Erik Hoeffner

Yeah, no airbags were deployed. I got no air bag light and all the seams are even. He insisted like 3 times without me even saying anything "we dont take air bag deployed or frame damage into our stock of cars for repair; get them direct from state farm" which ironically was across the street. The other electrics were the wiper switch (washer fluid switch was good though), hazards didn't come on, no keyless entry but its a limited? Fogs didn't turn on, not even the light for the switch. It was indeed stolen, new ignition and new drivers door lock, so I have three keys lol; I don't mind fixing it to at least only two keys, down the road, but only if they drop the price for sure. Good liftgate shocks, newer bumper, some clearcoat fade on the hood, said he could set me up with the auto paint repair down the road and redo the clearcoat on the hood for $90-100. Again, if the price is dropped cool. Hood has some gapping but nothing to cry over. Leather is worn but no tearing (kinda excluding...), thieves stabbed holes in the back of the passenger seat and some of the headliner. Seat part sucks, but knowing XJs the headliner will fall down say in 2 years anyway to be replaced. So I'm 50/50 but i do completely agree a price drop is necessary for

further consideration. Thank you for all your help, I will post a bit more as the dealer and I are still in limbo, waiting on their story on fixing some of that electric...

Back of the seat.





Back of the seat





Say something about this photo





Towing group





Sits up a bit, maybe tighten the hood latch could help a tad? Not sure if that is possible








Best perspective of the gap














Ignore the flash reflection





Big scrape, hit the yard and pull a cap, paint it. Call it new?





Too deep to sand and refinish





Some more minor ones on the drivers





So RV mounts, this IMO is a GOOD sign, means a chunk of miles are just rollin free.





these are actually a few parts they pulled off that were replaced, the hood was replaced because of clearcoat fade and was not damaged, though this hood as I said is also fading, but not as bad as the one he showed to me

Erik Hoeffner

The transmission was also replaced and the service was done by 'Jasper' they do engines, trannys and axles. So maybe I'll contact them, because I'm not sure if I'm more at ease with a new tranny or more in question as to why a AW-4 hit the dirt so early...basically every pic here involves a negative except the rear bumper and towing package. So if those negative things aren't big deals then ill keep a little interest on it.



Here's the seats worst wear area





And the headliner

Erik Hoeffner

And yep, I completely agree, they are overpriced and praised for the "character" traits here. Ever look at the Dodge Rams from the 90s on CL and the prices people ask for those Cummins equipped ones? Lol I get it because of the engine, but then I don't get it.

benevolentelephant

Been readng this thread with interest, having just been on the fence about buying a Cherokee here in Los Angeles (I did buy it).

Two things that I found out pretty much right away: compared to even three years ago, Cherokees are much thinner on the ground, at least they seem to be in SoCal. When I last had a Comanche, Cherokees seemed to be everywhere for $1500. When I started looking a few months back, I was shocked at how few and how pricey they'd become.

Secondly, there are places where cars are simply more expensive. I lived in Connecticut before coming West, and decent cars were easier to find for less money than here in CA. If you're in one of those areas, it sucks.

At the end of the day I paid three times what I'd have paid five years ago for a Cherokee, absolutely no question. I got a better condition vehicle for the money, but I originally set out to buy a cheap Cherokee I could improve over time. Nowadays it seems like the cheaper ones out here are either TOTALLY dead (and still $2500) or $5k.

Without knowing the prices stuff fetches in CO I can't say much.....there are a lot of little things you're finding out about the vehicle that aren't necessarily great news. If you were here in CA I'd say leave it and wait: even with CA prices that looks heavy.

BTW, the gray leather driver's seat in mine looks almost exactly the same condition as the one in your pic and my car has 155k, so the wear is about right for the miles IMHO.

Lday

So I bought a xj with a rebuilt title with 112000 miles on it and pay $130 every 3 months for insurance. No structure damage just cosmetic. Most companies aren't gonna pay to fix them because the value to fix is way more than a 2500 jeep ...ask any body shop they'll tell you not to be afraid of wrecked vehicles in some instances. That's my opinion on the matter

kgm

You can find a dope XJ in CO for $5000, not crashed etc. Shhoot, I'll sell you mine. 99 with 180K, well loved for the past 30k.

Also you can find a 2WD Silverado for like, NOTHING. People afurd of a little snow & RWD.

