looking at 97 Sahara

it's at a small user car lot. it's an Auto, 4.0, Dana44 rear, A/C, hardtop, black, very clean on the outside/inside, has rear main leak, but otherwise seems in a good condition.

They were asking 13k, i offered 11k, they came back with 11.7 (which is exactly kbb dealer value), i said that 11.5 was my limit and i'll pay cash.

Is it a good deal? It's got auto and dana44 which is the two options i really want. I will be selling the top and possibly removing and selling the A/C.

I've been looking around, but can't seem to find anything that has D44 and old enough to be in my price range.

[speaceman]

I think you'd be better off trying to find a private seller that is simply sick of driving around their wrangler. There are plenty of those types of poeple unloading a 3 or 4 year old that just can't take it anymore.


Have you tried autotrader.com?

I found this one, searching within a 50 mile radias of LA.

It is a sport, not sahara and the Only question is if it has a D44 or not.

1997 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4x4

EMACULATE.....4.0L 6 CYL. SPORT. AUTOMATIC WITH A/C AND C/D PLAYER. TUBULAR STEEL BUMPERS AND SIDE BARS. CUSTOM ALLOY WHEELS WITH GOOD RUBBER. LOW ? more

Price: $9995

Color: Red

Miles: 47676



There were a few more with similar pricing and miliage, but they were stick.

nothing in my area, i've seen 4cyl TJs for 10k and even a 94 YJ for 12k.

[speaceman]

Well maybe it'd be worth it for you to make a trip out to LA.? the land of used cars that nobody wants.

Rethinking about your post, I guess that price is worth it in some respects, since you are getting the nicer sahara seats out of it and a hard top to boot.

If that is the case, you probably aren't too far off, depending on what you want to do with the jeep.

On a side note, Autotrader had some high miliage auto 6 cyl wranglers from 97 in the 8000s.

[edit]

THere are several wranglers within 100 miles of you that are 8000-9000, only they are all sticks.

2 were lifted and locked with 35s.

You may want to keep searching autotrader.com or at least use it to bargain the price down on the sahara you are looking at.

[Robert J. Yates]

Seems fair. How many miles? Does it show signs of being off roaded?

The problem with private sellers is that it becomes a huge guessing game with regard to condition. I tried that avenue last year when I was shopping for a Jeep TJ for my daughter. You would not believe the trashed out rigs I looked at that folks wanted high blue book for and that stated they were in excellent condition. I actually got tired of wasting my time (which added up when I factored in driving time) on private sellers because of that and made a great deal on a low milage 2000 XJ at a dealer.

One thing about a dealer - you should be getting more of a discount for a straight cash deal IMO. Interest rates are cheap if you have great credit so there is no real incentive for good qualified customers to use their cash anymore. Example is the XJ I bought. 6 years at 0.9% made it a no brainer for me - I kept my cash in my pocket as I would rather have the liquidity and pay the minimal interest accrued over the life of the loan.

it's got 85k miles, which is about average for a 97, no scrapes on the bottom, it's got 31 BFG ATs on, but looks like they were installed for looks.

[TObject]

How many miles? Rear main leak on what, the engine or the axle?

I am willing to bet 5 to 1 that a Sport with Automatic is almost always with Dana 35, unless was special ordered from the factory.

If you want a Dana 44 and Automatic, you are much more likely to find it in the Sahara trim. Me thinks.

Originally posted by TObject
Rear main leak on what, the engine or the axle?

Engine

[TObject]

85k miles. Hmmm... I don't know... I wouldn't pay more than $8000

And the engine is leaking... I don't know...

[TObject]

Dude, maybe you should buy a new TJ? Get a good loan (10 grand is a great down payment), and custom order a Sport with all the right options, and no expensive stuff...

I bought my TJ new, and now that it is built-up, I estimate it is still has about half of the life left. I am glad I bought it new. I wouldn't want the jeep, by the time I was done building it up to become so old it starts falling apart. And it's not just metal parts, it's electronics, and engine, and emission controls, you know ? vehicles age...

it looks just like this one, just with 31" BFGs. BTW, what that wheel called?

http://dennisuello.reno4x4.com/misc/005993-E.jpg

[speaceman]

SOunds like you have your heart set on it.

Tell them 11K. They need to knock off 500 because you have to fix the leak.

If they don't want to go that low, walk.

I'd bet you anything they'll call you up and let it go for close to 11K.

[TObject]

Invoice on a brand spanking new Sport with Dana 44 and Automatic is $21,404.

[Robert J. Yates]

I have a Sport and it was on the lot with a D44 and an automatic, I didn't order it that way. Don A Vee in fact had 3 Sports on the lot with the D44, 4.0 and automatic combo when I was shopping for mine. I will aways regret not getting the white - the black is a PITA

Frankly, the Jeep being a 97 and having a D44 is far more interesting - that was a very rare option in 97 and its probably a mid year or later 97, almost a 98. Check the axle ratio - if its 3:73, its a mid year or newer model. Early 97's what few there were, had 3:55's.

[speaceman]

Pretty much all the 98 wrangler sports my sister looked at when she bought hers had 44s.

I think we only saw one or two that had 35s.

[TObject]

Ok, maybe it is later on that Dana 44 became such a rare find on Automatic Sport. In '99 all Sports with Dana 44 I could find had manual transmission.

[TObject]

Originally posted by dennisuello
they came back with 11.7 (which is exactly kbb dealer value)

Please make sure you double-check that number yourself. Don't believe what dealers tell you. They always lie.

I am showing here $1000 less for my zip code. And that is the "retail value". Nobody buys used cars at retail value; it is there just so dealers can put large advertisements, "Below Blue Book"

[mrblaine]

If that 97 Sahara were pristine and low mileage, I still wouldn't pay more than 9 for it, especially from car lot, especially with a leaking rear main.

Don't get in a hurry and a deal will show up. Now is the time to start looking as winter just started and the convertible season is over for a few months.

Be patient, have cash or access to quick financing and you will get a deal.

[MLCJeep]

Have you searched on kbb.com? They show thee different values; private, trade-in and resale. You shouldn't pay more than private since the dealer most likely bought it for the trade-in value or under. My guess is that you should be looing at between $9K-$10K.

i've decided to pass on this one. it does have everything i want, but the price is a tad too high.

[TObject]

Good decision. Don't give up; there is a right TJ for you out there.