• Notice for iPhone users: DO NOT use the image size reduction option when uploading photos to the forum. This causes portrait images to post as landscape. We have added a warning to the image insert pop-up as well.

Looking at an LJ

barrys

barrys

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
East Norriton
State
PA
Thinking about selling my CJ7 and getting an LJ. My CJ8 is not on the road now(maybe next year). The CJ7 is pretty stock but it beats the hell out of my wife when we go for a ride.
How does an LJ's ride compare to a CJ7? It's gotta be alot better, right?

LJ is a 2006 has a rebuilt title(flopped on its side wheeling).
131,000 miles, automatic
Has a 2" BDS lift and probably 32-33"tires.on Rubicon rims.
Has poison spyder hi line fender(inner also) rear flares, rocker guards, and fold down tailgate conversion. Warn bumpers, big skid plate underneath, quadratec winch, aftermarket stereo with sub, hardtop, full doors, tub doors, older soft top, rain cover, and some stuff I can't remember. Will needs tires soon. It's very clean, frame is still black with hardly any rust visible. Been off the road sitting in a garage for the last 2 years.

What do you think(price should be under $10,000)?
 
Last edited:
I drove my LJ home from FL a few years back... it rides better than a CJ as the suspension is better/newer/updated(use whatever word you want here).

That said, it is still a Jeep.
Anyway you can borrow one from someone first?

Also, my guess at that price is that it isn't a true Rubicon, just the rims? Just trying to understand what it is first before saying a price.
A Rubicon with that mileage is in the $20-30K range these days for nice examples due to the supply/demand.
A non-Rubi would be less money.

cb
 
The ride won't remotely compare. Every iteration of suspension I've had on mine is miles better than the Postal (stock, Black Diamond 3", JKS JSpec 3.5" with hydraulic front bump stops). In the sand dunes, I had to completely relearn how I could drive it with the JSpec kit and Fox 2.0 shocks. I was able to go faster than I was actually comfortable with as a driver used to years there in the leaf-sprung postal, I really don't think I ever hit the limits of the suspension. I chickened out first :rotfl:

I'm not a manual-only guy by any means and I'm on record as not being a fan at all of that automatic, but others think it's fine.

With all that said, if you can get a clean version with what you listed (Rubicon or not) for anything remotely close to that price, you should stop posting here and go buy it immediately. @certifiablejeep is exactly right, that's underpriced by half in the market right now and you don't want the seller to figure that out.
 
CJ and LJ ride nice if setup right, the LJ better and even smoother with long arms. Red one below

The price on LJ’s has gone up and $10k is cheap…

For ride and price another option is a 2007-2010 JK two door like black one below which is a Sahara with Rubicon wheels. JK’s run $10-14k in my area
6502579F-1854-427A-AD7D-E3275266D170.jpeg6F150305-2DF3-43C3-9987-76EE9C20F0FE.jpeg
 
rubclt said:
For ride and price another option is a 2007-2010 JK two door like black one below which is a Sahara with Rubicon wheels. JK’s run $10-14k in my area
Click to expand...

FWIW, having owned a 2008 JKU that I had to do the cracked exhaust manifold replacement on, there is no situation ever in which I'd get a 3.8L JK(U) over an LJ for the same money. Those are 90-100k mile engines tops, way too many well-known problems with them once they get up to that. All they're good for is LS/Hemi drivetrain swaps at that point IMO.
 
True the minivan motor is not as good as LJ 4.0. The black one has 213,000 miles. I need to pull the foil cover to see if exhaust manifold has crack…
 
rubclt said:
True the minivan motor is not as good as LJ 4.0. The black one has 213,000 miles. I need to pull the foil cover to see if exhaust manifold has crack…
Click to expand...
I know there are examples that go 200k+ miles but ours was absolutely babied as a DD with Mobil 1 and high end filters and it went to hell after 90k. Always consumed oil from new. Two manifold bolts seized to the aluminum heads and broke and getting the steel bolts out of the soft heads was a nightmare. I get the shakes just thinking about it. I'd replace the heads too if I had to face the job again.

Only thing that made it worthwhile was the trade value the dealership gave us on it shortly afterward :bow:
 
All you said is what I expected. Need to sell some parts to come up with the difference of what the CJ will bring and asking price of the LJ.
He had told me a price and the next day had do research and raised the price by double(but will come down on it). It's not really advertised and seems like he would like me to buy it as I am a Jeep guy. (He just found a motor for his bought he wants to buy so hopefully he will
come down more.
It is not a Rubicon, just the wheels.
 
A stock LJ will ride better/smoother/less harsh than a stock CJ-7, no argument there :twocents:

Not sure how that particular lift will effect the ride on that LJ :shrug:

I daily drove my stock 05 LJR for over 100,000 miles (Bilstein shocks, switched out the MTR's for Duratracs), drove nice. Very few minor issues with my LJ (well, the PCM went out at 40,000 miles, but that was pretty random). Knowing what I know now/experienced about "post 2006 Jeeps", I am going to repurchase my 05 LJ and sell my 2021 Gladiator early next year :twocents::thumbsup:
 
Price is lower because it has a rebuilt title but it still seems darn cheap to me
 
bigwalton said:
From the flop?
Click to expand...
Yes.
I gotta see if I can scare up some money to get it. Who needs 2 full CJ8 hardtops anyway, right? What good is a full CJ6 hardtop if you sold your CJ6 years ago? Airlocked, warn hub converted, JKS F1 steering equipped dana 30, been in a shed for 20+ years behind a new CJ Dynatrac 60, why keep it?
 
Last edited:
I purchased an 04 LJ early last year. Had 102k on the clock, always in Texas and clean for $13,500. Thought I got a good deal at the time. Now it would be a smoking good deal . The typical non Rubi goes for 16,500 - 19,000 with low 100's on the clock. The clean ones don't last long at that price. The clean Rubi don't come up often but when they do are upper 20's to 30's.

That one for 10k would be a great deal if its clean, even with the recon title. Depending on the vehicle, the amount of damage it sustained and quality of repairs, recon titles will deduct 10% or more.

The reason I purchased and LJ was for a more comfortable ride, - A/C, auto trans and a real suspension. I do like mine.
 
just remember the old adage - buy low, sell high......Sell off some goodies now and wait, hold on, wait for it........The market will correct.
* this is not a political or economic policy statement - things are through the roof and the time will come to buy when there's not such fervor for toys
 
mhinchliffe said:
just remember the old adage - buy low, sell high......Sell off some goodies now and wait, hold on, wait for it........The market will correct.
* this is not a political or economic policy statement - things are through the roof and the time will come to buy when there's not such fervor for toys
Click to expand...
He doesn't need to hold on at the price he's talking about though. That's the point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top