I’m about to buy an MJ

[B_Mulls]

I was pointed in the direction of this community from reddit when I asked about buying an MJ..

 

the current vic I’m looking at is an 87’ with 137k miles, asking $3200, I’ve talked him down to $2800. He won’t go lower.

 

It has the IL6, 4.0L, and I’m unsure of the transmission. I know it is 2WD. It needs some new parts, mainly cosmetic; a new wind shield, new head light, new tail light, a new paint job, new tires. I’ve attached a photo.

 

I took it for for a test drive and I got it up to speed and it did not have the wobbles on the freeway.

 

I am extremly novice at buying vehicles, this is going to be my first vehicle purchase. I drove my Father’s XJ when I was in high school, but I’ve since moved across the country, by order of Uncle Sam.

 

I’m trying to restore it and use it as a daily driver. Is that a feasible goal? I absolutely love the MJ body style, and I would like to get this vehicle, but I don’t want to get something that is going to give me more problems than it’s worth. I’m not the most mechanically inclined as of now but I am extremely willing to learn and I was hoping this would be a good starting point. I do have friends who would be willing to help me with some of the bigger projects as well.

 

Any information, any guidance, or even a, “get lost kid,” would be extremely helpful and appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Eagle]

If it's an automatic, it's an AW4, which is an excellent transmission if you just jeep clean fluid in it.

 

If it's a 5-speed, it's a Peugeot BA 10/5. That transmission gets a very bad rap everywhere you go. It's really a light-duty transmission that shouldn't have been used behind the 4.0L engine. That said, if it drives okay, with no bearing noise and no synchronizer crashing when you shift, it's fine for daily driver use. Just don't try to speed shift it like Don "The Snake" Garlits at the drag strip. I have the BA 10/5 in my '88 Cherokee. It's at 287,000+ miles and no transmission problems ... but I shift like a little old lady, and I double clutch on all downshifts (because that's what my grandfather taught me to do).

 

That truck looks very clean. It doesn't appear to need a lot of restoration.

 

A new taillight is going to cost you. It doesn't interchange with the Cherokee, or with any other pickup, and good ones are rare.

[WahooSteeler]

From the info provided and the single picture, it looks like a "go" in my opinion. If it is an automatic, you'll have the AW4 transmission which would be more desirable than the BA10 manual 5 speed in '87. Give it a good look underneath for rust on the floorboards and frame rails from the cab back. 

[B_Mulls]

14 minutes ago, Eagle said:

If it's an automatic, it's an AW4, which is an excellent transmission if you just jeep clean fluid in it.

 

Haha I’ll assume the pun was intended. 

 

Another point you brought up, what is synchronizer crashing?

[JMO413]

Sounds like a good deal to me. Definitely check the floor boards. If your willing to learn it would be a good thing to learn on. This site is also an amazing resource that's full of information and good people.

[olddude]

I like it. What part of the country is the truck from?

[B_Mulls]

1 minute ago, olddude said:

I like it. What part of the country is the truck from?

 

Truck has had 2 other owners and has been in California all its life.

[kansashogan]

I would say that if you are really into learning and willing to put in the time and effort to keep up on the things we all know it will need then go for it. There seems to be a lot of little things that need attention that previous owners just let go. It is an addiction. Look through this site at a bunch of the other guys trucks and see what they have had to tackle and see if it is something you want to get into.

[Minuit]

I was in your place once. My '91 was my first vehicle and I started on it before I got my license. The MJ is one of the best vehicle platforms to learn on. It's a blend of old and new technology (although an 87 has more old technology than my 91), and you'll learn most of what you need to become a well rounded mechanic.

 

From the one pic you've provided, that truck looks worthy of your time and a good buy. Make sure to check the floors for rust. That doesn't look like any type of original paint, and on old trucks that always make me feel a little nervous, because the paint could be hiding anything. You may want to run a magnet along the bottom of the cab below the doors and above the rear fender flares. If the seller has a fit when you ask to do this, I'd be a little more suspicious.

 

If it's a manual transmission, they have a nasty problem where fluid from the clutch system leaks directly on the fuse box. Inspect the fuse connections for corrosion and check the plastic frame for warps and cracks. If you see those, you might be in for a bad time.

[Eagle]

8 hours ago, B_Mulls said:

 

Haha I’ll assume the pun was intended. 

 

Another point you brought up, what is synchronizer crashing?

 

Oops. No, not a pun and not intended ... a good, old-fashioned typo. Should have read "keep." Stick around here and you'll see that I'm the world's worst typist.

