gerkendave

Hey all I'm new here and new to Jeep's (well sorta, wife and I owned a brand new grand in 2012).
I've always driven pickups and my daily driver (2000 Silverado 1500) finally puked the tranny for the last time, I'm done. Found a 97 xj with about 133000 miles. Tons of work done (shocks, tires, ujoints, looks like new radiator hoses etc). This thing is CLEAN and almost entirely rust free. I know some say to steer clear of the 97 due to electrical problems? How bad of problems are we talking here? Curious what a fair price would be. Guy is asking 4000 for it but I'm sure there is some wiggle there. Any help or insight would be fantastic. Says heat and AC work great.

Tbone289

No reason to shy away from a '97. What area of the country are you from?

gerkendave

​​​​I'm in Nebraska (land of salt and rust) so finding something fairly clean and rust free is a huge pain in the rear. It's actually why I'm looking for something to daily drive again. I really hate to have the Cummins out in that crud! It's the up country package does that help with value? Kbb has blue book just around 3k.

Guy buys used vehicles does the repairs, cleans them up and turns for a profit. Says it came with an envelope full of repairs it's had in it's life. It's about 2 hours from home so I'm trying to gather info before making a drive.

Tbone289

Your description sounds great, but I would try to buy it closer to KBB value. If it's as nice as it sounds, I think I would make the drive. '97-99 are the best years, IMO.

gerkendave

Thanks tbone. I always figure everyone starts high so hoping 3500 would bring it home which puts it within 4-500 of kbb. Anything specific that needs checked? I've heard heat and AC, fan speeds, power windows/locks from all doors then normal underneath, underhood checks. Anything else?

Martlor13

I am honestly starting to think that kbb is not accurate with xjs. They are just so high in demand. I see some here with an asking of 8k. The blue book is like 2500, but they sell for 4k. Big drop from asking, butvstill alot more then inn says. If you are in the northern states, with low miles and clean like you say, I can honestly see the seller getting 6k if he wanted to based off what i have heard on the forum about prices in rust prone areas.

gerkendave

Thank you. He has someone looking at it in the morning says 3500 cash is bottom Dollar. Unfortunately I can't get there before dark tonight so fingers crossed it'll be there tomorrow night

Sota

Hopefully you get it! Post some pics if you do

Tbone289

That does tend to happen as vehicles cross over that "hobbyist" line that the XJ is destined for.

Good luck gerkendave!

Sota

Were you able to get it?

lbiguy7

I am also contemplating an XJ, but they are hard to find values due to so few being sold. It's a '99 Sport, with only 44,000 miles! You read that correctly. One owner - woman bought it so their nanny could drive the kids around to school and shopping, etc. Ii passed the very difficult MD inspection (ok, failed first, then was repaired with new front rotors/pads, master cylinder, a couple of wheel nuts, new windshield and wiper blades). I drove it today and it runs beautifully, tracks straight, stops straight. Interior looks 2 years old, not 18! Body is rust free, frame is solid. Power windows all work, and on and on. It needs a radio antenna and 2 tailgate struts. That's it. They are asking $5,800. KBB says $3,800 for "excellent" private party, but others are with way more miles are listed from $4,500-$5,500 (I only found 3 anywhere close by). I was going to offer $5,000 cash. What do you all experts think? Anything else I should be aware of?

*I have an '02 Wrangler Sport with the auto and 4.0L that has been quite the project. Looking to sell that and start a new "project" with the XJ. I appreciate your input!

EZEARL

WELCOME to CF.

Almost sounds too good to be true. Not saying it isn't! No outstanding problems with the '99 XJ. Check it out.

Sota

I would definitely check it out. I’ve learned that KBB means little when it comes to XJs, as do the opinions of others on what a fair price is. It’s all about what you want and what you’re willing to pay for it. But the people on this forum are loaded with good info and can really help you out when it comes to what to look for when thinking about buying one.

lbiguy7

I forgot to mention that I had a dealer friend pull the Carfax, and low and behold, it is a one owner vehicle, registered in MD for 18 years! I saw the inspection report and the repairs done. Repeat, I drove it up to 55mph and around the neighborhood. It is in amazing condition. So I still have the question of true value and what to offer. Thanks, Sota, hopefully others will weigh in.

Martlor13

depends on area and location. Where im at it would probably go for 5k...other parts of the state's it could go for over 6500 or more