https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyk9bIVwdS8&t=25s
If you've ever gone used car shopping on Craigslist you know, it can be a crapshoot. People often try to dump junk cars on Craigslist in hopes the potential buyer won't thoroughly inspect the vehicle before handing over cash. It can be frustrating and downright scary if you don't know what to look for.
In my latest video on the YouTube channel Legitstreetcars, I take you on a little adventure of trying to find my friend a used Jeep Wrangler. My friend needed something more basic and more rugged, after he destroyed his 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550 by not keeping up with maintenance and repairs. The Jeep fit the bill, so we hit up the local Craigslist and found two potential Wranglers to check out.
The first Jeep was a 2000 Wrangler Sport with only 56,000 miles. Right away I was suspect on the low mileage, but luckily the owner was honest and informed me it was a former plow truck. If you know Wranglers or any full-frame truck, you know frame rot from salt is a serious problem. After checking out the engine, I noticed a lot of rust on parts like the fuel rail, brake boost, and various metal brackets. This led me to look underneath where I found a patched floorboard, a rusted frame and a lot of fresh undercoating. The Jeep was also recently painted, and although it looked good, the rust made us walk away.
Next up was a one-owner 2000 Wrangler Sport with 104,000 miles on it and a stack of receipts. The owner loved his Jeep and said it was garage kept and never used off-road. Almost the entire frame was replaced due to the common rust issue, and he had recently installed a lift kit with bigger wheels and tires. We had to drive for two hours to check out this Wrangler, but it was well worth it as in the end, my friend bought it. I was shocked at the value these old Jeeps retain. My friend ended up paying $12,000 for an 18-year-old Chrysler product with crank windows and manual door locks. In my research, I found these Wranglers are very similar to Harley-Davidson Motor Cycles. They have a massive fan base, and since the design is similar through the many generations, the value doesn't drop as much as cars that are redesigned every 6-7 years.
Although this Jeep is 100% perfect, my friend is already sending me links to supercharger kits so stay tuned for future build videos.