Post the stories of how you purchased your FSJ/s

[candymancan]

Mine i got last year, i dont know what got me into FSJ's... i think i saw one one day and i was like wow.. So i started looking on craigslist and i saw this orange one that was customized inside. It has a surfer theme wooden cargo panels and the dash and everything up front was custom made by the owner.
I still have the picture of the rear. I am still upset i couldnt afford it at the time they wanted like 6k for it i think. Then about 7 months later i finally had enough money and started searching again. I found a 91 red that drove fine but the frame was painted black and peeling and clearly rusted so i passed on it. Then 3 months later i found the 90 i have now, i litterally went on Craigslist and saw it posted within the last 5 minutes of me searching and called the guy saying i want to look at it asap. I met him 40 min north of me brought my friend to use as a bargening chip you know ?

We waited for him to show up and i heard this loud tank like exhaust of a truck coming and i knew it was the Jeep "the exhaust was shot lol" my test drive went well except he had no gas in it at all and was so cheap he put like 10$ in of 87 which i didnt like. I chewed him down from 7k to 4500 due to the issues i found with it at the time. Gave him my deposit and told him to drive to my house with it and ill give him the rest of the money ( because i didnt want to drive it with plates registered to him) he delivered it the next day.. EMPTY on gas.. so filthy and dirty inside like it was never vacuumed and smelling of mold and mildew from the wet carpets. His wife also demanded 40$ for gas to delivering it lol... On top of this the thing had old mcdonalds burgers in the back seat and french fries and stuff all over.. The ODD thing about the trunk though was it was empty except one block of wood carved into the letter P.. Peterson is my last name..

My mom thinks the Jeep was ment to be in my hands so she kept that P and put it on her mantle of stuff. The thing that got me though was if he vacuumed the Jeep cleaned it up and dried up the carpets before showing it to me he might have been able to get 500-1000$ more MAYBE.. Who sells a vehicle with rotten hamburgers and food in the back seats ?

[az chip]

Searched Craigslist for a few months. Was home from work for awhile after getting hurt at work. One morning at 3am I did a last search through CL and a new ad popped in the cue. A Cherokee Chief in the North part of Arizona in Heber/Overgaard. Stayed up, called as early as I dared and took the wife with me on the drive. She is an angel with older folks and this lady was so nice. They actually worked out a price while I was looking at it. LOL. The next week I took my daughter up and we hauled it back on a U-Haul trailer. I like projects and this one I think will never be finished.

[Tatsadasayago]

I was dropping my helper off at his house on a Friday afternoon and spotted a blue Chief in a nearby driveway. Just for giggles, I knocked on the door and asked about the Jeep. Yes, it was for sale and the guy was firm at 1350.00. I asked what year it was and he said "1974". I asked to see the title and VIN plate and he did. Sure enough, the title showed a 74 and the VIN plate and door decal matched the title.
I drove over to the nearest BofA, drew out 1400.00 and returned. My helper drove my van and followed me to my place.

Gotta love being at the right place, at the right time with the right amount of money.



https://youtu.be/vd4zwINEcLY

[Cheapthrills]

I bought my first fsj 83 wagoneer limited for 800 + old wore out snowmobile. Interior left a lot to be desired. But it was straight. It ran good for the test drive.... lol died on the way home bad rod knock.... and electrical issues, so I was parked emediatly.

2nd was a 91 FE I bought from a Crack head in north denver , he was asking 2k I shewed him down to 1200 dew to my ignorance and his of the 229 tcase , I didn't think was working since it didn't bind while turning. And needed a lot of general maintenance. Hail storms destroyed it with 16k in damage so I took insurance money and ran with profit of almost 9k

3rd and 4th GW'S bought together for 7k both ran both had significant damage but I was in love. One is a 90 lifted with brand new tires and gorgeous interior and custom exuast system the other is 87 with 4bbl intake and carb and brand new tires as well but needs a lot of love.



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[Dr. Marneaus]

I had just graduated UNLV and decided I needed a graduation present for myself. I had been jeepless for 2 years and was hating it. I wanted more of a project than anything else.

