Looking to buy another jeep but cant decide
This post might be a little bit of a long one but I'm torn between 2 choices and want some opinions. First off the XK isn't going anywhere, I just want a second Jeep that I can wheel a little harder than I can with the XK and wont be stuck without a vehicle if I break one on the trails. Also want something a little smaller that can maneuver through the tight trails in northern Wisconsin a little easier.
1st option: A guy that's a member of a nearby Jeep club that I'm working on joining is trying to sell a 99 TJ with 104K miles on it. It has a 3" inch lift and he's asking 6500 for it with stock tires in like new condition. For another 900 bucks he's willing to throw in a set of 5 33" duratracks less than a year old also in like new condition. He's also done a lot of work in the last year. New radiator, u joints, exhaust manifold, and I think a couple more things I'm forgetting. It also has a brand new Rampage soft top he hasn't even installed yet. Only selling because he just bought a rubicon on a whim and now owns 4 jeeps and his wife said one has to go. The pros of this option as I see it are: Its ready to hit the trails, and has relatively low miles and I hope it would last a log time. I'd have to use an auto loan through my bank but could easily afford the payments and initial out of pocket cost for my new project would very little. Cons: the guy lives 3.5hrs away so its going to be a pain working out the details of the sale and trying to pick it up when I work the opposite shift as the wife and take care of 3 small kids during the day. It won't fit all five of us if we ever all want to go wheeling together which wouldn't be for quite a while yet anyway. And it also has the stock Dana 35 rear axle that doesn't have a very good reputation from what I've been reading. I could probably do a swap in a year or 2 though.
2nd option: Buying a stock XJ and building it up myself. There's a few for sale in the area from 2500 to 4500 bucks with mileage between 135k AND 188k. Pros of going this route: I really like the XJ and this is what I was planning on doing before the TJ went up for sale. Would have a little more room for the family. Would be fun to build from stock. Can find one closer to home. Cons: I'm going to end up with a higher mileage vehicle and probably cost me more. I would still plan on going through the bank for the jeep and payments would be even lower but out of pocket cost would be much higher. I would at a minimum want to buy a lift, have a local 4X4 shop regear so I can run 33's, and buy the new tires and wheels before I did any wheeling with it and I don't even know when I would be able to afford to do all that.
I think I know what would be the better choice but still need to hear some opinions so I can decide and stop second guessing myself. Thanks Guys.
