How Far Does $2000 Go: I Bought a Super Cheap Jeep To Find Out!

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Meet the new Jeep! A 1996 Grand Cherokee
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#Jeep #GrandCherokee

[@rnt45t1]

Who is that red bearded Viking of a man!? More of this guy, he's so chill.

[@johnswick4593]

Warning! Warning!

[@redneck4528]

🌈 vibes

[@jbandt]

Most interesting tfl vid for me in a while. Behind the scenes at a dealer auction was cool. Love seeing the super budget options. Wish I knew more about fixing up these older working class cars because it would be cool to flip a few here and there.

[@604h22a]

Use the power of internet dude! There KZbin video for everything. I know nothing about wrenching but even I can do some minor work

[@lukevanderwal9891]

This is the type of actual budget content that I love to see! And with the ZJ 4.0, almost everything is dirt cheap even if it eventually fails. The ZJ offers a combination of comfort and off-roading ability that is hard to beat

[@dalejones4322]

This is a great idea for a series. Go to an auction and buy something, then see what you end up with. Auctions are a lot of fun. Use to go with my uncle. One of the auctioneers was always saying "I'll eat that car if it ain't worth $1000." Lol. Really shady business too. One guy was selling for a dealer one week then the next week he was bidding on that same dealer's cars, so he was running the price up. Most of the vehicles had some issue or another but it was really fun trying to guess what a car would go for. You really should make a series out of this.

[@Navin.R.Johnson]

TFLclassics is quickly becoming my favorite spot on YT. This project should be fun!

[@brianbogan3363]

Congrats on your ZJ! I have a '95 4.0, same color, that I pulled out of a field on my moms farm. A farmhand parked it there for an electrical drain he couldnt figure out. Turns out it was the Walmart head unit he installed. That was 7 years ago and she's still running strong. Its basically stock and has been flawless on some pretty gnarly Virginia trails. Excited to see what you guys do with it!

[@LTHero.]

This looks like a great series. Keep it cheap and affordable without expensive high end parts .

[@chrisanddave22]

The Jeep ZJ's are amazing! In my oppinion the best Jeep ever made as well as one of the most over looked. I have a 95 with around 270 thousand miles on it and it is still reliable.

[@TheCamster44]

Great video, you guys should do more of these auctions!

[@Austinandjules]

The crank shaft and cam shaft means it needs a timing chain. The two sensors are reading to far off because of the slap in the chain. To do one on a vortec v6 would take 2 hours if you don’t know what you’re doing.

[@Malc664]

That Chevy was a nice truck.

[@jesusrrpaz4276]

Best stock off-road suspension, very capable off-road , excited to follow the ZJ series

[@austinaubinoe]

I think it would be perfect to throw on a 2" spacer lift, some nice shocks and some 30x9.5" MTs on the stock ravines. Love the color on this one too.

[@Eightball2516]

That jeep will run forever mine had over 500 k on it before I had to get rid of it for the frame was rusted. I had the straight 6 that engine was awesome. I loved my grand Cherokee Zj I had a 97 the trans is good just have to change the trans oil every 40k to 50k

[@trailrunnah8886]

Great buy! I love these ZJs, I used to have a '97. I'd love to have another one, but they don't really exist anymore in New England. I like the idea of the resto series with some minor mods. Just a suggestion, some krylon fusion spray paint will really bring that gray cladding back to life, I used satin black on mine and it looked fantastic.

[@jcammons3692]

Love your videos and where you have taken the channel Tommy. It’s always been great, but you really come up with great new ideas instead of just reviews of new stuff the average person can’t really afford. I’m glad that you’re the “frugal guy” and have a taste for what I myself like. I’m a Toyota and Jeep guy too. Check out a set of Rusty’s budget springs and put some used all terrain take offs on it. See where it takes you. You’ll have more flex that a “budget boost” and not a lot of money in it.

[@ivano5734]

Oh God! Thank you guys! You fulfilled my wish. Since then I started watching your channel, I have been waiting for this car. I am looking forward the next ZJ episode !!!

