Looking for my old XJ

So this is a REALLY long shot, but ever since 1999, when I traded in my '88 XJ for my '99 XJ, I've wished I had just kept it. I got a crap offer on trade-in and I knew nothing about wrenching and it would've been so easy to have fixed it back then. That being said I did a vin check on the XJ and it has not been reported as either a total loss or salvage titled so maybe, just maybe, she's still out there, either as someones DD or a yard ornament.

Last time it had recorded activity was in Pelham, NC. So maybe someone might have seen, or know someone who has it.

It's a 1988 White 4-door pioneer model with chrome front and rear bumpers, all white flares and a red pinstripe. It had a light grey interior and was a 2WD automatic. It was bone stock when I traded it in.

If anyone comes across, or thinks they might know where it is please let me know. I'd love to see the old girl. Thanks!

ps. It had tinted windows too as I bought it in FL and they were pretty much mandatory there.

Good Luck! It would be pretty freaking cool if you ended up finding it again.

Might happen...

I sold a car in 1997 and found it again randomly on e-bay in 2002...

Cottontail said:

Might happen...

I sold a car in 1997 and found it again randomly on e-bay in 2002...

Click to expand...

Agree, it might......

I still think the 76 Firebird I built in high school that dad sold when I was @ college showed up here in VA many years ago.

Found it in an autotrader ad, but was about 8 hrs too late. Not many 76 firebirds had a '69 428 HO engine in them, but the guy had sold it already, and the 1 question I was gonna ask, if he answered it correctly, I'd have paid 2x what he was asking sight unseen, but he couldn't answer it without the car being there to check.

In 2003my dad passed away. My wicked stepmother sold his XJ without even asking me if I wanted it.

I spent 3 years looking for it.

While driving through town one Saturday morning, and I rarely go into our city, I saw a black XJ at the rear of a vacant city lot.

With my .38spcl tucked into my waistband, I traipse across the lot within 10 yards I knew it was my dads 90.

I found a homeless guy living in it, the cylinder head was laying in the back, all windows were down, hood was open. Amazingly it wasn't stripped and parted out.

I asked the homeless guy who owned it and he was no help, ran off thinking I was calling the cops.

I ended up calling a LEO friend to get him to run VID and see who owned the Jeep. Called that guy and he had sold it, it currently wasn't titled to the new owner. BUT he had the new owners name and number.

I called the new owner and he first blew me off and said he didn't believe me that the Jeep was my Dads. I told him I could prove it as I had the original Bill of Sale.

He met me at the lot, I gave proof, we made a deal, the Jeep was on my trailer an hour later.

The rest is history! The XJ has been fully restored by me, with a few mods to make it better, and it resides in my garage until cruise nights, Sunday afternoon ice cream runs, and the occasional parade.

Good luck in your search!