I'm starting a new job, which is my first "career" type job and I need a commuting vehicle. My requirements are: Ford or Chrysler, something made within the past 15 years or so, 4-7k price, manual preferred, and preferably >100k miles.

 

The office is 60 miles, or one hour from my door. I will be doing field work primarily and I could be anywhere. My current vehicles are a 1993 F150, and a '65 Mustang. The Mustang sits and the F150 is a solid, well loved truck, but I want to drive something else in the winter. I am keeping the truck regardless.

 

At a 4k-7k spending limit, I am limited to YJs and TJs. I would prefer to get a TJ because as reliable as my F150 is, I know silly things start to break after 20 years. Monday I was replacing a U joint on the side of route 80. 

 

I've been looking into Wranglers lately, but I have a few questions:

1. Can I realistically expect to buy a reliable Jeep for the price range? I see old, four cylinder, 200k mile jeeps being advertised for $5000. 

2. Should I look into a YJ or a TJ? I would like a 1995 for the galvanization, but newer is usually better.

3. Are TJ frame rot issues serious? They seem to be. Are they all prone to rotting out? 

4. 4 cylinder or six? I like the AMC I6, and I6s in general. MPG isn't a huge concern, but more=better. My F150 gets 18mpg, and if I get wrecked on gas I will look into a stick Focus.

 

Thanks! I hate the Jeep stereotype, but I'm a hypocrite. 

 

 

Jeeps definitely hold their value. Im always on the hunt for the cleanest low mileage XJ possible. For something decent your definitely going to be $5K+ the 4cyl is junk and slow as piss. Go with the 4.0L

Jeeps are fun as a 2nd car , And yes the TJ frames rot but its repairable. I have a 97 with a 4cyl and it sucks on the highway but it does plow snow

great. Also a big thing is the heater cores clog so change your antifreeze.

 

The thing with the frames is they rot from the inside out . I bought mine as a project maybe 5 years ago and the frame looked great, then I spotted a pin hole while washing off the road salt. Theres a company that sells repair parts for the frame you cut out the bad and weld in new .

 

When you get a TJ wash and vacuum out the frame and treat it with the Eastwood incapsler spray with the hose.

 

YJ's also are prone to rot .

 

I just painted mine last night and today putting it back together 230 thousand miles on the OD

 

Big Jeep family here.  Ditto with the 6 over the 4 cylinder.  I bought my first, a '91 6 cylinder 5-speed manual, with ~120k miles on it, and drove it for 6 years as my only vehicle.  I then traded up to a (then) brand new '03 Rubicon and still use that as my daily driver to this day at ~133k miles.  The family has had pretty much every body style of Jeep at some point or another and I'd go out and buy one again in a heartbeat if I needed to replace mine.  Don't expect the level of comfort or gas mileage like you would in a car.  Wranglers aren't "cars."

If you're look at a YJ 92-95 would be the only years I would look at with a 4.0L. 95 being the best year because of the galvanized tub. 97-99 TJ'S aren't as good as 2000 to 06. The first 3 years had issues with drive train manual transmission models were still using the YJ AX15 (I'm on my 4th in 20 years), and the three speed automatic sucked those first 3 years. In 2000 the switched to a 4 speed auto, and the NV3550 manual trans. Both way better. My recommendation would be to look at getting as new of a TJ as you can afford, with a 4.0L. an 03 Rubicon would be nice because it has Dana 44 front and rear axles with lockers and a lower ratio transfer case. But they're still fetching 10K for a beat up one. If you can't swing a Rubi, look for an "X" xtreem model they have a rear D44 axle, instead of the weak D35, it still has the front D30 but at least it's half a Rubicon.

 

The frames are an issue on some TJ's. Check where the front control arm mounts attach to the frame, that's usually where they go first. Also where the transfer case skid plate bolts to the frame that's the other notorious soft spot.