[@notsureigaf]

Funny to see this here today, I've been in the market for a cheap 96-98 4.0 ZJ for awhile! Interested to see where you go with this one. And don't sleep on the AWD Astro, you can convert those into a true 4x4 with a couple of relatively easy mods - namely a junkyard NP233C and Journeys shifter kit.

[@GustavLindstroem]

Keep the rims! They're really cool and fit the car well. 31s with a 2" lift would be perfect. The ZJ is a really underestimated off-roader, I love mine to death despite the issues it has. Will be interesting to see what you do with this one 👍🏻

[@marcmoukarzel4070]

Thank you TFL!!! The ZJ is an absolute beast off road. Great decision!

[@americanautotransportllc]

Hey Tommy, I had a ‘98 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a problem I had on a recall was the sending unit. Might want to look into it as it may leave you stranded with no gas. Mine was new when I bought it.

[@jcollins1305]

I love these videos! Can’t wait to see the rest of the series.

[@waterloo123100]

i still have two Zj’s by far my favorite jeep ever made. The v8 pulls like a train even with 251k We also have a durango with the 4.7 and that has been the best vehicle we’ve ever owned

[@allenwiddows7631]

I loved my ‘98 Grand Cherokee; when I bought it back in 1998, I preferred the 4.0 L straight 6 over the V-8, as it was not sluggish and had much more pick-up than the V-8. Sometimes, if the AC isn’t blowing cold, it’s a simple matter of tightening up the serpentine belt. I got a tad shy of 200,000 miles on it, when a crack appeared on the transmission. One of the best Jeeps I ever had…

[@JohnJohnA101]

There’s a local auction company here in the Boise area with a 94 XJ Cherokee and 05 Grand Cherokee that I’m looking at as cheap project off-roaders so I appreciate this videos timing. They also do the bidding online but I’d prefer doing a walkthrough of the vehicle like you did. Great job!

[@o2boutdoors]

Will look forward to seeing more of this Jeep! Love seeing interesting and different video topics such as this one, especially since it's so much more relatable to those of us who aren't buying $75+k trucks with butt heaters, coolers, or bidets.

[@V35anito]

Glad you all are doing a Grand Cherokee of that generation. It's my first vehicle and I owned 2 others after that. I would buy another if wife let me

[@HP3682]

Great content! Can’t wait to see how it progresses

[@Danny_Ruth]

I can already tell you I’m really gonna enjoy this series! I’d love to see you guys get a Jeep Grand Cherokee WK (3rd Gen)

[@ColJonSquall1]

Love the choice, I figured it would come up, since we saw it in Nathan's and the Santa Cruz update video. Looks like a combination of mine and my aunt's, as we both had ZJs. Mine was a 94, with the exact same colour and I put the same rims on it. While my aunt's was a 97, with the same interior upgrades. Her's had a slight coolant leak, mine was oil and aging transmission that didn't downshift on hills. But we loved them.

[@pcfry8732]

Congrats! A great-looking Jeep! We got our daughter a WJ as a "first car school permit vehicle" after watching the last budget series and seeing how much you enjoyed your turn-of-the-century GC.

[@evilcam]

I'll echo most everyone else in the comments in saying you should make at least two different series out of this. I always like the 'soup up a cheap vehicle' video series so I am really looking forward to that one with this Jeep, and hopefully others bought at auction in the future. I think this style of build series is always eventually what "For a Few Bucks Less" should end on, where the guys get to spend a bit more money building their selection out and souping everything up, to see what a cheap vehicle can become with some planning and a bit more cash. I also think you should expand on the dealer auction thing, and make a full series out of that. It looked like an interesting world, and we just started to see Brendon get into his element. It was cool to see him play the auction game, and I would like to know more about how he picks candidates, and sets wager limits on those candidates. I bet you could easily make 6 vids out of seeing him in action at 2 different auctions. You could also see that Tommy really liked it. His elation at buying it shows he would probably really dig a role in making that series, and it is right up his wheelhouse since TFLClassics is his baby. Lastly, Roman would disown Tommy if he brought back an Astrovan? What the hell; and why? Is this another one of those situations where Roman is just wrong about something, and takes it out on Tommy when he points out Roman is wrong about something? Or maybe one of those situations where Tommy is wrong about something, but really he is just wrong about how he thought Roman would react to something, because Roman was already wrong about something. Eh, who knows...or cares...but I think Tommy should totally buy a clean Astrovan at some point, and build it into something cool, just to prove, once again, that Roman is probably wrong about something.

