Bought XJ - Looking For Former Owner(s)

B

bcxjbrisca

NAXJA Forum User
Location
ca
I recently...like yesterday, bought a 1998 XJ 4 dr. Sport from a used car dealer in Martinez, CA. He actually got it through wholesale from a new car dealer also local that took it as a trade in. This last owner I believe lived in Antioch, CA. It's white and has a 6" inch lift and beefy 44's F&R. The interesting thing that makes it different is the wheel wells were cut out a couple of inches but instead of an aftermarket flare, the stock ones were refitted. It has 35's on polished Mickey Thompson rims and both front & rear bumpers are cut short...for wheel/tire clearance. By the way the chassis is built, this last owner or one before him/her "HAD TO BE" into wheel'n it! This isn't strictly a street cruiser...not that there is anything wrong with that!

It seems well maintained but I just want to ask some questions about it. No liabilities to anything that could be wrong with it from me towards this individual/former owner...I bought it off a lot and that's it...I take what I get. But I'd like to know more about it and it's build up. I figure with the way the XJ is, he/she might be or have been on this forum at one time. My plans will change the vehicle around but just wonder about certain aspects of it.

Thanks For Any Help...:wave1:

Brad
 
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How does the hood close and doors line up? Sounds like the one Justin rolled at Hollister last year He told us he was doing the body work and dumping it. :scared:








Just Kidding...Welcome to NAXJA. :wave1:


I don't know whose it was but remember seeing one like it on Craigslist just prior to Thanksgiving.
Tom
 
OH S#$$t !! I didn't glance down right away and I was just thinking..."Oh I hope not"!!

But then again...if it was rolled...someone did some very nice body work. The rig drives very strait and true with but one squeak inside...ironically the same squeak I had 10 years ago in my last XJ ! Right rear lower corner of the rear hatch door. Not real bad...just there. I have to inspect cars all the time in my job so I "Nit-Pick"! I bought it or found on Craig's list on the New Years weekend.

Thanks!

Brad

PS...I almost roll my last XJ on the Tank Trap going down it! What a ride that was !!
 
Boatwrench said:
How does the hood close and doors line up? Sounds like the one Justin rolled at Hollister last year He told us he was doing the body work and dumping it. :scared:








Just Kidding...Welcome to NAXJA. :wave1:


I don't know whose it was but remember seeing one like it on Craigslist just prior to Thanksgiving.
Tom
Click to expand...

OSHA and I both LOL'd
rofl.gif

Billy
 
Hmmm, white 98 XJ, D44 front and rear, high steer, ARB's, 35" MTRs with Mickey Thompson wheels. I know this rig. It was traded into the dealership I work for, Walnut Creek Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge. I spotted it in the trade in area and wanted to buy it, but the GM won't sell modified or high mileage cars to anyone, even employees, so it was sold to a wholesaler. I just forgot about it, mostly because I couldn't come up with enough cash at that point. Nice rig, and it looks fairly well built. Oh, and those are Wrangler (TJ) flares on it, not the stock XJ ones..

How much did you pay? Just curious, you can send me a PM if you don't want to post it up in the open forum. I'll tell you how much we paid the guy who traded it in, and what we sold it to the wholesaler for.
 
wow thats cool, small world
 
You can use carfax or pics would help.
 
Sorry for long periods between answers, but I don't get on a computer that much at home and can't do it at work.

Anyway...

I have no problem what's so ever posting what I paid as I think it's very fair for what is on the vehicle...how it was built/installed...the condition of the rest of the vehicle...it's mileage...and what it would cost me to duplicate if I started today with a clean used stock XJ.

I paid $8,950. I'm sure the dealership paid a lot less but that's the nature of a trade in. I can't figure out why the former owner(s) didn't try to sell it on their own. I see it this way...If I would pay in the neighborhood of about $4,900. for a low (below 100,000) very clean stock example and then do what I had planned...both bumpers, add my winch I already have, a mild (3-4) lift, some decent wheels with 31's and some rocker skids. One more...set the roof up to accept my Zifer Pop-Up Camper. I figure about $2,600. in mods. That's $7,500. For $1,400. more I got a rig that seems very well built and is set up wayyy more than I was planning. Opinions?

I didn't know those were Wrangler flares. Thanks! Little hooky in execution...but they did just about as good of a job as most would do.

I feel the wholesaler was fair with me...and you have to remember...they...everyone has a mortgage, needs to eat, wants an income too. I feel I got a fair deal...I could never expect to get a super deal under the circumstances and the vehicle. I have looked at about 30 XJ's in my search and this was the cleanest. AND...it had all of that running gear.

