So my history is this, i got into offroading on the east coast well over a decade ago and wheeled toyota trucks. Had a family a few years back and had to sell my toys. in the past year and a half I have been trying to get back into wheeling with a jeep. last winter i bought a really cool 92 yj, lifted, winch a great start. Although a total rotted body. I had to sel it due to some unexpected medical bills unfortunately. so now I want to start looking at a wrangler again. this is what I learned with my experiences. i can do all sorts of mechanical work, suspension, brakes, radiators that kind of stuff. fixing a rotted body is not my strength at all. I will not be building a hardcore wheeler, I want something that can wheel on the rocks, probably medium to somewhat hard trails. but it also has to look decent to be driven on the street, top down with the kids. I am torn betwen another YJ or TJ. the yj is so much cheaper, but tj's are coming down in price. so from people who know more about jeeps than i do, what reccomendations do you all have? it wont be my dd, just apleasure vehicle. this isnt to be a "which os better" thread, its more about what is more practical for my needs. any input form experienced jeepers is so much appreciated. thanks in advance.
Starting All Over
- Thread starter joeylead
- Start date
untamed
New member
I have had both. An 89 and now a 97...i loved them both but i switched to the tj just because there are a lot more aftermarket options...the ride i think is way better also...not to mentioned the square lights on the yj aren't my favorite.lol...good luck to ya...keep us updated.
I don't mind the square headlights, but the overall look of the tj is cleaner. I prefer the interior and coil springs as well. The difference is this, I am looking at a 95 4.0 auto with 160 k all stock for 3000. A 97 tj is about 5500 to 6000 in my area. But I also heard that jeep is going to update the wrangler again which would drive the price of a tj even lower.
I'd say that anything with fuel injection would be fine (older YJs have a carb). The YJ will be cheaper not only to buy, but also to lift and build, but at the same time it'll need that many more replacement parts due to age.
Where are you located?
Where are you located?
BelleNoir
New member
I agree with Terry. I have had both as well and the TJ was easier to Maintain. However I bought my YJ for just over $3000 and my TJ was $13,000. So far I have had to fix a lot on the YJ but the total cost of repairs so far hasn't even hit $1,000. I guess it just comes down to more of what you prefer. I find that I like the ...Ruggedness? to my YJ over the more upgraded TJ.
superj
Active member
this will last you the rest of your life, probably. that 4.0 is an awesome engine and hte auto trans is bullet proof. my wife had a 93 4.0 with auto that we used as a family truck for two years. drove it all over texas with zero trouble. it was bone stock too and it was great.
i still have my 87 with the carb'd version of the 4.0 and its still awesome but fuel injection is wonderful. my auto trans is a rock though, not a bit of trouble, ever. parts are cheap on the yj models and they are still nice looking jeeps. i think the head lights set it apart from the rest because you can recognize what year range it is with just a glance.
we have a jk also and the ride is so soft versus my old 87 so there is something to be said for coil springs though.
thanks for the replies guys, even more so i am glad to see that this didnt become a tj vs. yj bashing thread. that kind of stuff is common on other forums. i didnt expect it here which is why i posted. a little more infor since it was asked, i live on long island NY. so alot of the jeeps here have rust issues. i would much rather replace a radiator, alrernator, install lift (that kind of stuff) that do bodywork. my biggest concern with a Yj is being able to find one that isnt hiding a ton of rust repair or that will eventally rust out. In terms of price, the 3k one I was thinking about is cheap for my area. but in terms of cost, a mint 92-95 4.0 Yj goes for about as much as a 4cyl. 97-99 Tj. I can get a 4.0 97-99 TJ in various states of build from 5500-8500. And if i found a TJ with a dana 44 rear that would save about 1k+ for a rear axle swap.
My last jeep was a 92 YJ. every nut and bolt was completely rusted. a few examples, when i went to replace the radiator, every clip that the bolts thread into broke. when i went to take the battery tray out the bolt heads just twisted off. i thought that the tj's were better protected from rusting out like the yj's do. but if this is not the case, i guess it no longer is a positive for the tj's.
My last jeep was a 92 YJ. every nut and bolt was completely rusted. a few examples, when i went to replace the radiator, every clip that the bolts thread into broke. when i went to take the battery tray out the bolt heads just twisted off. i thought that the tj's were better protected from rusting out like the yj's do. but if this is not the case, i guess it no longer is a positive for the tj's.
