Dr. XJ

I am going to see a guy tomorrow for a 2000 Cherokee Sport with ~150k miles on it. It is listed for $4100. One owner, garage kept, service records, clean carfax. From the pics, it seems to be in superb condition. Assuming my inspection checks out tomorrow, is paying over 4 grand worth it? I realize this could go for another 150k but it could also not... I was going to offer $3700 but I don't want to low ball the guy and honestly the XJ seems worth it. I've only dealt with Wranglers (some amazing, some nightmarish) and thus, any input is appreciated. Thanks.

downs

In my area assuming that was a 4x4 and if he actually has maintenance records, and it's not rusted out that would be a good deal. Clean unmolested 4x4s are getting hard to acquire around here for reasonable money. Even 4x4 XJs with major problems like blown head gaskets or dead transmissions are going for 1 to 2 grand. I'd offer 4,000 if he's not willing to come off his price by 100 bucks I dunno.

TrailerTrash

Around my area that isnt too bad of a price. Yeah it's an older vehicle and its alot of money but if that's what they go for and that's what you want then just do it. I would much rather pay the money for a nice XJ that's in great shape than pay less and deal with rust and other major issues. Well that's assuming I am looking for a nice one. If I'm looking for a project that is different.

Around here a 150k mile garage kept xj might be on craigslist for 5 or 6k. I've seen it. Whether or not they sold for that I couldn't say though.

Check it over really good and take a friend or 2 if you can for a 2nd set of eyes to look up and down.

third coast

$4k range is a good price IF it is in good condition. If rust free, in excellent original condition, 1 owner and with records it could go for $6k or more. You probably know that the '00 and '01 have the 0331 head that is prone to cracking if it overheats at all. Things I would look for:

* Inspect for more that light surface rust on door bottoms, passenger side foot well area above exhaust system, rocker panels, floor pan directly behind front wheels, floor pan inboard of the rear wheel housing, rear wheel housing seam area

* Oil pressure hot at idle

* Signs of coolant in oil, sludge on oil fill cap, evidence of stop leak in coolant

* Recent new radiator, electric fan, water pump or other cooling system work may indicate overheating issues

* Wires typically break going to front door speakers – a relatively easy fix

* Door locking system gets erratic

The biggest potential risk is the head/engine. If the owner will give you the opportunity performing a combustion gas test of the radiator and an oil analysis will minimize concern of paying more than it is worth. If all is reasonable I would pay $4k to $5k without hesitation. It will likely sell quickly.

Ralph77

These threads keep on popping up. And I am conflicted. I would love to think my '00 could be worth close to that. But I do not see how.
third coast brings up many good points to check. Especially when it comes to '00 and '01.
But even if it all checks out $4100? I think something like this is more in line price wise. Plus it is a '99. Better year IMO.

https://newyork.craigslist.org/stn/c...867707350.html

Looks OK in the pictures. Upon closer inspection who knows. 187K is still not that high. Especially for a '99 4.0.

My '00. Bought it for $1500 about 7 years ago. Kind of running and not driveable. Nothing crazy. 147K.
Surface rust issues on the roof and hood. Bottom of the passenger side doors were kind of eh.
Floors are in really good shape from what I can tell. Never had the entire carpet ripped out to get a good look though.
The dog leg on the passenger rear quarter behind the door was rotted some. Still more then enough there to hold the fender flare.
Had some of the normal issues. Needed brakes, radiator, new AC Compressor.
I don't regret buying it one bit but to this day think I overpaid just a little. Was kind of a spur of the moment purchase.
My point is I think you can do better if you are patient and put in the leg work.

downs

Clean stock XJ availability 7 years ago was far better than it is today or even a year ago. Again your mileage may vary in your area of the country. But around here a clean stock 4x4 XJ is a rarity with most being sold having had sawsalls and zip wheels taken to them. I bought my 4th one last year and felt lucky to get the price I did on it because the owner wasn't a Jeep guy he just had it for transportation to and from work.

My brother has been looking for one he lives about 3 hours west of me. He hasn't had much luck and it's starting to look financially viable now to buy a 2wd and convert it to 4wd. Clean 2wd XJs are are still pretty cheap around here with 2 grand getting you a really clean one in some instances.