 

This is my 92 4.0L yj 6.5" BDS suspension, 1" body, full cage, front and rear Locked D44 axles, Atlas II, on 36" swamper Irok Radials. Metal Cloak front and rear fenders coming soon...

 

I prefer my TJ coil spring suspension to the YJ leaf spring.

I prefer my TJ coil spring suspension to the YJ leaf spring.

Amen to that! Way better ride all around. Although mine rides decent with the 36" Irok's at 17psi and the progressive BDS springs. Stock it was a kidney breaker. I almost did the fabtec coil spring conversion to mine, until I priced it out and realized I could buy an entire TJ for the same price. I already have an atlas II and front and rear G2 44's that's about $10K in drive train alone, I was too deep to go for a TJ at that point. My next rig will be a JK Rubicon. I dig the 10th anniversary edition.

 

I think I have decided to not look into TJs.

 

I like them, but the frame rot issues scare me. Even if I pick the cleanest one I will still be pretty concerned about it.

 

How is the YJ five speed? I'm looking strictly for a clean, low mile 1995. The only automatic was a torqueflite, and I need overdrive. I assume 5th is OD.

At 120 miles a day you're going to be putting on 30k a year.   You're going to be repairing something every week.  My extended family was big into jeeps for a long time and a few still have them.   The old Jeeps don't that kind of mileage without killing you in repairs.

 

My advice would be to buy a cheap import vehicle, run it into the ground and save your duckets for a nice Jeep to run around evenings and weekends with.  Besides, a YJ is going to rattle your kidneys out while draining you on gas mileage.  Eventually you will tire of the beating you get daily driving one.  I know from experience.

My advice would be to buy a cheap import vehicle

 

I would rather vote for Hillary.

 

I know that's rude, but foreign cars are a sore spot for me. I could go on and on, but I will leave it at that.

 

If I don't get a Jeep, I'm likely to get a boring manual Focus. I already have a "fun" car and my truck.

 

I am concerned about driving an old vehicle. I do that now, and silly things break on me from time to time at 150k and 22 years. I wouldn't mind a low mile YJ, there is currently one for 7k that has 65k on the odometer.

Buy a cheap Focus then...at least it's 50% made in America.   Maybe take the back seat out that way you only use the American half of the car.

 

I will tell you from experience that if you start racking up big miles fast on a 90s jeep, you're going to get killed on repairs.   It'll bring a whole new meaning to "who ever heard of a XXXX failing?".

I think I have decided to not look into TJs.

 

I like them, but the frame rot issues scare me. Even if I pick the cleanest one I will still be pretty concerned about it.

 

How is the YJ five speed? I'm looking strictly for a clean, low mile 1995. The only automatic was a torqueflite, and I need overdrive. I assume 5th is OD.

The Wrangler YJ'S after 1992 manual trans with a Chrysler Corp built 4.0L fuel injected HO engine, is the Asin AX15 5 speed. I'm on my 4th one since 1994 when I bought mine. They usually go for around $1K used for a decent one. Next time mine takes a dump (and I know it will) I'm upgrading to the NV3550 like the late model TJ'S came factory with. I really wish I had an automatic trans in mine, I hate rock crawling with the stick it sucks. I have a hand throttle on my shifter that makes it better, but still a PITA. Sometimes you need 3 feet.

 

When the AX15 goes it's usually the main shaft bearings that blow apart, last time it happened to me it also took out the NP231 transfer case with it when it grenaded. Metal hit the floor boards, and blew pieces all over the road. Which is why I decided to bite the bullet and spend the $2,500 to have advanced adaptors build me an Atlas II. They're gear driven, no chain, twin stick so you get the extra 2wd low range, 4.3:1 ratio for creepy crawling. Pretty much indestructible. Monster trucks run the same thing only larger.

 

Now if you wind up buying a YJ with a 4cyl 2.5L the manual trans is an AX5 in the later models, earlier models came with the AX4. Both break often and are really hard to come by since they break so much.

