hey jeep-people! i had a '95 YJ a few years ago and loved it. My job changed and it provided an auto so i sold the wrangler. Switched jobs again so i need my own transportation. I just picked up a '93 YJ. This wrangler was in an accident (passenger front hit) and the insurance co. totalled it. It has a 2.5L manual trans. and a soft-top. 142k miles. A couple of my pals have a collision business so we're going to rip her all apart and replace the damaged (and rotted) body panels, new paint, frame off clean-up, 4" suspension kit, 33" tires, new aluminum wheels, stainless hinges, etc. my total cost for the top to bottom rebuild will be about $5000. (that includes the cost of the vehicle) My only concern is the 142k miles. How bullet-proof is this motor? I have been reading posts regarding the exhaust manifold, but what else should i look for? How many miles have you folks clocked on these? If the mileage is too high, i could cut my losses and dump it (or part her out). I paid about $1800. for the actual vehicle. Here's a current pic of the wrangler:
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