1999 XJ Jeep - What to look for...

[where the hell am I]

G'day Guys,

I'm looking at buying a 99 XJ Cherokee Sport.

The car has done 100K and has been dealer serviced and has been a Toorak Tractor (literally). The car won't be doing much serious off road work but we do live in the country so it might have to negotiate the odd paddock and muddy track aswell as the odd camping weekend.

The wife and I drove it an both liked the car and I'm am a qualified mechanic so liked the fact that everything is reasonably basic and it should be fairly easy to work on.

As I am no longer in the trade and have lost a bit of the pulse of the industry I spoke to a few people who have since nearly scared me off it.

I have been told parts prices are ridiculously high and things such as axles having limited lifespan due to the bearing running on the shaft itself, and being very $$$ when they need replacing.

Have I been led up the path by a scaremonger? Are they a reasonably reliable vehicle if well maintained? What should I be looking for on the Jeep?

The Jeep idea is going down in flames quickly...can someone tell me it isn't so...

Also, I have spoken to someone about converting the thing to Gas and was told it's very difficult due to the twin o2 sensors...again, this didn't ring true to me, but I'm happy to be told otherwise...

[Mitch]

I have a 95 on gas and never had any probs with it.

[TheOoz]

If you want a car that is cheap to run on parts and fuel get a Corolla or a Camry wagon.

There are several posts on this site about installing LPG in the model you are considering. An excellent system would set you back about $5K and it will give you no problems whatsoever (direct injection). That price is of course before the govt rebate. You can get much simpler installations and save money, but that is often when the issue of the o2 sensors come into play.

There are a truck load of XJs on the road so second hand parts are easy to find. There are also a good number of aftermarket suppliers who import directly from the USA so you can save some cash there. My local AutoPro store stocks a lot of XJ parts too.

If you are still unsure, keep reading the posts on this site. We spend a lot of time discussing the costs and fixes we are doing to our Jeeps. What you are unlikely to find is a lot of posts saying how bad Jeeps are!

Enjoy

TheOoz

[Gildo]

Buy my 98 and I'll do you a sooopa deal.