Considering buying an 88 MJ

[the hiking viking]

Greetings MJ'rs...  I'm a Jeeper, but have always had CJs or JKs.  Like MJs, finally an opportunity to buy one perhaps.  

Looking at an 88 short bed this weekend.  4x4, automatic. 128k miles.   4.0 engine.

Here's the ad....

"Runs good alittle bit of an electrical problem causing the radio, wipers and blower to not work.

Gas gage also doesn’t work. I spent most of the summer sanding it down and repainting it.

4 wheel drive does work and new winter tires on "

 

Any tips or comments appreciated.  I'm doing my own homework as well, just looking to see what you guys can add.   Thanks! 

[RustyRodder]

Location?

Basics-
RUST.  Bring a magnet.  Check the rockers, cab corners, above the rear wheelwells, bottom of the bed.  If you can, pull back the carpet a bit and check there.  If not, bang the floor from the bottom with a hammer (Worked with my Crown vic search!).  

Thats a renix.  how does it look under the hood? vacuum lines seem neat, or strewn about? cracks? Idling issues, running rich?  Wiring taken care of?  That era can be a bit tricky, but thanks to Cruiser and NickinTime's REM they are a lot easier.  

How does it shift, and does it go into 4wd, etc all basics.  Checking the frame, etc.  

Some parts are hard to get- rear bumpers, taillights, tailgate/asociated hardware are near unobtanium.  Make sure they are good, or plan accordingly! 

As for electrical issues, I know that they have grounding issues that can cause problems.  Could be as easi as that- or could be shorts in the harness.  

[Eagle]

It's very difficult to comment without knowing the location and the price. 128,000 miles is nothing for the 4.0L engine, assuming even half-decent maintenance. The biggest concern is rust underneath -- floors, rockers, and unibody "frame" rails.

[the hiking viking]

3 hours ago, RustyRodder said:

Location?

Basics-
RUST.  Bring a magnet.  Check the rockers, cab corners, above the rear wheelwells, bottom of the bed.  If you can, pull back the carpet a bit and check there.  If not, bang the floor from the bottom with a hammer (Worked with my Crown vic search!).  

Thats a renix.  how does it look under the hood? vacuum lines seem neat, or strewn about? cracks? Idling issues, running rich?  Wiring taken care of?  That era can be a bit tricky, but thanks to Cruiser and NickinTime's REM they are a lot easier.  

How does it shift, and does it go into 4wd, etc all basics.  Checking the frame, etc.  

Some parts are hard to get- rear bumpers, taillights, tailgate/asociated hardware are near unobtanium.  Make sure they are good, or plan accordingly! 

As for electrical issues, I know that they have grounding issues that can cause problems.  Could be as easi as that- or could be shorts in the harness.  

 

Michigan... so rust is a major concern.  Definitely going to search for that rot. 

 

Read about the wiring issues, which this one seems to have.  Best just to buy a new harness it appears, or search more thru these forums for the specific fixes. 

 

Check all the basics,  gotcha.  I haven't bought many used cars over the years so I do plenty of homework online, collecting intel and such.  

 

"Some parts are hard to get"....  <---- great intel there, kind of stuff I was looking for, definitely. 

 

Thanks RustyRodder! 

 

[the hiking viking]

4 hours ago, Eagle said:

It's very difficult to comment without knowing the location and the price. 128,000 miles is nothing for the 4.0L engine, assuming even half-decent maintenance. The biggest concern is rust underneath -- floors, rockers, and unibody "frame" rails.

 

Location and price does not affect the specific MJ intel I'm looking for.       Not asking if this truck would be a good deal, that's subjective. 

 

Am looking for intel like; "MJs have these major issues... check for this."   "Can't get parts for this..."   

 

Sorry for not being clearer.  

 

Thanks Eagle. 

[JMO413]

From the doors forward the MJ is very easy to get most parts, most interchange with the XJ. Like rusty rodder said from the doors back parts are very hard to find. The aftermarket didn't make any of these parts. Your only choice is used or NOS and there is very little NOS out there. I would go to Cruisers site and read through it before you even go buy/look at it. His site is amazing for the Renix! It's not a manual so the fuse box should be okay unless it's has water leaks. These trucks like to leak water! I have a very similar truck that had very similar problems when I bought it. I can say I have spent allot of time working out the electrical Gremlins. I would definitely do it all again! I probably will but 2WD this time around. You gotta have options.

[gogmorgo]

I wanna say the radio, wipers, and blower problem is likely to be related. They all feed off the same wire at the ignition switch, which, as it ages, tends to burn out contacts and wires. 

If you look at the master index in the DIY section, you should find yourself a pdf of the wiring diagrams to help you out. 

Fuel gauge is likely just a bad sending unit.

[JMO413]

mj1988electricalmanual_(1).pdf

88 electrical manual

[tugalo]

my 88 has a B/A-10 Peugeot 5 speed tranny.

[Jeep Driver]

17 hours ago, the hiking viking said:

 

Location and price does not affect the specific MJ intel I'm looking for.       Not asking if this truck would be a good deal, that's subjective. 

 

Am looking for intel like; "MJs have these major issues... check for this."   "Can't get parts for this..."   

 

Sorry for not being clearer.  

 

Thanks Eagle. 

Ultimately every part you will need is available, you'll have to hunt and be patient. 

 

Electrical.........EVERY MJ and XJ of the era will come with some electrical problems, every one can be overcome. 

 

If you are willing to do the work.........comes down to a clean body or not, just my POV.

