'88 Cherokee. What should I be looking at extra close?

[cbreiter]

I'm looking to buy an 88 Cherokee Laredo, found a 4x4 one which I think I can pick up for less than $500. Just needs an alt. has new tires, and front shocks. It's a 4.0 with an auto tranny. What should I be looking extra close at when I check it out?

[yxmj]

Crawl Under it look for rusted out floor pans.

 

I have the exact same truck. That wide rubber body mold is hiding more rust ( or probebly hiding holes were the rust has gone thru already).

 

Mine has only 180,000 kms

I was going to use it as the doner for the MJ  . :MJ 1: .

[Eagle]

Rust on the underside of the driver's side floor pan.

 

Signs of leakage at the lower rear corner of the two wing vent windows.

 

Signs of the heater core leaking.

 

Check for small (or large!!!) cracks where the upper hinge of the driver's door is welded to the body pillar.

 

Looks like it has a tilt wheel. Test the tilt mechanism -- they sometimes work loose.

[cbreiter]

Thanks so much! I'm going to look at it this evening.

[cbreiter]

Didn't end up getting it. Was so rough, it wasn't even worth bringing home.

[Eagle]

What were you expecting for $500?

[cbreiter]

Was hoping it wouldn't be that bad. I was planning to use it for parts, but it all looked so trashed, I felt than most useful parts would be no good, or need rebuilding.

[xjrev10]

A running driving 4 wheel drive is worth $500 all day long everywhere IMO.

[cbreiter]

It wasn't running though, IMO looked like the engine was about pooched. Had a pile of miles on it, and the alt was seized. No battery either, and looked like someone hacked it out with a hatchet!

[Lee21490]

What were you expecting for $500?

Sometimes you can get a hell of a nice vehicle for $500, its rare.. But does happen.

[ComancheKid45]

 

What were you expecting for $500?

Sometimes you can get a hell of a nice vehicle for $500, its rare.. But does happen.

 

 

My 2wd (Oscar) is a prime example of that!

[cbreiter]

That's true! I've gotten them for that, but it doesn't happen often.

[badazzelanore]

I know this is an old post but I was in a similar circumstance just yesterday. I have been scrounging around CL looking for a 2 door 2.5l 4x4 w/manual transmission XJ as a donor for my 2WD Comanche. I found one! Damn thing was toast! Every panel was rusted/bamged up, interior was ripped out except driver seat (i want the fold and tumble front seats) and the transmission and TC were destroyed because he decided to make a rock crawler out of it then gave up apparently after destroying all the good parts lol. The search continues!