andgott

I've been looking around for a reliable second car, that was still kind of 'fun'. recently, I've been looking at Jeeps- And found a '96 XJ today that I couldn't pass up.

She's only got 177,000 miles- Just broken in! The clutch & related parts are all new, new brakes, all new exhaust. There are a few dents and dings here and there, some faded paint, drivers side door sags a bit (but still opens and closes pretty well!), and a chip or two in the windshield, but overall not too bad- Especially for $1000.00. Its a second owner car, last owner had it for 170,000 of those miles, and took pretty good care of it- VERY meticulous about maintainence.

On to the questions- I am mechanically inclined- I do all the restoration repairs on my boats, including the motors. I plan to do MOST of the work on the jeep as well. I want to get a service manual for it- What is the best one? Am I going to be fine with the Haynes manual, or should I get the chrysler 'factory' book?

The door- It's a 2 door, and the drivers door has a little sag to it. Not a huge problem, but you do have to slam it pretty hard to close. Is this something that could be fixed? Or am I better off not touching it as long as it still works??

I'm sure I'll have other issues as I dig in to things- The radio doesn't work, and neither does the cig lighter, but looking at the manual, I see they are on the same fuse! Let's hope it is all that easy

Anything else I should be looking for?

-Andrew

DagBMX

i have a 1995 Sport, and it's pretty much the exact same jeep as yours (mine is just a 4-door). with the 4.0L HO motors, they usually have a a bit of an issue when it comes to overheating. giving the whole cooling system the once over won't hurt you. if anything, i would recommend checking the hoses, radiator, etc. anyways. i did all that work on mine as well, replaced the radiator and what-not, and it still over heated until i stuck a 160degree thermostat in it and solving the problem once and for all.

as for the door sag, i've heard many owners of the two door models always seem to have that problem. sometimes it may just be an issue of the bolts holding it to the hinge not being as tight as they should have been. easy enough fix.

i personally have the Chilton's manual, and it does fine for me. Haynes is a good manual as well, so you would be fine with that one.


have fun with that bad boy. the motor is awesome in it, and it'll drive like a champ for years.

rweaver138

haynes makes some pretty good manuals, if you want the much more in depth look go with the service manual from the stealership.

never personally owned a 2 door or had to fix the sagging door but i know thats a common problem, im sure someone else will chime in on that.

and as far as your radio and cig lighter, like you said the fuse is the first place to check..

oh and one more thing watch out for leaking oil!

guest02

to the forum!!!

Congrats on your "new" ride!


IMO- I like the Chilton manual, i don't think that's as "dry" as the Haynes. They're both good though!!!


I have a 2 Door as well, and i really think that the doors are way to heavy for their own good. This a very common problem with XJ's, especially with the 2 doors!

If you really feel ambitious... here is a good write-up to repair your hinges.


http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoDoorHinge.htm



Hope this helps.

Rmart30

Factory manuals go more in depth.

Here is the factory TSB fix or the door hinges....... A kit is like $30, B kit is like $43, any jeep dealer can order them.

http://www.i-car.com/pdf/advantage/o...ly/2301702.pdf

andgott

Thanks for the tips! Here's a quick pic-



She passed emissions with flying colors today! I admit I was a TAD worried about that one. But- I couldn't get the title transferred- I need an affidavit signed by the seller since the sale price was so low. They had the book value at almost 3k- Seems high to me.

Today was cleanup day! The previous owners were great when it came to maintenance, but NOT cleaning. This thing was FILTHY. A few hours with the steam extractor and it's ALMOST as good as new, Just a few stains for character!

I did find $2.00 in change, and a nice pocketknife, while I was cleaning, though!

I got a closer look at the drivers side door- I think it's beyond the repair kit- Someone else tried to reinforce the welds, and the new weld has broken as well. So, I think that I'm going to have to bring it in to a body shop and have it welded again.

I topped off fluids (Coolant was a little low, power steering a tad low)- and she's ready for the next 170k miles- Or at least until the weather gets a little nicer so I can do an oil change

-Andrew

DagBMX

lol, nice! always to find out you get extra features you didn't know about. thing looks almost showroom sheen!

guest02

You found a Sweet-*** ride my friend. I'm still grinning from ear to ear from looking at your pic!!!

I'll continue to help figure out what to do with your doors...



Oh Yeah, Sweet ride!!!

andgott

Oh yeah- I consider it the 'cash rebate'.

The photo is a LITTLE deceptive- The clearcoat is peeling in a few spots on the roof and tailgate, but she's in amazing shape for the age/price.

The FILTHY interior had a lot to do with the low price- But that will be a thing of the past soon, thanks to the steam cleaner... It no longer smells like cats and cigarettes- A huge improvement already!!

DagBMX

lol, surly you won't add that on your tax return

andgott

I FINALLY got the title transferred, And I brought it in to the mechanic to have it looked over. I plan to keep it running myself, but had it looked over to make sure I wasn't missing something major that needed attention. It needed a rear brake job (so THAT is the grinding I was hearing from the passenger rear!), a serpentine belt (I suspected that, it was squealing a bit). While they were poking around under the hood, they broke a sensor- which they replaced free.

After the inspection, they told me I got a 'helluva' deal- She's Mechanically perfect, and NO rust anywhere. I'm happy with that!

One thing that came up when they ordered the sensor was that based on the VIN # it was a 1997 model- Which apparently used a different sensor than a 1996 would have. So, I'm going to have to double check when I order parts! I guess some changes were made in '06-'07.

Now I've got to find someplace to weld my door hinges, and I'll be set!