 

"Crashing" is when the synchronizers are worn so when you shift gears you get a big "clunk" instead of a smooth shift. The BA 10/5 is especially naughty for second gear ... I really have to granny shift second.

[gogmorgo]

Looks decent to me. If you do pick it up, go to cruiser54.com and start working through the tips as you see fit. It's a great way to improve the way the truck runs and gives you confidence to do your own wrenching with small projects while helping you learn about the truck. 

 

One thing about the word "restore". We see a few people coming in saying they plan to do that, but then we see 4x4 conversions and lifts and tires and bumpers and all kinds of things that aren't restoring". "Restore" means to put it back to the way it left the factory. I was one of those people. Once you start messing with stuff, it becomes almost impossible to leave things alone... fixing what ain't broke. It's not always a bad rabbit hole, but it isn't always a hobby your neighbours and members of your household will always be on board with. Especially if you get to be like me, two unregistered 4x4s parked in the yard, the garage is full of parts jeep and other parts horde so you can't wrench in there, the sheds are full of parts, and there's a couple more Jeeps parked on the street. And I'm not even all that bad off compared to others here. It makes having to move a pain, and finding homes that work for me isn't always easy. Just something to keep in mind, figure out what your scope is and work within it. 

[lcoutback]

First off, 'Welcome'!   There are no 'get lost kid' thoughts here unless someone becomes belligerent or is just rude.  This is a pretty respectful and helpful community! 

If you have the motivation and desire to turn your own wrenches, the MJ can be a blast.  Whether it's a 31 year old car, pickup, house or girl friend, it's gonna need a little work.  Previous owners never care for your stuff the way you do, so don't afraid go all in.

 

All the comments above are important.  Rust, leaky stuff, how well the transmission shifts and how the truck rolls down the road all tell a story.  It might be worth spending a few bucks to have a mechanic (or one of your trusted friends) do a compression and give it a once-over for a second opinion?

 

 

[B_Mulls]

1 hour ago, gogmorgo said:

Looks decent to me. If you do pick it up, go to cruiser54.com and start working through the tips as you see fit. It's a great way to improve the way the truck runs and gives you confidence to do your own wrenching with small projects while helping you learn about the truck. 

 

One thing about the word "restore". We see a few people coming in saying they plan to do that, but then we see 4x4 conversions and lifts and tires and bumpers and all kinds of things that aren't restoring". "Restore" means to put it back to the way it left the factory. I was one of those people. Once you start messing with stuff, it becomes almost impossible to leave things alone... fixing what ain't broke. It's not always a bad rabbit hole, but it isn't always a hobby your neighbours and members of your household will always be on board with. Especially if you get to be like me, two unregistered 4x4s parked in the yard, the garage is full of parts jeep and other parts horde so you can't wrench in there, the sheds are full of parts, and there's a couple more Jeeps parked on the street. And I'm not even all that bad off compared to others here. It makes having to move a pain, and finding homes that work for me isn't always easy. Just something to keep in mind, figure out what your scope is and work within it. 

 

Thank you for that website, that’s awesome. Looks like I’m going to be busy.

 

I say restore, but the more I think about it, I probably mean build it up. I plan on DT swapping it, so I can take it home to Michigan and be able to fare well in the snow. And if I’m gonna put 4WD on it, might as well get some off road tires... I’m sure you all know how it goes.

[gogmorgo]

Well the snow brings up one more topic. 

Salt is a thing. We're not always excited about MJs seeing salt. Case in point, this is one of my rocker panels:

Don't let yours get like that. 

 

I'm assuming by DT swap you mean Dana 30?

[Eagle]

5 minutes ago, B_Mulls said:

 

I say restore, but the more I think about it, I probably mean build it up. I plan on DT swapping it, so I can take it home to Michigan and be able to fare well in the snow. And if I’m gonna put 4WD on it, might as well get some off road tires... I’m sure you all know how it goes.

 

Take another look at my signature ...

 

As the saying goes, "They aren't makin' 'em like that any more." I'm here to help, but I can't condone taking a fairly pristine, all original MJ like that and butchering it. The MJ will take up to 31x10-50-15 tires on those rims with no modifications to the ride height, so it's not like you have to "build" (i.e. butcher) it just tu run off-road tires. And, since you mention Michigan, keep in mind that many off-road tires truly suck in snow.

 

Our fearless leader, Pete M, spends half of his life in Michigan, so he's a good source for advice.

[gogmorgo]

7 minutes ago, Eagle said:

And, since you mention Michigan, keep in mind that many off-road tires truly suck in snow.