[@pabo8080]

Lets go Brenden!

[@robervin9107]

He is so awesome

[@redneck4528]

Donnie T 2024!

[@willbetruckin3545]

Great video guys! Love to see a series on this channel like this! 👍👍👍👍

[@russellbrown2279]

Enjoyed the video energy and the information given. Thank you.

[@ryanmartinage]

a weld in universal magna flow cat will work fine. I love ZJ's. Comfortable, capable, cheap to fix, and parts everywhere. Good buy.

[@wushock92]

I used to go the the Kansas City dealer's auction with my father-in-law. You are right. What a rush, even if you're not bidding. They ran 3 lanes back in those days, but cars went fast and furious. This brought back some wonderful memories.

[@bk27117]

That is a great buy! Awesome to see the Jeep on the channel!

[@culjonez22]

Awesome video, this keeps TFL fresh

[@pablomoreno1999]

One of the most interesting videos you've done in a while. I would have LOVED to see the AWD van but i get it... really really cool video, congrats boys

[@floridaman7]

Get the astro van and paint it like the a-team van

[@s.centralkeystone558]

Really interesting video - thanks guys!

[@acetylcholine3]

This was super interesting, thanks guy!

[@sehismith]

Great video - fascinating process! Enjoy the Jeep.

[@jacobwray8754]

Love this idea series! Cheap vehicles, cheap fixes/up sale options. Real life situation!

[@clarkleakins879]

One challenge with that generation of XJ. The PCM. Problem presents with "unscheduled" intermittent stalling. The circuit board in the PCM cracks, solder joints, due to time/weight/stress of 3 large wire lug connectors hanging. PCM is located on the fire wall, passenger side, under the hood. PCM is repairable. Not available at dealer/no longer manufactured.

[@omostim2385]

This reminds me of the Adesa auto auction in Houston. A friend of mine had a dealers license and got me a pass. I was just walking around the lot driving everything I liked. They even had a little test track and everything. I remember flooring it in a G55 AMG. What a magical place.

[@christopher9626]

Wow, what a cool day! I've never been to an auction. Seems like it would be a blast. I cant wait to see what goes on with this cheap jeep. That Astro was a hoot as well.

[@andreipretorius92]

Super excited to see how this unfolds. I bought my wj at auction, best experience ever. I love car auctions. Enjoy the new Jeep

[@Austinandjules]

Tommy. I just bought my girl friend the same Dakota. 2wd v6. I’m currently solid axle swapping it and swapping in a np435 3 speed with a granny gear. I’ll send pics when it’s done. I sent you pics of my s10 that I solid axle swapped previously

[@nathanmatas6085]

I have owned multiple Jeeps however my ZJ still holds a soft spot in my heart. That thing took a beating like no one's business. My Jeep TJ that I drive now can barely take a slight slap without breaking.

[@adkjeepadventures]

These auctions are so much fun but there is a lot of junk out there. We always bring an OBDII scanner, paint gauge and magnet (to scope out bondo jobs).

[@jaredoaks6317]

We have a 95 ZJ with the v8. 210k miles and runs like a dream. Just drove from Alabama to Nevada and back. No problem

[@314jeepsnmopars3]

Got a 98 ZJ with the 4.0 right under 192k, been a good vehicle for rhe most part. The ZJ has always had a special place in my heart.

[@rossbowman202]

Good buy. I was hoping you would have done the AWD Astro Van overlander. Look forward to the Jeep build.

[@TaTanka362]

I like it. Quick safety inspection and off to Black Bear Pass. This should be a regular series on TFLC.

[@grantman64]

Good buy - looking forward to seeing some DIY cheap(ish) fixes and improvements. And getting it stuck in Tommy's mud pit at the ranch 🙂

[@salchristiano6606]

loved the excitement of this one Tommy.

