hpiracr28

Down the road from my house is a 1995 jeep grand cherokee laredo for sale. interior and exterior is in prestine condition, it has a new cd player. its got the 4.0 straight 6 cylinder. But it has 170,000 miles. I do know these engines are known for longevity if taken care of. He wants $1500 for it. Is this a good deal? Please help i need a SUV lol.

tommygun32

I would post this in the 'off-topic' section, further down the main 'rc cars, trucks, buggies, tanks and more' page.

sloppyG

tell me more about the CD player

378

My Feedback: (4)

Automatic or manual? That would be the decider if it were me, and not just because I'm a manual fanboy. Chrysler automatics are famed for not being very good, and at 170K It's well past due for a failure. However, the manuals they got somehow managed to hold up quite well.


the engine itself, the axles(Dana 40s I believe), the steering box, they're all very reliable. It's not at all uncommon for those parts to hit half a million miles. General rule of thumb: US Domestic + I6 = reliable engine.


If the jeep turns out to be a bust, perhaps a Suburban would work? Or if they're too big/thirsty, an 80-86 Bronco with a 4.9 and M/T would do you well. Blazers will also work, K5s are notoriously tough, and the light ones are good if you get one with the 4.3 V6. Just don't go looking at Explorers...they're meh at best.

The Mad Modder

Very true. I know two people who had Chrysler auto trans failures. My mom's 95 plymouth voyager has the trans fail just a couple k past the warranty. An employer had ram (about 09) that last I heard was on its 3rd trans in less than a year.

The 4.0 isn't too bad, but for the power it's a bit on thirsty side. I'd be interested in trying a 5.0 explorer, though.

378

My Feedback: (4)

My mom has a '96 Chrysler van with 140K on the clock. The axles pop incessantly and the gearbox likes to kick down into second to climb the pansiest of hills. It also leaks, and it isn't a pan gasket. Slow leak for now, so we're not going to attempt to repair it quite yet, about a quart every two or three months.


The C4 in my aunt's '71 F100? It just got replaced for the first time a few months ago. It had over 300K on it, and was replaced more as a preventative measure than anything else as they had just put a brand new engine in.
5.0 Exploder? Say goodbye to your pocketbook. They're screamers, they're fairly reliable, but the 302 is a thirsty little thing in there.

Explorers in general tend to be thirsty. I've got one of the good Explorers, back when it was just a trim level on the F150, and even with the 4.9L six and 2.49 rear end I can barely average 17. I might be able to average 20 if I swapped in these 3.27 gears though.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

The Dana 35 in the rear of that Grand is a piece of crap if you're planning on doing any towing or wheeling with it.

The Chrysler-years AMC-sourced I6 sucks ITBJHO.

The 41TE? transmission in that Grand is weak, but as long as you're not taxing the vehicle (towing, wheeling, etc) you should be OK.

Basically if you want to use it as a CAR it'll be fine. If you want to use it as a JEEP it's just about useless.

hpiracr28

LOL well all are good points. I plan on having for a second vehicle. Not really towing anything seeing as i dont have anything to tow. No off roading at all. mostly for more room for my 16 month old getting him in and out (i drive a hyundai accent hatch right now...no room) and to keep my family safe in the winter cause i drive 45 minutes one way to work and the hyundai does not go in snow. The owner said never had ANY problems what so ever, never needed engine or tranny work. tranny shifts smoothe, smooth acceleration and good power. I kno the 4.0 are good, i've seen them go past 600k miles, stock engine. i follow all 3,000 mile services/fluid exchanges. like i said though, there is not a spec of rust on the exterior and the jeep looks immaculate. i just dont wanna spend $1,500 and have parts failing left and right and have it nickel and dime me ya know?

The_Shark

i have seen a couple 4.0 and 4.7 cherokee's reach over 250k with original engine and trans.

some is luck, some is how you drive it, most is maintnence.

buying any used car is going to be a shot in the dark. pay more attention the the brakes, suspension and steering, THOSE are what cost you bucks, not transes. you dont want any pop or clunk under the car, or pulling grinding brakes.

378

My Feedback: (4)

New gearbox for my F150: 1500 bucks.


Complete four corner brake overhaul: 450 bucks.



So much for brakes being more expensive...


Engine overhaul, same vehicle: 2500 bucks.

Four corner suspension resto: Only 1000.


Right....and those are DIY prices...

The Hedgehog

Anyone who would pay 2500 for a F150 engine overhaul must be smoking the good ****.

378

My Feedback: (4)

Well okay I did factor in some good bits...like a 4bbl carb...and a header...and a 268 cam...and some head mods...and Keith Black pistons...I'd be taking it from 150HP to about 400HP at the flywheel.


It's not like I can just run out to the nearest new car dealer and buy a comparable truck. Nobody offers a half ton with a bloody manual gearbox anymore! Etihbtihjhjykh

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

The 4.7 was only available from '99 to '10. Not in '95.

The 4.0s will last, but they will eat you out of house and home in fuel and oil and coolant consumed in those 250,000 miles, AS WELL AS accessories (water pumps, ps pumps, alternators, etc). The 4.0 sucks.

And lastly, if you're expecting to buy ANY vehicle that won't nickel and dime you for FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS...you've got some good drugs, man, wanna share?

The_Shark

NUMBER ONE you wouldnt put a new trans in a car with 170K on it
NUMBER TWO you can replace the engine with a reman for less or replace with a used one for even less than a overhaul
NUBER THREE suspension and brake work is time consuming in the end it can be ALOT more expensive than a powertrain parts swap.
i have seen a couple suspesion overhauls cost more that $3500, i have seen and done $1500 brake jobs.

