Just curious what people are paying for a modified xj (lift, tires, engine mods, etc.) Vs. What it would cost for the same vehicle in stock condition

 

Oh so year, model, and anything else to help clarify the discussion

 

usually the same price or lower than a stock XJ. i would never personally buy a lifted/modified jeep unless i was just using it for parts.

 

I pay the same price as a stock Xj. Lift , tires ect ... Don't do crap for resale value

 

They should be the same, but a lot of used car dealers like to try and add value because of the modifications.

 

I bought my 88 in 2009 for like 1600 bucks, BONE stock, put a 4.5 inch lift on it (got used for like 250 bucks), 31" km2s, D44 rear, painted it myself, a few goodies here and there, and sold if for a little over 3k about a month ago. My 98 I paid 1700 for it and it already have a 3 inch lift on it, took it off, replaced with Rubicon Express 4.5 inch lift, and had an offer for it yesterday for 4k. But I dont wanna sell her...im tired of buying fixing and selling. I browse CraigsList every 3 hours or so to see if I can find a deal, it seems like modified vs stock go for about the same price, unless its built "right"...then it tends to go a bit higher. For instance there is a stock 97 on CL now for 2k...then a 97 with a 3.5 inch rubi lift, arb lockers, arb front bumper, warn winch, 35s, and armor for 7k. Price depends on buyer, and the parts you put in your rig..if you cheap out, its not gonna add much value at all, may even take away from the value.

 

Buying a already lifted Jeep. Is like buying a house with a pool. It doesn't add value, and can become a real PITA! But a lot of sellers try to recoup their investment. Unless I knew the Jeep already, and who did what with it. I wouldn't buy it, myself.

 

modified is worth less than stock as far as resale value goes. If you're building something because you think you're gonna flip it for a profit... don't get all suicidal when you lose your ***, cuz that's what gonna happen.

 

No one sells a rig because it's working great. They sell it because they don't want to afford the upkeep anymore. They installed junk parts that are now failing so the value is below stock KBB price. There are exceptions that depend on quality of the parts and what the buyer is will to pay. But usually if it's worth a crap people will part it out or just keep it. I would never buy a modified rig either.

 

I know someone who just sold his 87 wagoneer like mine but mines stock. His had 4.5" lift, lockers, 35", front and rear steel bumpers he made himself with rear swing out tire carrier, roll cage, no interior, and a electric fan setup.. He got 6k for it. Quite a bit more then I could get for my waggy.

 

i bought my jeep for $1500 came with
BFG 33"
Cragar 15" soft 8's black
4.5" Rusty's lift kit
bigger Lower Control arms
4.0ho
aw4 tranny

works just fine, im in the military and alot of people get rid of what they have prior to deployment so when they get back from deployment then they buy something new

the only thing i have found that needed to be changed was the tranny fluid and i did a filter

 

Never pay more for a modified XJ. Stocks are always worth more because they're built from the factory. As soon as you start getting third party hands under there, liability on the previous owner becomes an issue and you don't know if they did everything right. Another factor is that a lot of people that lift Cherokees cut them all up. As soon as you ruin the body of the Cherokee, your value is going way down.

My Jeep was worth a lot when I first bought it, but I'd say after lifting it I still haven't added any value to it.

Depending on the buyer, they may be willing to pay more for it just to save them the time and trouble of buying the parts to do it themselves.

 

You guys make some good points, thanks.

I was thinking back to when I had my first car and my dad would not allow me to do any modifications for fear of lowering its value. Even though my first few cars went to scrap when I was done with them anyway.

 

Bone stock Wagoneers are the most valuable. The only modified XJs that are worth a premium over stock are clean examples that were modified with quality parts and have unhacked body panels. Otherwise, the more original and unmolested the better. The latest ones are the best ones. Stiffer and stronger unibodies and engine blocks, better ignition and fuel injection, etc. Some of the ‘00-‘01s had head cracking issues, but any engine that was going to have that issue has had it by now.

 

This 100%

more often than not when buying someone else's lifted/modified jeep your buying someone else's problem. The quality and thorough work isn't always immediately visible or experienced on a test drive.

I simply won't buy modified jeeps at all from teenagers. IMO most (not all) are simply chasing the illusion of an offroad rig or the image of one. So in the nature of inexperience things are done in short order to achieve that desired end goal while also neglecting maintenance. Or the flipside to that is over investing in mods/equipment that is far beyond the owners driving capabilities or intent and likely an inflated price tag would be attached and still leave the vehicle equally less desirable.