A good deal?
#1
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A good deal?
My brother is looking at an MJ that we found sitting in the back yard of a coworker. The guy put in a battery and two front tires and when we stopped back by tonight, we heard it run and my brother rode out the road in it.
From what i gather, its an 86, has the 2.5L and a five speed. Rearend looks like the Dana 35. has the "**** Star" red interior with a bench seat. Idiot cluster, no tachometer. If i remember right it has around 150k miles on the clock.
It needs a brake line and it idles a little rough (guy says its a sensor causing it, even pointed to it, located under the exhaust manifold, and indeed the wires are all broken off) but runs smooth when driving it. He says it has a bit of the death wobble when you hit a big bump in the road or something but going down the road normally it doesn't shimmy or anything. He says the driver's ball joint is probably the source of the problem.
New shocks all around. Bed holds water so there aren't any holes, but it doesnt have a bedliner. As far as rust goes, it looks like the bits above the wheel wells on the bed and the passenger side of the bed below the taillight are it. The driver's floor looks a little lumpy so id wager its a bit rusted as well.
He wants 700 bucks. Is this a good idea?
>WILD CARD- I'm terrible at driving my stick, and it would be my brother's first vehicle
From what i gather, its an 86, has the 2.5L and a five speed. Rearend looks like the Dana 35. has the "**** Star" red interior with a bench seat. Idiot cluster, no tachometer. If i remember right it has around 150k miles on the clock.
It needs a brake line and it idles a little rough (guy says its a sensor causing it, even pointed to it, located under the exhaust manifold, and indeed the wires are all broken off) but runs smooth when driving it. He says it has a bit of the death wobble when you hit a big bump in the road or something but going down the road normally it doesn't shimmy or anything. He says the driver's ball joint is probably the source of the problem.
New shocks all around. Bed holds water so there aren't any holes, but it doesnt have a bedliner. As far as rust goes, it looks like the bits above the wheel wells on the bed and the passenger side of the bed below the taillight are it. The driver's floor looks a little lumpy so id wager its a bit rusted as well.
He wants 700 bucks. Is this a good idea?
>WILD CARD- I'm terrible at driving my stick, and it would be my brother's first vehicle
#2
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fayetteville, NC
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Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
700 bucks ain't bad for a rare truck. If the rust is not terrible I would get it. 4wd???
Last edited by crabmushrooms5; 08-18-2014 at 07:54 PM.
#3
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oh, thats a big one i forgot to mention. 2wd on this MJ.
tires look tiny, i forgot to read what size they are but they are small.
my 80's XJ/MJ knowledge is a bit lacking, so ill ask, could this thing have the dreaded Peugeot tranny? or was that for a later year/different drivetrain?
tires look tiny, i forgot to read what size they are but they are small.
my 80's XJ/MJ knowledge is a bit lacking, so ill ask, could this thing have the dreaded Peugeot tranny? or was that for a later year/different drivetrain?
#5
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Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
oh, thats a big one i forgot to mention. 2wd on this MJ.
tires look tiny, i forgot to read what size they are but they are small.
my 80's XJ/MJ knowledge is a bit lacking, so ill ask, could this thing have the dreaded Peugeot tranny? or was that for a later year/different drivetrain?
tires look tiny, i forgot to read what size they are but they are small.
my 80's XJ/MJ knowledge is a bit lacking, so ill ask, could this thing have the dreaded Peugeot tranny? or was that for a later year/different drivetrain?
#6
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How hard to find are 2.5L parts? i think i heard from somewhere that you can find whole engines pretty cheap because people want to swap 4.0s into their rigs, but im not sure how true that is.
#7
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Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Been told here in CF that everything from the handle to the front bumper caps are almost identical. 2.5 shouldn't be a problem getting parts for. I can think of 2 places that have parts for the 2.5, rockauto and quadratec.
http://www.quadratec.com/jeep-replac....5l-engine.php
rockauto doesn't link well but they got parts
http://www.quadratec.com/jeep-replac....5l-engine.php
rockauto doesn't link well but they got parts
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#8
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Been told here in CF that everything from the handle to the front bumper caps are almost identical. 2.5 shouldn't be a problem getting parts for. I can think of 2 places that have parts for the 2.5, rockauto and quadratec.
http://www.quadratec.com/jeep-replac....5l-engine.php
rockauto doesn't link well but they got parts
http://www.quadratec.com/jeep-replac....5l-engine.php
rockauto doesn't link well but they got parts
#10
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Thread Starter
Unfortunately there isnt a build sheet available for this MJ, so there's no way to know what all goodies the thing has hidden away.
Based on what i know about MJs, it has a D35. From what i saw, it looked like one, and iirc only the metric ton package, or whatever, came with the D44.
My neighbor's parts jeep happens to have the Upcountry package with a '35 in the back... Is it realistic to put the LSD rearend into this MJ?
Based on what i know about MJs, it has a D35. From what i saw, it looked like one, and iirc only the metric ton package, or whatever, came with the D44.
My neighbor's parts jeep happens to have the Upcountry package with a '35 in the back... Is it realistic to put the LSD rearend into this MJ?
#11
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Michigan
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Year: 1987 MJ, 1998 XJ, 1973 J2000, 89 waggy
Model: Comanche (MJ)
Engine: 4.0L H.O
realistically you've found one of the "lesser" of the MJ's to buy in my opinion... 86 has a small difference in the engine bay compared to 87 and up... the firewalls are different and also the radiator core support is different. So say you want to swap a 4.0 in it later... It'll require some space making at the firewall, and also to mount the proper radiator for the 4.0 you'll need to make brackets.
For the price its not too bad, id rock it for a while
For the price its not too bad, id rock it for a while
#12
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#13
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this is a dub question, but do MJs ride at the same height generally as XJs?
does RWD/4WD make a difference in ride height?
I ask because my XJ is at stock height riding on 235/75/15s. I was wondering about how this MJ might sit on similar shoes.
does RWD/4WD make a difference in ride height?
I ask because my XJ is at stock height riding on 235/75/15s. I was wondering about how this MJ might sit on similar shoes.
#14
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Alright, another question. He might be getting ready to buy this thing in a week or two.
There is a parts jeep next door ive been getting parts of of. the guy says i can have whatever i want off of it. Its a '95 XJ, and im wondering if it is worth grabbing the full gauge cluster it has to eventually put on this MJ. I know it will need a speedo cable, and the oil and temp sensors, but would i/he be better off finding a full cluster from an 86 MJ/XJ?
There is a parts jeep next door ive been getting parts of of. the guy says i can have whatever i want off of it. Its a '95 XJ, and im wondering if it is worth grabbing the full gauge cluster it has to eventually put on this MJ. I know it will need a speedo cable, and the oil and temp sensors, but would i/he be better off finding a full cluster from an 86 MJ/XJ?
#15
Senior Member
Alright, another question. He might be getting ready to buy this thing in a week or two.
There is a parts jeep next door ive been getting parts of of. the guy says i can have whatever i want off of it. Its a '95 XJ, and im wondering if it is worth grabbing the full gauge cluster it has to eventually put on this MJ. I know it will need a speedo cable, and the oil and temp sensors, but would i/he be better off finding a full cluster from an 86 MJ/XJ?
There is a parts jeep next door ive been getting parts of of. the guy says i can have whatever i want off of it. Its a '95 XJ, and im wondering if it is worth grabbing the full gauge cluster it has to eventually put on this MJ. I know it will need a speedo cable, and the oil and temp sensors, but would i/he be better off finding a full cluster from an 86 MJ/XJ?