GC quesion, important purchase!

[Hipee]

Okay, so I'm a Wrangle guy, don't know much about GC's other than I want one. Driving around town today I came across one for sale. I'm thinking of buying it for my wife but wanted to run the specs vs. price buy everyone here.

It's a 2001 Grand Cherokee (WJ, right?), 4.0L, auto tranny, 58,000 miles and is REAL clean. No dents, no rust, no scratches - just one little rock chip on the windshield. Now brace yourselves....it's a 2WD model. Yup, that's why it's for the wife. The owners are the original owners and have always had it serviced at the dealership where they bought it. It's got new tires on it as is Rootbeer brown colored. Perdy. Anyways, they're asking $12,800 and I got them down to $12,000 and to fix the rock chip on the windshield. Is this a good price?

Also, what type of tranny is in it? I'm assuming it has the Dana 35 rear (since it's 2wd)?? Any known problems or "gotchas" to lookout for? I didn't see any fluid leaks and it seemed to drive real smooth and quiet (again, I'm a Wrangler owner so silence was foreign to me).

Thanks all.

[Matt]

Sounds nice. I'd see what the 4wd is going for and deduct about 2k from that to give you an idea. Or just go and take a peek at the blue book price. As far as the drive train is concerned, its no more than a station wagon, so I'd not be too worried about the rear blowing up, or breaking unless you have plans of towing something heavy or beating on itIf you want try Jeep forum.com. They have a large amount of Gc owners on there, and could give you a good idea of whats weak or strong on that Jeep. Lots of luck

[mawardjr]

Here is a good site with WJ info wjjeeps.com (http://www.wjjeeps.com)

You might also check out NAGCA.com (http://www.nagca.com/nagca.htm)

My wife is driving our '96 ZJ and it is 2wd. We've got about 220K miles on original engine and drivetrain. The only difference between it and the 4wd version is that the front axle is just a tube and the output on the transmission is different than the one of the 4wd (basically you couldn't bolt the TC to the 2wd version). Other than that they are identical.

Good luck.

[Tomster]

Hipee:

Go to Edmunds.com and look up the value of that Grand. Also, they have message boards in the section that they used to call "Town Hall," but I think they call it something else now.

For just about any vehicle made, they have a discussion going (message board, forum, whatever you call it). The owners of the type of vehicle in question will be glad to answer your questions, but you can also read old posts to find out what the issues are.

Tom

[Don]

Hipee:

I have a 2000 WJ. $12,000 for a 2wd 2001 WJ seems high to me. However, in your part of the World, it might not be. Is this a "Limited"? Leather seats?, Sunroof?, CD?. It is a clean, one owner, low mileage vehicle so that is worth something. However, 2wd WJ usually sell more like a station wagon that a SUV. Please remember, I am talking about my part of the World, your area maybe totally different. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Marlon_JBT]

You're exactly right with retail value. I went on KBB.com. You didn't mention whether it was a Laredo or Limited. I find KBB more accurate than Edmunds.com for used retail value, but for new, I don't think they have any competition. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Their site is also painfully slow, as of late, even on broadband. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Laredo: $11,950
Limited: $14,150

Rear axle is either a D35 or a D44a. Most likely, it's a D35, but... I don't think you should worry about it.

'01 is a good year. It's right before they started to decontent the WJ. The tranny is a Chrysler 42RE. For info on that transmission, click here. http://allpar.com/fix/trans.html

Hope this helps.

[Don]

[ QUOTE ]
You're exactly right with retail value. I went on KBB.com. You didn't mention whether it was a Laredo or Limited. I find KBB more accurate than Edmunds.com for used retail value, but for new, I don't think they have any competition. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Laredo: $11,950
Limited: $14,150

Rear axle is either a D35 or a D44a. Most likely, it's a D35, but... I don't think you should worry about it.

'01 is a good year. It's right before they started to decontent the WJ. The tranny is a Chrysler 42RE. For info on that transmission, click here. http://allpar.com/fix/trans.html

Hope this helps.

[/ QUOTE ]

Marlon, are these figures for a 2wd? My 00WJ has approximately 95,000 miles on it and I would drive it anywhere without a second thought. They are nice road vehicles /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tu.gif Like Marlon said, the rear diff isn't an issue in a 2wd, it will still be going when rest of the vehicle isn't /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hee.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hee.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hee.gif I assume this WJ is going to be offroad only at the Mall parking lot? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Paul E]

I'm still wishing we had kept our 2000 WJ limited in Patriot Blue... *sigh*

But the new ride works too! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Hipee]

UPDATE:

Thanks for all the info and links everyone. I did forget to mention the package, it's a Laredo model. It is very clean and has a 6-disc CD changer (aftermarket). Yeah, $12k is high bluebook (per KBB.com). I just spoke to the owner's today and told them the bank wouldn't finance it for that much and offered them $10k cash. They took it.

So now we are a completely jeep family. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/woot.gif The WJ will be for the wife and yes, it's going to be a mall crawler most of the time. We'll take it when we go camping (can haul more gear than the TJ AND sleep in the back).

For this area, it's hard to find ANY vehicle that is around 4-5 years old with less than 100K miles on it. 90% of the people around here commute to work in the bay area or Sacramento.

I'll do little things to it like TB spacer, Airaid intake, etc. Gotta get a few more ponies outa that straight-six. Wish it had the V-8. Oh well. Next one will be 4wd, V-8 and be for me.

Thanks again.

[Don]

[ QUOTE ]
UPDATE:

Thanks for all the info and links everyone. I did forget to mention the package, it's a Laredo model. --snip-- Gotta get a few more ponies outa that straight-six. Wish it had the V-8. Oh well. Next one will be 4wd, V-8 and be for me.

Thanks again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hipee... glad to hear that you jumped on this WJ. Sounds like a nice one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tu.gif Don't under value that 4.0L, it isn't a racer, but it is a workhorse of an engine /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tu.gif

[Hipee]

Don -
When I first drove it, I thought that the 4.0L behind an auto tranny in a vehicle the size and weight of the GC, that it would be sluggish and slow to accelerate. I was dead wrong. That thing moves and it just keeps on accelerating all the way up to 100mph. I'm impressed. Now I don't want to turn it over to the wife.

I'll have to keep my eyes open for a 4wd, V-8 model for myself.

Later.

[Marlon_JBT]

[ QUOTE ]

I'll have to keep my eyes open for a 4wd, V-8 model for myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hee.gif

[Don]

[ QUOTE ]
Don -
When I first drove it, I thought that the 4.0L behind an auto tranny in a vehicle the size and weight of the GC, that it would be sluggish and slow to accelerate. I was dead wrong. That thing moves and it just keeps on accelerating all the way up to 100mph. I'm impressed. Now I don't want to turn it over to the wife.

I'll have to keep my eyes open for a 4wd, V-8 model for myself.

Later.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hipee: Like you, I really like the 4.0L... it is one tuff engine. However, for towing my trailer, a V8 may add a little extra power. However, I must confess that the real reason I want a V8 is so I can put an exhaust system on it and have a really good deep rumble /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif