Hello guys,

This is my first post on the forum and I would appreciate some much needed input from some people who know what they're talking about. I'm picking up a 1989 Cherokee 4X4 manual this week, super excited about it but I have a couple of questions. It's off Craigslist and this is what the post states:

"1989 Jeep Cherokee 4X4, only 42K miles, ES300 Shocks, Fabtech suspension, rock crawler BFG- 32/11.5X15 M/T, lift kit, tow bar, roof rack, off road lights, mud fenders, all new belts, gaskets, hoses & raditator, satalite radio... "

YES, only 42xxx original miles!!!! The story behind it is, an old ladies husband passed away, it sat in her garage for around 10 years then she finally sold it (fully stock) to a nice family who turned it into what it is today for trips to the desert a couple times a year. Now upon arrival of checking it out I noticed 4 problems with it, the owner said the instrument gauges went out around 2 weeks ago, on the left side half of the flared fender is missing, the left turn signal stays on instead of flashing, and I noticed when I tried to engage 4X4 is was extremely difficult, in fact my friend and I gave up after a couple of minutes for fear of breaking it!

I'm no mechanic but the engine looked flawless, no cracked hoses, no rust, engine idled perfect, couldn't really point out anything major that would deter me from buying it.

He wanted 5K, we worked out a price for $4750 due to a high level of interest in it. (42xxx original miles is unheard of)

PLEASE let me know what you think!!!

Thanks a lot!

Johnny

 

pic of exterior, sorry for that first post.

 

well it looks like a nice ride. good one to start with anyway. i cant imagine why the instrument panel would just stop working less it was messed with. you may want to see if you can get it looked at by a mech. like they tried to roll back the odom or somthin crazy like that. i would check the oil and coolant and see if they look milky or foamy. dose the oil appear to be real thick. dont know dude find out as much as you can before you buy. good luck man

 

If the vehicle has 42k on it that sounds too good to be true, especially if the gauges broke "2 weeks" ago. Sounds like a healthy ration of BS to me. Thats exactly the story I'd tell you if I wanted to squeeze 5 grand outta my jeep. 4750 cause of the interest generated....man I dunno. I wasn't there and I didn't talk to the guy but I've bought alot of vehicles.......Sounds like a bunch of BS.

Here's what I'd do, schedule a time to test drive it. Find a shop you trust and give the mechanic a heads up and 20 bucks and ask him what he thinks after he looks at it. He might be able to tell you something about the 4x4. If he tells you "if you don't want it let me know and I'll buy it" its a good deal. Bring the owner with if you want, if the mechanic gives you a laundry list and you still want it, you'll be able to talk the owner down.

 

all new belts and hoses,gaskets, rad, that to me would imply they had some kinda overheating issue

 

I'd not give that kind of money for that regardless of miles. Sounds like it's got quite a bit of issues that you'll have to deal with right away. I bought my 2000 Classic with 70k miles for 5k and everything worked. You can find a better deal for that money. Don't be lured in just because of the miles. Sitting for 10 years is harder on vehicles than driving them lightly.

 

JMO but I call BS also. I don't buy the "sitting for ..." story. The gauges being in-op is a red flag. Check the VIN tags on the drivers door and on the under-hood sticker to see if they match the dash VIN and title. Don't be rushed into making a mistake. Check it out. There are plenty of clean, well maintained Jeeps for sale that don't have those issues. "Caveat emptor".

 

I would be skeptical....

If you can't get it into 4 wheel drive, it coudl because the previous owner had such a good time playing with it in the desert....

I would also be concerned about the "coincidence" of the gauges not working fro just two weeks...might that include the check engine light??

It sure looks cool, but I would be afraid of what is underneath....people lie.

My son bought a Mustang Cobra from a guy who swore the car was never hot rodder and only driven by his wife who really did not want to sell it....come to find out, he was an out-of-state used car dealer selling cars out of his driveway...illegal here. And, the car was beautiful, but a mechanical nightmare....ugh!!

I think I would walk on this one.....or cut a big bite out of the price....

 

I would sure run a CARFAX on it....for about $15 it will tell you how many times it was registered and how many miles each time......

Does it have the 6 digit or 5 digit odometer.....146,000 miles??? 246,000 miles??? I don't remembe which year they switch from 5 to 6 digits...

 

As the saying goes "if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is". I only paid 900 for my 91 and have poured money into it to lift it and repair issues as they came up. Even with all I have had to do my total investment is still under 4K. Take your time and look that Jeep over completly and like others have already said get a professional to do a thorough inspection. Don't get taken by a dishonest person.

 

my old 89 had 6 digits, but that doesnt mean they havent replaced the cluster. to me it looks like a nice truck and looks like something worth maybe $2000-2500, but there is absolutely no way i would give anywere near $5000 for a truck that old, not to mention the problems its having. i just bought my 1997 with a 8 1/4 rear and a hp 30 in the front with 130,000 miles for $1200. also this truck prolly has the same transmission as my old 89, its the peugeot transmission which is complete junk. i would find a way outta this deal and look for a different truck, but thats just me.

 

dude you can definitely get a newer one with few or no problems for less money than that. there is a thread on Off-Topic discussion called "Yr make and miles". It will give you an idea of what to look for.

also, if a jeep is built up like that one, it's probably been beat up off-road. buy a stocker and do the work as the money comes in. youll be happier with it down the road, youll have less problems. who knows what the previous owner did to it.

just my 2 cents. good luck!

 

yeah sounds pretty funny. if 5gs is your budget find a stock one from someone that used it as a dd and build it the way you would want it and youll know whats in it and wont have to worry about something going wrong when your out in the middle of nowhere JMO

 

Don't walk away, run away. There are too many nice cherokees out there, I just got an immaculate 2000 sport 4wd 4dr auto with 85,000 for 4 grand, it took me a few months of looking , but they are out there. Just keep looking.

 

There have been like 3 million jeeps put on the road. My 96 blue books for less then that one and its in great shape. Cherokees are everywhere, its a testament to thier durability but 5 g's is just way too much. You should be able to find an 89 (thats 20 years old) for less then 2 g's and then you can put 3 more into it!!!! thats a stroker and a lift kit and a system!!!! You could really build that thing up man......think about it.