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NEW AND STUPID but need advice

4K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  Jim Hef 
#1 ·
hello everyone it will be obvious that im new and as the title says stupid. I am looking for a jeep and im thinking i want a WJ. I want the limited 4.7l v8 edition. can any of you help me to validate my hunch that this is the perfect first car for me. I am looking to make it an offroader as im a junior member in a jeep club on the cape and in mass but i want to make it a headturner that can do everything i need it to, including carrying large amounts of cargo and being a car that can do everything.
 
#2 ·
IMO WJ 4.7 Limited would be perfect.

first thing is to figure out a budget. from the plans maybe you dont want to blow it all on the jeep, saving some for mods.

so get your budget in line and get the jeep.

then you can go from there.

tell the 'rents its a very SAFE vehicle and will keep little 'gun' protected no matter what he does.

only concern is maintenance. jeeps arent the cheapest vehicles to keep running good.
first car....does that mean mom/dad will be paying for repairs and everything or what's the deal? be sure to consider this. tires for a honda civic are a lot cheaper than for a jeep.
 
#13 ·
only concern is maintenance. jeeps arent the cheapest vehicles to keep running good.
first car....does that mean mom/dad will be paying for repairs and everything or what's the deal? be sure to consider this. tires for a honda civic are a lot cheaper than for a jeep.
I have to agree on this 100%. My 03 Grand Cherokee is a decent amount more expensive to maintain than my buddys 01 Cherokee and a lot more than my old Ranger.

To give you an idea of cost, here's what I just did last weekend w/ the parts cost (I did all the work so no labor). Front brake pads ($50 for ceramic b/c the WJ is prone to warped rotors), rear brake pads ($30), 2 front rotors (both were warped, $50/each), front passenger caliper ($50), driver and passenger outer tie rod ends ($20/each), 2 upper ball joints ($25/each), and 2 lower ball joints ($40/each). Total cost: Over $400 after taxes. Just doing simple brakes and rotors is going to be $200.

With only making $12.50/hour I think you're going to find that maintenance adds up quickly. As an honest opinion, I think you would be better off going with a small truck like a Ford Ranger. No offense to Jeep, I LOVE mine and wouldn't go back to my old Ranger. But having a Jeep in high school/college would have sucked due to the cost. The Ranger has lots of hauling space and is better on gas. It still has room for your sister and dog. Plus, it's MUCH cheaper to maintain (ROUGHLY 1/2 price of my WJ). Get a 4x4 and you can still go offroading.
 
#3 ·
i have to pay for it but i work at a car shop and the owner said he would show me how to do it and he would not charge labor or anything because i would be doing it. and i looked into other alternatives but they did not seem like they would work as well as a jeep. alot of my family has jeeps and they have been reliable. right now i have 6k in the bank and im lookin at one that costs 5k. so i would have some for mods and upgrades. seeing how i work at the car shop and i work part-time as a lifegaurd and make 12.50$ an hour so hopefully that would be abpe to keep the jeep running.
 
#8 ·
not saying anything to offend you

i have a 02 WJ 4.7 limited and love it but it cost money to keep it running good.

the 4.7 WJ has allot of parts that you can only get from a dealer and they dont come cheap.
TC fluid & PS fluid can be each easy over $10 a quart
limited slip additive, coolant are dealer only. then theirs cretin things that break and you can only get form a a dealer like high presser power steering hose about $90

on the QD system the tiers have to have thread that is close and match or will wear out parts.

also WJ mod parts are not interchangeable with other jeeps so parts cost more since less are sold.

so before you jump into mods which can cost allot doing basic work will cost you money too on a jeep.

i can tell you about 2 years ago i bought 2 Quarts of TC fluid, 8 ounces LSA, 2 quarts PS fluid and the bill was a bit over $100
finding the best deal on diff fluid online cost me over $65, blend door fix was $200+ in parts and the list can go on of basic work.

first determine what you really want want form a a car/jeep.
if you need to go form a to b and might destroy it get a basic car
also what mods you would want to do, after 4" people have to pop on allot of things to prevent a DW.
a 2" lift with pucks and shocks can be $300-$900 and will still need an alignment

keep in mind most of what you spend on it will never be seen again in resale value.

watch out for creglist scams
 
#9 ·
The only thing I can think of that MIGHT be a better choice would be an XJ...and only because they are cheaper to buy and cheaper to fix. I loved mine, but I have to admit I love my WJ more. WJ's are much better on-roaders. XJ's lend themselves well too lifting, etc. They are basically a Wrangler with more space.
 
#10 ·
yeah ive heard that about jeeps but my fam has had good luck with them. i need a car that goes a to b can carry i hell of alot of stuff as i am a drummer a boyscout a competition shooter for the nra and play icehockey not to mention having to bring my dog and sis places when my parents ask. also me and my uncle and cousin fo alot of offroading so i was lookin for a car that could do all of that. turns out both my uncle and cousin have jeeps soo i though it would be a good choise. also i dont plan on selling the jeep once i get it. i would keep it as an offroader
 
#11 ·
look up a ZJ the 98 with the 5.9 engine,

a XJ would be good too because the WJ are more uperclass and might mess up the leather with allot of off roading and hauling


look around drive a few different suvs and see what you like.

also since you will be doing allot form what it sounds make sure you can afford gas for the jeep. wj has a 20.5 gal tank can get 9 MPG -16 MPG average
some people pull off 22MPG with a V8 but its not very common, mostly when you take a long highway trip and keep it constant.
if in a a city with stock and go can get 9-13 MPG average
 
#12 · (Edited)
I would be inclined to lean towards suggesting an XJ too, better for what you're needing. That said I'm quite lucky over here, that there's an ebay supplier who can supply WJ and other Jeep parts a lot cheaper than the dealer. It's true enough about fluids though, most are Mopar ones and flipping expensive.

I love my XJ but I love my WJ too.
 
#14 ·
Those pointing you toward an XJ are giving you sound advice. Yes, less luxury touches, but a sound platform to work with, and less costly to work on. My daughter's '02 SE 4.7 just needed the power steering pump replaced. Very expensive part due to also working the fan. The XJ's 4.0 is semi-bulletproof, the transfer case doesn't use sophisticated parts, and it's a body on frame vehicle that is easily modded for lifts. Nice Jeeps, and will do what you want under your budget...but don't go too far over $3k...you'll need the additional cash!
 
#15 ·
I agree with all that has been said, but I would consider maybe getting a Grand with the 4.0. The 4.0 is one of the best built motors ever built and they can be modified quite easily. The Chrysler V8 motors can be quite expensive to work on. Jim in the previous post gives a good example about the power steering pump and hydralic fan.
 
#16 ·
Seriously dude...hunt around for a low mileage XJ. Oh, and just to correct an earlier post, they are not body on frame. XJ's are unibody trucks, just like the ZJ and WJ are. Suspension lifts are easy to do and cheap to come by on them. Coils in the front, leaf springs in the back, and the Chrysler 8.25 rear diff is pretty stout, so no need to upgrade.
 
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