tiiimay

hey guys, still trying to find the right cherokee for me.

Ive been on the hunt for a 5speed for a few months now, and ive found a 1999 I6 4x4 160k for 1750$

ive been told there is no damage or problems so i will be taking a look at it tomarow.

question is, what should i look for to help me gauge the condition of this vehicle? what to listen for so on.

i know there was a buying guide of some sort on here but i cant find it for the life of me much as i search.

i know to look for rust in the rockers and floor plans, but what else?

hopefully my search ends tomorrow.

superj

normal stuff when buying a vehicle.

91 limited owner

Look it up in "Kelly Blue Book" for your area. Here's the site (http://www.kbb.com/?trid=20&psid=1-1...8_3568803709_1 ) It will give you a idea, of pricing. Good luck to you.

BlueXJ

Keep us in the loop. We want to see the new XJ.

Tural

here's a post that i made on somebody else's questions. it might have SOME useful information for ya:


it all depends on what's important to you. i personally don't like the interior of pre 97. it looks too retro. however, people say pre 96 handles lift kit better. i have no problem with my '99.
a big win would be an 87 88 89 90 with a factory tow package, because they have dana 44 axles stock. but as far as i know, not all of them have d44's.
but in this case, you get good axles on a 20+ year old vehicle.
a lot of people will agree that '99 was the best year of cherokee. I 100% agree with that. but i don't have extensive experience with other year models.
if you wanna put a lift kit on it, try to find one that doesn't have a dana 35 rear axle. they are the weakest link of an excellent drivetrain. all ABS models have d35 rear axle stock. i have d35 with 31 inch tires and i've had zero problems. but a whole lot of people I know have broken axle shafts on a d35 while heavy wheeling with larger than stock tires.
Chrysler 8.25 is the next best option to Dana 44. 97+ had 29 spline axle shafts, which are stronger than pre 97 27-spline shafts.
common leaks are valvecover and oil pan. not a big deal at all. a slight wetness on the transfer case and rear differential is acceptable. these are good points to bring up while trying to bargain on the price.
most parts and gaskets are very cheap.
96+ had OBDII. more power. pre 96 is Renix motor, 96+ is PowerTech motor. PowerTech is slight bit easier to troubleshoot.
to me personally, 2000 and 2001 is a NO NO. low pinion front differential. distributorless ignition (more electronics). head cracking issues.
in '99 they redesigned the intake manifold for better flow, and if you find one used, you can put it on any other years.
NP 242 transfer case had a full time 4wd and part time 4wd positions.
NP 231 has only part time 4wd.
people seem to prefer NP 231. i have NP242 and i like being able to put it in 4wd full time on the highway when it's slippery because of rain or snow. you can drive on 4wd full time all the time regardless of terrain or speed.
to sum up, 4.0 is a bulletproof motor, AW4 is a bulletproof transmission, NP 231 and 242 are bulletproof transfer cases, Chrysler 8.25 is a good rear axle for running less than 33" tires, Dana 30 high pinion front axle will hold up to most abuse.
i'm sure somebody will disagree with some of this info. it's always a good idea to get more than one opinion.
most of what i've wrote is based on my rig '99 Cherokee classic, Dana 35, NP242, 31's, ABS, new style intake...

ken72

The number one thing to do is drive it and use your common sense. Dont let yourself get too excited and over look the important things. Look for leaks, check the A/C, listen to any banging or clanking in the engine. Check the brakes and look at the rotors. You want to check anything that will cause you to spend more money up front. Example, when I purchased mine, I knew it had a small oil leak, I could deal with that and I Knew the check engine light was on for evap leak. All things I Knew I could deal with on my own. But I did not realize the rear brakes were in such bad shape, and I did not know there was an oil leak from the rear axle leaking into the rear brakes. Cost me over $800 to fix, that was days after dropping $3500 on buying the jeep. If I could do it again, I would have taken it to a mechanic to look it over before buying it. If you are not ready to turn a wrench and learn your own mechanic work then you need to be very picky.

tiiimay

so i checked it out. Lots of rust. it was a small used dealership, and the guy had tried to patch the rockers with some kind of sheet metal and rubber bed liner type spray. it was very obvious. so bad that their was a clear line from the masking he oversprayed. on top of that the drivers floor pan was rusted through, leaf springs were reverse bowed, and the radio had some weird wiring problems.

got the guy to go down to 1300. not sure if its worth it with the repair needing to be done. drivetrain seemed solid overall. dana 35 on the rear. brake seemed decent.

over all opion was that the guy trying to pull a fast one on the half assed rocker repair made me have a general lack of trust on the rest of the vehicle.

thoughts?

96_xj

you actually have a chrysler 8.25 =]


and the rust is a common issue. Pretty easy to repair, just time consuming, How much was it originally? i would say it would be worth it, pending no other issues

ken72

The price aint bad, but how much money do you have to fix that rust? I hate rust and run from it myself, but here in Tennessee we dont have to deal with it that much either.

tuxfan212

Doesnt seem like a bad deal especially taking into account the dramatic price skyrocketing on used vehicles since Cash for Clunkers. I would say its a pretty good deal especially for a 5 speed. Rust can be fixed for fairly cheap just time consuming.

jmm0122

5 speed

tiiimay

im kind of surprised by all the positive feedback. i have no problem fixing up some rust, i have a mig at home, i just wouldnt want it to become too big of a project.

do you think if he's trying to hide these flaws that there may be others covered up around the vehicle? the rear made a bit of a clunk as i went into gear, but that may have been because im not used to this particular clutch.

i just got an over all kind of sketchy vibe from things.

so the axle is like second best as far as they go tho? since its not a 35 does that mean there is no abs on that car?

Tural

time will tell the rest my friend. i think you won. i seriously do. that drivetrain is worth about 1300. so you basically got the rusty body for free. not that hard to fix.

tuxfan212

My 8.25 makes clunking sounds too. I have a 5 speed. Quite personally no dealer is going to try and sell a car that has visible rust spots without covering them up. I wouldnt worry about it much but if you are concerned you could have a reputable mechanic look at it as well.

tiiimay

well im pretty sure ive decided to go another route with this. I really dont have time for a project car so i think im going to try and find something with a younger motor and less rot. if i wasnt away at school 100 miles from my garage id be very into this. I think ive given up on the manual, but by doing so i can be picky about everyhting else. thanks for the input guys, helped alot. If anyone is interested in that jeep let me know ill send you the link, it was in NH