Today I went to look a a jeep for sale. It was a 74 with a 304. When I saw it I was exceited because it had elecxtrical wires hanging out from under the dash and a hose clamp around the steering colum, I thought maybe I could afford it. So I called the guy up to ask some questions. He didn't know what kind of axles it had, if it had any lockers, what kind of transfer case, what kind of transmission it had and he said it had a 4" body lift. I saw the lift it didn't look like more than 2" of body lift. He was asking $4000 for it. Anyway, I'm discouraged because this is not the fist time I've seem a jeep i though was over priced. Am I nuts? Is 4 grand reasonable for a jeep with a strong engine. I have about 3 grand saved and a helpful family. My question is, will I find a running jeep (cosmetics of no concern to me) in my price range, or will I have to wait until my senior year in high school before I can afford a jeep that runs? Am I crazy?

Educate yourself! Learn, read this forum, I wish I had before I bought mine. If you can walk in knowing what you're looking at on the vehicle, and being able to talk like you know what you're doing, YOU can be in control.

There are axle identification pages all over, I visit them each time I trek to the junkyard so I know what to look for.

Some of these fine folks here have their own pages which contain mountains of information.

You're money will go further, you're enjoyment will be greater, and you'll know more than all the other wannabes with bought, not built Jeeps.

My best aadvice is be patient. I saved while looking and researching what I wanted and 1 1/2 years later I found the '86 CJ7/TF999 with the Dana 44 rear axle that I was waiting for. During that time, I learned a lot and eventually changed my mind from what I originally wanted.

I know it's a hard thing to do when the jeep-bug bites, but you will be rewarded for being patient.

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It took me 4 years and 3 Jeeps to finally find one i was happy with. I have had 2 CJ5's and 1 CJ7 (Its the keeper). I would recommend looking for a CJ7 because they have more room and are more stable. All of these i have found on the sides of the road. The first was a 72 CJ7 V8 3spd. It was a little rusty but ran great and was mechanically strong. I paid 1700.00 and later sold it for 2200.00, I owned another 72 CJ5 V8 spd. Kind of odd that the two were so similar and they were only about 15 cars away on the assembly line. It was in rough condition with lots of rust but it was also mechanically solid. 1000.00 brought it home and 1400.00 let it go, and lastly the 82 CJ7 V8 Auto NO rust. I paid 3000.00 for it and love it. I dont know if this will help you but just be patient because it will take time.

Reverend26 couldnt have said it better: learn about the vehicles you are interested in, know the history of years, components, options, as well as specific vehicle history. the more you know before purchase, the happier youll be with your rig. the worst feeling in the world is "getting stuck" with a rig you dont want.

of course, the best teacher is experience. if i had known half of what i know now, i never woulda paid as much as i did for my YJ (dont tell her i said that though).

good luck

it took me about 7 months to find mine. i lucked out though, i think i found the same type you are looking for, a project. mine was $500. the one you described was WAAAAAAAAAAY overpriced.

my first thought was "try and remember the last place you saw it"

Go get the book by Jim Allen called "Jeep 4x4: Performance Guide". It will have tables of drivetrain components sorted by year and vehichle, give descriptions of how good or bad these components are, and help you figure out what to look for in a Jeep. It's the best Jeep book I own.

Hey 304cj7, none of those cj-5's had a black hardtop and a chevy 350 in them did they??

thanks for the replys. its nice to hear that other people found what they wanted without spending huge amounts of money. i do have a pretty good idea of what i want, i just seem to be too broke. thats for the replys. im encouraged that i will be able to find it.

It only took me 18 years to find the jeep that I wanted and could aford to buy. I found a 82 CJ7 with a hard top and 31"tires,nice rims,and a motor that I could rebuild or replace if I wanted to. The body was in real good shape for my area,and it only had 125,000. on it. I paid $2500 for it. I would look for a project jeep that needs to be finished up,for cheep. I have seen a lot of jeeps for $1500 to $2000. that had a fiberglass body and nice tires a lift and a rebuilt motor, all you have to do is finnish putting it back together. If you don't know how to do some thing just ask us and we will do our best to help you with it. I would go with a cj7. Good luck and don't give up looking. P.S. find a guy with a CJ and ask them if they know of one for sale.