Considerations on a used 95 GC

If there is low rust, then yes, it is likely worth it. I always figure in an engine rebuild on something with that many miles on it. Somewhere in the $2500.00 installed neighborhood unless you install it yourself, then just $12-1500.00 for a shop done one and a hundred or so for the rent on an engine hoist. The hoist comes in pieces you put together and fit in a trunk. So for $4000.00 one would have a new engine with a nice body to go with it....

The front u-joints can be done yourself. They are labor intensive, but not too technically hard to do.

Full time 4x4 can have you sitting on ice with only one tire turning.... But when rolling it has the potential to put power to all 4 almost equally so it grabs the road good and allows lots of driveline slip on corners.

Part time means you can be on ice and have one front and one rear tire turning. Much better road grabbing traction, but one tire has to scuff on a corner because the front and rear are locked together.

In either case, you can hit the brake pedal and end up with at least two back tires spinning if you do it right. I sometimes can get 4 rooster tails on my CJ on an ice start by using the brake if needed after a stuck with two spinning.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

Generally speaking the Command-Trac (part time 4wd) is the same as Part Time

4wd selection in Select-Trac (full time 4wd). There are minor differences that I am sure someone will jump in to mention.

As mentioned in another post I would be wary of buying ANY vehicle with 307k miles as my ONLY vehicle.

Possible service needs depends on what has been done already by the previous owner, have it checked by your mechanic.

The main advantage of full time 4wd seems to be, that it will let you drive on slippery surfaces, at speeds at which you don't have a prayer of stopping, in a reasonable time or distance, when you have to. Part time 4wd is "really need it" 4wd. Full time 4wd is "drive as if it isn't snowing, rainy or icy" 4wd.

It sounds like a $1,500 vehicle. Tires, u-joints, maybe a brake job, engine rebuild some time in the future. Depending on your needs, how many miles you drive a week, you could have this vehicle for a long time, with minimal repairs.

Earle

Earle Horton did pass the time by typing:

I'm wondering what engine. Repair costs are higher for the V8 vs the I6. The I6 also has a habbit of cracked exhaust headers and those aren't cheap. Aftermarket is there though.

I'd have a qualified mechanic look it over before buying.

It also depends on how much work you plan to do yourself. Brakes, exhaust, engine mounts, belts, hoses, etc.

As others have said, fulltime is good for highway/dirt/gravel but not optimal for off-roading. If your not planning on taking it into serious situations then fulltime is fine. If your getting it to build-up then it may not matter since you could drop in another case.

Quadratrack (full time 4wd) is great on snow, ice, slime... Helps a bit to use the poor mans locker (drag the brakes) if you get stuck.

It also depends on if the rear axle is a locker or not. There will be a round metal tag on one of the bolts holding the differential cover if it is.

One thing for certain. Before you drive in the snow/ice take the vehicle out to an empty mall parking lot and learn how it behaves. My ZJ is almost dead neutral on ice/snow unless I floor the gas or hit the emergency brake. :)

But electrical gremlins and bad grounds can drive you crazy with an old car. I'm coming to believe this is often the limiting factor in keeping a car for the long haul.

307,000 miles? Put on it how? Highway?

I'd steer clear of it without a healthy budget for replacing all sorts of things. It's only 10 years old so a lot of the usual things like hoses and various rubber bits aren't completely crapped out yet, that's a good thing. But that many miles on anything, new or old, is going to have put a lot of wear on some pretty expensive components. Suspension, differentials, wheel bearings, steering box, etc. A lot of that stuff just gets "sloppy" due to wear. You're in for a heap of expenses trying to bring them back to life. Also, if it was highway miles don't forget things like a worn out driver seat, carpet and power window failures.

So unless the thing's visually spotless AND you've budgeted some pretty hefty 'surprises' then you'd do well to pass on it.

I do plan on having it checked out, and it is the V8. But the amazing thing is, that it is really quite rust free (a real oddity here in NY) and things like the drivers seat don't look or feel like that many miles... so I have very mixed emotions about the whole thing. I did notice that there is too much oil in it... I will 'prolly leave it there for some other victim... but I'm looking for something for the winter.