Any *honest* opinions on what year XJ they like the best and would recommend, and why?

 

2014

 

I prefer the Renix years (87-90) personally. 89 or 90 are the best since they do not have the C101 connector. I personally do not care for OBD1 or OBD 2. If you like the newer body style of the 97-01 XJs then 99 is considered the best year. There are pros and cons of any of the years, but it comes down to what you are looking for.

Being in NY, rust is the biggest problem you will likely have. My 90 XJ has less rust than most XJs around here since mine is originally from southern PA.

 

91-99s are all generally considered good years reliability wise.

Some really like RENIX (87-90) Jeeps some don't, they don't have modern OBD (onboard diagnostics) so "pulling a code" isn't an option, you'll have to diagnose problems manually (get a good multi-meter and learn how to use it if you don't already know).

84-86s have the Chevy 2.8L V6 which is vastly inferior to the AMC 4.0L I6 used in later models (though you aren't likely to find many 84-86s, especially living where they use road salt).

00-01s have the 0331 head issue (all 00-01 4.0L I6s are affected by this not just XJs) which is known to crack if overheated.

99 is often considered the "best" year since it is the newest not affected by the 0331 head issue, but 99s aren't significantly better than 98s or even 97s (though 97 is a "transition" year so it can be more difficult to find the right replacement parts).

97+s have the newer body style (grill, lights, etc.), a much nicer interior, and dual air bags (if that is important to you, 95-96 have a driver air bag only, pre-94s have no air-bags).

As rmoore1031 said being in NY make sure to check it for rust (especially underneath).

 

Yeah, I was considering going out of state and buying. Thanks man, I appreciate the help though. Seems like 97-99 is the best option so far.

 

Yeah, rust is a rather serious issue around here. So, I take it, get a 98 or 99 if I can find them(with out/little rust) or something 86-90's? i have some minimal knowledge in multi-meters, but pretty prone to learning it sooner or later, haha.

 

Come to Arizona to buy one. We don't even know what rust looks like except from pics we've seen on CF.

 

Haha, i'll probably spend more on the Gas or a ticket to get down there, than i will on the Jeep itself. My friend got his Wrangler from Virginia, and it's rust free. It's an early 90's model too. I might go check out some out of state craislistings before i do anything. Depends what i can find here though.

 

Here is the site for the little dealer I bought my XJ from. He buys them at auction in PA and sells them out of his lot in Verona. He lives like 2 miles from The Turning Stone Casino.
Currently he has a 97, 93, and 91 XJ.

http://pacars.us/list.html

 

98...better styling. Usually has C8.25 rear and HP Dana 30. Don't the 99+ have issues with the block cracking?

 

Thanks man, i'll look into that. They have any rust (mainly?)

I've heard some issues while out around about with that, but never seen it.

 

Another thing to think aboit is interior room. I'm a smaller guy (5'6" 155lbs) but feel almost cramped in a 98+ but in my 95 I'm reallll comfy with tons of room


And richmond, va where I am usually has some good listings on cl but do not look in the hamptons roads area because that's all around brackish/salt water.

 

The issue is the head (0331 casting) not the block and it only affects very late 99s, it primarily affects 00-01s. The easiest way to tell if it is affected is to pop the hood and look for coil-packs. If it has a distributor and plug-wires it does not have the 0331 head, if it has no distributor and individual coil-packs (3, each pack is shared by 2 cyls) mounted on the head it has the 0331 head.

 

I'm around 5'7" 120lbs, haha. Honestly, I don't think size is an issue in most of my cases, the real problem will just be seats/How many people i can get in, or how much stuff i can get in. I knew a guy who had a widened back end from the Firewall back, it was an extra 2 inches wide on each side and he was able to fit 4x8 sheets of plywood in it on a slight angle.

And, Richmond seems decent from what i just looked at. There's 1 completely Rust free xj i saw from Buffalo so far (in like 2 or 3 years) but he got T-boned by a Prius. (Those little ****s are sturdy.) So, that's Mothernature and her lovers - 1
Us 10-15 mpg Mudders - 0

Seems like a simple enough task to check for something that could be fatal, haha.

 

Not all 0331 heads crack and most that do crack do so as a result of an overheat, but since you don't know if (or how many times) a used vehicle has been overheated it is a risk, so 00-01s (and the few late 99s that have the 0331 head) are best avoided unless you get a really good deal (a new head is about $500 plus another $400-500 if you get a shop to install it, if it is let go for long enough for coolant contamination of the oil to damage the bearings a reman engine is about $2000 and install will run another $1000 or so).