Waynerd

It’s like I keep saying. Some people think their XJ is more valuable than it really is and then some people are more rational and know they aren’t. For instance I just looked up some 01 xj’s For sale nation wide. For 10-11 thousand dollars the mileage ranges from 39,000 to 101,000. And the lowest mileage one isn’t even the high east priced. All of these are clean as far as pictures can tell. 39,000 miles I would pay that price. 100,000 never in a million years. Any way 3-6k is reasonable for one with the mileage you’re talking about. Of coarse the higher priced ones would either be clean and modified well or an extra clean stocker, possibly limited or country.

Waynerd

Another thought for all these people trying to buy clean Cherokees. If you don’t have a good dry or heated garage and live where it rains and snows. And you also have kids or frequently carry passengers. Or daily drive it or use it for work. After 5 years or so your clean vehicle is no longer a clean vehicle. So unless you’re actually buying it as a collector item then it’s not worth paying a lot.

6 years ago we bought an 01 that was a one owner, not a speck of rust or blemish. The first two years it stayed that way. Then it started getting a lot of rock chips. The paint behind the wheels was nearly sandblasted off. Gaskets started leaking. Joints started wearing and suspension sagging. After 5 years and 60 thousandd miles it started to rust on one rocker and dog leg. A door hinge weld broke. Trailer hitch and the bolts started rusting. Bumpers started rusting etc. I was constantly cleaning it. Clay bar and waxing. Even waxing door jambs. I was under it every other week spraying spots with penetrating oil. Trying to keep the rust at bay and keep it clean was a lot of work. Even then it was a losing battle. Even the side of the drivers seat bottom finally began tearing. It was still pretty clean for a 220,000 mile vehicle but I couldn’t do it anymore and finally sold it. If I ever buy another clean one it’ll be lightly used and garaged. I’ll stick to the less clean ones for actually driving lol.

third coast

Waynerd brings up an excellent point - know how you want to use it. A pristine original condition Jeep is not a great choice for a daily driver as it will negatively impact the long term value and likely not be as reliable as you might need. Prices on lower mileage original condition Jeeps are increasing to the point of some being close to being considered collector vehicles. A look at the number and sell price of excellent condition Cherokees that are showing up on bringatrailer.com collector car auction site backs this up.

Also have a realistic understanding of how much work you want to do and can do yourself. Any vehicle 18 and more years old will typically need either a lot of catch up work initially or ongoing work to keep it in top condition. If you are paying someone to do most of the work it will likely become costly to the point that you will start delaying basic maintenance and repair work. In my view properly owning any older vehicle requires the time and skill to do the research and work to properly maintain and preserve it. The older Cherokees in great original condition are becoming rare and more valuable. I personally hate to see them cut up or neglected. In another 5 years you will be surprised where the prices will be for excellent condition Cherokees.

I am keeping an eye out for an excellent condition Red '91 through '96 Cherokee Laredo and likely will have to pay over $6k if I find one.

Dr. XJ

Thanks for all the input everyone. The XJ sold within 2 hours of the post, before I could get over there to even take a look haha. Kinda salty about it as I had been having back-and-forth convo with the guy about coming the next day. Oh well, I guess this thread proves clean XJ's get swallowed up quick.

On a different note, what are your guys' thoughts on engine rebuilds? Around me I see XJ's for sale all the time with 250k + body mileage with a new(ish) inline 6 dropped in it. My thought (based on previous Wrangler experience) is to avoid like the plague but I'm fairly new regarding XJ's and thought I'd get other people's input. Obviously I would need to see the papers on who did the swap, still need maintenance records and see about the rust condition, but my gut tells me that new engine or not, any jeep nearing 300k is a money pit and that I should stay away.

Thoughts?

Dr. XJ

Of note, I do plan on using as a daily driver.

Ralph77

A mechanic friend once said to me. Give me a good body, good glass, and a good interior. Anything else I can fix. One of the reasons I bought the '00, Not a pristine body but pretty damn good for New England where they use that chlorine crap on the roads. Interior had normal wear and tear for what it was. Glass was fine. I think that is what you should be looking for. I would rather handle the new(ish) engine myself for example. Then I would know.