Meat Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 Im comtemplatin' buyin' a Wrangler. Whats the lowdown on these things, what should I be looking for, what model year did they change the dash and whats the story on reliablity ? Im looking to spend $5000 on one and I want the newer style dash that I think was introduced in '97, but everything I'v found with those two critera have very high milage. Can I trust a jeep with 120,000 plus miles ?? Whats the story with the two engine sizes ? is the 4 cyl a good motor or should I stay away from them ? This will be my primary vehicle. Any and all info would be appreciated. -denny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locogato11283 Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 id never fuck with a 4 cylinder. i know my mom had a jeep with the straight 6 and it was a runnin motherfucker. that engine has a lot of torque.. it was pretty good for pullin a trailer.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meat Posted February 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 ya i didnt even think about haulin my trailer.... I know i'd prolly regret the 4 cyl. Im going to need more money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireHead Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 Im comtemplatin' buyin' a Wrangler. Whats the lowdown on these things, what should I be looking for, what model year did they change the dash and whats the story on reliablity ? Im looking to spend $5000 on one and I want the newer style dash that I think was introduced in '97, but everything I'v found with those two critera have very high milage. Can I trust a jeep with 120,000 plus miles ?? Whats the story with the two engine sizes ? is the 4 cyl a good motor or should I stay away from them ? This will be my primary vehicle. Any and all info would be appreciated. -denny The 4 cylinder engine sucks. It gets the same gas mileage as the 6 cylinder, but doesn't make much torque and you have to rev the crap out of it to get it out of it's own way. :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
. Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 if the engine makes any noise whatsoever, stay away. Definitely go with the 6 cylinder. The rod bearings are weak in some of the engines (good ol quality metal they use these days), and if it was beat on the head can warp on them as well so look for any oil coming from the head. My best friend works for Jeff Daniels jeep, and in his professional opinion, stock jeeps are pieces of junk. Then again so are most vehicles. They are basically the same vehicles since they switched over from the front leaf spring, so you might want to look into getting one that has a lot of aftermarket on it like lift, AXLES, lockers, tires, etc. It might've been beat on a little bit, but a new drivetrain is relatively cheap compared to the money you could spend putting into aftermarket. Dont know how much you plan to offroad with it, but thats definitely the direction I'd go. Jeeps are kind of like banshees, I'd never buy a stock one again. Even if its got stuff on it I dont like, the parts are worth more than the stock stuff on it. Go with the stick, the switch on the automatics that lets it know that is in neutral or park to start it goes bad, and it'll start not letting you start it in park, and you gotta put it in neutral, and then eventually that doesnt work anymore and you gotta pay 250-300 bucks for a new one. If you're really into the dash, worst case scenario, you could buy one and swap it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ba7raini Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 I own a straight 6 wrangler. Its pretty fun, common problems I've heard is the diff breaking, happened once on mine. Other than that its fine - oh and get a manual :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mullet Man Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 a Wrangler, what the hell would you wanna do that for? i pulled one of them out of the 15" snow we got here Tuesday <---Toyota truck owner :beer: you dont like the CJ's? definately get the 4.0 I6 if you must buy a Jeep :ninja: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooter Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 as far as jeeps being junk i would disagree. ive had four 66, 78, 94 .2001.id say if you want a nice ride and power get the 97 and newer with the 4.0l fi tj . all mine had either v6 or straight 6 except the 94 whitch i have now and it does ok no they dont have alot of power but with a 5sp it takes me anywhere i want to go. i havent had any problems with any of them other than normal wear and tear .i would get one with a soft top also hard tops suck.might as well drive a car.once you have one they get in your blood and you allways want one . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trueraiderfan Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) I am a finance manager now but i sold Chrysler dodge jeep's for 4 years b4 that (and ford lincoln mercurys for another year after that). And I am a huge Jeep and Dodge guy. (I work on a strickly program / used lot now) and I can tell you that you wanna get the 6cyl cause like said above the 4cyl cant even get outta their own way. AND your gunna have to CAUGH (sp) up some more dough ra me. Jeeps are awesome rides but they are not cheap AT ALL. even the old ragady rides are high you need to set your sights on around 8-12 grand as far as money wise goes. Also bro I hate to sound like a salesman, but is 5 grand all you want to spend cash wise or payment wise cause if you get a newer jeep say 02 and up for around 12-14 grand your payments (pending credit) will only be 250-275 a month. so Keep that in mind as well. If you wanna know interest rates and all that crap give me a call and I can set ya straight so that nobody try's to rip ya off! pm me or give me a call 620 441 7746 anytime and I will make sure that whoever you deal with will give you a great deal. Edited February 16, 2007 by trueraiderfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
. Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 as far as jeeps being junk i would disagree. ive had four 66, 78, 94 .2001.id say if you want a nice ride and power get the 97 and newer with the 4.0l fi tj . all mine had either v6 or straight 6 except the 94 whitch i have now and it does ok no they dont have alot of power but with a 5sp it takes me anywhere i want to go. i havent had any problems with any of them other than normal wear and tear .i would get one with a soft top also hard tops suck.might as well drive a car.once you have one they get in your blood and you allways want one . I didnt really mean to say that they are junk, they are definitely a good vehicle. What I was trying to say is that they arent worth the money for a new one in stock trim when you can buy one with aftermarket for the same price. Let me put it in banshee terms. Would you rather buy a stock 2005 banshee thats been ridden around on the road and maybe the drivetrain was beaten on a little bit, or buy a 98 banshee that has a-arms, shocks, rims, tires, pipes, and all sorts of other aftermarket goodies for the same price? It's only a couple hundred bucks to redo the engine, then you have the thousands of dollars in aftermarket already on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenBB Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 I've always wanted one too, but damn they are spendy around here; same as 'lil Toyota trucks you can't find one that isn't beat to death for under 5 large. Way back in the day I worked at a Jeep dealership in parts (well Jeep/Eagle/GMC/Olds and some other shit), drove one and really liked it. I was only there a year ('92 I think) and never saw any major failures, hell I think I only cracked the parts manual once or twice on 'em. One of my bosses knows about them though, he's got two or three, I'll ask him when he gets back Tuesday what he thinks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
differentstrokes Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 I've had 2 different Wranglers, one was an 87 w/ auto trans and a 4.2L engine (first year of the wrangler but still had the AMC motor and the rollbar was slanted on each side) and the other was a 95 w/ the fuel injected 4cyl and 5 speed (last year of the square headlights and the rollbar goes all the way to the back). They both were really simple as far as maintenance, but they both got old driving everyday. My best friend had a 97 Sport with the 4.0L and it was a pretty nice ride too. The power is pretty decent for all the motors, but it goes away as soon as you add larger tires and a lift (all three listed had both). The heater is good as long as you're in the front seats, the people in the back are screwed. I had air in mine but never used it since I'd take the top off, but it seemed like it never really got that cold. One thing I did like was all the aftermarket things they make for them. I had mine all chromed out so the ladies loved it and wanted to ride, definitely a head turner. Anyways, I got tired of driving it on a daily basis and sold it to get a truck. Now that I have a work car I've been thinking of getting another. After driving all 3 versions, I'd recommend the round headlight body style (97-current) with a hardtop for the winter and the 4.0L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyPap Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 If your gonna drive it everyday, go w/ the 6cyl and a tj. Cj (round lights, yj (square lights) both have leaf springs and are cheaper to lift.Tjs (round lights) I think are 97 and present have coil springs =ride nicer and nice looking inside. If you can find a rubicon they are built a bit tougher w/ stronger axles. This is my first jeep and it is a blast. 92 w/ only a 4cyl but I only paid $1,200 for it. I only have this as a tagged toy -not daily driven. ...now this I'd drive everyday! ...Here's a good site w/ some useful FAQs http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=164 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepman137 Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 (edited) i had a 1989 wrangler with the 4.2, and it had plenty of power, but was carbed. all the newer style stuff goes back to 1997 when they switched from the YJ to the TJ. so the years your looking for are 1997-2006. definitely look for the 4.0L engine, they run forever, have plenty of power to put bigger tires on, and they sound nice with an exhaust. i have a cherokee with the 4.0, and the only engine mods i have right now are an aftermarket air filter and a flowmaster cat-back system, and i can roast the 33" tires i have on it, so plenty of power. the 4 cyl. will get you around, but on hills and such you will have to keep the revs up, same if you put bigger tires on them. the 4 cyl. i think came with different gearing that gave them more torque from the factory, so if you get a 4 cyl. and lift it and put bigger tires the chances of you having to regear are slim. the Jeep forum i am on and have been on since i got my wrangler 3 years ago is www.Jeeps-Offroad.com. that site is the jeep equivalent to here, they have different sections for every different kind of jeeps. all the guys are nice over there and would be more than happy to help you with any questions. Edited February 19, 2007 by jeepman137 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indubitably Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 I have a 89 Cherokee with a 4.0 and auto trans, never had a single probelm with the engine or transmission and they have 235000 miles on them. Just change the oil and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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