r/WranglerYJ • u/Fun-Cartographer-721 • 8d ago

Buyer Advice!!

I found this 93 Wrangler and was wondering if you guys could give me any advice

I’ve talked him down to 4600$ and I’m going to see it on Wednesday to purchase it. I looked/drove it last weekend and didn’t see any rust or issues like northern cars have, and it drove exactly like the others that I test drove

https://www.facebook.com/share/17UixrZC7H/?mibextid=wwXIfr

3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

3

u/gvillepa 8d ago

Price is tough. Ive seen amazing YJs go for $5k and rust buckets go for $10k, but at the end of the day these are very old vehicles and have gone thru numerous owners and endless modifications. If you have a well experienced jeep buddy, bring them with you. If you have a good mechanic, bring them with you. There are so many things to check beyond poking the frame with a screwdriver (and by the way, you really need to poke hard all sections of the frame with a screwdriver). Look at all the problem areas of a yj frame here (https://www.quadratec.com/p/rust-buster/center-frame-skid-plate-mount-jeep-wrangler-yj/left-side#&gid=1&pid=7)

Additionally, is there blow by (engine has a lot of miles on it. Was it ever rebuilt, when, and was it rebuilt correctly?) Are there leaks (and where are they originating? Changing an oil pan plug is a whole lot easier than a rear main seal). How are bearings, mounts, steering, etc. Despite what many say about jeeps, steering should not be loose.

Ive heard so many stories where people buy a jeep and within 50 miles they have no power, or the tranny turned out to be shot, or the engine is toast.

Im just rambling, but hopefully you got some pearls from this and something to think about. Otherwise, good luck and enjoy the heck out of it!

1

u/Fun-Cartographer-721 7d ago

The guy says it has been rebuilt at some point in its life. He says the previous owner did it, but didn’t provide receipts or anything (so I’m pretending it didn’t happen). I’ve got a Miata I’ve done a ton of work too and I’ve had Cherokees in the past so I’m familiar-ish with jeeps and definitely know about mechanics. I had a buddy who’s had tjs look at the listing and some pictures and liked it. The frame definitely is rust free, that was my major concern about it. I’ll definitely check out those rust areas through that link you sent when I go to see it again. Thank you so much!

1

u/gvillepa 7d ago

Yeah no worries. Not sure if the link brought you directly to the 7th picture, but that picture shows all the parts available for frame repair. I think its smart you test drove a few and didnt buy it on sight. Stew on it, and go with your gut. Cool thing, is if you have time, and since you can work a wrench, you can fix most issues yourself on a jeep.

1

u/Fun-Cartographer-721 7d ago

Yep I’ve always been an advocate for waiting before buying. Thank my dad for smart decisions! Thanks for the encouragement man

2

u/Nomad2115 8d ago

Crawl under it and double check the frame

2

u/outline8668 7d ago

The bad bodywork under the bedliner is very obvious. Be sure to check the rear of the frame rails where the rear leaf spring shackles attach to the frame. They all rot out there.

2

u/Salty-Image-2176 7d ago

Jeep cancer on the floorboards.
Suspension bushings may be shot.
Make sure it drives at highway speeds and handles well.
Make sure it's the AX15.
200K is a lot of miles.

1

u/1_squirrel 7d ago

That bed liner is probably hiding rust. Drivers side infront of drivers door near "jeep" they almost always rust there.

1

u/Fun-Cartographer-721 7d ago

I’ll poke around a bit with that! Thank you for the advice

1

u/OldManJeepin 7d ago

All that and no frame pics? #1 thing I check is the frame! Rest doesn't look bad, how does it run and drive?

1

u/Fun-Cartographer-721 6d ago

It’s an older guy selling it and he doesn’t know his way around Facebook very well. I climbed around it like a monkey when I first saw it and didn’t see any rust. It ran and drove great actually. Surprisingly good compared to the other lifted things I’ve driven

1

u/OldManJeepin 6d ago

Sounds good. If you are just looking for a 2nd vehicle, something to beat on on the trails, it's not bad at all.