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Time sensitive! Looking at buying a XJ

K

kilroy_173

NAXJA Forum User
Location
CA
Hey NAXJA,

Im a TJ guy looking to buy an XJ as a daily driver. I am pretty familiar with them and found one I was about to pull the trigger on until my cousin who is an XJ owner said to stay away from it. Its an 01 with 180k miles, auto, 8.25 rear. He said that the 00s and 01s had electrical problems and were built with left over parts. This surprised me because I had never heard this. What do you guys thinK? Its completely stock, but did have the valves redone due to a misfire which concerns me a little because I have heard of the 0331 head problems. The guy is asking 7500. I did some searching but this is time sensitive so I wanted to reach out.

Thanks!
 
I would ask your cousin to back up his statement. I have never heard that before.

All XJs have their electrical challenges. Age doesn't improve the resistance of wiring, nor does it help with the ground connections. Your TJ is probably in much the same boat.

As to left over parts, just how many vehicles does someone think can be produced out of left over parts? Two years worth of XJs? That would be quite the warehouse full of left over parts. Stop and think about it. And ask your cousin for evidence.

The 0331 head issue is real. Do pay attention to that one. Also note that the ignition system (coil on plug) is somewhat unique to those two years. I believe there is a way to adapt a Viper ignition system to work with the XJ, so there are alternatives should parts be hard to source, but you should be aware of that before you buy.
 
Thanks for the quick feedback. Can the head be determined by the VIN and build sheet or is it something you just need to visually check?
 
kilroy_173 said:
Thanks for the quick feedback. Can the head be determined by the VIN and build sheet or is it something you just need to visually check?
Click to expand...

As far as I know, all the 2000 and 2001's have the 0331 heads. They are prone to cracking, so be aware.

Unless the head has been changed, it's a 0331.
 
The later XJs also had three cats, which can be pricey to replace, one cat is under the floor just ahead of the muffler, and two of them are on the header in the engine bay, so the engine bay tends to get hotter. The earlier xjs had one cat under the floor board, no hot cats in the engine bay

I got an early xj, my friend has a 2001 xj we had to replace his cracked head, he had the defective one and it did leak coolant into the inner workings of the motor. He also had the replace his cats$$$

of course we is in california, so the cats have to be the pricey california only type.

at $7000 it better be in great shape, that is on the high end price wise. If it has the original head, expect to replace it. if cats are old, watch for that too. these repairs can add up to north of a grand just for the parts.
my friend paid near 4 or 5 grand for his xj just over two years ago, nice paint, clean interior, passed smog at purchase, but the two front cats died before the second year, and we discovered the leaky defective head shortly after purchase and had to change it out.

what condition, miles on it?
 
The 2000 federal emission XJ's on have one rear cat.
 
Black1990jeep said:
The later XJs also had three cats, which can be pricey to replace, one cat is under the floor just ahead of the muffler, and two of them are on the header in the engine bay, so the engine bay tends to get hotter. The earlier xjs had one cat under the floor board, no hot cats in the engine bay

I got an early xj, my friend has a 2001 xj we had to replace his cracked head, he had the defective one and it did leak coolant into the inner workings of the motor. He also had the replace his cats$$$

of course we is in california, so the cats have to be the pricey california only type.

at $7000 it better be in great shape, that is on the high end price wise. If it has the original head, expect to replace it. if cats are old, watch for that too. these repairs can add up to north of a grand just for the parts.
my friend paid near 4 or 5 grand for his xj just over two years ago, nice paint, clean interior, passed smog at purchase, but the two front cats died before the second year, and we discovered the leaky defective head shortly after purchase and had to change it out.

what condition, miles on it?
Click to expand...

Thanks for all your feedback. Its in pretty good shape. No rust or body damage and the paint is pretty decent. its got 180xxx miles on it. Completely stock.
 
Just say no.
Not at $7500.
Especially for an '00 or '01. And I am not even taking the 0331 head issue into account.
It is the $7500 and 180K.
You can do better. Just be patient.
Willing to spend that kind of money?
Hold out for a '99.
There are no specific electrical problems with an '00 or '01 that I am aware of.
Just, as pointed out, when things get older they tend to break down.
And cause it is an '01 definitely is CA Emissions and has the dual cats up front.
And all this comes from somebody who owns a '00 with CA Emissions.
Of course I paid $1500 for mine with a 147K about 7 years ago.
Kinda of running and not really driveable but nothing crazy.
Sorted everything out pretty easy and she runs good.
At the moment anyway. LOL.
But I think even I paid too much. MLOL.
 
My goal was to pay no more than 5500, but if the head and emissions issues are as bad as you guys are saying then I guess I’ll have to hold out. It’s just becoming really hard to find a stock xj these days.
 
kilroy_173 said:
My goal was to pay no more than 5500, but if the head and emissions issues are as bad as you guys are saying then I guess I’ll have to hold out. It’s just becoming really hard to find a stock xj these days.
Click to expand...

