Let me put this another way: What's the minimum you'd do before attempting to drive it a thousand miles or so?

Swank Force One wrote: 4 banger or the V6? If 4 banger, maybe somewhat interested. If V6, no thanks. (Only because i have a spare manual for the 4 cylinder already).

V6. Auto of course, I believe it's the same auto as found in Nissan pathfinders of the same era and also similar to 300zx auto (hence the MPV TT) http://www.dswens.com/mpvtt/

Not sure if that 1000mi question was directed at me, but I'd try a 1000mi drive after brakes. I'd seriously let the thing go for $500.

We drove a late gen3 Montero today. It was generally pretty dingy and hadnt been cared for, but everything still worked after over a decade and 140k miles. Good sign.

Swmbo LOVED it, and i was honestly pretty impressed. Nothing felt cheap, interior held up well, very solid-feeling truck. HUGE amount of space without feeling like a ridiculously huge land yacht.

Swmbo super excited to get one.

Woo! It's all coming together..

And on my end... I'm currently being tormented by a local red Comanche that has already been 100% swapped with 97 Cherokee stuff, but with an auto trans.

I have a manual donor, obviously. Bet a comanche would be quick with a late 4.0, 3.55s, and a manual, huh?

no doubt about it...

Do it. Go buy it NOW and start the build thread in the morning.

I know we both hate red, but I think red as the bottom half of a red/black two tone would look good on a commanche.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/5169395836.html

I need another sports car, right?

https://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5180586005.html

Swank Force One wrote: Let me put this another way: What's the minimum you'd do before attempting to drive it a thousand miles or so?

Drain the gas tank, replace spark plugs after squirting some oil in there, flush coolant, 2 stroke oil in gas tank with the fill up, check brakes, then go?

I have a problem with all this: I still get whiplash trying to crane around to look at every clean lifted XJ Cherokee i see driving around. I look on CL almost every day to see what awesome XJs are out there. I LOVED my red XJ. Loved it.

Why is this a problem? Cherokees are inferior overland vehicles to many other SUVs. And are increasing in price.

Why else is this a problem? I have a perfectly good blue 2000 4dr Sport in my driveway that will become "mine" after SWMBO gets Jaynen's Montero. I don't love that Jeep. It's good, it's been a great vehicle for us for 5 years, SWMBO loves it, but i don't. I loved my red one.

So. Would cannibalizing all the good parts off the red one to put on the blue one make me love it? There's a certain few advantages to this.

1) Blue isn't Red.
2) Blue has 3.55 gears, which should a) make it a bit more sprightly with the 5spd than red was with the 3.07 gears, and b) mean i wouldn't NEED to re-gear with 33" tires.
3) Blue has already been "baselined," and i know exactly where it stands with condition and history. I wouldn't hesitate to drive this thing to Alaska.

Disadvantage: Blue is worth about $4k. I can get $1-2k out of Red as it sits. Pulling parts from Red to put on Blue makes Blue... still worth $4k, and Red pretty much just worth scrap. It's a gamble, if i don't love Blue after, then i lost money. If i love blue, then i win.

I don't know, i'm rambling.

Blue + transmission swap from Red + Red's grey interior (i hate tan) + Iron Rock Offroad 6.5" long arm lift + bushwhackers + 33s = soup?

Or do i just let go and move forward with something better suited for an Overland build? (gen2.5 montero)

I've always had a soft spot for these things.. don't know why..

https://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/5198601973.html

Sell the blue one for 4k without taking any additional chances on it, then buy a cheap XJ in the body style/color combo you want, and swap guts from red into it.

Or just buy that Comanche.

My friend's 2wd 5spd/3.07 4dr xj ran 16.0@85 bone stock with poor 60'. We put 3.50s from an auto in it and accidentally found the rev limiter with 2nd gear one tire fire, but never ran it at the track again. Suffice to say, 5spd+3.50s with stock size/weight tires is a 15 second truck with no engine mods.

Comanche with shell/roof top tent or a camper

UGH. WHYYYYYYYYYYYY U DO THIS??!?!?

Quick must atone

Heh i read the entire build thread of that Gen3. I was super excited and considering just finding a second Gen3 to molest until i saw the price of the coilovers he runs. Then i cried i a little.

I'm really happy with the old man emu stuff I put on mine. And on the big trip I took when I bought it it definitely handled the washboards a lot better than some of the other rigs

Jaynen wrote: I'm really happy with the old man emu stuff I put on mine. And on the big trip I took when I bought it it definitely handled the washboards a lot better than some of the other rigs

Yeah, the King setup he did probably wasn't necessary at all, but he seems to delve more on the crawling side of things. Gotta be honest, my inner redneck is a little disappointed at the height of the OME setup, but it's a known quantity and is still awesome on-road from everything i've seen.

Yeah, honestly there are not many options and most the overlanding type stuff you see from EU/AUS are not going very high on the lift. Someday I still just want a mog because mog

Someday I still just want a mog because mog

Thats the spirit!

I like that spirit. Part of why i'll probably get a gen2.5 Monty for myself. Because reasons and awesome.

ITT, OP is more indecisive than a drunk white girl.

This is what happens when OP has a budget more than $1000. Bad things. Too many options means OP is paralyzed.

The good news is that we've already figured out the replacement for The Cherokee of Rarity. We just don't know what OP will be driving. Sigh.

firstworldproblems