Someone recently paid $21K for a 93 2dr 4.0 4x4 5sp with 32" tires, stock axle gearing, an add-a-leaf Rough Country lift kit, stock tie-rod, and no fixed yoke conversion. Sure, it's rust-free and has less than 100K miles but come on - it even has a "hot air intake" shoved into the stock air box with the top removed.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...okee-sport-xj/

I'm really starting to hate this site...

 

I actually just unsubscribed from notifications from BAT. Just like Barrett-Jackson, they are messing with vehicle values. These groups are obviously targeted by rich folks trying to go back to another era and price is no object. Though it might cost more than $21K to get a Cherokee that way these days.

 

Well, also keep in mind that actual, not auction..., values will keep going up on the unmolested XJs as there are very little of them left now. And the more that people keep sending it" just to total them out and snag another one up, that takes even more of them off the road. So the less we have of something thats nolonger available, just keeps driving the price up more and more.

IE: See the car in my profile pic? (1992 Dodge Stealth R/T TT AWD) Carmax offered me 20k for it when I went to a Cars & Coffee event with a few friends. Did a little digging at why when I paid WAY less then that. Apparently Caroll Shelby (Was his design) only made 347 of that model, in that color, in my year. I have number 104 out of 347 and there are only about 200 of this one left in good condition, that hasn't been gutted out for track usage or "clapped out" ricer'd.

 

Very cool. When I was looking for a squarebody chevy, I couldn't understand how the prices keep going up. Then a guy said, just like you, that there are fewer and fewer around and even though there may be less people interested in them, the demand is still outpacing the dwindling supply.

But I do think that eventually the bottom will drop out. I could be wrong, but I don't think there are as many millennials interested in old vehicles as are/were baby boomers. And when the boomers are done buying, I believe the market will drop some. Of course I have seen a shift during my years of car craziness. The 30's cars are dropping in value and the muscle cars are astronomical. Squarebody chevy's are through the roof pushing people into the OBS years which are now increasing in price. A few years ago XJ's were relatively cheap. Not so much now. But we make look back to 2022 5 years from now and think that XJ's were cheap.

If we only had a crystal ball...

 

Love the Stealth, man! That's the better Mitsubishi 3000GT, in my opinion. I too have a rare "badge engineering" car (2006 Saab 9-2x aero 5MT which less than 250 were made) so I get it.

 

I'm only Gen X, farr off from the Boomer Generation... I love the older cars though.

 

It's fun and priceless when the Subaru and Nissans try to go on the highway and you just take off. It's a GTC car, NOT a rally or "drift-boi", it's sole purpose is high speed runs, not drag racing.

 

I had just bid on that Cherokee. I stopped at $13K. I'm just trying to have no car payment and some people just want toys. I just found a 1998 Cherokee not too far from me with 94K miles. It also has a Rough Country lift. I would eventually replace it, but what would be something to immediately add to it? I know a front adj TB is needed.

 

I watched that auction. I was going to comment on their choice of lift etc, but kept my mouth shut. It's up to the buyer to do there own research and determine a fair value. That seller has listed at least one other XJ with similar mods and will continue as long as he/she makes money doing it. I have sold on BaT and bid (not bought), and it has definetly changed dramatically. It is rare to find any bargains and most sell for more than there true value when you take into account the premium and shipping costs. I have always contended and have been told by others that shill bidding is the norm for certain popular vehicles. I don't believe it was a factor here, but it's a small price to pay if a certain group wants to esculate the percieved value of particular vehicle and difficult to prove for the most part. Not much to complain about here, BaT just lists the vehicle and doesn't promote their listings. If you you don't like it don't look.

 

This is part of my motivation. I will be retiring in 5 years or so and we need two cars since my wife's is old and fairly worn and I drive a company car. We can't afford two car payments now, and not one during retirement.

So our plan is to buy her something nice in the next year or so (hopefully!), have it paid off when I retire. In the meantime, I will work on getting a Cherokee back to like new condition while I am still working with the hope that I will have a decent vehicle in my retirement years.