I'm going to look at a XJ tomorrow.
It's a 1989 Cherokee sport 5speed 150k everything is said to work,never been off road and a 2nd owner with the first being a close friend.

New radiator,water pump,thermostat,and coolant resevoir.
Only problem mentioned is a slight leak from the valve cover gasket

Anything I should look closely at or be aware off?
What is the stock gear ratio on these,should the front still be a HP D30, what options did these have for a rear axle,and how do the 5spd's perform over the auto's.

Thanks

 

Gear ratio should be 3.07 stock.
I would look at how well it has been maintained,if the under side is clean,inside in good shape,it says alot about how much someone cared.
The rearend will most likley be a D35,it is possible to be a 44 but very rare in 89s, 5 speeds are just as good as aw4s,it is a personal preference in my opinion. I will say that in 89s that the autos were more durable overall than manuals but they hold up pretty well.
Before I buy a car I do a compression check just to see how good the motor is.

 

Thanks

Anyone else?

 

Um 89 had the peugot ba-18 its a crap trans also no H.O. but still good engine.