Dukcaln

Hello all,

I am either purchasing a 1997 Cherokee sport with 160k miles, in line 6. nice condition with aftermarket wheels and tires and stock condition. Has stereo and basic interior. Clean car fax 3 owners. Dark green ext with black cloth. Nice clean in and out. no leaks. asking 4k but says 3500 he will let it go. Just replaced motor mount and cat.

cons, no lift, basic interior

or a 1998 grand Cherokee Limited. 180k miles. Blackish/grey. inline six motor but still with the leather interior which is absolutely flawless. leather seats 3 1/2" full suspension lift with 2"spacers(done right from shop aligned and everything.tranny drop, extended aftermarket off road trailing arms ect...) 33" tires, black steel wheels. have all service records and receipts. 4 Hella offroad lights hooked up in front. full aftermarket alpine stereo system with amp and 10" sub. engine is so clean it looks new. this jeep was taken care of. all fluids changed and flushed and serviced including tranny and rear diff. jks disconnectible sway bars. flowmaster exhaust. clean car fax, 6 owners! asking 5k but will take 4300.

Con, driveline in front detached. owner claims to achieve better milage. says he has owned a year and never installed it as it was off from the guy he bought it from. I suspect maybe it needs to be extended cause of the lift.

please let me know the pro or cons of each. Different body style I know, different options too, but for the $$$ which is the best deal

ZINGGG

Not buying an already lifted XJ is by no means a con. You're buying someone elses problems if you buy an already lifted XJ. Trust me, I know from experience. Buying it stock allows you to modify it how you want it.

And I'd be extremelyyyyyy surprised if it honestly had no leaks. That'd be quite impressive.

What do you mean basic interior being a con? What's basic about it and what do you consider not basic?

And if you're looking to buy a ZJ lifted 5.5 inches, you're definitely buying someone elses problems. Is it really in flawless shape? Did you look at it already and make that determination yourself? The fact that the front DS is removed is a red flag to me. Like there may be something wrong with the 4x4, front diff, etc.

Dukcaln

1996 sport, thanks for the honest reply. I too am concerned that the drive line is off. Would there be a problem with the front diff or transfer case that wouldn't show under driving conditions with the drive line off anyway?

Cons I mean, for a 17 year old son when I was referring to interior and lift. My son would like it lifted and if we bought a stock height one we would lift right away.

buying one lifted and done by a shop wouldn't be a bad thing, but you right I have not seen the ZJ, but I have seen and drove the XJ. Is in great condition, clean drives well and no leaks I could see. The ZJ is 3 hours away an I have only have seen pis and talked to the guy.

Dukcaln

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ZINGGG

The thing is, people are full of **** and I highlyyyy doubt the ZJ is in as perfect shape as the guy says. Highly. Doubt. I mean, it appears to be in good shape but pictures are deceiving. If it were me, I wouldn't even consider the 3 hour drive for it.

The way I see it, the XJ is $800 cheaper than the ZJ. You know it is in good shape, you've already seen/driven it. You don't have to drive far for it. You buy the XJ and you have the $800 extra that you would have spent on the ZJ to put on a nice 3" lift. You can definitely get a quality Rubicon Express lift for that price too (don't have to skimp on a crappy Rough Country lift).

The main thing is that I'm sure the ZJ has its problems and you'll need to put money in it right off the bat to get it up to par. I think you'd be putting a lot more in that right away than you would the XJ

Dukcaln

my main concern on the ZJ is the fact the front driveline is off. the owner states for better gas mileage. what should I look for with that? claims the previous owner had it that way so he left it like that. I take it the front diff is fine but maybe the transfer case has issues or the driveling vibrated once lifted or needs extended?

what do you think about the drive line, what could be the issues.

Bustedback

I would pass on the ZJ. Six different owners that have put their hands on everything and possibly doing hack work is a huge red flag for me. Plus, buying a 17 year old boy in a lifted Jeep is not a good idea. Think back to when you were 17. He'll have more respect for a vehicle that he has to earn the money for in order to modify it.

XJNVA

Hey, nothing wrong with 17 year olds in lifted jeeps lol! But like was said earlier, I would buy the stock XJ, and have you and your son work on it, and build it up from scratch. Just make sure he pays for almost everything! He'll have a much greater appreciation for the Jeep, and the work it takes to make it nice. That's exactly what me and my dad did, and it was/is a great experience (it's a never ending project lol). I feel like I honestly wouldn't have the respect for my XJ that I do now if I had bought one pre-made. Plus I have alot of pride in saying "hey, I built that from the ground up." Not alota kids around here can say that.

Sorry for the life story.

andrewmp6

The zj doesn't say anything about being regeared to match the 33s or any steering upgrades.And the front drive shaft taken out is a big red flag to me something wrong with the t case or front axle.And when it comes to lifts brand matters some are good and some are crap.I would buy the xj and build it up my way and research everything before you do it.Research and reviews can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Dukcaln

hey guys thanks for the feed back. I know all about building things, I did with all my trucks, and my son appreciates his previous trucks.. 72 chevy we built. The zj just seems priced right for the mods and the driveline just worries me without seeing it but even then I cant tell probably So all your comments are valid.

the xj is nice and we can lidt cheap. I will travel the distance to see the zj because there is another xj in the same town that just posted on CL. here is the pic and details.I do think he is asking to much. asking is 5500 obo country edition 1997 with 165k miles and 2 inch lift with new tires and wheels. what is it worth

andrewmp6

The other one you found looks good.The price just depends where you live,Look it up on kbb and see what others in its shape sell for around you.And being craigslist all prices are best offer and cash is king too.

ZINGGG

I think that's overpriced. My opinion is still the stock XJ near you.