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Buying a used JL today, opinions?

GATORB8

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After talking with the owner on the phone I do believe him that it was never flat towed. That being said I don't know him and trust my own eyes over any stranger. Talking to him I get the feeling he is a straight shooter and decent guy. Apparently, he bought it a year or so ago from someone that works/worked for Teraflex. He hasn't had it offroad, but I do wonder the history if an offroad company person had it. Putting eyes on it in real life today will tell a lot more.
It's going to be hard to hide if it's been beat off road. Check out the bottom of the pumpkins for scrapes, bottom of the lower control arms are another easy spot to hit. Lower rear shock mounts and front lower control arm mounts, too. And, of course, the bottom of the sliders. The gas tank skid is pretty flat, so dings should stand out. If the stock steering stabilizer is still in the original location, that'd be one of the first to get hit.

On the Steering Box I mentioned, the change from the TSB is visible. Original aluminum/silver, replacement is black steel.
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aldo98229

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That Jeep looks good but overpriced.

Yes, it will cost you money to do those mods but thereā€™s always a risk factor when you donā€™t know whoā€™s done them.

Have you checked the Carfax to make sure there are no surprises? If you see several dealer visits in a short period of time, that's usually a red flag. It normally has to do with the dealer unable to fix electrical/electronic issues.

Reading through your posts it sounds like you are getting a bit too excited. If you really like it I'd offer KBB and see how it plays out.

Good luck!
 

kah.mun.rah

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That Jeep looks good but is overpriced.

Have you checked the Carfax to make sure there are no surprises? If you see several dealer visits in a short period of time, that's usually a red flag. It normally has to do with the dealer unable to fix electrical/electronic issues.

Reading through your posts I think I are getting a bit too excited for your own good. If you really like it I'd offer KBB for it and see how it plays out.

Good luck!
Overpriced? Did you look at the mods? There is probably $80-$90K in that setup.
 

kah.mun.rah

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KBB private party very good condition is $50,871. Dealer trade in is $48,133. I understand extras don't increase the value. If you put 5k into a vehicle don't expect to get that out of it. That being said if you put 20k into a vehicle I can see it being worth 5k over blue book.
Extras don't increase the value dollar for dollar but a Warn winch, ARB compressor, Falcon shocks, RSE step sliders, Nomad wheels, TeraFlex long arm kit...those are all quality mods that I would think hold their value pretty well.
 

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Chance_P

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So I've wanted one of these for a while, joined the forum, spent hours and hours and hours reading on here. Drove to Moab and rented a Rubicon, did Hell's Revenge and Poison Spider Mesa. Wore out all the youtube channels. Went as far as getting a quote on a new one after going through those treads. I can order a new 2023 JLUR, Hardtop, cold weather, LEDs and tow package for $52k and some change. I don't care about the wait at all. It won't stay stock for long, I don't know exactly what I would do but a quality lift, 35s or 37s, bumpers, sliders, you guys know the drill somewhere between 10k-15k easily.

Forgot to mention hours and hours on FB marketplace and craigslist, so I came across this and like how its set up. It is the right motor and color for me, don't care so much for leather or advanced safety package BS but... Its four year old with 20k miles but I would be in it quite a bit less than a new one with a game changer lift and whatever rabbit hole I go down. The only thing I think this might need is 4.88s, that's another subject I know everyone, and their mother is running 4.10s and 37s. What do you guys think? I'll be on the road shortly this morning to look at it after a six hour drive.
If the used Jeep checks out, then try to get it for 50k. That guy is banking on a very specific buyer (IE you) who sees the value in the modifications. I think hes a bit overpriced to be honest. In his ad he mentions that the same build is 64k, well, his Jeep isnt a 2023 nor does it have a warranty.
 

Xspurt

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I agree the mods look well done. People say swimming pools don't add to a home's value but if you're a shopper insisting on one, it will to you and it will save you money and hassle. The main effect mods have are to greatly narrow the pool of buyers. Add that to the market showing signs of cooling off and you have a recipe for a much better deal than is being offered with this one.