[@1972mercurycougar]

Love this!! Do this theme again😊

[@balcorn9211]

As soon as I heard the 4.0 start up I knew that thing was yours. Cool video!

[@anthonymidwest4443]

You gotta Keep it and do a series on it. I love my 96 grand Cherokee

[@jameskennedy673]

Great job keep’m coming

[@Bigjobrob]

Can't wait to see how it does on the ranch course!

[@jasonquaile2492]

I had a 93 with a 318 in that same colour and trim! Loved that jeep

[@rosenevil74]

I really like this style of video!

[@firebird8600]

You just got suggested to me, and since I'm also starting a ZJ project, I'm subscribing

[@brandonsmith3447]

Great pickup guys!

[@abqcrutch]

You can get some inexpensive suspension lifts that make those Jeep ZJ Grand Cherokees great off-road.

[@SpeedBrake-qy5ym]

Electrical trouble shooting tips on headlight/horn/ A/C would be great for the restoration tips for Jeep/Dodge/Ram of those year production lines. Rust restoration is a headache but worth the finish product.

[@rzu7120]

I love it. Can't wait to see you put some TLC into it! Maybe after you're done with this one, you can go back to the auction and buy another one.

[@JeepTJWheelin]

After making sure it's mechanically sound, I would put a 2" lift on with 31 or 32" ko2's. Paint the rims gun metal and Raptor line it. Never have to worry about off road pinstriping again plus it will look badass!

[@PantyDropper69]

I bought the cheapest JK on the east coast recently (well cheapest clean title running and driving) and I've been going through it. Even on the cheap it adds up but having new everything is damn nice

[@FortniteDad12]

I had the Bonneville and still have a limited 1997 inline 6 super cool video

[@kristop3r]

I like this series, more auctions!

[@Caladuun]

Good pull. That was what I was expecting/hoping you'd pick up.

[@roypaulcarter4654]

Good luck with the challenge.

[@caseymcculloch5027]

Love this video with auctions Maybe new series

[@weekendwarrior8179]

Pretty cool and congrats. Add a new display console with backup camera and apple car play. Thinking about doing it with my 2010 xterra.

[@leilighet205]

Looking forward to more content on this Jeep

[@bigmacmach1185]

I miss my cherokee XJ sport we had. That 4 liter engine in the smaller body was a fantastic engine. Def would love to get another one someday. Brenden let me know if u find one in decent shape! Lol

[@chrisgrenzner9337]

My '96 4.0 L has 210K miles and runs great! Looking forward to see what you do to this Jeep.

[@TheMnfrontierman]

Finally, a ZJ hits TFL...Thank you

[@jameshowey9958]

Great buy, ZJs are solid off road vehicles that are often over looked. I prefer the V8s but the 4.0 is also a great motor just a bit under powered in my opinion for the extra weight of the ZJ. I am also a bit biased because I own 3 ZJs, all 98s with the 5.9 and all different from stock to radical built.

[@Stuka87]

This was a cool video. The ZJ should be a pretty good rig. Sadly the ZJ only got the AW4 automatic for one year, then it had the 42RE put in it. The XJ kept the AW4 through 2001. Outside of the clear coat going away, and that rust bubble, (and the cat), it should be a good cheap 4x4.

[@tommyd1963ify]

I have a 97 with the 5.2 w/200,000 and I drive it daily. A cat was pretty cheap so I did a cat back also. Don't overheat the trans and it should last. I have a built Powerwagon and a brand new lifted Crosstrek Sport and I still grab these keys most mornings.

[@foellerd]

When I see a Cherokee that old I think of The Goonies. “Buckle up, I’m gonna put it into 4 wheel drive”. Zooms in on shifting 4 wheel drive lever. “An RV. Bullet holes…. Bullet holes!?” Love that chunk calls the Cherokee an RV. Now I refer to my Honda CRV as an RV because of that movie.

[@530transam]

I have had 13 Jeeps, and my 5.9 ZJ was one of my favorites. I really want another one

[@stevenrogers2457]

Nice find, I like it!

