Looking at a sand lot 1998 XJ Sport. My current ZJ is needing a lot of work and don't think I can get it ready by winter so looking for something now.
It would be my 2nd XJ (first a '96) so I sort of know what to expect.

The dealer is asking $2495 negotiable. I drove it, 4wd works, all the gears, power windows, cruise, AC, etc.. Interior is clean with no rips or stains. Not a lot of rust, but a tad bit of surface rust starting on the rockers. Didn't see any puddles under it and it looks like a typical XJ. Needs brakes. No crud on radiator cap or oil cap. My '96 had milky crud in oil & dirty, clay looking crap on radiator cap/lip.
I did notice upon hard acceleration it had a slight hesitation, but only on initial takeoff. Lord knows how old the plugs and such are.

I'm thinking of offering $2200. Thoughts?

Are you prepared to cut out that rocker and weld in replacements?

My '98 had a tiny, barely noticeable spot of rust on the rocker. I poked at it and my finger went through, revealing MUCH more rust than it initially appeared. I'm now in the planning process of cutting the rockers out, fixing the rust and welding in 2x6 box steel. Hope you're ready for that! Otherwise, seems a fair price.

HATE bodywork. I'll take replacing suspension/brakes/water pumps/radiators/sensors & just about everything else before bodywork.

Maybe I should dig a little deeper in the wallet....

Looks fine for $2200 climb under and make sure its not rotting where the sun don't shine.

Underneath isn't too bad. Rusty swaybar links, but brackets and frame look decent.

I'm a little concerned about the hesitation and thought I discovered the source when I pulled out a K&N air filter that was clogged worse than I have ever seen, but taking it out didn't fix it.

If you're concerned about bodywork, you're probably best to move along. At the very least, poke those rockers hard with your fingers. These things rot from the inside out. You don't even wanna see mine. LOL

Gonna go look at a "rust free" 2001 tomorrow. Like the steel blue color. Dealer is asking $4400. Going to also push for a military discount - can't hurt.

That one looks real nice! Aside from the faded moulding. but that's an easy fix. I love the steel blue color, my XJ is the same. It's called Gunmetal Pearl.

Might be the bright sun making the molding look faded? A shade side pic..

I really get anxious about these sand lots, but my search for a privately owned Cherokee for sale has turned up little within a reasonable distance.

Went to look at the Blue '01 at lunchtime and some kid and his Dad were driving it. Sounds like they were going to buy it. Now the dealer is showing me an '01 60th anniversary Cherokee. Need to drive it.

Nice! Is that the one with the chrome grill? One thing you'll want to be careful of with this model year is the 0331 cylinder head issue. They are known to crack and cause you tons of headaches. If the engine cooling system was properly maintained, it should be OK, but something you'll want to consider. When you go to look at it, be sure to look very closely under the radiator cap and the overflow bottle. If you see mud--run.

I'd encourage you to check your local Craigslist--you will probably find a better deal through a private seller. I wish I would've done that.

Not doing cartwheels over the powertech in general, but I'll pop the radiator cap, resevoir and look into the valve cover with a light to see if there is any visible crud for sure. I've been scouring CL, but just can't find the right Jeep...yet. This dealer has offered me more for my '95 GC then I have into it so I'm trying to drive away with a rust free XJ for under 3k.

For what it's worth the 0331 head cracks dump straight from the coolant into the oil: so it's possible that someone broke it, cleaned the cooling system up real nice, buttoned it up and put it for sale. You'll want to check the oil for proper consistency and color. You might be able to see it on the dipstick after a test drive.

Check local auctions. I just picked up an 01 with 62k miles. Super clean inside and out. Few scratched here and there but what do you expect for a 12 year old truck