cherokee4meplz

hey guys, been reading a bit about the cherokee on your forum, thanks. I have a general question. I am looking for an xj and like all of my projects I am looking to get something that is cheap and needs work.

Through my searching I have found a 1989 laredo 4x4(stuck in part time 4x4 otherwise runs) a 1994 4x4 4.0 (needs head gasket otherwise runs), and finally a 98 4x4 (has front end damage, runs and drives) The 98 is the newer looking style with the plastic headlights. I like the trucks features but I want an XJ. They look meaner to me. The plan is to get it running right, lift it 3" and put some meats on it.

I know it's a crap shoot, but which truck do you think I should go with? they are all about the same price, and I plan on doing all repairs myself. I am good with body work so the 98 seems logical, but I really like the 94 4.0. It is red, which is my favorite xj color.

thanks for reading and if you know of one for sale in chicagoland/NWI please post!

BuckB91XJ

Of the three XJs you mentioned, the 94 is your best XJ to start with. In my humble opinion the 91-95 XJ 4.0 HO rigs are the best.
That being said....starting with one, with a blown head gasket could net you all kinds of problems besides the one you know about. In most cases where a head gasket has been blown, in my experience, there has been a catostrophic overheating of the engine. Being that the Jeep 4.0 is a cast iron head on a cast iron block you should be good to go with just replacing the head gasket. I would definitely check the head and block mating surfaces for any warping, anyway. Also check your entire cooling system for what caused said engine overheating. The POS stock radiator that was in my 91 gave up the fight as I was driving from Wa. to Ca. a year ago. A brand new 3 core radiator from CFS cured that problem for good.
I'd say if you get this XJ for a song since it needs work and the head gasket is all you end up having to do. I would go for it.

funkle95xj

Welcome to the forum! I think it really depends on your mechanical abilities here, the 89 might need a transfer case which isn't all that hard, but would cost a bit more than the new head gasket that the 94 needs. The head gasket isn't a terribly difficult repair either though. I personally love the 84'-96' XJs to death and don't see myself ever owning a 97'-01', though that doesn't mean they suck or anything, just a personal opinion. As far as the 98' is concerned, I'm sure you know they don't call it body fun for a reason, it can be alot of work, and headaches. IMHO the verdict for me would be the 94' if you're looking for a good fixer upper. What's the price range you are looking to find an XJ for?

cherokee4meplz

hey guys thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. I had a good feeling about the 94 when I saw it, sort of a gut thing. I'm looking to spend 500-1k so that is why I am wanting something that needs work. There is a huge range of pricing on these, I am seeing late 80s trucks for 2-3 grand and 95-97 trucks for less.

I wanted the 94 all along so this helps a ton.

double_ot_xj

if you have a trailer, i found an 87 wagoneer in newark delaware for a song. just $250. only thing is it needs a new tranny(only has first gear). saw it on craigslist and can give you a link if you want

cherokee4meplz

thanks but that is a bit too far for this project. I'm all for traveling if the vehicle in question is rare but I've got enough leads that are somewhat local that I should be able to land something solid.

I am making arrangements to trailer the red 94 4.0 home within the next few days, I am fairly certain that is what I will be buying. I will be sure to post pics and details, as I am excited to get into an xj.

76ANTHONY

now you realize only cool people have waggy's right?

cherokee4meplz

I actually saw one on craigslist chicago that looked like it was a beast at one point, but the body was very rough looking in the pictures so I didn't give it another thought.

This 94 I'm trying to grab has a pretty clean body on it. The plan goes something like this: fix it , drive it for the winter. then when spring hits I can drive my car and the jeep begins the resto process. I want to cut out and sand off any rust and undercoat the thing, then have the body repainted red. I've got a good friend who does all my paint work for great prices, and as I mentioned I do body work.

BlueXJ

I would choose the 89 because the transfer case is a breeze to rebuild and can be done for under $100. Renix era Jeeps are easier to work on and have much easier electronics for diagnosing any problems. I hate having to figure out what a CEL is trying to tell me, but I am a very old school mechanic, you know the ones who had to diagnose things and did not rely upon a computer to think for them.

cherokee4meplz

I liked the idea of the 89 for those kind of reasons myself. I just figured older= easier to work on.

My current cars are OBD-II so I am not really too concerned about that aspect of things. My last 4x4 was a 92 explorer sport v6. It lost the battle to cancer but I had pretty much replaced every part of that thing at one point or another. I know those pretty well but I think the XJ jeeps hold up a lot better so here I am..

funkle95xj

Looks like you've got the right idea by cleaning and undercoating your new Jeep. Rust isn't a problem where I'm from but up in your neck of the woods it's a real big concern. You should use POR-15 underbody coating when you get to painting it down there, I have heard nothing but good things about that stuff. The H.O. 4.0s aren't all that tough to work on either, though a Renix rig is even more basic. I also used to own OBDII vehicles and going from that to my 95' HO everything I've done under the hood has been very straightforward and usually pretty easy. And please do post pics, I love me a red pre 97' XJ!

cherokee4meplz

I dont want to repeat the same scenario like the old exploder. It saw a lot of winter driving and a ton of salt and instead of cutting my losses I kept pumping more cash into it. Pretty much every exterior fastener was rusted to the point you had to break it to remove it.

I've heard good stuff about that por-15 as well, although I will admit I dont know much about it.

I'll be giving the current owner of the 94 a call tonight to see what we can do to get at date set to pick it up- I am shooting for monday. don't you worry- my camera is standing by.


I've been lurking the board and reading about all sorts of neat stuff. I need to put in some hours and work up some $$$.

Here is a pic of my plow truck:


I have to drive my personal vehicle about 20 miles to pick up my plow truck. this is why I need the xj.

funkle95xj

Not sure if you are on Naxja or not, but this is a decent thread on POR-15. The second post includes the instructions for use and everything. Might help you to better understand the stuff and see if it's what you are looking for.

http://208.101.10.250/~naxjaor1/foru...ad.php?t=74905

That's a sweet plow rig! I think plows are cool as hell, maybe because I'm in FL and they are unheard of here for obvious reasons. I actually know a guy in Canada who plows with his XJ. Doesn't sound all that out of the ordinary till you see it, it's a lifted and chopped 2 door sittin on 33s! Sure does get the job done!

cherokee4meplz

haha, yeah there are a lot of jeeps with plows running around here. My good friend plows also and uses a wrangler with a fiberglass hard top and a plow. He says it's perfect for residential work due to the short turning radius.

Thanks for the link, I'll read up on the POR-15.

cherokee4meplz

ok so the 94 that needed a head gasket fell through, could not get in touch with the seller. The guy with the 89 called me today wanting to know if I was still interested, and sadly I had to tell him I found another truck.

Friday I am going to pick up a 1990 4.0 4x4, runs and drives fine- but- the previous owner did not have the coolant mixed right and it pushed out a freeze plug. I have made firm arrangements to pick it up. Anything I should know about the 1990 4.0?

I'm guessing I will have to do some serious under hood tear down to get to this freeze plug.