Used Jeep Help

Hey everyone, I was just wondering what are some Pro's and Con's of buying a used YJ or TJ. I was looking at buying my first jeep and was wondering what things I should be looking for and looking to stay away from. I found a 1988 Jeep YJ near my house for sale but I'm not too sure if its worth the money. Here's some info on the jeep.

1988 Jeep YJ:
- 4.0 Ltr. 6 cylinder
- Automatic trans.
- 242,000 Km's (this is my only thing holding me back)
- 4x4
- Tilt steering, cruise control.
- CD player (not really worried about that)
- Hard and soft tops included.
- 15" alloy jeep wheels.
- The body looks as though it is in really decent shape.

The jeep is from a dealership and they are asking $3,900.00 (Canadian)

Also, would this 4.0 Ltr engine be carb or would it have fuel injection ? I am not sure about this either.

If someone could please help me out with this that would be great!
- Bryan  

That '88 has 2 strikes against it. First, the '87-'90 YJs had the 4.2L six-cylinder with the crappy Carter YJ 2bbl carburetor. The engine to which the carb is attached is great, but the induction system will leave you feeling frustrated.

Second, the transmission is the incredibly bad Peugeot BA10. The six-cylinder Wranglers didn't get the good AX-15 until '89.

While you may be able to live with the carburetor, I'd say there's a fair amount of certainty you'll be swapping the transmission out in the near future - especially with that mileage on it. At the current conversion rate you're talking about a $3,000 YJ with crap parts for a lot of money. Unless it's super-clean they're asking too much.

Check craigslist.com for a better one. You should be able to find a '91-'95 YJ for close to what that dealership is asking. These years will have the excellent H.O. 4.0L engine and AX-15 tranny. If you think you can live with a 4-cylinder, all Wrangler 2.5L engines are fuel-injected. The '87-'90s are TBI and the '91-'95s are MPI. Both will have the decent (for a four-cylinder) AX5 tranny.  

Thank you for your help! I think you saved me from a heap of crap! I knew I could reply on JP Magazine for the right answers.  

Oh, hey - just read this again after my morning coffee. Didn't realize the tranny was an auto. If that's the case then the tranny should be the 3-speed Chrysler 999 auto, which is a really good auto tranny. Another plus is the Dana 35 rear axle will be the somewhat rare '87-'89 non-C-clip version. If a shaft breaks the wheel/tire assembly won't leave the vehicle like it will in a '90-up Dana 35 rear with C-clips.

That leaves you with just the carburetor issue to deal with, which can be rectified with a Motorcraft MC2100 2-bbl swap. The better Motorcraft carb will bolt to the 4.2L manifold with an adapter from Trans-Dapt and the carbs are readily available in the junkyard.

Sorry 'bout the previous knee-jerk reaction, but this Jeep may be worth considering after all if it's in really good shape. It's still not a H.O. 4.0L, but the 4.2L is a damn reliable engine and makes very good power and torque.  

I personaly would consider it if you can talk the dealer down about  4 or five hundred. If they dont come down you dont want to buy from them anyway! on one that old you should also check the shock mounts and shackles. i have found several with cracks in the frame near these areas ,if it has cracks STAY AWAY. Also check for universal joint and ball joint problems, canada has snow witch leads to salt witch SOME TIMES leads to corosion on these areas best to check. Happy jeep hunting.  
It's not a money pit, it's a PROJECT!

Is there any way to convert the carb set up to a fuel injected system ? or would that be a hell of alot of wrench turning and wiring ?

Thanks for all the help again!

Also, what would be a good year / model of jeep to buy used for a daily driver with the great possibility of doing some much needed and wanted wheeling?  

yes you can convert it to mpi however its expensive, for the mopar kit its $2,499 or for the howell throttle body kit its gonna hit you for $1299. just look for sumthing with a 4.0 with the ax 15 and 231 trans case. avoid the dana 35 rear end a all costs though. check craigslist.com look into the cherokees. i found a really nice 1993 with the whole package i just mentioned as well as a 6 inch lift and 36s for $1500  

any year tj is a good start if you have the money to spend, but it is realy just up to your taste. the cherokee and grands are great but if you want to take the top off and have a good daily than a 90+ yj or a 98+ tj is what you want.  
It's not a money pit, it's a PROJECT!

well of course, it just seems like the xj's are the easiest to get into wheelin with. plus you can always take the doors off of the xj and go to street beat customs and install the retractable sunroof that jp installed in an xj in the may 2008 issue. i havent seen a good yj or tj under $4500 out here, and thats bone stock with a 2.5L. maybe its cause i live so close to the rubicon as well as tons of other good spots. dont get me wrong though, i love tj's and cant wait til i get the funds to build one, but id rather be out wheelin then dreamin.  

Comparing the 4 cylinder to the 6 cylinder, which one would be best to have ? I hear the 4 cylinders are a bit under powered and that they also enjoy drinking the gas like a teen with a beer bong. . . .or faster  

it all depends on the mods you do to the rest of the jeep. if you were to build up both rigs the same, in the long run the 6 would get you better gas mileage because you would have to have the 4 banger to the floor just to keep up. you mind as well just start off with the 6 cyl. and if you were planning on just swapping out the 4 for the 6 later on down the road, dont, you will end up paying way more then what the 6 would cost you since you would need a bigger radiator as well as tons of other parts. just start out right with the 6  

i would look into gettin the jeep that you are lookin at, as far as being fuel injected think of your jeep as an investment, and if your like me you will find something else you want to do to it and will probably always be a work in progress, and as with any used jeep look underneath it and check the skid plates for excessive damage, a few dings and scratches are normal, but if they look like a derby car i would try to talk em down, yj' are also cheaper to build and and easyer to put bigger axles under if you ever want to  
"WHEN IN DOUBT TACH IT OUT!"

What are the chances that the particular jeep or any heep for that matter is still stock?  If it has over 200K and still has a BA10 than It's got to be a good tranny, or one that was put in with quick disconect bolts and antiseize.  

Ok so here's another few questions. If i were to buy a 89 - 95 jeep yj and then buy say a 1998 cherokee would the cherokee transfer case and transmission both be a bolt o type of deal given they both have 4.0 ltr engines ? I have been told that the cherokee drive train is built like a tank and if this is the truth wouldn't it be worth it in  the long run to swap the drive train from the Cherokee to the YJ ?