offroad2000

I used to own a 93. Bought it in 96 with 30k miles. You definitley want the I-6 with manual. Lots of low end torque and low end gearing. The engine seemed pretty bulletproof. It was a cast iron block I think. Although the horn didn't work and front axle seal leaked. Which to me seemed bad for a low milage 3yr old car. But I also considered it minor stuff because it was so much fun to drive. BTW, chicks loved it when it was covered in mud.

Mr.E.G.

I don't really get these vehicles. I have driven probably fifty of them and they really just felt odd and rickety. The turning radius was fun but a bit unnerving.

Just not my cup of tea I guess.

senor_flojo

my roommate had a couple YJs, and those things were absolute money pits.

my parents have a JK, X trim with the 4-banger and a modular hardtop; it gets the job done alright. plus, the warranty is a good thing....

prnstr40

I bought a slightly used 04 sport with some minor upgrades a few years ago to use as a DD and hated it. Its novelty wore off in about two weeks and I was dying to get rid of it after that. It literally felt like I was driving a brick. "Gutless", in the real world at least, is the perfect adjective to describe its power delivery - and that's the I6 version, not even the 4. I particularly don't mind poor MPG as long as there is a trade off in performance. With the Wrangler you get neither, 12-14mpg AND slow as a dog.

On the other hand, they do have a huge cult following so there must be something about them that people love. I just never found that something.

txjeepn

If you have any questions I could probably help you out. I have most years of the factory service manuals for the TJ's in pdf. I owned a 2000 TJ brand new in 2000 until 2007 when I sold it with over 120k on it. And the guy who bought it from me is over 200k in it without issue. I also have a 1996 Cherokee that my stepson has been using for the last 2 years. I have done 99% the work myself on them. The only thing to look for is where the suspension and the body mounts to the frame on the tjs. Those are the easiest places to notice damage. Look for rock rash on the transfer case skid, its the lowest point on the body and most likely to get dinged and scraped if it has been heavily offroaded in its life.

And as stated before it will be gutless, especially if it has been lifted and the gears in the axles have not been changed. I had 33" tires on my 4 cyl wrangler but after I put 4.88 gears in the axles it took it back to stock ratio.

Also if it has the plastic cap radiator still in it, it will most likely leak. A replacement all metal radiator is less than $120 at radiator barn.

With the jeep being a convertible that takes a few min to put the top up and down there might be some electrical issues in the dash. Usually just pulling and cleaning the plugs with alcohol will fix it.

The plastic knobs for the heat/AC also break easily. quadratec.com sells billet aluminum replacements that work great. After replacing 2 sets of plastic ones from the dealership more than pays for them.

But for the most part they are slow but bulletproof if they are taken care of.

espelirS2K

My uncle has a Rubicon. Seems pretty bullet proof after rolling it a couple time

NFRs2000NYC

The one thing I'll give the Wranglers is that they aren't "traditional" money pits. Other than the motor/tranny, the parts are fairly cheap, and the car is very crude, so it's easy to fix.

Mine was lifted (7") with a Skyjacker kit, with 33" tires sitting on Mickeys, and it was a lot of fun when USED FOR FUN. For daily, it sucked.

NuncoStr8

That's really all you got out of that post? And you honestly think you, who claim to sell cars "just because we wanted to experience something different" constitute the "people" I was referring to? Really? You are either delusional or high. I'll let you make the call.

mad pup

Thanks for all the helpful information!

I'll be sure to check the 4WD vacuum lines, suspension/body mounts, and transfer case skid.

senor_flojo

well, he does live in austin....

all jokes aside, I think there was just some confusion over what was being said.

you're both representing ends of the same spectrum (in terms of the auto resale market)