Ccw

jordan96xj

If you want to be talked OUT of it, you have probably come to the wrong place. lol.

At least from the outside, that XJ appears to be in very good shape. A few years ago, many would claim those miles are a little high, but you don't hear that as much these days as nice-shape XJs are getting harder to find with low miles.

XJs have a relatively extensive reputation for being easy and affordable to work on, hence their popularity among young and old off-roaders alike. Parts availability and pricing is still shockingly good for these vehicles. For example, I just bought brake calipers (in-stock) at my local parts store for $20. My personal reason for thinking that they are "easy" to work on is because the system and mechanical design of the vehicle is relatively basic by today's standards. So if you are willing to crack a manual, many of the systems are fairly easy to troubleshoot. I think what frustrates most folks, is that in a 25 year old vehicle you are going to have electrical problems. Guaranteed. Many people just give up when it comes to electrical, instead of spending 1-2 months educating themselves on the use of a multimeter, test lamp, and the basic workings of circuits and 12 DC electronics.

Go for it. Even if you don't fall head over heals in love with the XJ scene, you won't be out much, and can probably sell it for close to what you paid.

I was in your same position 3 years ago, and I still get excited about driving my Jeep every single day. (I have put 50k miles on mine in 3 years as a daily driver and camping rig, it now has 99k miles. Got it with 49k miles on it 3 years ago...muhahaha).

tinytrax78

oooo that's nice , and its a 1994 !!! no airbags , we die like real men !!

Ccw

PatHenry

That's a nice looking XJ for a great price.

Have a knowledgeable friend come with you and look for some the biggest concerns with these - rusted out floors or frame components, fluid condition (beware of brand new changed fluids), etc.

My Dad had a 94 and got 400k original (meaning the original engine, transmission and transfer case) miles and all three of those components were still fully functional when he retired it due to excessive rust.

PatHenry

Also you won't be in over your head. If/when you run into trouble or have any questions about things, just pop on here and you'll find plenty of folks willing to help out.

CRLAMBERTJR

If you want in, I'd go for it ! Looks clean. Read the sections on here, what to look for when buying. Number one,,, buy a FSM manual !!! You will be much better off diving in, even if it's over your head ! You'll soon see why they say, " It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand ? " and you SHOULD know this one in advance, Jeep ,,, acronym,,, just, empty, every, pocket ! It's only fair that I told you that one in advance ! Welcome to our world !!!

dave1123

Actually jeep parts are pretty cheap when you compare them to vehicles like the Ford Explorer or Chevy Tahoe, just to name a couple. Your jeep won't have expensive parts like airbags are ABS brakes either. No chip key or security system to screw up and not let you drive it. The electronics are just for the engine, transmission, and fuel injection, not integrated into body controls and stuff. To get an overall picture of the jeep, a Haynes Repair Manual is a good investment. Then a Factory Service Manual will get you into all the complicated stuff. That 4.0 straight 6 is one of the best engines there is as far a longevity is concerned and it pulls like a tractor, low speed torque! It doesn't make any more torque over 3000 rpm, so there's not much point in twisting it higher. Likewise the AW4 automatic transmission is a lot stronger than the 42re used in the Grand Cherokees.

Jeepwalker

You want expensive parts, get a Land Rover!

You'll have fun with the Jeep. That's a good price compared to what I see around here (and ours are not in as good of condition here). Weakest part is probably the rear end pinion bearings, but that's easy to get fixed if it hasn't already. At least 94's have side impact beams in the doors. Mine doesn't even have THAT!!

I think if I were stepping into the Jeep world with the intended purposes you stated, My first recommendation would be to drive and consider first a 2003-04 WJ Grand Cherokee Limited or Overland with a V8. They're just SO much better engineered, comfortable and have all the safety features, plus OBDII. The seating is better, fewer rattles, heat/AC work better, they go down the road nice. The V8 has a crapload of power w/o much of a mileage penalty compared to the 6. Sure, they have more electronics but not that complicated, pretty robust and fairly easy to work on. Other than a few usual (simple) emission sensors I've never had 'tough' electrical issues with ours. They still have straight front axle and plenty of ground clearance. I've got 210k on an WJ Overland. The HVAC blend doors are a common headache on them. They're fairly cheap now and you get a heck of a lot of vehicle for the $$. My second recommendation would be a ZJ 8 or 6. These are fun vehicles and you can get them dirt cheap. Quieter than an XJ, very simple and similar to an XJ but more refined, most have airbags and I think they drive better. I like the interior seating position and ergonomics of the ZJ probably best of all 3 I mentioned. They kind of have an off-road look and they can get you where you want to go! I'd look for one with OBDII. XJ's are good, but pretty spartan. They're extremely lightweight vehicles, almost like an overgrown go-cart! I plow snow with mine. Works great for that! So now you have some thinking to do. You can't go wrong with any of the options out there. FYI, I own XJ's, ZJ's and WJ's.

RockinRonnie

buy it and have a great time driving and making it yours !

Ccw

Ccw

fb97xj1

Both look good. If the first looks as clean underneath as it does on top, and runs as good as it looks, id buy it. Those miles are nothing to the 4.0L. Thats barely broken in. As long as it was maintained regularly, and properly, its worth what theyre asking. Which transfer cases do they have? I prefer the 242 myself. You can stick it in full time 4wd and keep it there all year. It has part time capability if you need it. The 231 is part time only, which can only be used under certain driving conditions.

jordan96xj

Personally, I like 96+ XJs because the benefits of OBD2 diagnostic data. I've grown quite fond of the late year 96, because it has many of the under hood improvements of the 97, but retains some of the electrical simplicity of the 95s and below. But many people have 95s and older and love them.

Martlor13

Not sure how much lower you can go as the seller without getting giving it away..1200 is dirt cheap. That jeep would bring 3000 in my area