Martlor13

The electrival issues your describing don't seem like issues at all. Most of them are normal and bound to happen on xjs. I'm of the opinion that you could find something better but you seem dead set on this one. They would need to come down 2 to 3 k for me to consider it

Erik Hoeffner

Yeah I'm not so sure I want to take yours that would be rude. 99 is the best year basically, so keep what you have till she dies I say, dont give her up and get a lemon yourself ha. But yeah I know I can find better technically: I dont really know if I am "set" on this one per-se, its just kinda hard to find a limited in flame red that isn't messed up, high miles, jacked up interior etc. I figure work the electrical bugs on this, and as time goes do some minor body work to it, if they drop the price and bring more evidence of why it was salvaged...really I'd like to find a 98 classic, maybe 99 in flame red with the monotone charcoal interior,star aluminum factory rims, tinted windows, electric doors, windows, seat, locks, mirrors, and a ovrhead console would be nice. I definitely enjoyed the overhead console and electric seat in the limited today because, well I am 5'5". Seriously did not realize how much that made me more comfortable on the road to have an exact comfort position and proper road view, so an electric seat is now a must...anyway, really trying to look no higher than 150k is the other issue. I've got 5-6 grand now, maybe 7 in a few months.

Erik Hoeffner

Oh yeah, this has an 8.25 as well. Important.

TwistedWrench

Those body gaps are jacked, could just need adjusting. PO must've had kids in dire need of a spanking(holes in seats).

Nothing to be afraid of buying a salvage title? Mmm... sometimes. But if you ever do have to sell it, you're screwed.

Plane ticket and a few tanks of gas to get home, score an absolute cream puff for that kinda cheese.


And just me... Flame Red looks really tacky on Cherokees, lol.

andrewmp6

It was hit on the passenger side thats why the hood gap is wider on the passenger side fender and the driver side is tigher.

TwistedWrench

Sorry, I get that, but bolting on new panels is not the same as fixing it. You have to straighten the aprons those parts bolt to first. Hence the screwy gaps. A professional bodyman would never accept that as "done".

I also realize I'm overly picky about this stuff, lol, I restore vintage Mustangs for a living.

Erik Hoeffner

Yeah I get all that too, I went through all the body gaps and they were all good except the hood area, which for just bolting on parts I still say it looks pretty good if that is the case. The passenger side door at the middle beams gap closes up near the bottom, but I've seen that on a few Cherokees, always the passenger side lower door area has a tighter gap. Otherwise though, the pieces by the cowl were all spaced ok, the windshield and door beam were all even gaps. Who knows seemed fine structurally to me. Here is what I figure, if I'm planning in driving this thing 100k and not selling it and its reliable, does it really matter on the price or that its rebuilt? I mean honestly, aren't they all coming to the point that they're totaled if they're in anything other than literally a fender bender, all these emissions laws etc. I mean yeah the insurance wont give me much for this if its totaled, but if I made the 100k or even at least 50k out of it, isn't that still a fair investment? Did it not pay for itself considering the age and slow disappearance of these? And its completely rust free from what I could see besides the leaf springs, drums, etc. I'm just asking is there a balance to accepting that the body is straight in itself and its mechanically fit. I may find another that isn't a salvage but it may have more dents, dirty interior. XJs just seem weird to shop for when you are trying to go stock, fully loaded, looking like new, when they're approaching 20 years now. Or maybe I'm looking in the wrong places for "new" XJ that aren't overpriced...

andrewmp6

Twisted that was my point if they just slapped on new sheet metal with out pulling the body back straight is a janky repair.The body is not straight on that if it was those gaps would not look like that at all.If it was repaired right it would have been pulled back straight and new sheet metal and you would not see gaps like that at all.As it sits the body is not straight it might look it but is not.Only way i would buy it is if its under a grand and have a body shop pull it back straight.

Erik Hoeffner

I dont think the hood gap implies a bent frame at all honestly, which is why I checked other body gaps. Usually when a frame is bent its NOT always going to where it got hit necessarily, it can send the force to any part of the nearby frame. Putting a hood on from a different XJ and a refabed fender right next to it, I'm guessing it won't be perfect, but I wouldn't go as far to say the hood implies frame damage. My current XJs hood doesnt line up level with the clip in the middle, but it has a clean title.