lilbigjohn007

I have a 1987 Cherokee with a 4.0 I6 and a 5 speed manual (165,000mi). It's condition is a little rough. The body is not to bad, no rust. Its just kind of ugly, it used to be red it now has green paint that is peeling off with the red showing thru. It needs a paint job. Mechanically its kind of decent. I do have a vibration/death wobble in the front end (not sure what the problem is). It has a leaking injector (new ones on the way). It needs a new exhaust system. I replaced the water pump, alterator, valve cover gasket and battery. I have driven it basically everywhere for a little over a year. I paid $1700 for it. The question is: Is this thing worth keeping and doing a rolling restoration, or would it be better to replace the injectors and sell it?

BimmerJeeper

All money invested into a Jeep is gone.
I would not restore or even paint a 1987.
I'd just drive it.

Death wobble. Exhaust.
I'm new to Jeeps, but that could be another $500-$2000.

I'd sell it if you got a good price.
If you want a "nicer" Jeep, sell it and get a 1998-2001.
10-15 years newer for $3000 with 125k miles. (All over Ebay)

If you were going to keep it, I would just fix things as they came along.

00jeepXJ

Do you like the jeep? If you do then I would not look at the value and overall cost and fix it, drive it, Love it.

Radi

What do you plan to use it for? Daily driver? Offroad machine? Occasional use second-car?

ldub100

Think of the bright side, with the green/red paint, at least you're in the correct season. Merry Christmas!

1991Jeep_Man

Keep it. I spent maybe $150 total on my exhaust (high flow 2.5" cat, flow master muffler. 2.5" tail pipe; check out vendor mudfrog) and my DW was a bad alignment and needing tires balanced. Maybe $120 for both of those total.

My 91 has been in the "should I sell it spot before ". Glad I didn't. Has never let me down, pimpled through 4 ft of snow with a stock lift... Reliable through and through. Just give her a little TLC. You can do a descent rattle can paint job for cheap. Replacement parts for the xj are dirt cheap. Even when we get my wife a truck or SUV, I will keep my XJ.

BimmerJeeper

Read through these forums. These XJ's are not nearly as bulletproof as people pretend they are. You want to "restore" your Jeep it will cost you upwards of $10,000.

Here is just a SMALL sample of all the stuff you need to do even on an newer 1998 XJ's. A decade older? God knows.
Seal rust (floorpans, doors, rockers, etc)
Flush coolant
Differential & transfer case fluid
Replace transmission fluid
Replace power steering fluid
Bleed brake fluid
Cooling system: Radiator, cap, water pump, thermostat, all hoses (Did I miss anything?)
Fan clutch
Oil filter adapter (leak)
PCV Valve
Alternator
Cleaning IAC and Throttle body
Temperature sending units (2)
CPS/CKP sensors,
Replace TPS (throttle position sensor)
Transmission cooler
Replace distributor, plugs, wires, coil, coil pack, distributor switch plate
Starter
Headlight upgrade (harness also)
New tires
O2 sensors
Check suspension (Front Lower Steering Stabilizer, FrontSway Bar Bushings and End Links)
Vacuum lines?
Fuel Filter, Fuel pressure regulator, Fuel pump....
CCV hoses?
Bulbs?
Fuel pump
Valve cover gasket (leak)
Lube Steering Column Boot (from inside)
Motor mounts
Tranny mounts
Hood Release Cable
Battery
Front U-joints
Front wheel bearings
Front brakes/rotors.
Muffler and catalytic converter
New front and rear wipers
Battery cables and terminals
Air filter
Front Left Window Regulator
Bypass Lock button for passenger windows
Serpentine belt

dwwscran

keep it. fix it. my death wobble was from out of balance wheels. (These results are not typical and your problem may be different) do other parts a little at a time.

guerillastyle

By restore I believe he means fix up and not make back to factory specs.

1990jeepxj

I'm really not sure where you got your $10,000 quote from? Most of the repairs on your list are simple. Some are difficult but I fully believe anyone can do them all without to much mechanical knowledge, you can definitely replace your fluids and bulbs by yourself. I dont even know if it would cost $10,000 if a mechanic did it all. Keep it. Do the things that definitely need to be done and do the others when you have time. Enjoy your Jeep!

diego94

this is all stuff that is very good to replace in any old vehicle and you should probably do, i also dont think that $10000 is right on mark with it and most of this you can do yourself with little experience and there are many ppl on this forum and others who you can ask questions when you get stuck with something... when you look at this list dont imagine your jeep sitting in the garage on jack stands for mounths at a time, fix it as it comes depending on your buget... dont get discouraged

Radi

They do need repairs from time to time- but think about it- most of the XJ's here are are somewhere between 100K-250K miles. The newest are no less than 11 years old, some dating back to the late '80s lol. Catastrophic major failures (engine, trans) are pretty rare best I can tell, even among the oldest units.

All in all I've had better reliability from my two XJ's than any other vehicle I've owned, outside an '02 impala that was also trouble free to a quarter-million miles.
240K on the current daily driver XJ and no major problems. Still has the original cooling system (yeah, I know I know...), factory front hubs, factory CPS (shocker, hasn't failed yet. Did lose one on the prev. XJ though).. in fact I've had to replace very little. Things are starting to wear out now, but good grief, I've gotten 240K miles and 16 years out of these parts, lol. They owe me nothing. What's going to finally kill it dead is rust.
Bulletproof? Well, no...no mechanical device is. I've certainly paid a lot more and gotten a lot less with other vehicles though.

salad

Not sure how listing rust repair plus standard maintenance and wear items constitutes "not bulletproof"? BTW in older Jeeps the list is the same... imagine that! Chances are even the most hapless of owners has done some of that (or doesn't need to yet - AZ XJs don't rust). Air filter is a pretty normal item lol.

Reading through these forums will show you a lot of things, including redneck repairs with bathtub silicone and college kids trying to make beat up **** they got on CL for a couple hundred bucks run. And they'll run. From what I've seen people get rid of XJs for a few reasons:

- Fuel economy
- It's screwed/can't afford repairs
- Built a toy and but need cash
- Combination of above

Like Radi said these things outlast a lot of vehicles with little maintenance, and finding one in truly excellent shape isn't likely. Lots of sellers are either clueless or liars.

I agree with others. Do a total assessment (beyond the paint lol) and figure out what's worth it to you. IMO if an XJ is rust free, anything is possible.

mitchlikesbikes

bimmerjeeper is just being a downer because he got a ridiculous quote from a mechanic for maintenance. if you like the jeep keep it and do things yourself to get it how you want it.

Radi

That's the sad fact of it, particularly the older ones, many are on their third and fourth owners now.

First owner serviced it by the book.
Second owner drove it into the ground.
Third owner, new to Jeeps got frightened by the lifter tick and piston slap and dumped it back on CL. (you can tell these guys because the motor is warmed up when you arrive to look at it and there is a smell of 20W50 and Lucas in the air, lol)
This is where you- fourth owner- often come in.
Even at this point they can usually be brought back into reliable operating condition for just a couple hundred bucks and some labor, after which they'll run another 100K if you maintain them.