Inexpensive Capable Rig

GotLime?

GotLime?

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Location
Mooresville, NC
I have my TJ, but I'm thinking about something else.

A rig that would be capable, but not expensive. Ya know, beat it up and not worry about it.

Cherokee?

Bronco II?

Bronco?

Full size Blazer?

Somer Isuzu or Mitsu?

I've been looking at Craigs List and the the options are overwhelming.

Thoughts and opinions?
 
toyota?
 
depends on what you consider expensive, and how big you are wanting to go... if not above 33-35" tires, then I would say XJ or Toyota... also, depends on what you are wanting to do with it (rocks, mud, trail riding)...
 
Probably 33s, no bigger than 35s. Rocks. mud, trees.

Just to clarify, I'm thinking of something very inexpensive and very disposable. Basically a disposable rig to beat the shit out of.
 
i'm partial to isuzu troopers. 4.56 gears and disc brakes all the way around...stock. get a 5spd, crank the torsion bars up front, 2" lift shackles in the rear 34" ltbs and wheel it. i welded my rear axle and it took a beating...never broke anything on it.

if you get the 2.6L 4cyl just watch your temp gauge...they're bad for warping the heads.
 
JBsTrooper said:
i'm partial to isuzu troopers. 4.56 gears and disc brakes all the way around...stock. get a 5spd, crank the torsion bars up front, 2" lift shackles in the rear 34" ltbs and wheel it. i welded my rear axle and it took a beating...never broke anything on it.
if you get the 2.6L 4cyl just watch your temp gauge...they're bad for warping the heads.
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What years?
 
Can't beat a XJ for the price you can pick up one for. a ton of them where turned in for C4C so there are a ton of spare parts out there for them as well
 
NCJeepin said:
Can't beat a XJ for the price you can pick up one for. a ton of them where turned in for C4C so there are a ton of spare parts out there for them as well
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x1000 on the XJ. You can find them in good running shape for $400-500 all the time. The 4.0 is super reliable, and they're easy to build into decent offroad toys. Hard to beat as a budget toy
 
purchased it bone stock laying in a field and wouldn't run. Put $00000.00 in getting it running, Grandlift brought me a free Mitsubishi Eclipse lowering kit and made it a front lift kit, blocks in the back, welded gears with a custom lawnmower throttle cable front disco. In the end, with used tires and NEW wheels I had about $500 in the entire thing. Wife drove it to The Farm:driver: and had a blast. My vote would be an xj.
 

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XJ. 91 or newer. :popcorn:
 
Toyota Toyota Toyota. XJ would be ok too. Toyota Toyota Toyota.
 
redneckcj5guy said:
XJ. 91 or newer. :popcorn:
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XJ IMHO but I'm biased. I'd look for a 91-94. Those are the best years. Only drawback is that you have to get a 29spl 8.25 eventually from a 96 or laater xj if you want to run 35's!
 
Dylan W. said:
I saw alot of xj's at the ECORS race. They're cheap and available.
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X2. For a cheap beater rig, I really can't think of a better option. You can get em cheap, there tough, and spare parts are easy to come by.
 
I'm in the same boat as GotLime. I'm new to this sport and want something cheap I can learn the basics with. Between a XJ and a Yota, which has more long term potential for a budget rig?
 
my vote goes to the xj, cant kill them and they are cheap. If you beat one to hell, buy another and swap the goodies to it and repeat.
 
90xj said:
my vote goes to the xj, cant kill them and they are cheap. If you beat one to hell, buy another and swap the goodies to it and repeat.
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Exactly! Once the unibody goes all you do is find a new canidate and swap everything over. My 84 was the prototype and the 94 is the replacement! I spent $400 on it. Had no tcase or axles. Sat in a field for 2 years. MM Oil in the engine, swaped my axles in went crazy with dual cases and I was back to wheeling!
 
GimmieBoost said:
I'm in the same boat as GotLime. I'm new to this sport and want something cheap I can learn the basics with. Between a XJ and a Yota, which has more long term potential for a budget rig?
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I was in that boat this past summer. Started shopping around for my first rig in May and no price was too low! I went with an XJ because it was the most affordable... and for the money, it was the most capable thing I could find.

For $1000 or less you can get an XJ with a decent motor, trans, t-case and solid axles. The aftermarket support is endless, and used parts are cheap and plentiful.

Toyotas are comparable, but a good one will cost you more than an XJ and it will likely have a smaller motor, and IFS up front. At least that's what I found when I was shopping a few months ago.
 
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