I started searching. My only two requirements were that I buy some model of a CJ and that it was stick shift.

I started driving old cj5's and whatnot. Quickly realized that being 6'3" wasn't gonna work too well in one of those. Then realized I would be able to fit me, one passenger, and maybe half our camping stuff. Then realized how awful the road manners would be on longer highway trips that I so frequently take. Figured why not look for an SJ.

I found a 77 Cherokee in Bullhead City that supposedly had a rebuilt 401 but the q track had blown up. I told the guy finish replacing the q track and I'll come buy it. He stopped returning my calls.

I then spotted my Wagoneer that was on Craigslist for a long time at like 6k. It had the exact lift tire and wheel combo I would have purchased as soon as I bought one, and it was all less than a year old and professionally installed at 4wheel parts.

I saw the price came down to 4K or something. I went, test drove it, offered 3k. Picked it up the next day.

So All I wanted was a CJ and a stick shift. I got a 4 door Wagon that was an auto.

[candymancan]

Az chip youre story sounds like mine.. my 90 i saw on cl at like 3am.. i waited till about 6 am to call and pestered the guy enough that i wanted it then and there and brought my friend as a way to negotiate. I feel it puts more pressure on a seller if there is two of you and one of him lol

[az chip]

Az chip youre story sounds like mine.. my 90 i saw on cl at like 3am.. i waited till about 6 am to call and pestered the guy enough that i wanted it then and there and brought my friend as a way to negotiate. I feel it puts more pressure on a seller if there is two of you and one of him lol

I brought money. Just not too much. Did not pester. But I did make a fast drive up north that day.

[MadMax78]

I bought my 78 for my then 16 year old daughter. Drive by it on the highway and she starts squealing that she has to have it. Keep going and take care of business. Jeeps at a local tire shop that my brother-in-law knows the owner. He calls the owner and he meets us there on a dreary Sunday afternoon. Get to look it over before the owner gets there and my daughter keeps getting more excited. Take it for a test drive and she is going nuts. She has to have it. Go back and make the deal. She squeals all the way home.

Has been a part of the family every since. Of course now it's my toy. That was my plan all along though. I knew she wouldn't want it for long. To old and not reliable enough to go very far from home.

[Curly]

I've always liked older/classic cars and I also like to take multi-day trips in my Jeep TJ. The TJ was feeling too small so I got to looking for a Wagoneer. I remember my in-laws had one when my wife and I got married. I drove it once or twice, don't remember much about it except I liked it. I started searching Craigslist but couldn't find one in my area that wasn't overpriced/junk or just to far away. Then my Cherokee came up for sale in Prescott, just an hour away. I went to look at it and was very surprised to find out it had been sold new in my home town of Yuma, and it had always been in AZ, so no rust.
Made the deal, drove it home. I had been researching the FSJ so I knew about the common problems. I experienced several of them on the short drive home. Inaccurate fuel gauge, no start at the gas station (first stop after purchase), strong fuel odor in the cab, hard to fill the tank, headlights flickering on and off. Much work and $$ later, its all good.
The day I brought it home:

1 year later:


Curly

[az chip]

She looks good Curly. Soon we will do some trails together.

[hutcho]

My dad originally bought my j10 in the late 90s early 2000s as a farm truck. He moved to the city and didn't need it so my grandpa bought it from him and ran it to death on the farm until he passed(2010 I believe). My grandma gave it to me after that. It needed a ton of work but was drivable except for the clutch. I drove it in the shop to change it and after dropping the trans decided to do a full restoration in his memory. It's been a long road since then and it's hardly closer but I hope to have it back on the road this year or next year. Side note my cousin inherited his other truck (86 chevy) and they are wanting to crush it now so I will be picking it up and sending it to my little brother to get the same treatment as the j10. I think it's cool we both get one of his trucks to pass down someday too!

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[rapom]

My wife an I have always been looking at them but differed in our tastes. She wanted a woody grand wagoneer and I wanted a chief. Last year she finally saw the light and warmed up to the chief look. Being from Ohio is was very difficult to find a clean one so we expanded our search and she found it in California.

