Bustedback

I'm kind of new to the Jeep World, I've had an Exploder, a PowerWagon, and a Toyota, but now I'm looking into getting a Cherokee. Today I looked at a 95 Cherokee that may have a blown head gasket for $375. It had some dents and dings, the interior was full of ashes (I think I may have a lung tumor from opening the door now),there were a few things missing under the hood, and some of the interior trim loked pretty hacked up. It also has 200k on the clock.
Now, should I go ahead and pick this up for cheap and work on it a little bit at a time? I'm a mechanic by trade, but I hate dealing with hacked up junk. Or should I wait and spend some extra coin on a cleaner ready to run rig? I can pick one up at a State vehicle auction for about 1200 bucks. Atleast with the State Cherokees, I know they have been serviced on a pretty regular bassis, and they all seem to have everything working on them. They do lack a full set of gauges though, just idiot lights. They all have less than 160k on the clock. I work for the state as a mechanic and have my eye on one Cherokee that just had the engine replaced with 141k miles on it, it should go to auction at about 150K and I just put some new agressive Goodyears on it.
What should I do guys?
Oh, this will be a daily driver too.

Hommersimpson

do you have a U pull it around ? we have one and theres no less then 25-30 xjs in it... most cash 4 clunkers so most of the engines are trashed... i got one of about 6 that werent trashed..

Reason i say this is... we were lookin for a 4x4 std & we have pets so we needed something to haul them in to... so ofcourse a jeep..... spent 2 weeks looking... drove 80 miles oneway to look at 2 jeeps for 750.00 but both raged out... but could have made one but still would have had to spend money and didnt know if i had a good engine or not...

so after looking around and checking this one jeep out for 1700... we finaly struck deal for 1600.. and we planed at worse a engine... ok well engine was blown...so 150 for engine and 300 in parts for it ... just bearings and gaskets... so we got 2100 in ruffly...

It has new tires... new wheels... new 4.5 lift....clutch.... master/ slave and all new stainless flex brake hoses...

thats like 3000+ the cost of jeep.. this dude had in it.. soooooooo

look around and dont be afrade to buy something thats all ready done up some.. but still needs somthing major like motor... tran or paint....

just my 2 cent

1995XJ_Sport

welcome to the forum. I would say if you know you can get the one you just worked on (100% sure) then wait and get that Jeep, at least you know what has been done with it and know about it. Just my thoughts on it.

crazyXJgirl

I say you should also wait and get a good up and runnen jeep. If you buy one that has issues from billy joe bob... there could be more wrong with it than you think... and it might just become yard junk. When you get a jeep, you wanna ride it immediately... it won't be any fun having to wait for repairs first.

Anyhow, welcome to CF!!!!!

Bustedback

Yeah, I think I'll wait. I really screwed myself when I picked up somebody's halfassed half done Toyota 4x4. I never did get to drive it before I sold it, just a lot of fixing and dreaming. Sometimes being a mechanic psychs you into buying a basketcase that you think you can running by the end of the weekend. My PowerWagon was sitting in a field for 11 years, got it for a grand, put another 4000 into it and never really got to enjoy it. Maybe the 6mpg had something to do with that? Sold it for 2500 to a friend that ended up trading it for a Porche 944. I traded a 2003 Ford Escort for the Toyota that was in the process of having a SAS done. I finished it up and built it into a solid truck, but I needed cash pretty bad and sold it for 1500. So yeah, I think I'll wait and get what I want.

mwdouglas

welcome
i just bought the one i have as my avirar pic for 2200 just like you see it and this is what it came with
lift 7"
rusty's 5" front springs with 2" spacers
custom 5 1/2 leaf pack with 2"shackles
adj. track bar with heavy duty mount bracket
sway bar disconects
rusty's ext. slip yoke
6 degree steel shims
sx 9000 shocks
roof rack with lights
full size spare
kenwood cd player with remote
front speackers sony 6 1/2 rear jl audio 6x9
aw4 tranny 4wd works
1 1/2 wheel spacers
running 33x12.50x15's