This is truth. I would take dedicated winter tires over 4x4 if presented with a choice between the two. The "all-weather" all terrains that have the mountain-snow-peak-thing rating are all pretty good choices as well, but you'll be regretting anything else the first patch of ice you hit. 

[Minuit]

16 minutes ago, Eagle said:

 

Take another look at my signature ...

 

As the saying goes, "They aren't makin' 'em like that any more." I'm here to help, but I can't condone taking a fairly pristine, all original MJ like that and butchering it. The MJ will take up to 31x10-50-15 tires on those rims with no modifications to the ride height, so it's not like you have to "build" (i.e. butcher) it just tu run off-road tires. And, since you mention Michigan, keep in mind that many off-road tires truly suck in snow.

 

Our fearless leader, Pete M, spends half of his life in Michigan, so he's a good source for advice.

This is how the purist side of the club feels, myself included. It's not like we're going to reach through the monitor and strangle you if you put a 2" lift and all terrains on your truck, but there are a lot of us here who will look down on someone bouncing straight, clean trucks off of rocks. If your plans include irreversible modifications like fender trimming to run large tires, I would advise you to not buy a clean survivor.

 

Also, if you live where the roads are salted in the winter, that rust-free truck will not be rust-free for long at all. If you plan on driving salted roads, I would suggest at a minimum a full application of fluid film or similar to the entire underside, with special attention paid to the rear wheel wells and inner bedsides. Better to not drive a rust-free classic truck in the winter, but that's just me.

[Pete M]

as the others have said, never ever ever let a clean MJ touch salt.  our trucks rot from the inside out once salt gets into the rockers, frame, bedsides and doors it's incredibly hard to get it out, if not impossible.  Use something sacrificial for wintertime use.   

 

also, snow tires are more effective than 4wd on slippery roads.     My old minivan dominated the snow thanks to the tires.    

[13 Legion]

Looks like a clean truck, especially since it’s been in Cali all it’s life. Just agreeing with what others posted above me. More pics if you have em. If you have a mechanic friend bring him along to check it out, certainly if it’s another ‘Jeep’ guy. From the cab forward you’ll still be able to find replacement parts around. Check your floorboards! Welcome to the club! What branch of service? Where are you stationed?

[tugalo]

Welcome to the best forum on the web.  Don't be afraid to ask cause these guys will always help out and they KNOW the answers.  Your MJ is the perfect platform to learn on.  You can troubleshoot anything on it with a volt/ohm meter so get yourself a good one.  Cruiser's tips are a must and so is the advice about checking the master cylinder for leakage.  Enjoy !!

[B_Mulls]

21 hours ago, 13 Legion said:

Looks like a clean truck, especially since it’s been in Cali all it’s life. Just agreeing with what others posted above me. More pics if you have em. If you have a mechanic friend bring him along to check it out, certainly if it’s another ‘Jeep’ guy. From the cab forward you’ll still be able to find replacement parts around. Check your floorboards! Welcome to the club! What branch of service? Where are you stationed?

 

USMC, Camp Pendleton, CA

 

I ended up getting the truck. So far the only major mods I plan on doing is repainting it (I’m probably gonna spend more on the paint than on the truck itself, go figure) and redoing the interior. The headliner is non existent, and I would like a bench seat rather than the two seats it has. I would also like to put some of the old gold Jeep lattice wheels on it.

 

It needs some TLC, like a windshield, tires, and some electrical work.

 

I should clairify that I do NOT intend on taking this over rocks. I’m just generally naive about anything car related. My father is available for guidance plus a couple of friends of mine don’t mind showing me the ropes.

 

here’s some pictures.

[Eagle]

Congratulations on your "new" truck. It looks like you got a nice one.

 

Could you post some photos of the interior? It looks like that's a base model truck, so the fact that it has bucket seats seems quite odd. If they are factory Jeep buckets, I'm sure there are any number of people (myself included) who would happily swap you a bench seat for a pair of Jeep MJ buckets.

 

Did you ever mention whether it's an automatic or a 5-speed? If so, I missed it.

[B_Mulls]

It’s an automatic. Here’s some interior photos.

[RustyRodder]

That interior looks great- odd that it has buckets, but not a full console!

Headliner will have to be custom since it has the sunroof

[Eagle]

With that steering wheel and the black bumpers and flares, it's a base model, so the bucket seats are really an oddity. They look factory, but I didn't know you could order bucket seats as a factory option. Sunroof, sliding rear window, operable wing vent windows, tow mirrors, bucket seats, carpet -- that truck had to be a custom order for the original owner.