DONT BE A COCKY LITTLE PERSON, YOU DONT KNOW WHO I AM, OR WHAT I KNOW, I RESEARCH EVERYTHING, CARS ARE MY LIFE AND I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT THEM.

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS?

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

Why not?

Sure, it's not a car, but ThunderbirdJunkie fully intends to put a built transmission into his Jeep when it finally pukes. It's got 182k on it now.

378

My Feedback: (4)

Yes, I would. You'd be surprised how expensive gearboxes are, and I absolutely insist on quality. I'm not going to half-ass a job like that, especially one that shouldn't even need to be done.

Transmissions should never need to be replaced until the engine's due for replacement. The manual in my Ford has 275K and it still shifts as smoothly and cripsly as the manual in a brand new Mustang. It doesn't make any funny noises, the synchros don't balk at me in the winter, it stays in gear...really the only issue with it is the ratios themselves, but that's not a problem that manifests over time.

True, but I also insist it's done right. I could buy a used motor that, for all I know, got plucked out of a car used for illegal drag racing. I could buy a reman that's been warped by the UPS guy doing donuts in the snow one day. Or I could spend the premium, overhaul the engine I know the history of, and get a quality product I can trust. The only reason I would replace the existing mill is if it completely and catastrophically.

Are the parts made of solid gold or something? Or are you trying to use Porsche/Lambo/Fezza/BMW/Merc prices in a discussion about an 80's Ford and 90's Jeep?

Brake and suspension work on simple USDM vehicles like the jeep in question is cheap and takes all of ten minutes.

Who pissed in your corn flakes, bro? I could say the same thing right back to you,. Also, I've literally been working on cars since the day I could walk, so I know a thing or two myself.

hpiracr28

Back on topic guys lol :P So last night i took a look under the jeep. it still has all the underbody coat on it. there is no rust underneath this thing. the differentials are clean and not leacking, the seals arent' the control arms aren't rusted or even surface rust is not present. this truck looks to be like it was well taken care of and they guy must have been religious about maintaining it. it just seems like a steal at this point!

378

My Feedback: (4)

Take it for a drive, and if everything works properly, grab it.

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

Who in their right mind would spend $1500 on an f150 tranny? You can rebuild the manuals yourself for $150. $450 for brakes? $2500 for an engine?! You can buy an OEM shortblock for half that, depending on which engine you have, even less if its a 302. How can f150 suspension possibly cost $1000.

If you are paying these prices, why are you complaining about an explorer being thirsty?

378

My Feedback: (4)

Brand new box. As I said just a post or two ago I don't trust remans or used major assemblies. Gearboxes, engines, doesn't matter. Too much work to tear it down and verify it's not about to fly apart on me.


Really though, I'd be spending close to five thousand. Custom geared Tremec T6060s aren't cheap, and my top loader 4-spd isn't going to handle the power I intend to put down after I overhaul the trusty 300.


front pads, rear shoes, drums, calipers, rotors, slave cylinders, master, booster, lines. Literally everything but the pedal itself replaced.

I could, but it's not going to have a Comp 268 cam, Keith Black slugs(I haven't decided on whether or not I want 10:1 or 8.5:1 CR on it yet, but I'll likely stick with 8.5:1), SBC valves, beehive springs, roller lifters, roller rockers, a 4bbl carb on a dual plane intake and a Hedman tri-Y header on it either. I can, and fully intend to, make my 300 equal a bone stock 460 in terms of output.

an Eaten E-locker for my 8.8 is 700 bucks all on it's own. Even if I didn't go that route, rebuilding the clutch type LSD I bought on CL to fit will cost about three hundred, but I hate clutch-type LSDs as they don't last very long. If I want to replace all the bushings and springs, which on mine is past due by about five years, another 200 bucks. Then the shocks, which I think last worked when Reagen was in office, are another 150. New bumpstops may also be in order, but those are cheap as chips, and I reckon I oughtta have that old 8.8 completely gone through while I'm at it, as I'm sure after all these years the bearings and seals are getting worn. And again, that's DIY prices, if I had a shop do this all I'd be looking at the cost of a brand new Aveo due to the labor costs alone.


It adds up, broseph.

Because those prices don't have to be spent very often. Once every quarter million miles or so, something the average person never gets to. I'm actually a bit overdo on the rebuild, sitting at 275,000 miles, but it still runs and drives so I'm not in any hurry to drop any coin either.

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

Oh, I figured it was just a rebuild.

378

My Feedback: (4)

Heh, no. I could overhaul my 300 for a measly 600 bucks, and that includes having the block machined(I had the head done not 10K ago, it's still fine), but 150HP is not enough. Needs more power

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

One of my friends has a turbocharged 300 in his bronco, makes about 250hp... cant go much more than that because the mains are weak.

378

My Feedback: (4)

lolwut? Mains are weak? He built it wrong then, 'cause the mains are anything but weak. Either that or they don't take as kindly to turbocharging as I thought, but I'm doing an N/A build so it's moot.

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

The mains in the 300 are designed poorly. The rear 2 or 3 will move and come out of tolerance, which tweaks the bearings just enough to cause some wear... which is why nearly all 300's develop some sort of bottom end knock later in their lives. Horsepower just exacerbates this problem. Its a good motor, and a lot of extra power can be had with some head work, but the mains are definitely the weak point. My 87 f150 developed this problem after a carb conversion.