Alright so I'm in the market for a cheap jeep that I can

>>14165817
If you get one that isnt shagged go for it.

You wont know until the first week of ownership if its a pile or not

>>14165817
check rear main seal oil leaks, check the rear driveshaft for fucked ujoints, check the axle shafts for fucked ujoints, check if it overheats. they are pretty bulletproof for the most part though as long as you keep fluids in it

>>14165817

Absolutely unkillable if you keep coolant in them.

Even then, they need to get pretty hot to eat themselves.

Keep in mind they run hotter than most, this is normal. If it goes above 210 I would start to wonder about the cooling system though.

My dad has gone through several, he has a toolbox he bolts down in the back with about a thousand pounds of tools in them + overload springs.

Get the |6 ONLY.

>>14165817
Love the Cherokees I've had and been using as dd's so far, picked up my current one with 306k or so on it now at 320k and ran in to 0 issues besides having to flush the coolant

>>14165960
>>14166221
>>14166239
>>14166276
Thanks for the responses, I've heard that I need to steer clear of any of the 2000-2001 models because the cylinder heads tend to crack. Is there any substance to that or will those years be fine as well?

>>14166314
My 2000 is fine

The cracking issue is comparatively minor. it happens but its not very common.

If you have the option between a 97 and an 00, get the 97, but if its between a clean 01 and a clapped out 98 get the 01.

>>14165817
If you aren't going off road, it's ok. Poor fuel economy, but other than that it will work on the road.

>>14166314
i stick with the renix jeeps. they last longer from my experience with them. and try to find an 89 with a 5 speed if you can
if it doesnt overheat and has the pressure bottle never mess with it and if it has the pressure bottle and overheats there is a strong chance that bottle is fucked up causing it to overheat. mine had it and i removed it

>>14166314
nothing wrong with 96 apart from the old school interior

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>>14166314
Pre 97 looks better too imo, the blinkers look fucked in the "facelift"

>>14166383
This plus theres usually more parts and they can fit the stuff from post 97 with little to no mods

>>14166314
Not cylinder head cracking so much as head gasket blowing. Usually a result of overheating. They like to run at 210 and not 1 degree more.

>>14165817

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3favjuZPPM

>>14166396
not true at all.
ive ran my 89 to the point of stalling because of how hot it got.
i drove it with the temp gauge pegged for a month and i have no issues with it.

>>14166985
>>14166396
>>14166393
>>14166378
>>14166342
>>14166343
>>14166336
Alright so watch the heat and get something pre '97, got it. One last question. Are they easy to work on? I'm not as handy as I wish to be and I'd like something that I could learn to work on. I got some car savvy friends who can show me the ropes so would this jeep be ok?

>>14167530
>>14167530
incredibly easy to work on. i started knowing nothing and ever since i got my jeep ive learned so much. get use to changing ujoints if you're lifted

>>14167538
That's great to hear. Well I think that is enough confirmation bias to push me over the edge. Thank all of you for helping me out. I guess start posting jeeps then.

>>14167530

I haven't worked on them personally, just day dreamed about buying one for the past 2-3 years so I can't say how easy they are but theres about 30 different videos on youtube covering in detail how to change every single nook and cranny on the car. And if you damage anything just order a new part online or pick one out of the 10 xj's in your local scrap yard.

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>>14165817
Just picked up a 2000 recently for DD. Pretty happy with it. I've worked on tons of them in the past, pretty much all cooling system issues, but this one appears to have been well taken care of. New radiator, hoses, water pump, t-stat. Had to put an oil pressure switch on it, but no biggie.

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>>14167598
Pretty straight body, paint is kinda shit though.

>>14167530
I think 97-99 is your ideal year range. I have heard more annoyances about the older Renix XJs than the newer ones.

>>14167620
>I have heard more annoyances about the older Renix XJs
can confirm

had an 88 xj that was riddled with problems and falling apart also had electrical issues but fuck me was that i6 bullet proof

what made me scrap it was it was needed a new gasket as it was leaking water from a gasket till it heated up.

and cal smog.

>>14167638
Why not just replace the head gasket? It's like a 45 minute job on these.

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>>14167638
Actually going to try and look at a 94 with a blown head gasket tomorrow but haven't heard from the guy. He's asking $700 but since it doesn't run I figure I can probably talk him down to $500. A little nervous I can't check the rest of the drivetrain though.

My current 98 is parked right now waiting on oil filter adapter o-rings.

>>14167675
That's an interesting color choice. Was it yours, or did you buy it that way? Also, the rear facing lights, are they for wheelin or for fucking normie tailgaters?

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>>14165817
This is pretty much my ideal build. Would love to get mine to this point sooner rather than later.

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>>14167684
>That's an interesting color choice. Was it yours, or did you buy it that way?
It's an ex-forest service Jeep so I bought it that way. I quite enjoy the color though.

>Also, the rear facing lights, are they for wheelin or for fucking normie tailgaters?
Both kek. Also actually lights things up behind you when reversing unlike the stock reverse lights

>>14167717
Yeah, kinda figured that's where the color came from. Did you wire them to the reverse light switch or just a separate circuit? I'm asking because I've been considering adding rear facing fogs to mine.

Also, do you know of any actual good forums for getting info on off road builds? I'm very mechanically inclined (been a technician for 13 years) but never been into off-roading before.

>>14167645
>>14167675
It was some sort of gasket on the bottom of the engine that would of needed pulling out the motor. by that time i spent a lot more on little shit and chasing electrical bugs that and the neutral safety switch got fucked and that's when i said fuck it.

its a good little suv? and practical. but i hated driving it since it had steering play and i like driving spirited. and made me shat bricks on the freeway.since it would drift to the sides. but that was because of the previous owner fuck ups and shit. it was stolen at one point and the interior had shit missing and all ripped up and what not. and the nigger or spic that stole it crashed it into a fence.
got it for 500 bucks and a year out of it

>>14167737
Guess all that makes sense. I'm just not one to give up on a vehicle if I like it. I've easily spent the cost of several new vehicles on keeping old ones on the road. But yours was probably the smart move.

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>>14167713
Love me some sexy XJs.

>>14167750
Look at those toy axles.

>>14167760
They are pretty pathetic, but not that difficult to remedy.

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Got an '89 MJ, so far it's been fun. Going to try to turn it into a little camping rig

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Here's my 89 xj

>>14167750
>That front bumper alignment