 

YJ'S before 1992 with 4.2L AMC L6 carborated (junk pile that run like garbage and won't pass emissions no matter how much you screw with the carb ) , usually had the peguot split case 5 speed. I really believe that is probably the worst transmission ever built on planet earth ever put into any vehicle lol....

 

What else you want to know about wranglers from 87-95? Gotta check the YJ frames as well, they rott in the front near the bumper and steering box, also in the back past the wheel well arches, near the rear bumper. But not as badly as the TJ'S do from what I've seen.

 

BTW bro, driving a YJ every day will not be fun. There's a reason it's my toy and no longer my daily driver. I bought a brand new Dodge Hemi pick up for that reason a decade ago. Although mine has over 200K on the original engine, only thing I've ever done to it was re gasket the entire engine, replace my rear main seal, new oil pump while I had the pan down, checked the rod and main bearings for ware (no copper showing at all) oil pressure still 40psi at idol warm. New water pump once and new radiator once. Ran it on Mobile 1 since I bought it, and tune it up once a year, plugs, wires, cap rotor, and clean the K&N. That's it in all those years. It needs a timing chain and gears this summer I can hear them making noise. But I can put the key in it and it starts up and takes me wherever I want to go. Not comfortably, but it will get me there. I drive it to Florida Mass for Florida Vacation every summer, and usually once down to OC Maryland for Jeep week. On the trailer behind my truck, It's gone to Harlin KY, Uwharrie NC, R-creek, AOAA, the old Paragon, and PA jeep week. One day I'll drag it out to Moab, and possibly Rubicon. That's my dream trip.

 

I would rather vote for Hillary.

 

I know that's rude, but foreign cars are a sore spot for me. I could go on and on, but I will leave it at that.

 

If I don't get a Jeep, I'm likely to get a boring manual Focus. I already have a "fun" car and my truck.

 

I am concerned about driving an old vehicle. I do that now, and silly things break on me from time to time at 150k and 22 years. I wouldn't mind a low mile YJ, there is currently one for 7k that has 65k on the odometer.

Buy a Honda, they're made in America by American workers completely. Honda is the 3rd largest American producer of automobiles just an FYI.

60 mile commute a day? Buy a Japanese car.

 

if you insist on getting a jeep make sure its a 4.0

60 mile commute a day? Buy a Japanese car.

 

if you insist on getting a jeep make sure its a 4.0

This. Driving a jeep 60 miles is like buying a 55 gallon drum of gasoline and rolling it off a cliff.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

 

Love my JEEP (02 TJ) as a second car!

I drive 38 miles one to work, some days you wouldn't want to be without the JEEP, some days it's ugh....

15mpg, 4.0, 4 inch w/33's

Kid is getting 20 mpg on 31's  88 yj  with the holley 500 and summit HEI conversion...

Reliable + Jeep/Chrysler = Haha!

Reliable + Jeep/Chrysler = Haha!

I'll have to tell my 12 year old Jeep about that.

Reliable + Jeep/Chrysler = Haha!

My 23 year old jeep runs pretty good can't complain. Is your truck old enough to sit at a bar and order a beer?

 

Chrysler is rather terrible, I will admit that.

 

To those of you who answered my questions, thank you. I am not too concerned with MPG and such. I will get a feel for it with my 18 MPG F150, and if it is killer I will look into a nice Focus. Whatever I buy I will only keep for a year or two anyway and then I plan on buying a new 5.0.

 

It will be a cold, cold day in hell before I buy a foreign car. I am proud to buy American-made products whenever possible.

My 23 year old jeep runs pretty good can't complain. Is your truck old enough to sit at a bar and order a beer?

My older truck is going on 16 years old. Yes, your jeep looks awesome but it's a second vehicle with thousands of dollars of fixes/modifications that I'm guessng isn't subject to the daily grind, salty winters, etc.

