So what would you suggest?

[Eagle]

3) 87-90 4.0L.

I can't even think of a reason to look for one of these anymore.

They are great XJ's, but now they're all 20+ years old (model year 2010's are out, so even 1990's are 20 model years old), and (IMHO) the Renix stuff isn't worth dealing with anymore, unless you find a real gem.

Yeah, buy a 1991 or newer. That way you get a C-clip Dana 35 rear axle, instead of one with retainers (and possibly a Dana 44). You get those wonderful Mopar 9-inch rear drums instead of the AMC 10-inch drums, and you also get the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Mopar front discs that remind you when it's time for new rotors by the old ones falling off. You get OBD that's not compatible with anything else, and that you probably can't buy a scan tool to read for less than 3 grand.

 

I LIKE my Renix era XJs and MJs. They're reliable, and easy to work on. Most problems can be diagnosed with an inexpensive multimeter.