79 chief

I talked to the owner for about 2 months and got lots of pictures before buying it. Plus I had to work him down from $14,000 to $8500. It was in very clean condition being from California and also being stored for many years. We finally got it July of last year.

When we got it, it was as described but had lots of little issues from not being driven. On the plus side, It drove nice and had cold A/C that lasted about a month. Nice options were the A/C, pass side lighted visor vanity mirror, cruise control, Am/fM 8 track tape player.

Had to buy new tires, installed new headliner with sound deadener, and power drivers seat mechanism since my wife and I very greatly in height, New windshield to replace the sandblasted one. New carpet kit and serehill's power window and headlight harnesses. Had to get heater switch unseized and reattach a dash lens. Also had to replace the accorden vacuum cruise control piece and I also tightened up the steering using a xj steering box and a cj steering shaft.

I have to thank everyone one this forum that unknowingly helped be with their posts when I did my searches for tips and ideas.

Well, I just tried to post some pictures but the site would take them because the files are to big. I will see if I can make them smaller.

[dodgerammit]

I've always appreciated the looks of the "woody" GWs. My old Dodge truck was down back in mid winter. No working on it till spring for my scrawny butt. I needed a 4x4 for any snow days we would have yet. Looked at several overpriced, clapped-out trucks (4-5K for 200,000+ miles). My old truck didn't even have 170K..

Found a couple that were good deals, but they sold just before I got to look at them.

Moved to Jeeps, specifically Grand Cherokees. Holy-Moly! Those sellers were even more insane!

Scrolling through CL lete one night, There was Radio Flyer.

I almost passed it since people usually want too much for them.

I decided to click and look since the price was 3750.

146K miles. It ran. No major problems. Interior was there. Paint looked okay in pics. No rust visible.

Called the guy up and chatted the next morning. Told him I'd be up in 2 hours to see it. (60 miles away).

He was very upfront with it needing some attention. Tires mainly, and I still haven't gotten a set as of today (Gotta work through a few more issues before I drop $600 on a set)

It is rust free. Sort of. It has new quarters. Don't know how well they are put in, but there's no bubbling from the repair, so it's good for now. The paint is a quickie job, but still isn't bad for the most part.

Rides smooth. Needs a little TLC, but the 4x4 works, the heat works, it doesn't puke coolant from the timing cover gasket like my old Dodge did, and I get looks and conversations from nearly every guy that sees it. Even had a kid yell at me in the part's store parking lot to tell me it was awesome.

Future plans are to work out the mechanical bugs first.
Tires next.
Weatherstrip.

Enjoy it some.

Replace the dash that someone hacked up (No. They mangled it. Morons. )
Get the hood and fender replaced (already have donors).
Woodgrain kit.

Enjoy some more.

Install Serhill's harnesses (already purchased).
New carpet.

Rock this b**** even more!

Alcan 2" springs that mimic the plush ride.
A big@$$ bumper that'll house my Warn hydraulic winch.

Outta my way, phone-booth drivers!

Down the road, a Magnum powertrain swap, or even better, a sweet 4BT.

[Nikkormat]

My current 90 was an impulse buy.

I got fired from a job I wanted really badly, they hired three trainee's but only needed two employees. I was the youngest and got sick and missed a day of training.

As a result I had $1000 kicking around and started prowling Craigslist for a FSJ to drown my sorrows. I had sold the 91 back to Wyatt and the 74 had a dead transmission and the brakes were inoperable too. There was an add locally with no pictures that had been up for a month. 1990 wagoneer $2000 clean interior, runs good, new radiator. I checked the number and recognized it. A friend from Highschool. So I went and looked at it that night, learned she had payed $500 and probably only had $300-$400 in parts into it. She needed something more reliable and she was worried it had a blown head gasket. I offered $1k and she said sure! Picked it up that Friday and it's been downhill ever since. Only catch is that I have to let her drive it for a day when it's fixed. But if I have to spend a day with an old friend for a good deal so be it!

