How to Buy an Older Jeep
By: Steve Wolf
The Question:
What does one look for in buying a mid 80's CJ? What are the
possible problem areas. What upgrades are worth paying for and what are not?
My Answer:
I've just completed this task. As a matter of fact, today, July
27, 2000, I bought my first Jeep.
I'll let others advise you about what to look for. There are certain
mental aspects I was unaware of. I hope sharing them with you helps in some
way.
First go to amazon.com and order about $100.00 worth of Jeep books.
Read them CAREFULLY.
1. Look at all the Jeeps you can afford. Within the first ten
you'll find
every major Jeep problem you can imagine. You'll hear how a throwout
bearing
sounds. You'll hear transmissions whine. You'll hear engines
knock.
Add another thousand to what you thought you were going to spend.
2. Look at all the Jeeps at the new price. Add the cost of the
new top to
the first one. The fiberglass body was butchered in the next one.
The gas
tank was leaking in the other one. Notice you're no longer hearing
sounds
that indicate a major overhaul. This is good news.
Add another $500.00 to your figure
3. People tell you that you don't really need hubs in the front
wheels. Another tells you that he'll even throw in a sway bar while you
desperately
fight to keep his Jeep on the road. "All Jeeps leak like
that" is a popular
phrase. "You can get it through E-Check but you have to lean it
out a
little" is another great phrase. Open headers are met with
"DOESN'T THAT
SOUND GREAT?".
Add another $1,000.00 just to see what a decent Jeep looks like. At
this
point you're convinced there's no way you're going to find one for what
you
can afford.
About this time you're going to run into a really nice looking Jeep.
You
fall in love with it. It's obvious that the fellow loved his Jeep
and does
NOT want to part with it. But, he wants more than you can afford.
Having a
hubby just as interested in exploring as you are, she demands this is the
Jeep you should buy. Try to get him to come down. He won't.
He doesn't
care.
You pay too much. You bring it home. You agonize. Your
friends and family
love it. You smell gas. "Damn!", you say, "I'm
going to have to replace the
gas tank." No one else in your family smells gas. You see
a drop of
antifreeze. "Damn!", you say, "Bet a freeze plug is
going!" You patiently
wait for another drop to fall.
Your hubby comes out. She says, "Let's go for a ride!"
You get in the Jeep. You have an ABSOLUTE BLAST. You pull back in the drive well past
dark and
your hubby is about frozen solid. You don't care if you have to work
another
job. You're really glad you bought a Jeep.
Steve
