I am in southern california, and it looks like this is the hardest place in the world to find a decent one for sale for a decent price. I really want a 2 door, but they are absolutely impossibly to find here, it seems all good 97-01s sell in a matter of hours, and 90-96 models are way overpriced, and either have automatics or the 4 cyl.

People tell me these things are cheap, pre obd II ones should be under 2k, especially for the 2wd ones like I want, but here that is not the case unless it is an absolute junker. At this point I am ready to give up and go out of state but am worried about driving a long way and the car ending up being junk.

Any tips for picking these things up? Guys tell me they find deals on them all the time, esp the people that own 2-3 of them. Where are they? Honestly at the prices people here are asking (8k for a 1997 with 180k!!) waaay better cars exist.

I don't mind a project at all...I do mind a car that is 2,000 and needs everything including body, or mid 80s automatic 4 doors with 200k for $3500...it is honestly ridiculous

Sorry for the rant guys, just annoying that these things are all over the junkyards (who pay $400 for them) and town, and yet are impossible to find for sale. Finally have the cash to get one, and now I need to come up with virtually double what I planned for.

 

I don't live there and have only visited twice. But, I would say that because of the weather the utility of a Cherokee may not have been a priority when people were looking for a new vehicle.
I paid over $2K for my 1994 because of the condition of the body. Most of the XJ's, of that vintage here, are in a unexceptionable stage of decay (for me).

 

Capitalism. Market demand is greater than supply. You should realize this living in SoCal. Everything is overpriced.

 

The 2-door models are less common than the 4-door models to begin with, so you're already making things difficult there. Also, I believe the majority of Cherokee's produced had automatic transmissions. So if you're willing to get a 4-door with automatic, your chances of finding one for a good price are going to increase.

 

i just bought a 89 256k, auto 4.0 2 door in perfect condition with 3 inch procomp lift and 01 limited icon wheels with 31s BFG KOs for 2200$... he wanted 3500 ( crazy ) i talked him down to 2200$.. after looking for a few months this was the best deal i could find locally here is alink to CL add

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/3454507896.html

 

Nice! You brought him way down. How's it running, btw

 

Look in the Bakersfield area, there are ones for sale everyday.