[@ulysseslima9534]

A resto series is always cool.

[@BigOsGarage6]

Beautiful color on that zj

[@Ethan-uw3fj]

Love my wj, excited to see more.

[@mikey92362]

Bought my son one for his first car. 1998 Grand Cherokee Laredo 2wd. Owned by an old friend of the family who does all the maintenance and reslly took good care of it. 140k miles. $2500 custom leather interior. Amd we only paid $1200. And it was probably a mistake. In the first year we put about $5k into it just for repairs. He's been driving it for about three years now, and about every three months it still manages to find some new sensor, switch, or other thing to break. The 4.0 engine is built like a tank. But every other part of it,. especially the electrical system, is just absolute garbage. Eventually we'll have replaced the entire vehicle, one part at a time. Maybe then it might be more reliable.

[@aaronmcconnell7358]

Great buy you can do a 2 0r 3 inch lift really cheap ,steel d slot wheels and 31's and have yourself a nice little overlander.

[@alexkram]

I could tell from the thumb silhouette it was a ZJ. I have a '98 ZJ Laredo with the 5.2, looks exactly like yours. I bought mine 2 years ago for an off road toy. I expected it to break down a lot being a 24 year old Chrysler product but it has been rock solid! I did the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route last year and hauled an off road trailer for a group of motorcycle riders (see my video of it here on KZbin). 1200 miles off road and I really did abuse it, I was able to keep up with the motorcycles thanks to the V8 power and the great AWD system. I was hauling ass and hitting stuff faster than I probably should have. Not one issue! Actually the check engine light came on for an hour and then it turned itself off but who cares. I have towed another ZJ on a car dolly (not recommended), taken countless off road trips, and it has performed great. Mine has 31" tires on Ford Explorer wheels (0.5" more backspacing than the stock wheels for no rubbing) and 2" spacer lift that was $40 on ebay. Excellent off road performance with the short wheelbase although a locker would be nice. Mine was only $1000 but that was a different time for car values. Also mine had a bad NP249 transfer case when I got it and I swapped it out for a NP242. I love the way it looks and I love driving it. The only thing I don't like is the gas mileage. A manual transmission would be a huge improvement but for the price of the rig I am completely satisfied. I'll be watching to see what you do with it.

[@ChainsawFPV]

Thank you for pointing out the number 1 thing most people do wrong at a auction. GO THE DAY BEFORE!!!!!! Never show up the day of the auction and think your going to score big. Day before. Drive the car. Bring a scanner. Bring a jack. Do your home work. The smart people are. Thats how you find a good car. If there is a issue after purchase, its your own fault. The used car hustle is not easy, so dont be that guy that takes your last 3 grand and thinks they are going to score a car to double their money on in 10 mins. That does not happen in real life. Only on TV. And with 1500 cars every week, if there is nothing the week you go, dont rush. Come back the next week.

[@stayve.]

Love ZJs, bought mine for $2k with the 5.2 V8 and a 6 in lift

[@deejayimm]

Walked past a couple of Ford Explorer 2 door sports, and if they have the correct drivetrain, they are secret little badass off-roaders. I forget what exactly you're supposed to look for but I think it's the four-wheel drive switch with options for awd, 4hi and 4lo, not 2wd, 4hi, and 4lo. Can't go wrong with the ZJ though.

[@maximsantacruz3941]

thank you algorithm for showing me this. subscribed

[@batmansprotege1569]

ik its not the same, but i had an 01 XJ and i loved it. got it unfer 2k too

[@JeremyKinson]

New to the channel. I'm all in on this jeep restoration idea lol

[@briandeiwert5911]

A little sanding and primer will fix that bubbling tailgate corner. All paints from that era just look terrible as everyone was switching to low VOC paints and it took the OEMs awhile to get it right. I'm curious what your mechanic buddy will say when he inspects it, but for an $1,800 bid it looks good so far. Hopefully not too much in mechanical work needs to be done, but it looks like a fine working day ride.

[@JoesGoldenGarage]

Very cool. Man those auction fees are high. On 1900 bucks the fee is 285 at DAA south