Lancaster 4.0

Hey guys. I've been a lurker here on CF while I have been searching for the right Cherokee to buy. I think I may have found the one that I'm looking for. Here is the link.

http://reading.craigslist.org/ctd/2063467177.html



Please check it out and give your opinions. Btw could you guys give me ideas on what to look for when I go to see it tomorrow? Thanks and much appreciated.

Lancaster 4.0

Caish

I would check it for RUST underneath and Blow-By and take it for a long drive pulling some hills to make sure it doesn't heat at all.
Then I would pay $1250 for it.
If it heats at all good chance its cracked/warped a head.

Lancaster 4.0

RUST will be the first thing that I will look for. Judging by the exterior photos listed, i'm thinking that it looks in fairly good condition (rust wise). Thanks for the input about the blow-by. I hadn't really thought about that at all.

Im still wondering what the catch is. I mean it is inspected so I can't imagine anything too bad is wrong with it but you never know.

Once again thanks for the input.


Lancaster 4.0

96xj4x4

it looks to be in really good shape from the pictures. if the floor boards are not rusted out i'd say get it. personally a jeep like this would be worth putting money into, it does have high miles but its nothing that some maintenance or a whole new engine can't fix

Lancaster 4.0

That's what I was thinking. I love the wood trim and the overall classic look of this jeep, so the engine condition isn't that much of a concern with me at this point because of the low low price. As long as the rust is under control I think I'm going to buy it.

Oh btw, I have never bought a car from a dealer before. What should I expect as far as BS they might throw at me?


Thanks

Lancaster 4.0

OOdynamite

When I got my cherokee I wasn't BS'd that bad, and I had my mechanic look at it on the lift before I bought it.

Caish

Walk in with CASH if you have it and make him a ridiculous offer, $750 and make sure you note that its going to need blah blah blah. Then be prepared to pay his $1250, but I would bet you could get it for $1000 if your not in there drooling over it like you can't live without it.
Negotiating is using the bad parts to drive down the sellers asking price to a price you want to pay.
In this economy many small dealers are struggling to just get people on the lot much less people with cash. So don't go in there with the attitude he is doing you a favor for being there. If he wants your money he should be willing to deal.

mdcmn7

The answer would also be what its purpose is, and how handy are you with tools? If you are going to heavily modify it, then you will probably be OK with some stuff being wrong if you will change it anyway

A Daily driver would change things a bit, also how much you will do yourself will also change things. Keep in mind that these things are pretty simple to work on, and parts are cheap and available. There are a few really good u-pull it junk yards here in PA that can keep you well stocked. Usually a simple set of tools is all that is necessary

Scour that thing for rust. Get underneath and look at all of the nooks and crannies. Mine is a 98 and the body was rust free, but over a decade of PA salt has rusted a lot of my suspension stuff. A 91 has had a few more winters to get rusty.

Also get underneath and look for leaks. The 4.0 is a leaky engine; valve cover, oil filter adapter and rear main seal are normal culprits. Look for oil near the rear of the oil pan/tranz, that is where the rear main would be. It isnt too expensive if you can do it yourself, but it can be a lot if you need to take it to someone. Look at the transmission, see if there are any leaks. Hopefully it has a trans cooler. With that trailer hitch, if he did any towing at all without a trans cooler I would walk away.

While you are under it, if you can bring someone with you have them turn the wheel back and forth. watching your tie rods, track bar and suspension components can give you and idea of how worn the steering is. You may feel it by driving it, but looking at it is always good. Again some of the stuff is an eazy fix, and not too expensive if you can do it yourself, but why spend money if you dont have to. If you have to take it to a shop you are looking at some $$$$ to fix

Check all the fluids and air filter. If a 4.0 with 212k miles on it was well maintained then could last you for a while yet. if the fluids are good it doesent guarantee you anything, but it may be an indicator.

If you are comftorble doing it, ask the guy ahead of time if he is ok with you pulling out a few spark plugs. A plug is a good indicator of the condition of the engine. Clean plug = well running engine. also see if it is ok to pull some wheels. Taking a good look at a front and a rear brake, axle, wheel hubs, knuckles etc will also tell you a lot about the jeep, plus knowing the condition of your brakes is always a plus

Bottom line is this is a 20 year old Jeep with high miles. Some people maintain and baby their cars, while others beat them. If it is well maintained then you could have an awesome Jeep with some good life left in it. If it isnt, then you will have a money pit.

If you bring a camera along you can take some pics of the motor, or anything you see that might be odd. Post them up here before you make a decision. The guys on this forum love to make comments and provide opinions.

Chuck

96xj4x4

those are my thoughts too. i love that look and the price is low enough that you'll probably have a couple extra bucks to spruce her up.... as far as dealer BS goes, i've never purchases a vehicle from one

mdcmn7

You probably wont get too much crap from the dealer. The jeep is $1250 and 20 years old. He wont try and sell you monogramed floor mats.

If you go in with CASH, know what you are willing to pay, and check out the vehicle you should be fine.

Svrider

Well i like the look of it, def check it out before you buy it. bring a second opinion always when you look at it. but honestly i think you might be able to find a better deal! but it is a good deal i will say. try and bring em down offer em $800 see if they take it

I only say that cause i bought mine for $800 stock. check out my pics im only into mine around $3000 cause of modifications, tires, lift, and tune ups. I still havent added stuff ive purchased so its in the works

Tural

start it, let it warm up and see if it idles low, if it does, tell the man that it's gonna need some work to get it idling right.
drive it a bit and give it all it has, then check the cat, if it looks rusted (i.e. not new), tell him it's gonna need a new cat.
any time he says words like - it's got power seats, or the cruise control works great, tell him that you don't care about that at all, you're not buying a cadillac.
don't toy with the guy too much, because at some point he's tired of agreeing with you that the vehicle is not worth much.
i'd say bring the price down to 850 and call it a day. it's probably worth 1250, but my guess is, a cash in hand will keep him attracted.
after all, i bough a '97 in better shape and less miles for 2k about 2 weeks ago.

WAGNER92

It looks like a really clean jeep. little bit of high mileage though.. and don't know if i like the wood style. but thats up to you..

OHHNOES

I would love to buy that Briarwood. It looks just like mine did. The leather seats are easy to get the mud off of.

Stu46

Hi

Looks a little low on the rear end I would look carefully at the leaf springs if flat or nearly flat will need replacing!

Stuart