As far as CarFax..it tells you how many owners and where it was registered by DMV but nothing else. Is that what you mean JCDP2005??

My mods...

Very simple...I don't like tyres that stick out side the wheel wells and I like a tall, skinny tyre. So the Mickey Thompson 15x8 rims and the 35x12.5x15 tyres are traded out for Black powder coated solid steel wheels from Stockton Wheel at 16x7 with 4 backspace. Tyres are BFG MT K2 in 255x85x16. Rear RockHard bumper w/tyre carrier, Hanson basic front winch bumper and Olympic Top Hat rack mounting system for my camper but throw away the rack part...just the mounting tubes. That's it!

Thanks,

Brad :cheers:

Oh yeah...I have no idea how to post a picture. I'm not real computer savy...and I have dial up...so things load real slow.
 
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I haven't been able to find out how much we sold it to the wholesaler for, but the guy got $4000 on his trade in.

Still, for $9000 you got a very clean and well built rig that will take you just about anywhere you want to go.

Congrats, and hopefully we'll see you at the next NAXJA get together. :cheers:
 
Thanks for the trade in info. I had thought that maybe he got 5k and they sold it to the wholesaler for 6k to 6.5k. Hey...everyone has to make a living!

I still am very happy with it. As far as someone selling it themselves...sometimes circumstances dictate that you can't sell something yourself or you just don't want the bother. That last one sounds crass but it's not important to some. I'd trade in if I could afford it...it's a hassle to sell things...especially a vehicle. When you pull a vehicle like this or any modified vehicle into a lot as a Trade...you're going to lose a lot. Dealers don't like dealing with oddball cars and in a way you can't blame them.

I would like to and plan to attend future NAXJA functions other than if it's conflicting with work schedules which seems like it always works that way! :tears:

Thanks everyone for opinions/help :wave1:

Brad
 
Jimbo_1321 said:
that seller got ripped off it sounds like...
Click to expand...

ihave an xj said:
no shit he should have sold it himself he must have been desperate
Click to expand...

Ripped off? Not really, the wholesale value of any vehicle is much lower than the retail value. Just how things work. If the guy wanted to sell it himself he probably could have made a few more bucks on it. The reality is that the guy probably tried to sell it but had no luck and just traded it in.

Oh, one last thing about that Jeep. The track bar set-up is pretty hokey on that thing, that would be my first upgrade right there. You may need to have one custom built for it but get rid of the one that is on there ASAP.

:cheers:
 
Thanks for your tip on the track bar. Please let me know what and why you would change what is there. I'm not that good with every component that is within a suspension system and can't figure out what I need to change to make it better. I'm open to all ideas, opinions, and help.

Thank You,

Brad :helpme:
 
bcxjbrisca said:
Thanks for your tip on the track bar. Please let me know what and why you would change what is there. I'm not that good with every component that is within a suspension system and can't figure out what I need to change to make it better. I'm open to all ideas, opinions, and help.

Thank You,

Brad :helpme:
Click to expand...

Track bar, it goes from the bracket mounted to the frame, to the bracket welded onto the axle. It keeps the axle from moving side to side when you turn your steering. Yours has a bunch of bolts through it holding the 2 modified ends of the track bar together. What you need is a solid piece of tube from one end to the other. Any 4wd shop with fabrication ability (NOT 4Wheel Parts but a real 4wd shop) will be able to take care of that. You might be able to convince a local guy to help you out but I'm not sure who can do it. I know I can't.
 
Well...I'm not as dumb about the track bar as I thought. When I looked at it, I noticed those bolts. Why they are there I'm not sure, but that piece of metal tubing is welded completely around both ends and is of heavier thickness then the two ends. I think the bolts were there from something else or some other application but it looks very substantial to me. Then again...I may still be wrong. I am assuming at this point it was a bar from some other vehicle and altered to work on what I believe to be a "semi" custom drivetrain. The vehicle drives like it's on stock 27 inch donuts...I mean other than big tire noise and vibration. It tracks strait...doesn't wander and seems solid. Time will tell. I would post a pic of the bar but have no clue how to do that and listed below it also says I may not attach attachments.

Thank you for pointing this out and it may well be a weak link. I am going to keep my eye on this


Thanks!! :cheers:
 
I noticed that you are in Brisbane. I'm down in San Bruno if you want to stop by sometime, I could check the thing over for you and point out any potential problems.
 
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