Jeep Experts Sound Off !!!!!!!!!!!!!! TJ or YJ?

Looking for some help here...
I have an opportunity to buy a 93 Wrangler w/150K miles for $2500.
Body is fair (normal rust area's) Interior is good, has hard and soft top's. New tires. New clutch.
Has a small crack in the frame by the driver door. The rest of the Jeep appears OK.

I am also looking at a 97 Wrangler w/104K for $4000. Has soft top that needs replacing, rims are rusty, tires OK, has front fender and bumper damage (minimal)
Interior looks good. Frame is good.


Sooooooo...here's the question...
TJ vs YJ..pro's or con's...
The vehicle is for my daughter as a daily driver.
I'm not afraid of a rebuild project as I have good mech and tech skills.

Sound off...What do I look for in a used Jeep? What are the gotcha's???
Let's hear the opinions!!!!!!!!!  

If it's for your daughter go for the TJ. Airbag.  

agreed!!!! for sure!!!!

although she'll be more hard core in the YJ!  

id go with the tj just because the frames not cracked, and they ride better  
"WHEN IN DOUBT TACH IT OUT!"

tj is usualy more reliable with the 4 banger or the i6 than the yj. rides better but is not as rugged unless moded. thats the jist of it. the tj sounds like a better value. more bang for the buck if it has the 4.0 i6. the 4.2 is good but kinda hard to find in the yj as alot of people in the 80s where more concerned with fuel economy than the go factor. if the yj has a 4.2 its not to bad of a deal sept for the frame issue. I would ususaly take a tj over a yj unless its a realy well moded yj. Just my opp.  
It's not a money pit, it's a PROJECT!

Thanks everyone...I appreciate the input. Keep it coming.
Frankly..I'm not sure who is more excited. My daughter who thinks it will be cool to drive a Jeep, or me, for having a cool project to work on.
What mods should I consider to improve a tj as a daily driver? Suspension, seats, tires? Or..just leave it alone....  

I'd consider keeping the center of gravity low and reliability high. Read up on the Steal-J Wrangler buildup series I did here at Jp and maybe take some cues from that.

For starters, I'd focus on amenities and safety. That means replacing the top windows with new ones that aren't all scratched and opaque. Or replace the whole top if the factory one is hammered. I'd also look into a Rock Hard 4x4, Olympic 4x4, etc add-on cage kit that bolsters the factory cage and adds front downbars to the floor or dash cowl rather than relying on the windshield frame for support.

If the TJ seats are in good shape mechanically, a set of Bestop covers fit very well. If not, most companies like Bestop, Smittybilt, Corbeau,etc make replacement seats that will bolt to the factory seat brackets using adapters. TJs use a different seat bracket than YJ and CJ.

I'd also think about adding some rocker armor if you and she will be venturing off-road. Check your local want ads for factory Rubicon take-off rocker protection, or get a 4WD Hardware or Quadratec catalog. There are a ton of options in either. Or just do a Google search and pick your poison.

For suspension I'd just put some 1-, 1.5-, or 2-inch poly spacers in the front and leave the rear stock. This will give you enough room to mount some 31x10.50-15 or 245/75-16 tires on factory rims and won't require any steering or driveshaft corrections other than adjusting the drag link to center the steering wheel. If you go for the 16-inch rims, I like the factory Rubicon wheels better than just about any other. They're strong, good looking, and can be found for sale usually for around $400-$500 a set (sometimes with the Goodyear MT/Rs still on them). As for tires, a BFG A/T, General Grabber A/T, Pro Comp A/T, etc will all last a long time and give excellent on-road performance with decent off-road performance.

That should get you going.  

That sums it up the tj is the way to go the possibilities are endless but remember the safety of you and your daughter and have fun.  
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4.5 rubi longarm, dana 44's, cromoly shafts,currie HD stering,currie antirock,warn powerplant,warn bumpers,4.88 35" creepy crawlers atlas 4 speed.

I've spent the last couple of days reading thru this website....Great stuff here!
I think I feel an addiction coming on....
I'm very impressed with the collective knowledge of everyone that posts here and the willingness to "help a brutha out".
I can also see it would be VERY easy to start down the slippery slope of building a rock hopping, mud slinging machine! Gonna be hard to stop at the daily driver section of "Jeep Mart"...
Thanks for all the info. The more I read....the more I dream.....  

welcome to the club, youve now been infected!! the big thing is trying to stop modfying it, when i got mine i thought id never want anything taller than a 33in. tire, now im wanting run 35s or 36s on 4in of lift and a 1 in body, and use bumpstops and more fender cutting for clerance---may be even a 37  
"WHEN IN DOUBT TACH IT OUT!"

NO! NO! I have it! just put on some 20" spinners,some lowpro's and some wal-mart plastichrome, that would be awsome! LMAO  
It's not a money pit, it's a PROJECT!

As a past TJ owner, I can tell you that they can be very good for the kid's DD.  There are certain changes you may want to look at right off the bat (things I had issues with):

Radiator- it’s a metal/plastic POS- scrap it and get a nice aluminum aftermarket piece.  
Exhaust header- the 6 has cracking issues- (the 4-banger is okay- but I’d still replace it)
Catalytic converter- Make sure you get the right one for your engine (the 6 cyl and 4 cyl’s are different! I had a huge issue in smoke because of an ill-infirmed guy a Midas).
Bumpers, front and rear- the OEM’s a thin crap- the first time you “borrow” the rig, it’ll be bent- best to get some nice, inexpensive steel upgrades
Steering box guard- a must
Stronger center-link (or weld a peace of angle-iron to it) again, a rock-magnet
And last but not least- rocker protection.

I had 31” tires on my TJ for 7 years, and I wheeled just about everywhere I wanted to go, while still keeping it safe and easy to drive- in fact- I miss that ride, even though I’m running a 2007 4-door wrangler now…

My two cents-  

Hey DC..thanks for the tips....
The motor is a 4 banger with 104K on it...anything I need to consider here other than a full tune up and the suggestions listed above?
I've already been looking at cages, bumpers, sliders, rims, wheels, winches, tops...
I've got the guy down to $3500 on the Jeep. I'm taking my daughter over to look at it today...Gonna be a hoot teaching her how to drive a standard tranny...
Anyone got neck braces to lend me???  I'm going to have a lot of questions as we move forward with this...Your continued help for a couple of newbies will be greatly appreciated!  

if its a four banger try to stay away from heavy equip. on the jeep bumpers and rock sliders are essential but the winch is way heavy try lookin for lightweight options for it also try not to over equip a dd if its crawlin malls you wont need $10,000 in off road equip you know. the stock jeep will surprise you in off road ability  
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not only the founder of the white trash mafia im also a member

94 yj over the limit and out of control

One of the best mods for a tj is the right set of tires for the terrain that you drive.  If it's mostly daily driver a set of all terrains are a good choice.