It is not the head or emissions that is making me say not to buy it.
It is the head or emissions coupled with a $7500 price tag that is.
I just think that you can do better.
I have no regrets in buying my '00. At least not yet. LOL.
 
Yea, way over priced. I own a 01 and would not buy another one. In fact it is now the parts vehicle for my 95 and next it goes to the scrapper. I've owned probably closing in on a dozen xjs over the years and 97-99 is the sweet spot. My 01 was always giving me ignition issues because of the dumb coil on plug system and the cracked head was the final straw.

If someone has put a TUPY head or an older head maybe 4500 if its is absolutely perfect, but my advice is hold out.
 
I am working on Fed '00. It has 260K on it. I doubt the head has been replaced. Still, yes I've been around two XJs that had cracked heads. I think both had 75K on them. Check out K-Suspension for the Viper Coil conversions. I also have an '01. It is just a shell at the moment.
My view on any XJ is the amount of rust. Prices on XJs seem to be going up. Still, at $7,500 and 180K it best be nice. There are some things I like about the Fed '00 XJ. The wiring on the passenger side seems less complicated. The ground to the frame on the passenger side is a threaded block. A '99 I looked at had this too. My '98s both used a sheet metal screw. Then there is the LP Dana 30. Not an issue for me. The 8.25 is actually a good rear end. The latter ones had a better spline count.
I would agree that '99 is possible the best year. '98 or possibly '95 depending on what suits you. And it a Jeep. Mods are essential, or your just not a Jeep Guy/Gal.
 
The one good thing about the ‘00s and ‘01s in California is that they no longer have to pass the sniffer test when smogged every other year, which sets them apart from all previous years.
 
Nimrod said:
The one good thing about the ‘00s and ‘01s in California is that they no longer have to pass the sniffer test when smogged every other year, which sets them apart from all previous years.
Click to expand...

And that could be a big plus for some folks. Particularly those who want to run a heavily modified stroker.

Finding an un-molested XJ is indeed a challenge, and they are starting to command a premium. I am sure many of us would be appalled at the prices Red Mistress has paid for his time capsules. And no, I don't have a clue what he has paid, but I am sure they weren't cheap. The days of a decent XJ for a $1,000 are gone. Even $2,500 is probably in the rear view mirror. Lots of patience required if you want to find a good deal. Like years' worth of patience.
 
Anak said:
And that could be a big plus for some folks. Particularly those who want to run a heavily modified stroker.

Finding an un-molested XJ is indeed a challenge, and they are starting to command a premium. I am sure many of us would be appalled at the prices Red Mistress has paid for his time capsules. And no, I don't have a clue what he has paid, but I am sure they weren't cheap. The days of a decent XJ for a $1,000 are gone. Even $2,500 is probably in the rear view mirror. Lots of patience required if you want to find a good deal. Like years' worth of patience.
Click to expand...

Premium XJs can command 10K +. No Rust and under 100K. A local one a few years back was a '95 or '96 with 75K on the clock. The owner wanted $7,500. I think it sold for $6,500. I was watching her son spiff it up. It looked near show room. I suggested he change the radiator cap. It wasn't in bad shape, but it looked out of place. There was one member on another board, his had about 50K on the clock. I think it went for $13,000 and 3 buyers from other states wanted to look at it.
I paid $160 for my '01 XJ. It was bound for the scrap heap. Virtually no rust. But its basically a shell. Blown motor, no trans, no axles. There are a few body damage issues. Roof slightly dented in, someone put a hole in the rear cargo flor to get to the fuel pump and a section missing on the passenger inner fender. I think for a winch solenoid. ??? Still, it suits what I want to do.
 
Last edited:
Lot of those low mileage mint condition XJ's end up here.

https://bringatrailer.com/

My buddy in AZ is always emailing me links to that site.
I mean look sweet, don't get me wrong, but I still can't get over some of the prices these fetch when the bidding is done.
 
I look on eBay, then some of the Auto site, Auto Trader etc. I think on the East Coast, Davis Auto buys up some of the premium ones. Then refurbs etc. I see about $30,000 as their asking price. Way out of my pocket range. Also, some of the mods or upgrades are not what I want.
I also see lifted XJs starting to take their place in the market. Years ago, a lifted XJ went for less than a stock one. Then it came to say stock + 1/2 of parts. Not sure exactly where it is at now.
 
Thanks for all the input guys. I am going to try and find out if the head has ever been replaced. Its good to learn that the emissions wont be as bad now. Does that mean I could delete the upper two cats and still pass smog in CA? As far as price I am going to start low, but like I said I wont pay more than 5500. They body is straight, no rust, paint is decent, and the interior is in good shape too.
 
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