New to me old Jeep Wrangler, TJ

Rot 911 · 02-23-2025, 02:46 PM

Been looking for an unmolested, non-rusted TJ. Not that easy to find. But I found this one down in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Flew down to El Paso and met up with the owner on Friday. Just got back from 1000 mile drive home and the Jeep performed without a flaw! 1998, only had two owners, and has spent its entire life down in the Southwest. 117,000 miles!

wilnj · 02-23-2025, 03:06 PM

So jealous of that undercarriage.

My 2011 looks like it was parked in the surf on the beach for a couple years.

juanbenae · juanbenae's Garage

TJ's are a great platform, well done. The 4.oL straight 6 is not even broken in yet at 117k miles!! A couple guys in my club have nicely built TJ, and a couple others have XJ's with the 4.oL with in excess of 300k & 400k miles.

I'll be lucky to get 100k out of my 3.6L 15 V6.... In hindsight I should have gotten a TJ when I sold my YJ instead of the JK. Enjoy!

Dantilla · 02-23-2025, 03:37 PM

I had a '98 that same color!
Replaced it with the 2005 Rubicon we still have.
The 4.0 straight six is bulletproof. I think it would go a few hundred thousand miles with nothing but Crisco in the crankcase.

Dantilla · 02-23-2025, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juanbenae

I'll be lucky to get 100k out of my 3.6L 15 V6....

I also have a 2012 Grand Cherokee with the 3.6.
194,000 miles, and still runs like new.
Changed all the belts, hoses and fluids at 100k, about to do it again at 200k.

The Rubicon has also topped 200k miles.

onewhippedpuppy · 02-23-2025, 03:59 PM

Congrats, looks super dry underneath! I’ve had multiple Wranglers and the TJ was my favorite.

Rot 911 · 02-23-2025, 04:21 PM

One of the things I like most about the early TJ’s, is that the average person, with basic mechanical skills, should be able to fix anything that goes wrong. And easily find the parts!

onewhippedpuppy · 02-23-2025, 05:29 PM

To me they have a rugged simplicity that I found very endearing and honest. It’s a Jeep for doing Jeep stuff. Not lined in leather with a big touch screen and a bunch of stuff that will break if it gets rained on with the top off. In my unlimited garage dream scenario I would have a manual transmission TJ with the doors and top permanently removed that I would drive on nice days at my lake house and local trails.

A930Rocket · 02-23-2025, 05:49 PM

Nice score!

Why do Jeeps rust so much? You would think they would be fully galvanized, etc., but I’ve seen some that look like Swiss cheese.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

I was looking at those pictures, from a guy living in Cornhusker Country thinking WTF?

Las Cruces, yeah, beautiful

Your kids will be fighting over that one

cantdrv55 · 02-23-2025, 06:28 PM

Gone but not forgotten

Racerbvd · Racerbvd's Garage

A friend may be picking this up.

juanbenae · juanbenae's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dantilla

I also have a 2012 Grand Cherokee with the 3.6.
194,000 miles, and still runs like new.
Changed all the belts, hoses and fluids at 100k, about to do it again at 200k.

The Rubicon has also topped 200k miles.

I hope I get a good one like you seem to have. I put a Baxter oiler on it to prevent dry starts... Got a 15 cause many of the issues had been worked out... Casting sand in the block that clogged heater cores and cooling systems, weak valve trains, lifter and rockers. of course, my OE oil cooler failed so I got the Dorman... Capable rig to be sure, but the straight 6 is superior...

rfuerst911sc · 02-24-2025, 02:22 AM

Rot 911 nice score ! I suggest you buy 6-8 cans of Fluid Film and spray the chassis and anything underneath you don't want to rust . Home Depot/Lowes/Ace hardware and similar stores sell FF . If you are not familiar with FF it is an aerosol can of a oily/waxy goop that is an excellent protector against rust and corrosion . Good luck with the Jeep .

Rot 911 · 02-24-2025, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Rot 911 nice score ! I suggest you buy 6-8 cans of Fluid Film and spray the chassis and anything underneath you don't want to rust . Home Depot/Lowes/Ace hardware and similar stores sell FF . If you are not familiar with FF it is an aerosol can of a oily/waxy goop that is an excellent protector against rust and corrosion . Good luck with the Jeep .

That is an excellent suggestion, and I will pick up some this weekend! Thanks!

juanbenae · juanbenae's Garage

Got my new beadlocks installed after cracking and breaking the beads on a couple of my Method wheels in the rocks last summer.

Baz · Baz's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rot 911

That is an excellent suggestion, and I will pick up some this weekend! Thanks!

Lanolin is the secret sauce in Fluid Film. They have two different blends. Black label and Red label. Kinda like Johnnie Walker!

The Black label is for underside rust proofing. I use the Red label to coat my stuff after treating with Evaporust to keep from flashing.

FWIW....I got the best pricing from my local NAPA store.

Congrats on your new TJ, Kurt. What a beautiful example and great acquisition story as well. That's the way to do it! Enjoy!

berettafan · 02-24-2025, 06:59 PM

Enjoyed mine while i had it. 5spd more fun on the road, much less fun crawling off road. If you're gonna get rocky with it check out the bike shifter mod for the throttle.

Dantilla · 02-24-2025, 07:06 PM

The TJ is the sweet spot.
Still relatively simple mechanics, but switching to coil spring suspension is a huge improvement over the earlier leaf sprung Jeeps, both on and off road.
After owning a leaf-spring Wrangler, the '98 TJ was an eye opener.
Drives so much better on the way to the woods, and far more capable after the pavement ends.