engine but with throttle body injection istead of EFI.
Sparky-Watts
Banned
TwistedCopper said:
Can't speak for others, but my '94 doesn't have ABS, and I'm glad....I hate ABS!!
Also, not to derail the thread or anything, but what exactly is the difference between EFI and Throttle Body Injection?
I Over Paid For My Jeep But They Do Seem To Bring Top Dolar. I Paid 2500 For My 90 Yj 2.5 It Had 168k But It Had A New Motor And Rebuilt Transmission 16k Prior. Its A Little Rusty But Thats Michigan. Ive Had It 2 Months And It Drives Great With No Issues.yet. I Looked For A Month Or Two Not A Whole Lot Out There That Dint Have Problems For Under 2 0r 3 Grand. I Found Mine On Ebay, The Last Place I Thought I Buy A Car. Good Luck The Right Truck Is Out Ther For Ya Some Where.
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I Over Paid For My Jeep But They Do Seem To Bring Top Dolar. I Paid 2500 For My 90 Yj 2.5 It Had 168k But It Had A New Motor And Rebuilt Transmission 16k Prior. Its A Little Rusty But Thats Michigan. Ive Had It 2 Months And It Drives Great With No Issues.yet. I Looked For A Month Or Two Not A Whole Lot Out There That Dint Have Problems For Under 2 0r 3 Grand. I Found Mine On Ebay, The Last Place I Thought I Buy A Car. Good Luck The Right Truck Is Out Ther For Ya Some Where.
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