I am interested in purchasing a 'pre-owned' Jeep Wrangler TJ. Currently, my only significant requirement is that I believe I want a six cylinder versus a four cylinder. I am looking to use the vehicle as a second vehicle and do to some casual off-roading with it. A few questions:
1.. Are there any particular model years I should look for or avoid?
2.. Are there any particular options or Wrangler models I should look for or avoid?
3.. I was going to shop for the Wrangler through conventional outlets such as Jeep dealerships, non-Jeep dealerships and via local newspapers. What other options do I have to obtain that 'particular' Wrangler? Many Thanks!
If you are thinking manual transmission, try to get something with the NV3550 instead of the AX15. Not sure of which year the changeover was - 2000 maybe? - hopefully someone else can chime in on that one.
each model year brings many improvements, or at least things i consider to be "improvements". '98 brought rotary environmental controls. '99 lost the cam bolts on the axles. '00 replaced the ax15 with the nv3550 tranny. it also upgraded the ignition to operate without a distributor. '01 added a much improved soft top, as well as tinted windows and the trac-loc became standard on the d44 option. afaik there were no changes from '01 to '02 (other than replacing forest green with shale green) and '03 added a 4 speed automatic, "inca gold" paint, "high back seats" (that totally suck if youre under 6'2"), and of course the rubicon option. what price range are you shopping in? when i start shopping for used tj's for my kids that will start driving in a few years, ill probably start around the '00-'01 year models as i believe their ignition systems to be superior and even more water proof than previous years.
a lot of this will depend on your patticular prefernces but i wouldn't do without the running boards. why? they act as a buffer against pings and dings from other car doors in parking lots. most doors that are sung open will strike the running board before they strike your door.
there are a bunch of reputable car finder services on the net. give those a try. most will end up pointing you to a local dealer.
Good question, though. who would worry about a parking lot ding? it could look like the ding from a rock, a tree, flying stone or stick...when you are OFF ROADING WITH IT! If you have to worry about parking lot dings, then get a Volvo. A ding...LOL
97's thru 99's sometimes have issues with exhaust manifold cracking. Also have had issues with the instrument cluster malfunctioning due to a loose connection.
00's and above have a new manual transmissi>I am interested in purchasing a 'pre-owned' Jeep Wrangler TJ. Currently, my
i hear ya! now i dont want some inconsiderate asshole slamming into my jeep, but im damn sure not going to sacrifice ground clearance because im worried about it. hell, i dont even wash mine anymore unless its one of these.
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:-) if you _are_ worried about "dings" though, heres a trick i used to use when i had my mustang. look for the most tricked out pimp car in the parking lot and park as close to it as you can get without impeeding upon him. believe me, "g" doesnt want to hit you with his door anymore than you want him to and he'll be just as careful as you would be.
Here's my standard answer to the 4cyl vs the 6 cyl question.:
If you do any kind of hwy driving you definitely want the 6 cyl! The 4 is severely underpowered for hwy driving and if you want to pass anyone, take a lunch! On the plus side, when off-roading, the 4 banger is as good as any other motor!
Don?t even think about boosting the horsepower with things like K&N filters, computer chips, throttle body spacers, headers, exhaust, electric fans, ancient tribal dances, chinese incantations etc. By the time you pay for all that, you might as well drop in a bigger motor, or buy a jp with the 6 cyl in the first place.
The 4cyl has some other issues as well (this is all from 6 yrs experience). Some of these may or may not be an issue with you, but they warrant mentioning. The only tranny to get is the 5spd (don't bother with the auto). No problem right! Except if you want to pull any kind of trailer, it's too weak to handle 5th gear when the trailer is loaded up. You end up in 4th turning 3000 rpm at 100kph. Really bad gas mileage!
Lack of aftermarket parts for the motor. The aftermarket mfgs cater more to the 4.0L guys.
You would think that the 4cyl would get better gas mileage (such that it is with a Jeep), but after talking to 6cyl owners, the difference isn't worth mentioning.
If you plan on putting bigger tires on the jeep, the 4cyl lack of power will be exagerrated! We went from the stock 27 inch Goodyears to 30 inch BFG ATs and there was a definite drop in hwy performance when you hit ANY kind of incline!
Having said all that, the 4 banger is a good motor. The gearing is around 4.10:1 and believe me that is plenty good enough for around town and on the trails. I?ve test driven a brand new Sport and although they do have a lot more horsepower, because they?re geared at around 3.73:1 (or higher, depending on package) you don?t really feel a difference. You will however notice it when passing or pulling!
As far as maintenance is concerned; don't worry about it. Our TJ has
190,000 km on it and it's been really good to us. I've replaced the rad, replaced the pinion seal in the front diff, and had to replace the starter. Total cost to date Cdn $1100. That?s 0.006 cents per km (0.007 cents/mile) for maint $ (doesn't include fluid changes and regular preventative mtce). Take care of it and it'll take care of you!
Get the 6cyl, h/t and get yourself a soft top or bikini top for the summer.
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