That said this Jeep is 4 years old and has a questionable history given the mods, the setup for being towed and did I read right ... two owners already? On that young a vehicle (with low mileage too) that's a major red flag. I would approach with extreme caution and shoot for a number starting with a 4, definitely not a 5 when you can literally buy a new one for less.

In general I've always found it difficult to buy a late model used car because sellers seem to forget about rebates and how much of a discount you can (normally) get off of a new one. Even before all of this junk started it was common to see 2 year old used cars at nearly the same price as a discounted new one. The mods cloud the value of this one a little but hopefully they don't suck you in and blind you. Let us know what happens.
 
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mikem20

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Looks pretty decent and not too over priced. Check the steering box like mentioned above and carfax.

probably too late for the dealer to do a pre purchase inspection. Those usually need to be booked in advance.
Looks decent for a modded Jeep with good mods on it, which will save you a bunch starting over with a stock Jeep.
Good luck!
 

Bill_P

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I would buy a new one instead. Hell, if I wanted a 4-door, I would order a new Recon, add a winch and be done with it.

That said, the used one you are looking at is well built. It's just too expensive, when you can buy a new one for the same money. I tend to order my Jeeps with very few options, so they are much cheaper than most used Jeeps. I don't care for leather, I wouldn't want the advanced safety nanny controls even if they were free. I don't want a power top, heated steering wheel, a television sized radio, next generation illumintad cup holders, or any of that fluff.
That's exactly why I ordered a Willy's Sport instead of a Willy's. I can't be bothered by not having power everything and I can get LED headlights and foglights for half of what the package costs on the Willy's. Going with the Willy's Sport with the XR package left me plenty of cash for mods that I actually care about.
 

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entropy

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With a Wrangler, with the used prices being so high I always think it is better to just buy new.

Some builds are done very wrong and some are done beautifully. A lot of well done builds have been offroad and who knows.

However, there are plenty of people out there buying quality parts for their wrangles. Building beautiful jeeps with top of the line parts. They are not into off-roading, they get bored and wanna sell them. You can save a lot of money if you find one of these gems well taken care by an OCD owner.

Whatever you end up doing. Dont buy my Jeep.
 

GrayWolf.Overland

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You will have the same decision dilemma I had when I bought my used JLU Sahara.

A) Buying a used Rubicon would make the most sense with the kind of intended use you have in mind. But there is an extortion-like markup on used Rubicons everywhere. This was a big deterrence for me as most of them were priced above what the brand new sticker price on them was.

B) Getting a great deal on a used Sport S/Willis/Sahara might be a good option where you can spend the difference of 10k (yes you will find that much difference in prices) on components that you choose - to make it your own. I spent about 9-10K CAD to re-gear, dual lockers, suspension upgrades etc.

If you end up choosing route B - make sure you do get one that came with a rear D44. (Look for the anti-spin diff option in the sheet). If you score a good deal on a High Altitude - even better, they come with the D44s front and rear.
 

2manyhobbies

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Iā€™m at a point in my life where I donā€™t like stuff to break down on me. I ditched my 4XE, even though it was the most fun Jeep Iā€™ve ever driven, because of the horrible reliability that I experienced. This rig looks nice, but what happens when it breaks down on you? Repairing a modified Jeep - especially one done by someone else - can lead down so many rabbit holes.

I would buy the new one, and only do the mods you want to do. The peace of mind is more important to me than potentially saving a few bucks on some mods that I may or may not want.
 

Luxy60

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If you want to mod it, I would go new optioned the way you want. The cost delta's are not significant enough to go used unless you can be patient enough to wait for that great deal.

2many,
Not to hijack the thread, but could you expand a bit on issues you experienced with your 4xe? Considering a 4xe Willys.
Thanks
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