Where have all of the clean XJ's gone?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 71
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Model: Cherokee
Where have all of the clean XJ's gone?
I'm looking to buy a super clean 1998-2001 Cherokee 4 door and I'm not having much luck on Craigslist, Ebay or Cars.com so I'm getting discouraged. My brother is also buying one after he sells his 94. I've got a '14 Rubicon now but I'm wanting to get into an XJ as a toy/project/daily driver
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 918
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From: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L HO
I'm looking to buy a super clean 1998-2001 Cherokee 4 door and I'm not having much luck on Craigslist, Ebay or Cars.com so I'm getting discouraged. My brother is also buying one after he sells his 94. I've got a '14 Rubicon now but I'm wanting to get into an XJ as a toy/project/daily driver
You may have better luck in the summer, almost no one sells a 4WD vehicle in the winter. If you live a place where salt/rust is common you may have a lot better luck finding a clean one if you look a few hundred miles to the south (to where salt/snow is less common) if you don't mind driving for it.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 71
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Model: Cherokee
Yeah true. I can wait but I hate waiting haha. I might just start asking people I see driving them around if they want to sell theirs. I see A LOT of them here in Austin, Texas every day but never wanted to bother people.
CF Veteran
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,132
Likes: 356
From: Andover, VT
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0 L
You gotta remember that even the newest XJs are 14 years old now. Clean, low-miles rigs aren't getting more common. Since you're in Texas I think you'll definitely be able to come across one. It's a lot harder up here in the rust belt.
CF Veteran
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,353
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From: Missoula, MT
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6 Stroker, AFE Headers, 62mm TB, 24 LB Injectors, Brown Dog kit, HF Cat, 3" Exhaust
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CF Veteran
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Houston Tx.
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2012
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From: Racine, WI
Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Below is something I recently wrote to someone complaining about not being able to find any clean, low-mile XJ's anymore and blaming the CARS program for killing so many XJ's....
C4C did a lot, but it's over. It did its damage, and it's done. Thoughtless mods, abuse, and neglect continue day after day. While I still see a lot on the road, it's getting pretty rare that I see one that isnt't a rotten/cut-up/bang-up piece of junk.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm more upset about C4C leading to the destruction of some very rare vehicles. Technically it's the fault of the idiots who C4C'd them and not the program's fault, but still. http://wot.motortrend.com/crushing-t...kers-5458.html http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/s...served-better/
I feel that your attitude is dangerous. Laying blame primarily on something like C4C can lead to dodging our responsibility to keep the vehicle we love alive. Your attitude of "there are still plenty; don't worry about it," isn't going to work forever. I'd rather not see that day that XJ's like mine are hard to find.
I will say that complaining about not finding a low-mile XJ is absurd. It's been 14+ years; it's stupid to complain that there aren't enough people who bought them just to let them sit in a garage accumulating little to no mileage all this time. Who really cares about finding a low-mileage XJ anyway? These things are about as "mileage-proof" as can be.
P.S. There were more than just hundreds of thousands of XJ's built--millions.
P.P.S.
26,996 XJ's were destroyed by C4C. That's less than 1% of all XJ's ever made.
448 MJ's. One fourth to one third of one percent (161,201).
22,852 ZJ's. 1.8% of all ZJ's ever made (1,251,473).
6,944 WJ's. Less than one half of one percent (1,428,095).
2,423 YJ's. Less than one half of one percent (557,412) (I've also seen 632,231).
1,075 TJ's. About one fifth of one percent (603,303).
Source: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulati...ta+and+Reports
As far as I'm concerned, I'm more upset about C4C leading to the destruction of some very rare vehicles. Technically it's the fault of the idiots who C4C'd them and not the program's fault, but still. http://wot.motortrend.com/crushing-t...kers-5458.html http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/s...served-better/
I feel that your attitude is dangerous. Laying blame primarily on something like C4C can lead to dodging our responsibility to keep the vehicle we love alive. Your attitude of "there are still plenty; don't worry about it," isn't going to work forever. I'd rather not see that day that XJ's like mine are hard to find.
I will say that complaining about not finding a low-mile XJ is absurd. It's been 14+ years; it's stupid to complain that there aren't enough people who bought them just to let them sit in a garage accumulating little to no mileage all this time. Who really cares about finding a low-mileage XJ anyway? These things are about as "mileage-proof" as can be.
P.S. There were more than just hundreds of thousands of XJ's built--millions.
Number of XJ's built in given year:
1984 - 93,326
1985 - 120,328
1986 - 107,225
1987 - 139,295
1988 - 187,136
1989 - 207,216
1990 - 151,230
1991 - 151,578
1992 - 137,826
1993 - 144,961
1994 - 123,391
1995 - 120,234
1996 - 286,463
1997 - 258,958
1998 - 182,845
1999 - 186,116
2000 - 165,590
2001 - 120,454
Total = 2,884,172
1984 - 93,326
1985 - 120,328
1986 - 107,225
1987 - 139,295
1988 - 187,136
1989 - 207,216
1990 - 151,230
1991 - 151,578
1992 - 137,826
1993 - 144,961
1994 - 123,391
1995 - 120,234
1996 - 286,463
1997 - 258,958
1998 - 182,845
1999 - 186,116
2000 - 165,590
2001 - 120,454
Total = 2,884,172
Number of MJ's built in given year:
1985 - 29,245
1986 - 33,386
1987 - 43,070
1988 - 43,718
1989 - 25,311
1990 - 9,576
1991 - 5,188
1992 - 952
Total = 161,201
1985 - 29,245
1986 - 33,386
1987 - 43,070
1988 - 43,718
1989 - 25,311
1990 - 9,576
1991 - 5,188
1992 - 952
Total = 161,201
26,996 XJ's were destroyed by C4C. That's less than 1% of all XJ's ever made.
448 MJ's. One fourth to one third of one percent (161,201).
22,852 ZJ's. 1.8% of all ZJ's ever made (1,251,473).
6,944 WJ's. Less than one half of one percent (1,428,095).
2,423 YJ's. Less than one half of one percent (557,412) (I've also seen 632,231).
1,075 TJ's. About one fifth of one percent (603,303).
Source: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulati...ta+and+Reports
Last edited by mschi772; Mar 2, 2015 at 05:28 AM.
::CF Moderator::
Joined: Aug 2011
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From: Prescott, Az
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
::CF Moderator::
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 43,971
Likes: 1,578
From: Prescott, Az
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 91
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From: Lancaster, PA
Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
If you're patient and just keep looking you'll find something. I see plenty of clean stock XJs around yet and I'm in a somewhat rust prone area of the country. The said, others are right however, for every clean one I see several that are either rusted out and beat up. Maybe consider throwing a WTB ad up. Never know, maybe someone will see it and know of someone who will sell but isn't advertising etc...
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 417
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From: Hickory, NC
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee(XJ)
Engine: 4.0 L
If you're patient and just keep looking you'll find something. I see plenty of clean stock XJs around yet and I'm in a somewhat rust prone area of the country. The said, others are right however, for every clean one I see several that are either rusted out and beat up. Maybe consider throwing a WTB ad up. Never know, maybe someone will see it and know of someone who will sell but isn't advertising etc...