 

For fun/offroad they probably can't be beat.

I'm selling a 93 yj, if you're still interested in going that route.

My older truck is going on 16 years old. Yes, your jeep looks awesome but it's a second vehicle with thousands of dollars of fixes/modifications that I'm guessng isn't subject to the daily grind, salty winters, etc.

 

For fun/offroad they probably can't be beat.

My dodge is 10 this year, still running like a champ. Although I did do a rear and a trans, but only because I did some power upgrades under the hood that required some drive train upgrades as well. Can't really complain too much. Now my ford E350 work vans (I have 2) both have had multiple issues, including the spark plugs blowing out of the heads with the coil pack attached. That was really awesome. That Triton 5.4L is a nightmare to work on. I liked ford trucks when they used to build their own engines. Those days are gone unfortunately.

My older truck is going on 16 years old. Yes, your jeep looks awesome but it's a second vehicle with thousands of dollars of fixes/modifications that I'm guessng isn't subject to the daily grind, salty winters, etc.

 

For fun/offroad they probably can't be beat.

It's actually a third vehicle lol. I spend most of my day driving a 1ton ford van. I feel like I live in that thing. And no your correct I haven't driven it in the winter in about 10 years. But it was my daily driver from 94-2004 it saw plenty of salt and snow, especially while I was in college in New England. I just always kept it clean and re painted the frame and under the tub every spring. If I didn't do that I'm sure it would be in horrible shape just like any other 20 year old vehicle would be.

 

The 5.4 was a dog...

 

I hope the Ford 6.2 is better since that's what I have in my 150.

I've got a 2001 TJ, Sport, 4.0 I6, manual, Dana 44, factory upgraded sound system and every available option from Chrysler. Had the 2 top option, hard top is gone now (no desire for it), but it is factory wired for it (for defrost/wiper etc) should you want to put a hard top on. The car has 44k miles on it, none of which were in the snow or the rain! So, ZERO rust. Still has the original factory paper stickers on the underbody components (shocks etc.)! Basically it's a time capsule.

 

I bought it because I wanted a 4WD, 4 passenger convertible and I didn't want to buy an Audi (the only other option at the time) Soon after buying it, I decided that it was too nice to drive in the winter snow/salt (I know, crazy for a Jeep, but that's how I felt, and I had other cars i could use for that), so it became a summer only car and I rarely drive it. I wanted the handling improvements of the TJ's over earlier models but also didn't want the plastic bits on the later models (grill/door handles etc). I wanted the tried and proven torquey 4.0 I6 of the TJ and not the later 'minivan' V6. I wanted a Dana 44 rear end and also a 5 spd manual trans. So, to me, the TJ (97-06) is the best generation. I have all of that in this TJ and it is essentially a new vehicle. Even under the hood, and underneath the vehicle, it looks brand spanking new.

 

Every year I tell myself that I am taking it out of storage and going to drive it more, but I never seem to drive it more than a few hundred miles per summer. So, I have been mulling over selling it. I will never find another like it, so am hesitant, don't want to have seller's remorse. But, I may just do it.

 

As far as advice for the OP, if you're interested in an insanely nice 5 spd. 4.0 Sport TJ, by all means, give me a shout, but truthfully, as much as I love the Wrangler for driving around town on sunny days, it's not a long distance cruiser. If you are planning on driving 60 miles each way to work I'd buy a cheap used import that gets 30 mpg and call it a day.

 

Steve

The 5.4 was a dog...

 

I hope the Ford 6.2 is better since that's what I have in my 150.

My next van will be a Chevrolet unfortunately, since they're the only company left of the big 3 that still make a van.

My next van will be a Chevrolet unfortunately, since they're the only company left of the big 3 that still make a van.

 

???   Both Dodge and Ford make a work van.   What requirement of them is it that you need that they don't make?

Just bout a new Wrangler. I love it. I had an 04 Rubicon that I dearly missed.