[Darren]

Don't buy an MJ in the rustbelt. Go buy one that is rust free and drive it home. I don't understand why anyone would buy a rusted out truck when ones with zero rust are the same price.

[RustyRodder]

Could be a non-rusty one; but otherwise, I agree with Darren.  I passed on 3 MJ's in Georgia because of rust.  Ended up with a solid one for 900. 

[SenorT]

On ‎3‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 10:44 PM, gogmorgo said:

I wanna say the radio, wipers, and blower problem is likely to be related. They all feed off the same wire at the ignition switch, which, as it ages, tends to burn out contacts and wires. 

If you look at the master index in the DIY section, you should find yourself a pdf of the wiring diagrams to help you out. 

Fuel gauge is likely just a bad sending unit.

 

That's great info.  I haven't dug into fixing, but radio and wipers are exactly what I've seen go out.

[the hiking viking]

Thanks to all the great replies and input.  Appreciate the time you guys took to do so.  

 

Finally saw the MJ today..   I passed on it. Needs way too much work. Poor condition overall.  Young guy, 20, showed it to me. Title in his Dad's name but he was driving it as a work truck. 

 

Details

1988 MJ   short bed Sport Truck

4.0 Automatic

New All terrain tires.

125K miles

Asking $2500

Been in the same family for 25 years.

 

 

My inspection notes.

1. Body rust everywhere.  Listing Ad claimed he sanded all the rust and primed it last summer.   There's primer all over it, including over the old SPORT TRUCK stickers. Multiple rust spots everywhere coming up thru the primer.   Each fender has rust rot, so much that each flare is loose.  Cab corners in great shape surprisingly.  Both floorboards are rotted thru majorly, while I was underneath, saw the carpeting falling thru the holes.  Rust forming around the windshield.  And some old bondo work done by his grandpa 20+ years ago.

2. Driver's door pin on the cab has been re-welded back on, very sloppy. Not aligned well.

3. Tailgate in great shape but one of the hinges is jacked up, gate closes harshly. Out of alignment.

4. Hood release cable broke off from cab, he had the cable jerry rigged up thru the hood near the driver's side glass. 

5. Windshield has two divots the size of a quarter each, plus cracking around each. Almost like bullet holes, but not.  

6. Crank handles for each window were broken off in half. Just a stub to lower and raise windows.

7. Inside the Cab... it was a pig pen. Wow. Who doesn't clean up a vehicle before showing it?  Pens on the floor, loose tools and sockets here and there. Paper and food wrappers over the dash board.  Junk behind the seat, a foot deep. I wasn't interested in digging that stuff out to look down there. Seat was saggy, could feel the springs. Carpet saggy and filthy.  

8.  Bed frame in great shape, looked like it was covered in oil spray. All mounts solid

9.  Bed had a plastic insert, couldn't see the condition of the metal below it.  Didn't see any holes from under. 

10. Rancho shocks all around, dirty and looked old. 

11.  Guy stated that it had sat for some time off and on over the years.  

 

Engine bay inspection

1. Black Oil everywhere, covered every component in the bay.  Except the new alternator. I've never seen a bay that covered in Oil, ever. 

2. I found two mouse nests, torn paper nests. One near the valve cover, front passenger side, golf ball size.  If he drove this daily as he stated, those nests should be covered in oil like everything else in there. LOL. 

3. State he installed a new valve cover gasket 2 years due to major leak.  Couldn't tell... Everything covered in oil, valve cover had newer oil on it. 

4.  There was a bird nest of wires all balled up around the battery on the passenger side, weird. Seemed like a lot of extra wire. 

5.  Did I mention black oil covered everything? 

 

Test Ride (guy came along) 

1.  Engine started right up.  LOUD.  Stated the exhaust fell off yesterday. About 6 foot of pipe tossed in the bed. 

2.  Steering wheel had play in it, several inches of movement before wheels turned. 

3.  Brakes pulsated when applied, warped rotors or bad drums. Bad axle shaft or bearings?  Guy didn't know when brakes were last done. 

4.  Engine ran strong and had good acceleration overall. 

5.  Was a slight wobble from the front driver's side tire area under acceleration.  ?  Alignment was fine, tracked straight. 

 

Returned to his house.  I did one last walk around, contemplating the truck.  Told him, "Truck isn't right for me.  Thanks for showing it to me. Good luck. "   And off I went.   No point in me listing each and every issue with the truck to him.  

 

I've looked at other small trucks in this price range, none were this bad.  Think he's trying to make some $$ off the Jeep name. 

 

Ah well....  I'll keep looking. 

 

Thanks again! 

[amsuco]

Considering how detailed this inspection/write up was, I'm curious just how overpriced the members think this particular MJ really was.  

[Pete M]

for a rotted pile of rust?  I wouldn't take it if it came free to me with some extra money in the glovebox.  although other people might pay slightly over scrap value for it. 

[13 Legion]

Keep looking! Sounds like that truck was overpriced by about $2000. Around here that sounds like maybe a $500 truck. I am from the rust belt. I agree with one of the above posters... go south or out west to look. Not sure what you’re looking for here though. A project truck? A DD? A rock crawler? A weekend driver? I think most guys woulda spent about 5 min. looking at that one. The condition of the inside of the cab speaks volumes. It always boggles me why people, when selling a vehicle, think that leaving a piling heap of garbage in the cab area is a good selling point. Another pet peeve of mine? When I hear something is either a ‘quick fix’ or ‘easy fix’. Nice inspection though, it seems you did a pretty thorough job.    I think I woulda pulled up and drove away!