HI Everyone,

My name is Bryan, Live in Bellingham, WA. Recently (within last 2 weeks) purchased 98' Grand Cherokee Laredo 5.2L 4x4. Body is in pretty fair condition, paint has usual chips and dings but is in pretty good shape over all. Odometer reads 136992, which I thought was very good considering it's age, I absolutely love it... Charcoal Grey Cloth interior seats are clean and no rips or tears. 5.2L Engine & trans are in great shape. runs smooth, shift's smooth and Drives straight. Owner was asking $800, I got him to $600 cash and walked away with it. I was told before purchasing by previous owner that it would need front CV axles & all four sets of brake pads. Also needed rear glass window since its shattered from a rock. Has very good tires excellent tread depth left. has some of the typical issues inside like power window & locks master control panel on drivers door is going out since only 2 of the 4 windows open and close. I have replaced Brakes on all 4 wheels, front CV Axles and brake rotors and since i was already there, went ahead and replaced front wheel hubs/bearing assemblies. less to worry about later. total of all new parts including new rear glass window and power windows & locks control panel is $423. I have done all the labor myself which I'm pretty sure has saved me at least $1000 in labor costs if not more.

So I have $1023 invested in my Grand Cherokee Laredo 5.2L v8. and with what has been done, should last quite a while longer.

My question is, did i use my money wisely or because of its age, did i buy a POS... ? Really would like to hear your opinions on this if you don't mind spending a minute to giving me your honest opinion....


Thanks in advance... BryanE

 

Sounds good. 5.2L offers a good amount of power for towing or whatever and you also got a really good deal. Only advice I would give with the ZJs is to be careful lifting them - i suggest leaving it stock. It's more expensive and difficult to put a lift on the rear with coils. But if your not planning on lifting than i think you got a really good deal.

 

Than you for your input. this is my first Jeep and first 4x4. but after doing the work to replace the front CV Axles and Hub/Bearing assemblies, i am very pleased with this vehicle. Runs and drives great. have no plans to lift it at this point so should last me quite a while...

 

I love anything Jeep under the year 2001. Haven’t gotten a ZJ yet but I hope to. The XJ and YJ are very simple and easy to work on. I love them both. Most parts should interchange with little hassle, so that means loads of spare parts around. Personally, I think it was a good buy. I would change the head and oil pan gasket due to age/apparent lack of maintenance. Sounds solid though. Check under the Jeep for floor pan rust and any uniframe rust. Cherokees are bad for it but I’m not sure about the grand Cherokee.

 

OK, i will do that, ive found it very easy to work on so far... Speedometer is stuck at about 45mph...lol is that a common problem ? or did i just get lucky... not sure what to check first, speedo cable or gear in trans or could it be bad dash hardware? have gotten most of major mechanical issues taken care of. will look into gaskets. over all, im pretty happy with this rig...

 

I have heard of it getting stuck like that but im not sure how common. Maybe check the sensor? If not that then maybe dash end

 

Great, that gives me a place to start anyway... Could that also be why cruse-control will not engage. get no indicator on dash that it is on or off either...Thanks

 

It is Possible they are connected. For cruise control I would check vacuum lines. Does your air conditioner work on all vents or just defrost? If this is the case it’s a vacuum line. My Cherokee had a bad line and my 4wd wouldn’t work. But the speed sensor is a good place to start. Check grounds and fuses. The Grand Cherokee has more electrical challenges then most others lol

 

That's not a good deal.. That's a steal of a deal! : cheers:

 

Thank you for your reply. I kinda thought i was stealing it, Engine and trans are very smooth and quiet, body has no damage, just a few cracks in front bumper. only has 136000 miles on it. for a '98 that is great milage. paint is very good, is the Gold, (looks Green to me) Color. Cloth seating and dash have no rips or cracks. is in very presentable condition. was well taken care of. So yeah... i stole the fricken' thing i think

 

It sounds great, post some pictures and show that baby off!

 

Was finally able to post some pics of my $600 98 grand cherokee. what do ya think?

 

Had to go to your profile to see, looks great. I wish a ZJ would fall into my lap for that price like my Mazda did. I'd happily daily a ZJ

 

Yeah, you got a great deal there! Looked at the images and though I'm not a fan of the colour, she looks in great shape!

You should use that "I think I stole it" mentality to ensure it gets the best treatment it deserves!

 

Am doing exactly that... lol