Actually now I think about it, it wasn't that great of a deal. Needs an engine, floor, carpet, headliner, radio. Oh well I'm emotionally attached to it now.

[WT91]

I had just been in what could've been a fatal car accident, my current truck was totaled. I was a college kid with no money, and the Wagoneer was for sale about 40 minutes away for $900. I offered $600 and had to race the other guys who had offered to buy it for $550 there. Needless to say, I got there first.

[jbaker]

I had a 1973 J2000 pickup, 6 cyl, 4 speed that I bought in 1974. It ran ok but was rusty. In 1986 I started thinking that if they still made a full sized Jeep pickup I would bite the bullet and buy it. About 2 weeks later, looking thru the truck Trader magazine, I saw it.A Red, J-20, with PS, PB & A/C, For sale in West Palm Beach [90 miles south of me ] Advertised as new. I called and was sceptical but interested, He asked $11,500 .00, I told him I had $10k. He said he would have to call the comptroller at American Motors. He called back and said they would accept $10,500. A friend took me and I carried a Bank check for 10 K and the 500.00 cash incase I could find a reason to negotiate a little bit. When I saw it, I had to have it. It was BRAND New. The speedo was in Kilometers only.[ Built for export ] It turned out that this person was a retired x AMC dealer from New York and had moved to WPB. He had a agreement with AMC to sell the vehicles that they could not put on a car lot [he had several but this was the only PU] ..I still have it,Later after researching the VIN I discovered it was a 1985 year model. About 300,000 miles later, a couple motors and a recent paint job, still tagged and insured.http://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/downloa ... ew&id=5284

[Cheapthrills]

That's a pretty pickup, wtf 73 and is actually 85.... how did that fly with dmv

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[Rod2]

In '88 when I couldn't find a 4-speed to mate up with the 327 in my '68, I checked out the '73 J4000 at a local lot. I took the '66 Chevelle, that my boys had pretty much got the best of while in high school, and asked to trade even. He agreed, saying the truck had an oil consumption problem and sheet metal damage. I admitted that my boys had mistreated the Turbo 400 in the car. We decided the damages canceled each other out and made the deal. I haven't quit enjoying nor working on it yet.

[Cheap Hobby]

My first Wagoneer never made it home. Bought an early 70s light green with a big front bumper and Konig winch. Oil pressure was fluctuating on the test drive told the salesman we would take it when it was repaired. As my dad and I had been been dealing with the dealer Cochran and Cellie for years. So when they called saying all was good wife and I went to get it. Made it about 10 miles from dealer and blew both ends of a rod through the block right in the middle on a major freeway rebuild area. The used sales department called me every month for 2 years to see if I was still interested with the blown engine (the original salesman thought they could weld it up). I always offered $100.00 for it and they turned me down. 6 years latter when the banks closed the doors they found 20 or 30 cars down stairs in the unused part of the building that the used department had hidden down there. They had all been taken on trade when told not to all had issues. They had to pay to have them hauled off. All of the jeeps went to Archer Bros. Mine was picked up first thing in the morning and by the end of the day had a new drive train and went to the new owner the next morning for a lot more than I paid for it.

[Cheap Hobby]

My second and current jeep was bought from a wholesaler we had helped get started. After my first jeep died on the way home we put the wholesaler on the hunt. After a month he called with a 79 Cherokee Golden Eagle in great shape with 1 owner. It was at the detail shop and going to auction as soon as it was done. So I hauled to Fremont checked it out and bought it. Drove the snot out of it. Driven it through 6 states towed all over Ca and Or. Put 1 engine, trans and rear end in it. Now I'm rebuilding the original engine for it and doing everything I had wanted to do when it was a dd and time and money never happened in the same year.
I grew up in and worked for dealerships, even briefly worked for Jeep. Could of habit any model of reposensed jeep or killer deal from Jeep from dealerships we were closing. No oooooo didn't want somebody else's junk or the sissy limited space that the dealers had left. 3 years latter when I decided I had to have one is when it daweed on me "Dumb ass".